What Are X-Rays Used for at an Urgent Care?

X-rays give medical professionals a detailed image of the body, injuries, and more to help ensure the patient receives the most effective treatment. At an urgent care, the doctor may order an X-ray to understand what is causing the patient's symptoms before recommending treatment. Here is information on X-rays and the reasons a patient might need them.

Understanding X-rays

Most urgent cares have certain medical tools and equipment to diagnose a wide range of illnesses and injuries. X-rays, also known as radiography, are another tool to help medical professionals do this. Radiography uses electromagnetic waves to create images of the inside of the body.

For the typical X-ray, the patient will sit, lie, or stand (depending on the part of the body under examination). Then, a technician will position the X-ray machine and special film or digital detector behind the same body part. The machine will emit a small amount of radiation that passes through the body to the film or digital image detector to create a black-and-white image of a patient's internal structure.

Benefits of an X-ray at an urgent care

A trip to the emergency room for a non-emergency can be expensive and involve long wait times. Urgent care can usually provide more immediate medical assistance. In some cases, an urgent care may provide X-rays on-site. If the location has an X-ray machine at the location, they can take and provide X-rays the same day. While no appointment is necessary to visit an urgent care, there may be a longer wait for taking X-rays.

When to go to urgent care for an X-ray

Urgent cares bridge the gap between primary care providers and hospital emergency rooms. They provide immediate medical assistance when patients have a non-emergency medical need but cannot see their primary care doctor. Only a medical professional can determine whether or not a patient needs an X-ray. However, here are some typical reasons urgent care doctors order this scan:

Bone fractures

Suspected bone fractures and broken bones are common reasons an urgent care doctor may order an X-ray. Often, a patient suspects a broken bone or has pain, swelling, and discoloration that may indicate one. An X-ray can help confirm the break and its severity so the patient can get proper treatment.

Dislocated or damaged joint

A dislocated joint is a common injury caused by some of the same types of accidents that lead to broken bones. Symptoms such as pain and swelling can be similar to broken bones or other types of bone, muscle, or joint damage. An X-ray is necessary to determine if the joint is dislocated or damaged in some other way.

Gastrointestinal issues

Abdominal pain, heaviness, bloating, heartburn, and other symptoms related to digestive issues could signal a number of different conditions. An X-ray may help doctors determine the source of the patient's digestive symptoms. Abdominal X-rays can check for stomach ulcers, intestinal blockages, kidney or gallbladder stones, or other problems in the digestive tract.

Respiratory issues

Urgent care doctors may order X-rays to investigate problems with the respiratory system. Suppose a patient complains of respiratory symptoms, tightness, irritation, or pain in the lungs. In that case, an X-ray can help detect any possible damage or condition, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema, or growths and tumors.

Swallowed foreign objects

Sometimes, toddlers and children swallow stuff they should not. Sometimes, the parent is unsure because they did not see it happen or the child is too young to explain what happened. An X-ray can help doctors quickly determine if a child has ingested a foreign object.

Finding an urgent care

The internet is perhaps the easiest way to find an urgent care near you. One's insurance provider can be another good resource. These facilities usually provide care on a walk-in basis; however, some allow patients to reserve appointments online, and this can save one time in the waiting room. A helpful thing to do is to do research ahead of time so one is not scrambling to figure out where to go when an urgent medical need arises.

Urgent care for your sudden medical needs

Texas Urgent Care & Imaging Center serves patients of all ages in New Caney and the surrounding areas. When you have a sudden medical need that is not an emergency, we can provide timely treatment. At our local urgent care, our doctors and staff provide a range of diagnostic services, including X-rays. Call our team today to learn more about our services.

Request an appointment here: https://tx-urgentcare.com or call Texas Urgent Care & Imaging Center at (832) 941-1894 for an appointment in our New Caney office.

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