Spot Problems
on an X-Ray
Doctors use X-Rays to help diagnose health problems. X-Rays are an easy, painless procedure for patients, and they confirm whether bones and tissues are healthy. If you take home copies of your X-Ray pictures, you might find yourself confused on read them. There are some common signs of problems even the amateur eye can spot on X-Ray film.
Instructions
1. Understand how X-Rays work. When X-Ray beams hit a piece of film, they produce a picture. Bones absorb much of the X-Rays and look white on film. Muscles and organs absorb less of the X-Rays and appear as different shades of gray. Any space not occupied by tissue or bone appears black.
2. Hold the X-Ray against a window or other area with bright light. Light makes the picture more transparent and darker areas easier to see.
3. Inspect chest X-Rays for pockets of air, fluid or foreign objects. Foreign objects are easy to spot on the picture because they stand out. Fluid in the lungs does not contrast on an X-Ray. Look for areas where it is hard to see the boundaries of the lungs when you look for fluid. Large areas of air that block tissue or organs will appear black.
4. Check for calcium deposits in breast X-Rays. Calcium deposits show up as white spots. The white spots can be in a tight or loose cluster.
5. Look for uneven or gray areas on bone X-Rays. These areas signify a problem such as a break or fracture. Clean breaks show a part of the bone jutting out or misaligned. Hairline fractures look like fine gray lines that run the length of the fracture.
6. Talk to your doctor if you think you spot a problem they missed or have concerns. If you are not satisfied with your first reading, get a second reading done by another radiologist.
Tags: Spot Problems, white spots