An x-ray (sometimes referred to as "x-rays" only) is a painless exam that is done to see inside the body and recognize soft tissue from denser structures (such as bones). Typically, it aims to detect bone fractures and infections, find benign or cancerous tumors, diagnose arthritis, vascular obstruction, or tooth decay. It is also used to evaluate digestive tract problems or find a foreign body that has been ingested. If you know what to expect and how to prepare for the procedure, you will feel less anxious and the process can go smoothly.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Preparing for an X-ray
Step 1. Talk to your doctor before the exam
It is essential to consult your doctor before having an x-ray, especially if you are breastfeeding or thinking you are pregnant. In fact, the procedure involves exposure to a small amount of radiation that is potentially dangerous to the fetus.
Depending on the specific situation, another diagnostic imaging test can be performed to avoid radiation
Step 2. Find out if you need to fast
Your doctor may ask you not to eat before the exam, depending on the type of test. Typically, this forethought is only needed for some digestive tract studies. Fasting in this case involves not eating or drinking in the 8-12 hours preceding the X-ray.
If you are regularly on drug therapy and need to fast before the exam, only take your medicine with a sip of water
Step 3. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes
Dress practically when you go to the hospital for x-rays, as you will likely need to undress before the test or sit in the waiting room for a long time.
- Choose loose-fitting clothes that allow you to move easily, such as a shirt and, for women, a bra with hooks in front.
- If you have to have a chest x-ray, you will need to undress from the waist up. In this case, you are provided with a gown during the exam.
Step 4. Remove all jewelry, glasses and metal objects
It is best to leave the jewelry at home, as you will have to take it off for examination. If you wear glasses, you need to take them off too.
Step 5. Get to your appointment early
It is best to show up early at the clinic, in case there are paperwork to process and forms to fill out. In some cases, you will also be given contrast liquid.
- Remember to deliver the referral signed by the doctor to the radiology technician (if necessary). This form indicates the areas of the body to be checked and the reason for the examination.
- Don't forget your health card and, if you have one, private health insurance.
Step 6. Empty your bladder before x-rays if it is an abdominal exam
You cannot move or leave the room once the procedure has begun. Try to pee before the exam and don't drink too much in the morning.
Step 7. Be prepared to drink a contrast agent (if needed)
For certain radiographs, it is necessary to drink a contrast liquid that makes certain areas of the body in the plates more visible. Depending on the type of exam, you may be asked to:
- Drink a solution of barium or iodine;
- Swallow a pill;
- Get an injection.
Step 8. Know that you will need to hold your breath for a few seconds during the exam
In this way, the heart and lungs will be more defined in the X-ray images. You will also be asked to take certain positions and stand still.
- The radiology technician will position your body between a machine and a plate that creates a digital image.
- Sometimes pillows or sandbags are used to help you maintain certain positions.
- You will be asked to move around in different postures to take front and side images.
Step 9. Don't expect to hear anything during the exam
Radiography is a completely painless procedure in which a beam of X-rays passes through the body and produces an image. The test usually takes a few minutes in the case of the bone study, but when a contrast fluid is used, the times can dilate.
Part 2 of 2: Knowing the Various Types of Radiographs
Step 1. Know what to expect on a chest x-ray
This is one of the most common radiological procedures and is performed to capture images of the heart, lungs, airways, blood vessels, chest and spinal bones. Typically, it allows you to diagnose problems such as:
- Shortness of breath, severe or persistent cough, chest pain or injury.
- It is also used to diagnose and monitor diseases such as pneumonia, heart failure, emphysema, lung cancer, and the presence of fluid or air around the lungs.
- If your doctor recommends a chest X-ray, no special preparation is needed - just follow the advice described in the first part of the article.
- The exam typically takes about 15 minutes, and two chest views are often done.
Step 2. Learn what happens during a bone x-ray
In this case, images are taken of the bones looking for fractures, dislocations, trauma, infections, abnormal bone development, or structural changes. If you are in pain due to an injury, ask your doctor to give you pain relievers before the exam, as the technician may need to move your bones and joints during the procedure.
- Bone x-rays are also done to detect cancer and other tumors, as well as to highlight the presence of foreign objects in soft tissue, around and / or inside the bones.
- If your doctor prescribes this test for you, there is no need for any specific preparation - follow the directions described above.
- Bone x-rays usually last five to ten minutes. Sometimes, the healthy limb is also analyzed as a comparison.
Step 3. Find out about X-rays of the upper gastric tract
This test is used to diagnose injuries or problems affecting the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. Additionally, the doctor may also request an abdominal x-ray to study the kidneys, bladder, and urethra.
- This exam uses a special instrument, called a fluoroscope, which allows you to view internal organs while they are in motion.
- Know that you will need to drink a barium contrast solution before the exam.
- In some cases, you will also need to take sodium bicarbonate crystals to improve the quality of the X-ray images.
- An upper gastric tract exam helps diagnose the origin of symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, abdominal and chest pain, acid reflux, unexplained vomiting, severe dyspepsia, and blood in the stool.
- It is also performed to recognize pathologies such as ulcers, tumors, hernias, occlusions and intestinal inflammation.
- If your doctor prescribes this test, you will need to fast for the previous 8-12 hours.
- Also remember to empty your bladder before the procedure if possible.
- Typically, it takes 20 minutes to complete the exam. Over the next 48 to 72 hours, you may experience some bloating, constipation, or the production of gray or white stools from the contrast fluid.
Step 4. Know what to expect on a lower digestive tract X-ray
During the procedure, the colon, appendix, and sometimes a small portion of the small intestine are analyzed. Again, a fluoroscope and barium contrast solution is used.
- This test is useful for diagnosing symptoms such as chronic diarrhea, bloody stools, constipation, unexplained weight loss, bleeding, and abdominal pain.
- Doctors use this type of x-ray to detect benign tumors, carcinomas, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, or obstruction of the large intestine.
- If your doctor has prescribed an X-ray of the lower gastric tract, you will need to fast from midnight and will only be allowed to drink clear liquids, such as juice, tea, black coffee, soda, or broth.
- It may also be necessary to take a laxative the night before the exam to cleanse the colon.
- Remember to empty your bladder before undergoing the procedure if possible.
- This type of exam takes about 30-60 minutes. You may experience abdominal pressure and some mild cramps. When finished, you will be given a laxative to help you excrete the barium.
Step 5. Learn about a joint radiograph
Artography is a special examination for the study of pathologies affecting the joints. There are two types: direct and indirect.
- The indirect one requires the injection of a contrast liquid into the bloodstream.
- The direct one involves injecting the contrast fluid only into the joint.
- The procedure is done to look for abnormalities and understand the source of pain or discomfort in the various joints of the body.
- Arthrography can also be performed with a computed tomograph or with an MRI instrument.
- If your doctor prescribes this test, no special preparation is required - follow the instructions described in the first part of the article.
- In some cases, you will be asked to fast, but only if you are sedated.
- Arthrography takes about half an hour. When finished, you may experience stinging or burning pain if an anesthetic was used to numb the joint area.
- You may also complain of pain and constriction where the needle was inserted into the joint.
Advice
- Ask your doctor or radiology technician for specific instructions on what you need to do before, during, and after the procedure.
- Discuss ways to help your child undergo an x-ray with your pediatrician. Sometimes he is allowed to stay in the room with the little patient during the exam.
Warnings
- Tell your doctor or radiology technician if you are pregnant or think you are pregnant.
- Routine radiographs are considered to be quite safe; however, most doctors recommend waiting at least six months, and in some cases even a year, before undergoing the same examination, due to exposure to X-rays, unless it is necessary to anticipate the time (which is quite often when you need to have a chest X-ray taken again a week or two after pneumonia, or to check that the bones have joined together following a fracture). If you are concerned about radiation exposure, discuss this with your doctor in advance.
