What is the chest X-ray for?

Chest X-ray fluoroscopy is a common X-ray examination method. It uses the characteristics of X-ray's penetrability, fluorescence and photographic effect to make the human body form an image on the screen. Due to the difference in density and thickness of human tissues, when X-rays penetrate different tissues, the absorption degree of X-rays is different, so the amount of X-rays reaching the screen is also different, forming a black-and-white contrast image, which provides a basis for doctors' diagnosis.

X-rays penetrating the human body will have certain biological effects. If the amount of X-rays exposed is too much, which exceeds the allowable radiation amount, it may cause radiation reaction and even a certain degree of radiation damage. However, if the X-ray radiation is within the allowable range, the impact is generally small. In recent ten years, due to the improvement of X-ray equipment, the use of high kilovolt technology, image enhancement technology, high-speed intensifying screen and fast X-ray photographic film, X-ray radiation has been obviously reduced, and the possibility of radiation damage is getting smaller and smaller.

Chest X-ray examination has the largest radiation, and one chest X-ray examination is equivalent to taking 10 X-rays. However, chest X-ray examination usually takes tens of seconds, so the harm to human body is very limited. An adult's chest X-ray has almost no obvious harm.

What can you see from the X-ray?

X-ray diagnosis of diseases is widely used in clinic. Chest X-ray examination is the most common physical examination method, and the most basic one is chest X-ray.

Chest X-ray can see soft tissues, bones (including thoracic vertebrae), mediastinum (heart, great vessels, trachea, esophagus, etc. ), trachea and its branches, pleura, lung tissue, etc. It can be used to diagnose congenital diseases of lung and trachea, such as dysplasia, lung inflammation, acute and chronic bronchitis, obvious bronchiectasis, emphysema or pulmonary edema, various types of tuberculosis, lung tumor, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, mediastinal tumor, abnormal heart shape, etc.