Auto Accident Recovery: What You Need To Know About X-Rays

Basic facts and information you should know about X-Rays.

Whenever you sustain a serious injury to your body, whether it was through a minor fender bender or a serious automobile accident, there are certain precautionary measure that your doctor may take to ensure that they understand the extent of your injuries and have looked over any sort of breaks or factures that may have occurred. Many time, these injuries are not able to be seen from the eyes alone and other tests may be scheduled to look for injuries below the surface.

One piece of equipment that many doctors will use when looking for severe injuries is an x-ray machine. Before any type of medical treatment can begin, doctors will often schedule an x-ray, or some other sort of diagnostic imaging test, in order to provide you with a proper diagnosis, treatment and ongoing recovery plan following  your auto injury. In fact, for many people, x-rays are not just about locating the injury and coming up with a treatment plan, but they can also uncover life-threatening problems.

However, while x-rays are a very common medical treatment (seven out of ten Americans will receive some kind of x-ray every year), not every person fully understands just how an x-ray works and how they should prepare themselves before going in for their test. We have put together some basic facts about x-rays that you should know before scheduling your exam:

What Is An X-Ray?

An x-ray is a medical exam made up of electromagnetic radiation. These rays are similar to the light waves that our eyes can detect, expect with a much higher amount of energy. This electromagnetic radiation used in x-ray technology is able to make images, which is then recorded on a film, called a radiograph. However, because the soft tissue in the human body cannot absorb this type of high energy, the parts of your body will appear either dark or light on the x-ray image, depending on the different rates that your tissues absorb the x-rays.

Denser materials, such as the calcium in our bones, will absorb these high-energy rays and appear white on printed x-ray film. However, fat and other soft tissues absorb less, so they will have a tint of grey. And, because air absorbs least, your lungs will typically appear black in a radiograph.

What Should You Expect From Your X-Ray?

There are many different types of x-ray examinations that you can have done, therefore a lot of your preparation will depend on both your situation and your injuries. For example, before having an x-ray of your digestive tract, you may need to change your diet or fast completely. However, for an x-ray of a possible broken bone, you may not have to take any precautions whatsoever.

When you go in for your x-ray, you will be asked to remove all jewelry from the part of your body that is being examined, then you will be given a hospital gown to change into. You will also be given a flexible lead apron or other type of protective drape that will work to shield portions of your body from unnecessary x-ray exposure. There is no pain or severe side effects that come with being x-rays, and most tests will be over in a matter of minutes.

If you have been injured as a result of an automobile accident and think you may need x-rays, be sure to contact the medical experts at Sall Myers Medical Associates. At Sall Myers, our radiologists are professionally trained and work on-site. This allows for faster scheduling and quicker results. Also, our x-ray services staff and doctors are experienced in car accident injury diagnosis and care.

Image: Source