Basically, an Gold Coast X-ray is an imaging study that takes pictures of bones and soft tissues of the body. X-rays actually use a safe amount of radiation to create these pictures. The images taken from X-rays are to help healthcare providers to diagnose a wide range of conditions and to plan the right treatment.
Often, healthcare providers use X-rays to evaluate broken bones, dislocated joints and other bone injuries.
An X-ray study (sometimes called a radiograph) is a type of medical imaging (radiology) that creates pictures of your bones and soft tissues like body organs.
The providers use X-rays to look for fractures (broken bones). These X-ray images can help providers diagnose a wide range of injuries, disorders and diseases. X-rays are safe and effective ways for the provider to evaluate your health.
Need of an X-ray
In practice, people of all ages, even including babies and children, can get an X-ray. Your provider may order an X-ray for you to check for broken bones (if you have a nasty accident).
He can then identify the cause of symptoms like pain and swelling or maybe look for some foreign objects in your body. Your provider will look for structural problems in your bones, joints or soft tissues.
If he does discover some serious physical anomalies in your body, he can plan and evaluate the treatments for you. He can provide routine screenings for cancer and other diseases.
Types of X-ray studies
There are several types of X-rays that takes pictures of different areas inside your body. Some X-rays use contrast materials (dye) to make the images clearer.Some of the most common types of X-rays include —
Abdominal X-ray: This one shows images of your kidneys, stomach, liver and bladder. This X-ray shows images of your kidneys, stomach, liver and bladder. It helps providers diagnose conditions like kidney stones and bladder stones.
Bone X-ray: your provider will use a bone X-ray study to see broken bones (fractures), dislocated joints, and arthritis.
Your provider will use a bone X-ray study to see broken bones (fractures), dislocated joints and arthritis. The bone x-rays also show images from bone X-rays that could beshowing signs of bone cancer or infection.
Chest X-ray looks for abnormalities in the heart, lungs, and bones in the chest (ex. – pneumonia)
Dental X-ray – Regular dental X-rays allow your provide to evaluate your teeth and gums, look for infections andcheck for cavities.
Fluoroscopy: A fluoroscopy shows moving images of organs and soft tissues (like the intestines). Your provider views your organs in motion in real-time on a screen (kind of like an X-ray movie). GI X-ray exams often use fluoroscopy.
CT scan (computed tomography): this is a radiology study that uses X-rays and a computer to create cross-section images of bones, organs and tissues.
This is a donut-shaped machine that you slide through as it takes images.
Mammogram: mammograms are used by healthcare providers to take X-rays of breast tissues, evaluate breast lumps and diagnose breast cancer.
Providers use mammograms to take X-ray pictures of breast tissue, evaluate breast lumps and diagnose breast cancer.
X-ray studies
An X-ray sends beams of radiation through your body. These radiation beams are invisible and you can’t feel their presence.
Radiation beams are invisible, and you can’t feel them. When it passes through your body, it creates an image on an X-ray detector nearby.
As the beams go through your body, bones, soft tissues and the other structures absorb the radiation in different ways. Solid or dense objects (such as bones) absorb radiation easily, so they appear bright white on the image.
The soft tissues (such as the other organs of the body) don’t absorb radiation as easily, so they appear in shades of gray on the X-ray.
Contrast materials
For some X-rays, the necessity to use contrast materials are a must. The contrast materials come as a liquid, power or pill. Your provider gives you the contact material before the X-ray.
Some types of X-rays certainly need the contrast materials. These contrast materials come in three different forms (liquid, pills powder). Depending on the type of your X-rays you may receive the contrast material through some injection, or orally (pills).
Some X-rays use contrast material (also called contrast agent or dye). The contrast material comes as a liquid, powder or pill. Your provider gives you the contrast material before the X-ray.
Depending on the type of X-rays, you mayfeel flushed or warm for a little while. Some people experience a metallic taste in their mouth. These side effects go away in a few minutes.
The contrast agent changes the way soft tissues and other structures appear on an X-ray study so your provider can see them in more detail.
Getting ready
Before anything else, you need to tell you healthcare provider about your health history, your allergies and medications you are taking (if any).
If you’re pregnant, or think you might be pregnant or are presently breastfeeding,inform your healthcare provider before getting an X-ray.
For a bone X-ray, you need not do anything to prepare.
For other types of X-rays, your healthcare provider will tell you to avoid lotions, creams and perfume. You also need to remove anything metallic from your body (jewelry, watch. hairpins, pacemakers, etc).
In some versions of the X-ray, you may not also be allowed to take food or drinks several hours beforehand.
After the procedure
If you received contrast dye before your X-ray, you should drink plenty of water to flush the contrast material from your body. Some people may have some side effects from contrast dye.
Some experiences nausea (vomiting), stomach cramps, headaches, and diarrhea.
This rarely happens, though, since allergic reactions to contrast materials used in the dye.
Allergic reactions to contrast materials can rarely trigger allergic reactions. People who have allergies or asthma are more likely to have an allergic reaction to contrast dye.
Talk to your provider about your risk of a reaction, and call your provider right away if you have unusual symptoms.
