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May 2025

X-ray : Everything you need to know

Posted By Suborna Fermi Posted on May 11, 2025

Medical imaging techniques have kept evolving time after time to make treatment procedures easier. We can not see wounds and damages that take place internally, which are equally serious as external wounds. Modern imaging techniques help medical professionals inspect the internal organs, bones, and tissues of the body and find injuries or infections that have taken place. Advanced diagnostic labs involve the use of technically advanced medical gadgets to perform the imaging procedures and ensure high-end accuracy.

Indeed, X-rays are still one of the most widely known imaging techniques that have various uses. It is one of the most trustworthy imaging techniques and is being widely used all over the globe. In this article, we will discuss what it is and how it is used, and why.

What is an X-ray?

An X-ray is a medical imaging technique that involves the use of radiation. X-rays have been used for decades to look for internal wounds without making an incision. A wide range of injuries can be diagnosed using X-rays.

Medical professionals may recommend going for an X-ray for

  • Inspecting the internal area of your body where you are feeling discomfort or pain.
  • Monitoring the progress of an underlying disease or fracture
  • Checking the treatment progression in individuals receiving medications and other treatments.
  • Looking for the presence of foreign objects in an individual’s body

X-ray is mainly a particular type of ray or radiation, which is used by the X-ray machine to capture images of internal parts of the body. It’s undoubtedly a highly effective scanning technique. As mentioned before, X-rays can be used to diagnose so many kinds of conditions, including

  • Fractures
  • Bone cancers
  • Breast tumors
  • Osteoporosis
  • Digestive problems
  • Blocked blood vessels
  • Tooth decay
  • Arthritis
  • Infections
  • Kidney stones
  • Tumors
  • Herniated discs in your spine
  • Bone abnormalities
  • Scoliosis

What are the types of X-ray?

There are various applications of X-rays. We categorized them here based on the purposes they serve.

  • Abdominal X-ray: Evaluating different parts of your digestive system is the purpose of this X-ray category.
  • Chest X-ray: If you are experiencing shortness of breath or chest pain, then the medical experts may recommend going for a chest X-ray.
  • Bone X-ray: It's probably the most common category of X-rays. Bone X-rays are performed to diagnose bone abnormalities, breakage, cracks, and fractures.
  • Dental X-ray: Determining the presence of problems in your teeth and gums is the purpose of dental X-rays.

Besides, there are other types of X-rays, such as head and spine X-rays, each with its own purpose. Only a medical expert can determine which one will be appropriate for you based on the symptoms you are experiencing.

How does an X-ray imaging process work?

As mentioned earlier, X-ray involves the use of radiation. The X-ray machine passes the radiation through a particular area of the body of an individual. When the beam keeps passing through, the images of bones and soft tissues start absorbing the radiation. However, organs, bones and tissues absorb the radiation differently. As a result, the bones appear in bright white color because they absorb X-ray radiation easily; on the other hand, the organs don’t absorb the rays so easily, so they appear in grey color. Once the images are captured, they are interpreted by a radiologist.

What to expect when you appear for an X-ray?

There are certain preparations that must be taken before the test process starts, which will probably be instructed to you by the healthcare professionals. You may be asked to take preparations like

  • Removing all types of metallic objects from your body, including jewellery or any kind of medical devices.
  • Avoiding the use of creams, lotions or gels as they may hamper the image clarity.
  • Stopping eating or drinking for a few hours before the test starts.
  • Wearing comfortable clothing before the test process takes place.

Right before the test process starts, you will be asked to lie down, sit or stand on a table. Then they will place the camera at that particular spot of your body that requires inspection. You may be asked to change position halfway during the test. A specialized plate containing X-ray films will be placed behind you, in simple terms, your body part that requires inspection must be placed in between the X-ray machine and the X-ray plate. You must not make any movements when the image-capturing process is ongoing because it may cause blurry image outputs. You may even be asked to hold your breath for some seconds.

Once the images are captured, you can leave the laboratory, go back to your normal life and keep following the instructions given by your doctor. After the captured images are inspected by the radiologist, your X-ray report will be generated that will show the abnormalities that have occurred.

What are the risks of X-ray?

As the process of X-ray involves the use of radiation, so individuals will naturally be exposed to radiation during the process. The radiation may not be harmful for adults, however, it can be harmful for a developing baby. Hence, women who are pregnant must inform the doctors about it before they appear for the test.

The bottom line

Medical technologies are rapidly evolving, so it’s not a big deal anymore to get our internal health issues diagnosed. Every individual is recommended to consult a medical expert as soon as possible if they are experiencing persistent discomfort or pain in any part of their body. Diseases are easier to treat during their primary stages, so it’s better to go for a test and get the root cause of unexpected sicknesses diagnosed before it’s too late.