A barium swallow is a type of test used to look inside the esophagus, or food pipe. A doctor might recommend this test if they need to look at the outline of any part of a person’s digestive system.

Barium is a white liquid that shows up clearly on an x-ray. Once it is inside the body, it coats the inside of the oesophagus , stomach or bowel. This then shows the outline of the organs on the x-ray ...

Named after the Greek word barys for "heavy," barium is a relatively dense and reactive alkaline earth metal. It is only found naturally when combined with other elements, and compounds containing ...

A barium enema is a type of X-ray imaging test that allows doctors to examine your lower intestinal tract. It involves delivering a contrast solution that contains the metallic element barium into ...