A chest X-ray is a picture of the chest that shows your heart, lungs, airways, blood vessels, and lymph nodes.
What is a chest X-ray?
A chest X-ray is a picture of the chest that shows your heart, lungs, airways, blood vessels, and lymph nodes.
A chest X-ray also shows the bones of your spine and chest, including your breastbone, ribs, collarbone, and the upper part of your spine. A chest X-ray is the most common imaging test used to find problems inside the chest.
Why would I need a chest X-ray?
A chest X-ray is done to:
- Help your doctor determine if your heart is an unusual shape or if it is larger than it should be
- Confirm the presence of a valve disorder and provide detailed information about your condition and its seriousness
- Help with diagnosing an enlargement of the heart (cardiomyopathy) or heart failure
What can I expect during my chest X-ray?
No special preparation is necessary. It is a painless process and only takes a few minutes.
While wearing a hospital gown, you will be asked to lie on an X-ray table and a technologist will help to position you properly. You will need to take off jewellery that might be in the way of the X-ray picture. You will have to hold your breath and lie very still for two to three seconds.
The X-ray machine is turned on briefly, letting a small beam of X-rays pass through your chest to create an image on special X-ray film. Two X-ray views of the chest are usually taken. One view is taken from the back; the other view is taken from the side of the body.
Tell your doctor if you are or might be pregnant. A chest X-ray usually is not done during pregnancy because the radiation could harm the fetus.
Resources
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