Chest X-Ray

A chest X-ray makes an image of the heart, lungs, airways, main blood vessels and bones of the chest and spine using a small amount of radiation. It can be used to help identify the cause of pain, persistent cough or breathlessness. X-rays do not require any preparation, but the patient will need to remove anything metallic (e.g. a belt, jewellery and glasses). The patient will be asked to stand against the image plate and hold their breath for a few seconds while the image is taken. The whole process takes approximately five minutes.

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Symptoms - Chest Pain

Chest pain has a variety of causes, one of the most important of course being pain from the heart. Read more

Symptoms - Breathlessness and Fluid

Retention

Breathlessness, or dyspnoea, is a common symptom of several medical disorders. Read more

Conditions - Cardiomyopathy

A cardiomyopathy is defined as a disorder in which the heart muscle is structurally and functionally abnormal, in the absence of coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, valve disease and congenital heart disease sufficient to cause the observed abnormality. Read more

Conditions - PFO/ASD

The term “hole in the heart” is used to describe a number of conditions, including patent foramen ovale (PFO), atrial septal defect (ASD) and ventricular septal defect (VSD), all of which are present from birth. Read more

Conditions - Heart Failure

Heart failure develops when the heart can no longer adequately perform its function, which is to pump blood efficiently around the body. Read more

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