X-ray or X-radiation is the radiation used for medical diagnosis. It is categorized as ionizing radiation. X-ray provides images of the internal organs whose anomalies are suspected, enabling doctors to study the organ and its area.

During the procedure, the radiations are absorbed when soft tissues are exposed to x-rays. Once transferred onto the films, the images will appear in black, grey, or white. The color displayed depends on atom concentration and the type of minerals in the tissues. Tissues with a high amount of calcium will appear in white, such as bones. Tissues with air will appear in black, such as the lungs. If tissues are the combination of both air and calcium, such as bones, the images will appear in grey, gradient depending on their ratios. These characteristics enable us to view the internal anomalies with more clarity. Doctors can use these images for further diagnosis.

Why X-ray?

• Foreign object detection, in the case that patients have received or swallowed foreign objects.
• Bone abnormality examination such as osteoporosis, bone tumor, etc.
• Breast cancer detection by identifying abnormalities in breast tissues.
• Thrombosis detection, by injecting iodine agents to generate vivo vascular imaging, displays any clogs in the blood vessels.
• Lung disease and issue detection such as lung cancer, pulmonary edema, etc.

Types of X-Ray

3 main types of x-ray examination include:

• Bone: To view bone anomalies in different body parts such as teeth, arms. legs, etc.
• Chest: The purpose of a chest x-ray is to view the lungs, heart, and mammogram for breast cancer detection.
• Abdominal cavity: To detect anomalies in the digestive system and foreign objects in the body.

For medical purposes, x-ray is used for imaging of any body tissues/organs. The procedure can be performed on patients of any gender and age. X-ray is considered to be highly beneficial to the treatments. Doctors can use x-rays to identify the most accurate guideline according to the symptoms, resulting in efficient treatments.

Generally, a normal x-ray is the basic x-ray examination that can be performed on any part of the body - from skull, teeth, sinus, lungs, bones, arms, legs, finger, and so on. It is considered to be an examination method that offers a relatively effective result. However, this also depends on the further diagnosis of the doctor after studying the images on the monitor, whether how to develop the diagnosis and treatment.