X-Ray

X-rays are the gold standard for diagnosing bone injuries, but they also reveal an array of problems, from lung cancer and pneumonia to gallstones. Radiology expert George Stanley, MD, and the caring team at University Diagnostic Institute in Winter Park, Orlando, and Lake Mary, Florida, produce high-quality X-rays in their calming office, ensuring you get the diagnostics you need without the noise and long wait of a hospital. Call the nearest office today or book online if you require an X-ray.

How do X-rays produce images?

X-rays use a small amount of radiation to generate pictures of the tissues inside your body. To create digital X-rays, your University Diagnostic Institute provider places a digital X-ray detector on one side of your body. Then, they send a brief X-ray beam from the other side of your body.

As the X-ray passes through your body, it creates an image on the detector. The image is determined by the amount of radiation absorbed by the tissues in the X-ray’s path.

Bones absorb more radiation than soft tissues, making them appear white in the image. Soft tissues appear in shades of gray. Variations in the shades reveal the details needed to diagnose the problem.

When would I need an X-ray?

X-rays are usually the preferred imaging for bones, especially in an emergency, because they’re the fastest way to get an accurate image and diagnose the fracture.

However, your physician may order an X-ray to detect many problems beyond fractures, especially in your chest and abdomen.

X-rays can detect health conditions such as:

• Bone spurs
• Bone infections
• Bone cancer
• Arthritis
• Slipped vertebrae
• Foreign objects
• Lung cancer
• Pneumonia
• Enlarged heart
• Blocked blood vessels
• Kidney and bladder stones
• Lung infections like pneumonia, tuberculosis, and emphysema

Specialized X-rays are also used for mammograms (to detect breast cancer) and bone density testing (to diagnose osteoporosis).

Your University Diagnostic Institute provider may use a barium X-ray to diagnose gastrointestinal problems, such as stomach ulcers, tumors, diverticulitis, and a narrowed or blocked colon.

What happens during an X-ray?

The X-ray technician puts you in the position needed to produce the best X-ray image of the targeted area. They leave that area uncovered and put lead aprons over the rest of your body, protecting you from excessive radiation exposure.

After placing the detector under the targeted area and the X-ray machine close to your body, they go behind a protective wall and take the X-ray.

The X-ray never causes discomfort, but if you’re in pain, you may be uncomfortable staying still and holding your body in position.

When needed, your caring University Diagnostic Institute provider can give you or your teen sedation to ease your pain and make your imaging easier.

Use online booking or call the nearest University Diagnostic Institute office to schedule X-rays.