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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 South Gate
Nearby South Gate Hospitals * St Francis Medical Center  Community Hospital of Huntington Park  Martin Luther King Jr MAC Service Center  Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center  Downey Regional Medical Center  Los Angeles Community Hospital  East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital  Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center  Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles Suburban Medical Center Campus  Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles  Orthopaedic Medical Center  California Hospital Medical Center  White Memorial Medical Center  Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital  Memorial Hospital of Gardena  LAC + USC Medical Center  LAC + USC Medical Center Women's & Children's Hospital  Vista Hospital of South Bay  Bellflower Medical Center  Beverly Hospital  USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center  Lakewood Regional Medical Center  USC University Hospital  Good Samaritan Hospital  Monterey Park Hospital  College Hospital Cerritos  Pacific Alliance Medical Center  Kaiser Mental Health Center  Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center  Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center Centinela Campus  St Vincent Medical Center  Barlow Respiratory Hospital  Metropolitan State Hospital  Norwalk Community Hospital  Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center Hawthorne Campus  Garfield Medical Center  Shriners Hospitals for Children Los Angeles  Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital  Gateways Hospital & Mental Health Center  Temple Community Hospital  City of Angels Medical Center Ingleside Campus  Alhambra Hospital Medical Center  LAC Harbor UCLA Medical Center  Kindred Hospital Los Angeles  Long Beach Memorial Medical Center  Miller Children's Hospital  Pacific Hospital of Long Beach  VA Greater Los Angeles HealthCare System  Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center  BHC Alhambra Hospital  Childrens Hospital Los Angeles  Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center  Tri-City Regional Medical Center  Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center  Greater El Monte Community Hospital  Kindred Hospital La Mirada  Olympia Medical Center  Miracle Mile Medical Center  Whittier Hospital Medical Center  San Gabriel Valley Medical Center  Hollywood Community Hospital  Brotman Medical Center  Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance  Community Hospital of Long Beach  La Palma Intercommunity Hospital  St Mary Medical Center  Glendale Memorial Hospital & Health Center  Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center  Torrance Memorial Medical Center  Huntington Hospital  Cedars-Sinai Medical Center  Del Amo Hospital  Los Alamitos Medical Center  Glendale Adventist Medical Center  VA Long Beach Healthcare System Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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