X-ray imaging is the oldest and most frequently used form of medical imaging for the entire body. It is a painless medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat various conditions such as determining whether a bone has been fractured, locating foreign objects, and assisting in the detection and diagnosis of cancer.
X-Rays Can Be Used For Diagnosis Of:
- An enlarged heart
- Blood vessel blockages
- Bone fractures
- Cancers and tumors
- Digestive problems
- Dislocated joints
- Fluid in lungs
- Infections
X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light, and an X-ray machine is essentially a camera. Instead of visible light, however, it uses X-rays to expose the image.
To make an X-ray (radiograph), a part of the body is exposed to a small quantity of X-rays, and since bone, fat, muscle, tumors, and other masses all absorb X-rays at different levels; you see different shaded structures on the digital image that is produced.
When properly used by a radiologist and technologist specially trained to minimize exposure, X-rays are safe and no radiation remains afterward.
