An x-ray is a simple and painless test. Doctors often order an x-ray to see if you've broken or fractured a bone. X-rays also help diagnose many other conditions, like pneumonia, a blockage in the intestines and certain cancers.
At Luminis Health, we offer x-rays on a walk-in basis. That means when your doctor says you need an x-ray, you can head straight over to our x-ray technologists.
What Is an X-ray?
An x-ray is an imaging test to see inside the body. The x-ray machine sends radiation beams through the body and a sensor captures the beams on the other side.
While radiation may sound alarming, one x-ray of a limb exposes you to the same amount of radiation you'd get from being in the sun for three hours. And we don't mean three hours of lying on a beach, but three hours of going about your day outside.
So how does the x-ray produce an image? Bones and denser tissues block the radiation, but it passes through most soft tissue. A computer then turns the captured radiation beams into an image.
Bones show up white on the x-ray scan, while air-filled structures, like the lungs, show up black. Dense tissues or fluid-filled infections also appear white, but they're less dense than bones.
Depending on why you need it, you may get an x-ray of a limb, the abdominal area or your chest.
