Chest X-Ray In New York , NY
While certain health problems can be diagnosed by simply talking with a patient about their symptoms or through a straightforward physical examination, sometimes imaging tests are required to get a more accurate and up-close picture of what’s going on inside the body. For diagnostic purposes, our internist and pulmonary specialist Dr. Leonard Horovitz may recommend getting a chest X-ray.
Reasons for a Chest X-Ray
Here at our New York, NY, practice, Dr. Horovitz provides comprehensive diagnostic testing such as EKGs, chest x-rays, and pulmonary tests to look for diseases, illnesses, and conditions that could be impacting the heart and lungs, as well as the airways, bones and blood vessels in and around the chest and spine. An x-ray provides our team with a clear-cut idea of what’s going on inside the body so that we can decide the next steps on how to best treat the problem. A chest x-ray can help us to:
- Diagnose a wide range of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and respiratory conditions and infections including cancer and chronic lung conditions, as well as complications due to other health problems
- Detect fluid buildup in the lungs or air collecting in the lungs, which can cause the lungs to collapse
- Detect changes in the size or shape of the heart, which can indicate certain heart valve problems or heart failure
- Find calcium deposits within the heart and blood vessels
- Pinpoint blood vessel problems such as congenital heart disease or an aortic aneurysm
- Check that pacemakers or defibrillators within the heart are placed and positioned correctly
- Look for changes or possible complications in the heart or lungs after surgery
- Look for rib or spinal fractures
Coming Into the Office
When you come into our office for an evaluation, our internist Dr. Horovitz will ask you questions about the symptoms you are experiencing. If he suspects that there might be an underlying disease, illness, or injury within the heart, lungs, ribs, blood vessels, or spine, then he may recommend undergoing a chest x-ray. The procedure is painless and non-invasive and can be done right here in our practice.
What to Expect
Most x-rays are performed while standing, but patients who may have issues with mobility may be able to get their x-rays while seated or lying down. The entire process usually takes no more than 15 minutes. From there, Dr. Horovitz and his team will interpret the X-rays images to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms. We will then discuss your results with you as soon as possible so we can take the next steps to help you feel better.