X-Ray Vision

Discovered accidentally about a century ago by German scientist Wilhelm Roentgen, X-ray pictures are one of medicine’s most important diagnostic tools. They are used to detect injuries to the bones, such as breaks and dislocations, and to monitor the patients’ recovery from such injuries. Chest X-rays help doctors look at your heart and lungs, and to confirm a diagnosis of pneumonia, a collapsed lung or lung cancer. And, of course, dentists use them frequently.

X-rays work by sending small amounts of radiation through the body. Because bone is dense, few X-rays pass through it, so bones show up as white unexposed areas on the X-ray image. Softer tissues--blood and muscle, for example--appear as gray shadows on the film.

Some patients worry about radiation. But when doctors and dentists order X-ray pictures, they’ve taken into consideration the minute risk--and have decided that the value outweighs the risk.

Depending on what parts of your body will be X-rayed, you will be asked to lie on a table, sit or stand. A lead apron may be draped over part of your body to shield it from the X-rays. With a chest X-ray, the technician will instruct you to take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds.

A few things you should tell the technician before having the X-ray:

* If you’re pregnant or think you might be, speak up. You may be told to not have the X-ray.

* If you’ve had an X-ray of this part of your body before, old X-rays can be compared with the new ones.

* If you have any metal in the part of your body being imaged--yes, fans of body piercing, this includes rings in various parts of your flesh--say something. Metal items can block part of the image.

Remember: Try to stay calm during the X-ray process. If you wiggle or squirm, you’ll probably have to repeat the test.

Source: StayWell Co.