If you have symptoms such as feeling short of breath, a chest X-ray can help doctors find out if it’s caused by a heart or lung condition or something else. You would also have a chest X-ray done as part of routine health-check, pre-employment check or work up for any surgery.
Your doctor may ask for a sinus X-ray if you’re experiencing symptoms of a sinus problem or sinusitis, also known as a sinus infection. Sinusitis occurs when your sinuses become inflamed, causing a buildup of pus and mucus in these cavities. The condition is usually caused by a bacterial infection that develops after a viral infection.
A cervical spine X-ray can help you find the cause of symptoms such as neck, shoulder, upper back, or arm pain, as well as tingling, numbness, or weakness in the arm or hand. It can detect fractures in the cervical vertebrae or dislocation of the joints between the vertebrae.
Your healthcare provider may use a knee X-ray to diagnose possible health and medical conditions in your knee or knees. Knee X-rays can show signs of broken knee bones (fractures); joint dislocation; excess fluid, which can be a sign of a sprain; loose pieces of bone; bone spurs (osteophytes); osteoarthritis.
It can help your doctor understand the cause of chronic back pain or view the effects of injuries, disease, or infection. Your doctor might prescribe a lumbar spine X-ray to diagnose: birth defects that affect the spine; injury or fractures to the lower spine; low back pain that’s severe or lasts for more than four to eight weeks.
If your doctor suspects that your foot pain is being caused by a fracture, he or she will prescribe an X-ray to see the bone and look for signs of a crack or break. An X-ray can also tell your doctor if the bone has been affected by an infection, arthritis, or other bone disease. If you have suffered an injury, an X- ray lets your doctor locate pieces of glass, metal, or other foreign objects that can be lodged in the wound
Your healthcare provider uses a wrist X-ray to find the cause of any pain, swelling or tenderness in your wrist. They can use a wrist X-ray to diagnose possible health conditions involving your wrists. These conditions include: Broken bones (fractures) in your wrist; dislocated joints; degenerative conditions such as arthritis in your wrists.