Why are barium x-rays performed?
Reasons for performing barium x-ray procedures may include the following: • abdominal pain • bleeding from the rectum • blood in the vomit • bowel movement changes • chronic diarrhea or constipation • pain or difficulty swallowing • unexplained weight loss • unusual bloating • to detect anatomical abnormalities Additional procedures are often performed in conjunction with or as a result of barium x-rays. These procedures may include endoscopic examinations (an endoscope is a thin, flexible tube that is inserted into a body cavity and, using fiberoptic technology, provides direct visualization of the inside of the cavity), computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and intra-cavity ultrasound.
