Online CPR Certification Blog

When you have a MRI scheduled may be the next day or in some few hours time, it is usual to have a panic attach. Just thinking about the machine’s claustrophobic atmosphere is enough to initiate the panic attach, which can even be more frightening than the scan itself. An MRI scan uses radio waves and magnetism to create a magnetic resonance image and this provides a clear image of a person’s internal organs.
For this to be accomplished, the patient is usually inserted in a quite contained tube which can even provoke claustrophobia among the staunchest persons. Its benefits however is that it is able to give images which other equipments aren’t capable of giving. The fact that no radiation is emitted makes the entire scanning process quite safe. It certainly produces very useful images, which can even help with early cancer detection.

The experience of getting an MRI scan

But for some people, going for an MRI scan is not always an easy affair. In fact, some people must first get some sedating medication before the scan and this is common among several people. The experience you get in one hospital can be different from what you get in another. The nature of the room you are getting your MRI can make you feel relaxed or not. Some people with ready themselves for it by meditating and the kind of facility you are taking the procedure at can make you get claustrophobia or not.

How to avoid being intimidated when going for an MRI

First, it is essential that you check the facilities out. If your health coverage allows you, you can always for the scan at another hospital which you find having a more comfortable, nicer setting. Well, the truth of the matter is that this might be a little difficult to find in rural towns and sometimes you might just have to be satisfied with what you have. Secondly, always insist on meeting the person who will be monitoring the test. That person is usually in another room and there is usually an intercom that facilitates communication between the two of you during the test. By putting a face on the person, you are likely to feel much safer and relaxed about the whole thing. The task of the attendant or nurse is to ensure that you are set but the radiologist is the person who you will actually be talking to.
Also, ask them if it is possible to pull you out maybe after 10 minutes. This might not cause any interference with the tests as they are done in sequences. During the test, always have a plan of what you need to be focusing on may be some things you need to work on or a letter you intend to write. If all these don’t seem to work for you, ask your doctor for a sedative prescription.