X-Rays
X-rays are a type of radiation called electromagnetic waves. X-ray imaging creates pictures of the inside of your body. The images show the parts of your body in different shades of black and white. This is because different tissues absorb different amounts of radiation. Calcium in bones absorbs x-rays the most, so bones look white. Fat and other soft tissues absorb less and look gray. Air absorbs the least, so lungs look black.
The most familiar use of x-rays is checking for fractures (broken bones), but x-rays are also used in other ways. For example, chest x-rays can spot pneumonia. Mammograms use x-rays to look for breast cancer.
When you have an x-ray, you may wear a lead apron to protect certain parts of your body. The amount of radiation you get from an x-ray is small. For example, a chest x-ray gives out a radiation dose similar to the amount of radiation you're naturally exposed to from the environment over 10 days.
Start Here
- Medical X-Ray Imaging (Food and Drug Administration)
- X-Ray (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Contrast Materials (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- How to Read Your Radiology Report (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Products for Security Screening of People (Food and Drug Administration)
- Radiation Dose from X-Ray and CT Exams (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Tracing the X-Ray Trail (American Society of Radiologic Technologists) - PDF - In English and Spanish
Specifics
- Abdominal X-Ray (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Bone Density Scan (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Bone X-Ray (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Catheter Angiography (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Chest X-Ray (Radiography) (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Cystogram (American Society of Radiologic Technologists) - PDF - In English and Spanish
- Direct Arthrography (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Discography (Discogram) (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Fluoroscopy (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP) (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Lower Extremity Radiography (American Society of Radiologic Technologists) - PDF
- Lower GI Series (Barium Enema) (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
- Myelography (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Panoramic Dental X-Ray (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Radiography of the Paranasal Sinuses (American Society of Radiologic Technologists) - PDF - In English and Spanish
- Skull Radiography (American Society of Radiologic Technologists) - PDF - In English and Spanish
- Upper Extremity Radiography (American Society of Radiologic Technologists) - PDF - In English and Spanish
- Upper GI Series (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
- Venography (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Virtual Colonoscopy (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
