X-rays are medical tests that your doctor may request to diagnose many diseases or conditions. X-rays take a picture of the inside of your body, and through a series of "reassure yourself" we learn about the uses of x-rays, according to the "webmd" medical site.
Doctors use X-rays to diagnose
Broken bones.
Dislocated joints.
-arthritis.
Abdominal pain, in some cases.
-cancer.
-tooth decay.
Doctors can also use X-rays to find something that a child or adult has swallowed.
X-rays may be used to check your lungs for signs of pneumonia or tuberculosis, to find the cause of your shortness of breath, or to find out if you have heart failure.
What happens during an x-ray?
Most x-rays do not require any special preparation. Your doctor may ask you to remove jewelry, glasses, or any metal objects or clothing that could obstruct the image.
Doctors can take pictures while standing or lying down, depending on the area of the body being examined.
The machine sends a beam through your body, your hard, dense bones blocking that beam, so that it appears white on the film beneath you, the radiation also passes through smoother tissues such as muscle and fat, which appear in gray shades on the X-ray.
The radiologist may take pictures from many different angles.
The machine makes clicks and buzzing sounds during an X-ray. It may take only a few minutes to perform an X-ray of the bones.
What the x-ray does not show
X-rays are great for checking for broken bones or tooth decay, but other imaging tests are better if you have something going on with parts of the soft tissues of your body like your kidneys, intestines, or your brain.
Your doctor may order an MRI instead of an X-ray to diagnose injuries such as a torn ligament in your knee or a rotator cuff tear in your shoulder.
An MRI can also show small fractures or bone bruises, which may not be seen on X-rays and is often used to diagnose a hip fracture.
An MRI is a good tool for seeing spinal injuries, as doctors can see both the bones in the spine and the spinal cord.
