Chest X-ray Center - Seattle, WAWebMD Physician DirectorySeattle, WashingtonSeattle is a major city and seaport located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Situated in the western part of Washington state on an isthmus between Puget Sound (an arm of the Pacific Ocean) and Lake Washington, about 100 miles (160 km) south of the Canada - United States border, it is named after Chief Sealth, of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes. The encompassing Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan statistical area is the 15th largest in the United States, and the largest in the northwestern United States. The major economic, cultural and educational center in the region, Seattle is the county seat of King County. Upcoming Local Events2012-06-09
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Chest X-rayRead the Chest X-ray article » What is a chest X-ray?A chest X-ray is a radiology test that involves exposing the chest briefly to radiation to produce an image of the chest and the internal organs of the chest. An X-ray film is positioned against the body opposite the camera, which sends out a very small dose of a radiation beam. As the radiation penetrates the body, it is absorbed in varying amounts by different body tissues depending on the tissue's composition of air, water, blood, bone, or muscle. Bones, for example, absorb much of the X-ray radiation while lung tissue (which is filled with mostly air) absorbs very little, allowing most of the X-ray beam to pass through the lung.
What is a shadow on a chest X-ray?Due to the differences in their composition (and, therefore, varying degrees of penetration of the X-ray beam), the lungs, heart, aorta, and bones of the chest each can be distinctly visualized on the chest X-ray. The X-ray film records these differences to produce an image of body tissue structures and these are shadows seen on the X-ray. The white shadows on chest X-ray represent more dense or solid tissues, such as bone or heart, and the darker shadows on the chest X-ray represent air filled tissues, such as lungs. How is the chest X-ray procedure performed?Patients obtaining a chest X-ray will often be requested to use an X-ray gown, and extra metallic objects such as jewelry are removed from the chest and/or neck areas. These objects can block X-ray penetration, making the result less accurate. Patients may be asked to take a deep breath and hold it during the chest X-ray in order to inflate the lungs to their maximum, which increases the visibility of different tissues within the chest. The chest X-ray procedure often involves a view from the back to the front of the body as well as a view from the side. The view from the side is called a lateral ... Recommended Reading Related to Chest X-rayWhat is microsporidiosis? What causes the disease?Microsporidiosis is a disease caused by infection with microscopic organisms called microsporidia. Microsporidia are eukaryotic parasites that must live within other host cells in which they can produce infective spores. These spores cause microsporidiosis, a disease which is primarily seen in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Microsporidiosis can cause infection of the intestine, lung, kidney, brain, sinuses, muscles, and eyes. Although there are over 1,200 species of microsporidia, the most prevalent pathogens (disease-causing agents) in humans include Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Encephalitozoon cuniculi, and Encephalitozoon intestinalis. How are microsporidia transmitted?Microsporidia spores are released from the stool and urine of infected animals. A number of animals, including insects, birds, and mammals, can serve a... Other Related Chest X-ray ArticlesEmergency Contact for Seattle
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Oral Cancer
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Chronic Cough
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Heart Attack
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Chronic Bronchitis
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