That’s why medical professionals use chest x-rays when a person comes to them with shortness of breath. Asthma-Related Breathingĭifficulty breathing can be a symptom of another health problem like asthma. They can make breathing difficult and uncomfortable and can cause congestion and other symptoms.Ī chest x-ray can help determine if the symptoms that appear to be allergy-related are actually allergies, or something more serious. AllergiesĪllergies can have a huge impact on the chest and lungs.
Sometimes a persistent cough can indicate conditions like pneumonia, which is diagnosable through a chest x-ray. A chronic cough, which may require a chest x-ray, lasts 8 weeks or more. What health problems result in the need for a chest x-ray? Let’s find out: Persistent CoughĪ cough is caused by irritation in the nerves in your airway. When To Get A Chest X-rayĪccording to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, chest x-rays are the most common x-ray test used to diagnose health problems. A chest x-ray can help diagnose and monitor tuberculosis so the right amount of treatment is sought. The bacteria that attack the lungs can travel and attack other parts of the body, making diagnosis and treatment incredibly important. Tuberculosis is a serious disease that affects the lungs. However, doctors use them to assess complicated rib fractures, punctured lung(s), and other trauma-related trauma. Ribcage InjuriesĪccording to Mayo Clinic, chest x-rays may not show simple rib fractures. A chest x-ray allows doctors to assess the location and severity of lung damage. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)ĬOPD is a disease that damages the lungs and results in a persistent cough, wheezing and/or shortness of breath. A chest x-ray can show fluid in the lungs and whether one or both lungs are affected. Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that causes inflammation and fluid accumulation in the lungs, resulting in breathing difficulties, coughing and chest pain. A chest x-ray can show cancerous spots or tumors on the lungs. Lung CancerĪccording to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the U.S. The following conditions affect healthy lungs an x-ray can help your doctor diagnose and treat you. A healthy chest x-ray should show clear lungs, no broken bones and normal size and placement of the organs in the chest. This image will help your healthcare providers determine whether fluid is present in the lungs if the size and shape of your heart and lungs are normal, and if there are any broken bones in the chest region.
If you’re experiencing a chest-related concern and believe a chest x-ray is in your future, you may wonder what a chest x-ray shows.Ĭhest x-rays allow the doctor to look at the lungs, heart, and other internal structures. Here, we’ll review what a chest x-ray shows and common situations that may require a chest x-ray.
Luckily, urgent care centers like GoHealth Urgent Care offer quick, painless X-ray services that can identify the problem fast so you can get better. Situations like these that involve the chest often require diagnostic tests like x-rays. If you’ve ever had a nasty cough that won’t go away, you understand misery. If you’ve ever had chest pain, you know it’s not fun.
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