What Types of Diagnostic Imaging Use Radiation?

Radiation is a wonderful tool for diagnostic imaging. It allows your doctor to get detailed pictures of what is happening inside your body and make better decisions about your care. However, radiation can be harmful and it is important that you are not exposed to it unnecessarily.

Not all types of diagnostic imaging use radiation. Often, your doctor can get the information she needs with a test that does not use radiation. Below are descriptions of diagnostic imaging tests that do use radiation.

Nearly everyone has had an x-ray at least once. Dentists take x-rays of your mouth. If you might have a broken bone, your regular doctor may order an x-ray.

There are a number of different types of x-ray tests: 

• Mammograms are x-ray pictures of the breasts. Doctors use these to check for problems like breast cancer.

• Angiography uses x-rays to detect problems of organs like your heart and your brain.

• Fluoroscopy is also used to examine your organs. In fluoroscopy, the doctor sends radiation beams through your body for a longer time so that she can watch how your body works. It creates a kind of movie of your organs at work.

• Cardiac catheterization uses x-rays to see your heart. Like fluoroscopy, cardiac catheterization takes images for a longer time.

• CT exams (or “CAT scans”) take x-ray photos of your body from different angles. With CT scans, your doctor can see “slices” of your body. The machine can make these slices very thin, showing very detailed images of what’s happening inside your body.

Some imaging tests, like nuclear medicine and PET, use radiation inside the body. Your doctor will ask you to drink, inhale, or have a shot of a substance that has radiation in it. In these tests, the radiation waves that create the picture come from the inside out.

Diagnostic Imaging and You

You and your doctor are a team dedicated to ensuring that you receive the best care. Use the information above to talk with your doctor about diagnostic imaging tests when she orders them and help her determine the best care for you.