X-Rays

X-rays use a small dose of ionising radiation to produce images of the body's internal structures. They are fast, cheap and widely available — the workhorse of medical imaging, particularly for bones and the chest.

Common uses

• Chest X-ray — pneumonia, TB, heart size, lung tumours, broken ribs, fluid in the lungs.
• Bone X-ray — fractures, dislocations, arthritis, some bone infections and tumours.
• Abdominal X-ray — bowel obstruction, kidney stones, swallowed foreign bodies.
• Dental X-ray — cavities, wisdom teeth, jaw.
• Mammography — specialised breast X-ray for cancer screening.
• Fluoroscopy — moving X-ray; used during some procedures.

Radiation — put in context

• A chest X-ray dose is roughly equivalent to a few days of natural background radiation — very low.
• A CT scan uses much more radiation than a plain X-ray.
• Benefit of a needed X-ray almost always outweighs the tiny radiation risk.
• Don't repeat an X-ray that was done recently unless a Health Expert judges it truly needed.
• Inform the technician if you might be pregnant — the lower abdomen will be shielded, or the test postponed/replaced.

Practical points

• No special preparation for most X-rays.
• Remove jewellery, zips, metal buttons as instructed — they block the image.
• The test takes only a few minutes.
• Take previous films or reports to your next visit — comparing old and new is often more useful than any single image.
• An abnormal X-ray doesn't automatically mean a serious problem — a Health Expert interprets the findings in context of your symptoms.

India context

Chest X-rays remain a first-line test for TB in India — simple, widely available, and highly sensitive in symptomatic patients. Many primary care centres and district hospitals have X-ray facilities; low-cost films are available in most towns.