X-Ray: What It Is, Types, Preparation And Risks - Cleveland Clinic

What is an X-ray?

An X-ray is a type of medical imaging that uses radiation to take pictures of the inside of your body. We often think of X-rays as something providers use to diagnose broken bones or look at your teeth. But X-ray images can also help providers diagnose a wide range of injuries, disorders and diseases.

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Most people use the term “X-ray” to mean a plain radiograph (plain film), or just one image. But X-rays are also the type of radiation that imaging machines use to create pictures. X-ray radiation is also used in other types of medical imaging, like CT scans, to get many images that are interpreted by a computer to form 3D pictures. This piece will focus on plain X-rays.

What is an X-ray with contrast material?

Some X-rays use contrast material (also called contrast agent or dye). It makes certain structures in your body, like blood vessels, easier to see.

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-ray, you may receive the contrast material:

• Orally (by mouth).
• Through an injection into a vein (IV) or your cerebrospinal fluid.
• By inserting it into your rectum (enema).

When do you need an X-ray?

Your provider may order an X-ray to:

• Check for a broken bone (fracture).
• Identify the cause of symptoms, such as pain and swelling.
• Look for signs of infection in your lungs.
• Look for foreign objects in your body.
• Look for structural problems in your bones, joints or soft tissues.
• Plan and evaluate treatments.

What can an X-ray show?

Issues that can show up on X-rays include:

• Arthritis.
• Broken bones.
• Bone changes or abnormalities.
• Herniated discs in your spine.
• Infections.
• Kidney stones.
• Scoliosis and other spine curvature conditions.
• Tooth cavities.
• Tumors.

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Keep in mind that while certain abnormalities can show up on X-rays, they don’t always. In other words, things like kidney stones and tumors aren’t always visible on an X-ray, even if they’re there.

Can an X-ray show cancer?

X-rays can show cancer, but it’s not the primary way that providers look for or diagnose most cancers. This is because tumors in your organs can be small or hidden behind other structures in your body (like your ribs in the case of a chest X-ray) or blend in with normal tissues.

What are the types of X-rays?

Several types of X-rays take pictures of different areas inside your body. Some of the most common types of X-rays include:

• Abdominal X-ray. This X-ray helps providers evaluate parts of your digestive system and diagnose conditions like kidney stones and bladder stones.
• Bone X-ray. You might get a bone X-ray if your provider suspects you have a broken bone, dislocated joint or arthritis. Images from bone X-rays can also show signs of bone cancer or infection.
• Chest X-ray. Your provider might order a chest X-ray if you have symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath or a cough.
• Dental X-ray. A dental provider takes regular X-rays of your mouth to look for issues with your teeth and gums.
• Head X-ray. These can help providers see skull fractures from head injuries or conditions that affect how the bones in your skull form, like craniosynostosis.
• Spine X-ray. A provider can use a spine X-ray to look for spine curvatures, slipped discs and other spine issues.

Other types of medical imaging use a series of X-rays interpreted by a computer to make detailed images. These include:

• Bone density (DXA) scan.
• CT scan (computed tomography).
• Fluoroscopy.
• Mammogram.