X-rays are more than a medical tool. They’re compelling in finding out what’s wrong with our bodies when we get sick. In Maywood, New Jersey, medical centers embrace these procedures more in their diagnostics. But sometimes, it can be hard to decide when you need one of these “x-ray images.” Here are some common conditions that call for an x-ray. But first, look for the best specialist in X-Rays in Maywood, NJ.
Bone Cancer
X-ray images of a hand with bone cancer. Arrow points to an enlarged joint, which shows up as a white area. This joint is called the metacarpal-phalangeal joint (MPJ). As this thumb MPJ enlarged, it caused mild pain and swelling of the tissues around it. The x-ray helped show that the enlarged joint was due to bone cancer in the metacarpal head, and this is how we figured out that it was bone cancer and not arthritis or some other condition.
Breast Tumors
This is a cancerous tumor of the right breast. It’s on an x-ray image so that you can see it as a white area on her chest. Visit W-Radiology.com to know more about this. Early signs of some kinds of tumors are calcium deposits in tissues around them. If you have these, it might mean that there’s cancer somewhere nearby. X-ray images can find these deposits and show where the cancer is.
Enlarged Heart
People who have a very enlarged heart often have a lot of fluid in their lungs. The x-ray image above shows this – the arrows point to where there’s fluid trapped inside. This is called pulmonary edema, and it happens when your heart can’t pump blood properly. To figure out what’s causing this, your doctor might get an x-ray image of your heart to see how big it is. If it’s huge, it can signify that you have some heart muscle disease.
Blocked Blood Vessels
If there’s a blocked blood vessel in your body, like with an artery that’s locked shut (like the one on the left), you might need surgery to fix it. But first, your doctor can check if this is really what’s going on by taking an x-ray image of the blocked artery and its surroundings. If it’s a blocked artery, you can see that as a white area around the heart on the x-ray image.
Digestive Problems
In many cases, especially if you’re vomiting or have severe diarrhea, your doctor might want to check for things like intestinal blockages. They can do this by taking an x-ray image of the belly to see if there’s something stuck in there that shouldn’t be. If there are any very unusual shapes, it could be a sign that there’s something in there and you need to have surgery right away.
Fractures and Broken Bones
X-ray images can show how big a bone is, like we said before. Your doctor might want to do this if you’ve had an injury and they’re trying to figure out whether or not it’s broken. If your bones are surrounded by air, it’s a sure sign that they must be broken.
X-rays are a valuable diagnostic tool for doctors and can be used to explore everything from bone cancer to blocked blood vessels. In many cases, an x-ray image is the best way for your doctor to determine what’s wrong with you and how to treat it. If you’re experiencing any of the conditions listed above, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor if an x-ray might be necessary.
