X-ray test

An X-ray is a picture of the inside of your body. The X-ray may show bones, organs, or pockets of air or fluid. It may also show objects that have gotten into the body, like coins or nails. Any part of your body can be X-rayed, including your head, chest, belly, arms, and legs.

An X-ray is only one piece of information about your health. Your doctor considers many things when looking at an X-ray. These things may include your symptoms, your age, your weight, a physical exam, and your medical and family history.

That's why it's important to talk to your doctor. The doctor can give you a clear sense of what the X-ray means for you.

Doctors use X-rays to help find out what's wrong or whether there is a problem, what is causing pain, or where a foreign object may be located in your body.

X-rays can also help check the position of a tube or device you've had put in your body. Examples may include a gastrostomy tube, a port, or a stent.

• If your child's belly is being X-rayed, your child may have to empty their bladder before the test.
• Your child will need to take off jewelry that might be in the way of the X-ray picture.
• All or most of the clothes around the area being X-rayed may need to be removed. Your child may be given a gown to wear during the test.
• A lead shield will be placed over your child's pelvic area to protect it from radiation.

• More than one X-ray view may be taken, sometimes from different angles.
• Your child will need to hold very still while the X-ray is taken. A padded brace, foam pads, a headband, or sandbags may be used to hold your child's body in place while the pictures are taken. It depends on what part of the body is being X-rayed.

• Reassure your child that the X-ray doesn't hurt and that it will be over quickly.
• Tell your child what to expect. The X-ray room will have unfamiliar devices in it, and it may be cold. Reassure your child that you will be close by at all times.
• Many children are curious about what their "insides" look like. Others find the test scary. You can help take the mystery out of the test by asking your doctor or X-ray technician if your child can look at the X-ray when it's done.

Making sense of your X-ray involves more than just seeing the image. Your doctor can tell you what your X-ray means for you and your health.

X-rays don't show everything. Muscles and ropy fibers (ligaments) don't show up in a useful way on an X-ray. And some problems, like a bleeding stomach ulcer, don't show up on X-rays. If your X-ray doesn't give a clear picture, you may need other tests. For example, you may need a CT scan, an ultrasound, an endoscopy, or an MRI scan.

Sometimes an X-ray can suggest a problem when there isn't one. Several things can cause an abnormal result, including small growths (nodules) that may not cause any harm. But without more tests, your doctor can't tell whether an abnormal finding is a harmless nodule, cancer, or something else.