MRI which is also known as the Magnetic resonance imaging is a kind of test which is done by using powerful magnets, computers and radio waves to make some detailed pictures of the interior of human bodies. There are many MRI centres in Hyderabad where the patient goes for this test because the doctors have advised them to do so. They mainly prescribe this test to diagnose a disease or to see if the treatment of a certain disease is going well or not.
Why one should go for an MRI?
A test like MRI can always help a doctor to study and diagnose an injury or a disease well. They can also monitor the treatment procedure by doing this test. And MRI can happen on any part of the body.
The major cases where MRI’s are suggested are:
- Brain injury.
- Blood vessel damage.
- Multiple Sclerosis.
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Spinal cord injuries
- Damage caused by a heart attack
- Blocked blood vessels
- Heart disease
- Problems with the structure of the heart
- Damage to joints
- Bone infections
- Disc problems in the spine
The organs on which MRI’s can be done are on Liver, Kidneys, Breasts (women), Pancreas, Ovaries (women) and Prostrate (men).
There is also a special kind of MRI done, which is also known as the functional MRI and it is done to map the brain activities. This test majorly looks at the blood flow happening on the brain and to see which areas become active when one does certain tasks. This FMRI can also detect some major brain problems like the effects of a cerebral stroke or a kind of brain mapping when one needs a brain surgery to treat epilepsy or to remove a tumour.
When one has been suggested an MRI by a doctor they should definitely let the doctor know if they are having certain problems like:
- If they have any kind of health issues regarding liver and kidney.
- If they already had a surgery recently.
- Have any allergies in certain food items and medicines or suffers from asthma.
- Have a growing foetus inside like if they are pregnant.
When one enters an MRI room they should not carry any metals along with them in the MRI room because there is a magnetic field attached to the machine which can easily attract metal. But one can always have some artificial things which they should let the doctor know about like:
- Artificial heart valves
- Cochlear implants
- Body piercings
- Drug pumps
- Implanted nerve stimulators
- Fillings and other dental work
- Insulin pump
- Metal joints or limbs
- Metal fragments like a bullet or shrapnel
- Pacemaker or implantable cardioverter or defibrillator (ICD)
- Pins or screws
- If you have tattoos because the ink that was used to draw that may contain metals.
During the time of the test one needs to remove all their clothes and need to wear a loose hospital gown so that the imaging of the body parts becomes easy.
When one enters an MRI room, they cannot take things like cell phones, dentures, coin filled bags, eye glasses, hearing aids, underwire bra, keys, watch and wig along with them there.
If you do not like enclosed spaces or you are nervous about the test, tell your doctor. You may be able to have an open MRI or get medicine to relax your body before the test. A typical MRI machine is a large tube with a hole at both ends. A magnet surrounds the tube. One lies on a table that slides all the way into the tube. There is also a short bore system where the patient is not totally inside the MRI machine but there is only the particular part of the body that goes inside the machine which is being scanned. The rest of the body remains outside. In case of an open MRI, it is open from all the sides and these machines are the best if one has claustrophobia or the fear of tight spaces. But in case of open MRI the images may not be as clear as that of closed MRI’s.
What happens during the test?
Before the MRI happens, the patient is given the contrast dye in the vein or in the hand or arm. This dye will help the doctor to see more clearly the structures inside the body. This dye is mainly used and is known as gadolinium. It can also leave some metal taste in the mouth of the patient. The MRI machine creates a very strong magnetic field inside the body. And the computer then takes the signals from the MRI and uses them to take secret pictures. Each picture reveals a thin slice of the human body.
One may hear some loud thumping sound or a tapping sound when the test happens. This is the sound if the machine creating energy to take pictures from the body. One can also ask for ear plugs or head phones in order to muffle the sound. One may also feel some twitching sensation when the test is happening. This is because; this MRI can stimulate the nerves present in the body.
The entire test can take a time from half an hour to 90 minutes depending on what part of the body has to be imaged.
But, it is said that a pregnant woman should not go for an MRI during the time of their first trimester until and unless the test is very necessary. The contrast dye can affect the foetus a lot during that time.
There are some best MRI centres in Hyderabad where all the procedures are followed step by step when this test is done. So, one should always go to a reputed lab or a hospital to get these tests done so that the images and the result comes perfect and the doctor and diagnose the disease properly.
