Yes, there are lots of different kinds of X-rays. Chest X-rays and joint X-rays are typically the most common types of X-rays, especially when dealing with injuries.
Our AFC Urgent Care Knoxville team provides some helpful information on X-rays and their uses below, so read on!
What Is an X-ray?
An X-ray is a type of electromagnetic radiation, just like the light we see throughout the day. However, unlike visible light, X-rays have much more energy, so they can pass through the human body. When X-rays pass through the part of your body under examination, they produce an image on film.
The X-ray image looks like a set of shadows on a piece of plastic film that shows bones as white, air as black and soft tissues as varying shades of gray. We’ve listed some reasons why getting an X-ray would be necessary below.
Potential Reasons for X-ray
- Breast tumors
- Enlarged heart
- Blocked blood vessels
- Conditions affecting your lungs
- Digestive problems
- Fractures
- Infections
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Tooth decay
What Are the Different Types of X-rays?
Sometimes, things like blood work and a physical exam don’t provide enough clues for a doctor to figure out what’s causing your pain and other symptoms. When a doctor needs more information to make an accurate diagnosis, he or she will use an image-producing diagnostic tool, like an X-ray.
We’ve listed the different types of commonly ordered medical X-rays below.
Common Types of X-rays
- Chest X-ray
- Abdominal X-ray
- Kidney, ureter and bladder X-ray
- Neck X-ray
- Hand X-ray
- Joint X-ray
- Skull X-ray
X-rays are most common among adults, but injuries and other symptoms happen among children, too! If your child has recently sustained an injury at a summer camp like Camp Webb or a UT basketball or football camp, it might be time to stop by for an X-ray. Don’t hesitate to visit our AFC Urgent Care Knoxvillefor X-rays and other general medical care!
