Radiography is the imaging of any part of the body using x-rays. X-rays are special as they have a very high energy level that allows the x-ray beam to penetrate through the body and create an image/picture.
X-rays are useful to diagnose disease and injury of various parts of the body. An x-ray department will be made up of several different rooms, possibly with different machines in each room. Different parts of your body absorb the X-rays in different amounts. Soft tissue and lungs absorb less X-rays than teeth and bones, so they look darker on X-ray images. Teeth and bones look whiter on the images.
The x-rays will be taken by a radiographer and processed on a computer. These images are then made available to specialist doctors, radiologists, who will report on the images. The images can also be accessed by other doctors within the hospital, in the clinics and on the wards. If a GP sends you for an x-ray then the GP will receive a report from the hospital on your images.
X-rays are fast, easy and widely available.
Dental radiography
This is the most common type of X-ray examination. Millions of dental X-rays are taken every year in the UK. Dental X-rays are used to diagnose disease in the mouth such as, tooth decay or gum dis-ease. They are also used to plan treatments and monitor the health of your teeth.
General radiography
Uses X-rays to produce 2D images of the inside of your body. X-ray examinations help to diagnose conditions such as chest infections and look for broken or damaged bones. X-rays are also used in scans to monitor bone density (DXA).
Fluoroscopy
Uses X-rays to produce moving images of parts of your body which can be displayed on a screen. This is used to diagnose and monitor conditions such as your digestive system, blood flow (cardiovascular system) and urinary system. Depending on the type of examination, a dye that shows up on X-ray might be used, this may be injected or swallowed.
Interventional radiology
Uses X-rays to produce moving images which can be used to guide and deliver treatment. It is used to diagnose and treat a broad range of conditions such as blockages in your heart, blood vessels, food pipe (oesophagus) and kidneys.
It is also used to guide doctors to an area of disease to take a sample (biopsy) or deliver treatment. This type of imaging and treatment can reduce the need for surgery.
Computed tomography (CT)
Uses X-rays to produce 3D images of your body. The images are used to diagnose, guide treatment and monitor a broad range of diseases and injuries. Some CT scans require you to have a small tube put into your arm so that dye that shows up on X-ray can be injected during the examination. You may also be asked to drink water or a mixture of water and dye before your scan. These will help different parts of the body to be seen more clearly.
Nuclear medicine
Uses a small amount of a radioactive substance that is usually injected into a vein (or it is swallowed or inhaled). The scanner will detect this low-level radio-activity coming out of your body and will build up images. These images show how your body is functioning. They are used to diagnose, aid treatment and monitor a wide range of diseases and conditions. The radioactivity in your body usually falls to an undetectable level in a few days.
PET-CT or PET-MRI scanning
PET (positron emission tomography) is a type of nuclear medicine scan that pro-duces 3D images in combination with CT or MRI. A small amount of a radioactive substance is injected into a vein. PET im-ages are used to diagnose and monitor a wide range of diseases and conditions. The radioactivity in your body usually falls to undetectable within a day.
Ultrasound and MRI
These are types of imaging that do not use X-rays or radioactive substances. They can be used to diagnose a range of conditions but cannot be used for every-thing. The imaging specialist will always consider these types of imaging if they are an option for you.