When your child has a condition requiring a chest X-ray, you're already worried about his health. Concerns about the dangers posed by the X-ray can become just one more concern that you have to deal with. However, the risks of a single chest X-ray...
When a doctor is suspicious of pneumonia, he may order a chest x-ray. A chest x-ray will show any signs of fluid in the lungs. However, a chest x-ray may not always be accurate. Sometimes, pneumonia can settle deep within the lung or be so minute...
Lung cancer is a devastating medical condition that begins with abnormal cell changes in your lung. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of lung cancer include trouble breathing, chest pain, unexplained weight loss, wheezing and hoarseness. You...
Spots on the lungs as revealed by a chest x-ray are usually indicators of some type of lung disease. Chest x-rays that reveal spots or lesions of the lung tissue involve the structure of the lung tissue. Scarring or inflammation of the tissue make...
TB, also known as tuberculosis, is a very serious, communicable infection that usually infects the lungs, but it can also infect other organs of the body. There are tests that screen for exposure to tuberculosis, as well as diagnostic tests to...
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a highly infectious bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Though it is most commonly associated with the lungs, TB can also affect the brain, kidney, liver and other areas of the body. It is a rather stealthy...
Rheumatic fever is a condition that may develop from an illness such as strep throat. Rheumatic fever can lead to permanent damage to the heart. When this occurs, the condition is called rheumatic heart disease. The first step in diagnosing the...
Tuberculosis is a leading cause of disease and death worldwide, though there were only 13,299 TB cases in the United States in 2007, according to Merck.com. A bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes this disease. Most of the time, the...
Bone density tests are useful at detecting bone loss at an early stage, before serious fractures occur and while treatment is still effective. During treatment for osteoporosis or bone loss, regular bone density scans can let your doctor know how...
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer that is found in the lining of the abdomen, which is called the peritoneum. It can also be called abdominal mesothelioma.
Pneumonia is an infection in your lungs and is usually caused by either a bacteria, fungus or a virus. Some types of pneumonia come from inhaling a liquid or chemical. Pneumonia can be serious if its not treated quickly, especially for those who...
Heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease, is a general term used to describe any disease that affects the heart and surrounding blood vessels. The most common forms of heart disease include coronary artery disease, arrhythmias and...
As early as the 17th century and increasingly with the rise of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, coal miners became aware of an occupational hazard: the development of lung disease. Not only is breathing dust hard on the lungs but...
There are a number of diseases for which x-rays aid or establish the diagnosis. For example, lung infections, bone spurs and fractured hips. The latter, according to Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine is commonly due to osteoporosis, a...
Hypertensive heart disease can be identified by a number of different symptoms. The most prominent symptoms include shortness of breath during light to moderate activity and even waking with shortness of breath. Some sufferers of hypertensive...
According to American College of Physicians Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program, one third of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis. The majority of people with tuberculosis have a...
A sternal fracture is a cracked or broken sternum often caused by an injury; the fracture is commonly seen in vehicle accidents when the steering wheel hits the driver's chest. The sternum, or breast bone, is the long vertical bone in the center...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a disease of the lungs. A diagnosis is made in part through a physical exam and medical history. Your doctor will ask if you have risk factors such as being a smoker. Symptoms will be evaluated...
Malignant mesothelioma is cancer found in the mesothelium, which is the protective covering that lies on top of most of your internal organs. If the focus is on the stomach area, the mesothelium is called the peritoneum, and if the area of concern...
The Mayo Clinic defines tuberculosis (TB) as a potentially serious infectious disease that primarily affects the lungs. Tuberculosis is an airborne illness that spreads through tiny droplets released into the air during coughing or sneezing....
Difficulty breathing, or dyspnea, can be mild to severe and is a common symptom of many diseases. Medical conditions associated with dyspnea include pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure. Additional testing...
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a type of heart condition in which your heart is incapable of sending enough blood to your body. According to the Mayo Clinic, physical manifestations of CHF include shortness of breath, especially when you lie...
Sharp pain in the sternal wall chest while exercising can be unnerving. The location of the pain can be used to identify what organ system may be causing your pain. The heart lies directly behind the left side of the sternum. Most of the time,...
According to the American Heart Association, an enlarged heart is identified through physical exam or other diagnostic procedure. It can occur as a result of damage to the heart muscle from heart attack, congestive heart failure and other...
Some people who have mitral valve stenosis--a narrowing of the mitral valve in your heart that impedes normal blood flow--are asymptomatic or have very minor symptoms for a time. Learn about the symptoms of mitral stenosis so you can monitor your...
Benign lung nodules are small, noncancerous masses of tissue typically discovered incidentally on a chest X-ray or CT scan. One out of every 500 to 1,000 chest X-rays reveals an unexpected lung nodule. The chance of finding a lung nodule is even...
In amyloidosis, substances called amyloids deposit in various tissues and organs throughout the body. They accumulate and cause a great deal of damage. One type of amyloid can accumulate in the heart and cause harm to the heart as a whole or to...
The presence of a blood clot in the lung that causes a partial or complete blockage is called a pulmonary embolism. The blood clot usually travels from another part of the body, most commonly a vein in the leg, and deposits itself in an artery in...
The lungs are shaped like large, spongy, slightly concave cones on either side of the chest cavity. Made of multitudes of air sacs, they are lightweight and elastic. The right lung is larger than the left and has three lobes; the left lung has two...
