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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staff
X-rays are safe and effective for people of all ages, even young children. X-rays are particularly useful for examining the chest, bones, joints and abdomen. Your doctor may recommend an X-ray for many different reasons. For example, an X-ray exam may:
- Determine whether a bone is chipped, dislocated or broken (fractured)
- Evaluate joint injuries and bone infections
- Diagnose and monitor the progression of degenerative conditions, such as arthritis and the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis
- Screen for heart and lung diseases
- Find and treat artery blockages
- Diagnose the cause of persistent coughing or chest pain
- Check for broken ribs or a punctured lung
- Evaluate abdominal pain
- Locate objects that may have been accidentally swallowed by a child
- Determine whether you have injured a bone or disk in your spine
- Detect scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, and other spinal defects
- Evaluate infection of the sinuses (sinusitis)
- Locate dental problems such as cavities, abscessed teeth, and other tooth and jaw abnormalities
X-ray exams also play an important role in the detection and diagnosis of cancer. Cancer may appear lighter in color on an X-ray than does normal, healthy lung tissue. X-rays may also be used to examine cancers of the intestines, stomach, liver, spleen, kidneys and breasts.
