Diagnostic X-ray
X-rays, or radiographs, are a painless medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. They are the oldest and most frequently used form of medical imaging.
Learn More About Diagnostic X-ray
Radiography involves exposing a part of the body to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body. X-rays, or radiation like light or radio waves, pass through most objects, including the body. Once it is carefully aimed at the part of the body being examined, an X-ray machine produces a small burst of radiation that passes through the body, recording an image digitally. Different parts of the body absorb the X-rays in varying degrees. Dense bone absorbs much of the radiation while soft tissue, such as muscle, fat and organs, allow more of the X-rays to pass through them. As a result, bones appear white on the X-ray, soft tissue shows up in shades of gray, and air appears black.
X-ray or radiography uses a very small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the body’s internal structures. X-rays are the oldest and most frequently used form of medical imaging. They are often used to help diagnose fractured bones, look for injury or infection, and to locate foreign objects in soft tissue.
You don’t need to do anything special to prepare for an X-ray. However, you may be asked to change into a gown to make sure that metal objects on your clothing don’t affect the images.
One of our board-certified radiologists will interpret your exam and send a report to your physician within 5 business days. You can also access your report as soon as it is finalized through the online patient portal. For any information about the findings, please contact your referring physician.
Generally, two or three X-ray images will be taken, depending on the area being examined. You’ll need to stay very still for a few seconds while the images are taken, and you may be asked to hold your breath to help prevent any movement that could blur the pictures. Once your X-rays are finished, you can go back to your normal activities.
X-rays are one of medicine’s most important diagnostic tools.
As a patient, receiving occasional radiation exposure produces virtually no risk whatsoever as the amount of radiation is not great enough to produce damage to your cells, body tissues, or organs. Because we use state-of-the-art equipment in our facility, the radiation dose is lower, increasing safety to patients and staff.
No radiation remains in a patient’s body after an x-ray examination. X-rays usually have no side effects in the typical diagnostic range for this exam. Because x-ray imaging is fast and easy, it is particularly useful in emergency diagnosis and treatment.
Special care is taken during x-ray examinations to use the lowest radiation dose possible while producing the best images for evaluation. National and international radiology protection organizations continually review and update the technique standards used by radiology professionals.
Modern x-ray systems have very controlled x-ray beams and dose control methods to minimize stray (scatter) radiation. This ensures that those parts of a patient’s body not being imaged receive minimal radiation exposure.