WHAT IS AN X-RAY?

X-Ray is an imaging technique that has been used since 1895, after being discovered by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, to show anormalities in bones and certain body tissues, such as breast tissue.

X-Rays are a type of high-energy radiation that is like light waves but higher in energy. An X-ray machine can produce short bursts of X-rays that pass easily through fluids and soft tissues of the body but are blocked by dense tissue such as bone.

Contrast X-rays use a substance (called a contrast medium) that makes hollow or fluid-filled structures visible. This means that structures such as the digestive tract, blood vessels or urinary system that do not usually show up on an x-ray, can be seen. The substance is injected or swallowed and x-rays cannot pass through it, so the area will appear white.

WHY IS IT NECESSARY?

X-rays are necessary to show images of abnormalities that cannot be seen from outside the body, such as broken bones or shadows on the lungs.

HOW IS IT PERFORMED?

You will be asked to lie on a table or stand against a surface so that the part of your body being x-rayed is between the x-ray source and a drawer containing a film cassette (similar to a photographic film). The designated part of your body is exposed to x-rays for a fraction of a second. The x-rays hit the film, which is then developed electronically. The image is studied by a radiologist and a report sent to your doctor.

You have to keep still so that the images are clear. Taking an x-ray is painless. More than one x-ray may be taken from different angles to give more information. For example, when examining the lungs, both the front and side of the body will be x-rayed.