When you’re consulting your doctor about your symptoms, they typically conduct a physical exam and require you to undergo diagnostic tests. An X-ray is one of the most common diagnostics tests that physicians use to detect various health problems by generating images of tissues and structures inside the body.
Thanks to technological advancements in the medical field, digital X-ray imaging is now possible. It can enhance the overall display quality of scanned images. It is also time and cost-efficient. Nonetheless, conventional and digital X-rays are alike in terms of the internal conditions they can detect.
Here are a few examples:
Arthritis
Due to its many different types, an arthritis diagnosis can be challenging to give. Besides reviewing your medical history and symptoms, a physician may also ask you to take some laboratory tests and imaging tests to help diagnose your condition. Imaging tests like X-rays give the physician a better view of the state of your joints. X-rays show bone damage, cartilage loss, and other joint changes that are present in various types of arthritis. It is also often used to track arthritis progression.
Dental Problems
Dentists utilize X-rays to detect a host of dental problems, such as impacted wisdom teeth and overcrowding. They also use X-rays to check for teeth misalignments before installing braces, implants, and dentures. Dental X-rays also show bone loss, changes in the root canal, and abscesses.
Digestive Tract Problems
To diagnose digestive tract problems, physicians primarily look at your medical history and conduct physical examinations to assess your conditions accurately. However, they can recommend some patients to undergo an extensive diagnostic evaluation through laboratory and imaging tests.
A colorectal transit study is an imaging technique where the patient takes capsules that have small markers visible on the X-ray. Abdominal X-rays are taken several times after swallowing the capsules to monitor their movement through the colon. Through this, your doctor can evaluate the function of your colon.
X-ray imaging may also use the contrast agent barium to evaluate the organs in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts. This can detect abnormalities such as obstructions, tumors, ulcers, strictures, and other inflammatory issues.
Bone Fractures and Dislocation
X-rays provide clear pictures of many bones, tissues, and organs in the body. Most fractures are diagnosed using X-ray imaging. It is also useful for confirming dislocated bones and other joint damage.
Lung Conditions
X-rays can detect signs of lung conditions like pneumonia, emphysema, tuberculosis, and lung cancer. Chest X-rays show your airways’ status, the bones of your chest and spine, blood vessels, heart, and lungs. In turn, the images that the X-rays produce help your physicians diagnose your symptoms more accurately.
Osteoporosis
Typically, the first sign of osteoporosis is bone breakage. However, it is possible to diagnose this condition even before a bone breaks. Bone density scan is an enhanced form of X-ray technology that can identify early signs of bone loss and your susceptibility to fractures. The DEXA scan utilizes low levels of X-rays to determine the patient’s bone density or the proportion of mineral in the bones.
Tumors and Cancer
Besides physical exams and laboratory tests, physicians typically order imaging tests like standard X-rays to examine a patient’s bones and internal organs for tumors or other abnormalities. It can detect bone tumors and evidence of lung cancer. Moreover, a mammogram is an examination of breast tissue that also uses X-ray technology.
X-Ray Imaging in New York
For some conditions, a thorough check of your medical records and a physical examination may be insufficient to give a proper diagnosis. However, X-rays are essential in providing a more accurate diagnosis and treatment for various health issues.
At Starling Diagnostics, we have a wide selection of services designed to diagnose and analyze neurological, musculoskeletal, and women’s healthcare issues. Our board-certified radiologists have the expertise to provide you with the highest quality radiology services you may need.
To consult with us for your diagnostic imaging needs, you may visit us at our office in the Bronx, New York. For inquiries, you may call us at (718) 319-1610. You may also use our online form to schedule an appointment.
