Table of Contents
In our daily lives, we have so much to do - from the daily chores to the necessary tasks. Morely, in some periods, we need to go to the hospital for regular check-ups or in case of any diseases that occur. And the doctor or healthcare professional may say some medical test or tests such as MRI scan, blood tests, etc.
To sum up, an MRI scan is an imaging technique that is used to create images of your body parts such as the whole body inside or certain places such as the brain, muscles, various organs, etc. To create these images, MRI scans use a strong magnetic field along with radio waves.
In this article, we will learn about the MRI and how it works when mixed with health information the radiation risks, the process, safety, and more.
Is MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Associated with Radiation Exposure?
The quick answer is no, an MRI scan is not associated with radiation exposure. You may ask why since it uses radio waves, but the answer is within it - actually. Of course, wondering about it is so natural for the patient inquiry.
To answer it more clearly, radiation is not used for the MRI scan. In other scans such as CT, ionized radiation is used. However, this type of procedure is not applied during an MRI scan. However, if you have pregnancy risk or are pregnant, you need to notify your doctor. Just because it is a radiation-free alternative, it doesn’t mean it has no risks. You need to discuss them with your doctor.
How MRI Works?
After learning about non-radiation exposure, you may wonder how MRI works. Let’s take a look at this with little steps with mini tips:
Before starting, You need to tell about them your doctor, if you have metallic objects such as piercings, accessories, etc.
- The strong magnet which consists of hydrogen nuclei will interact with your body since our body have water that includes hydrogen atoms. They will have interaction.
- Then, radiofrequency energy will meet the body.
- After the meeting, the radiofrequency pulse is turned off. Later, the coil that is only special for the MRI machine will start to detect these signals. The signals will be detected by the hydrogen nuclei.
- After the signals detected by the special coil sent the images to the computer.
Ensuring Patient Safety in MRI
As mentioned in the previous titles, it can be said that an MRI is a safe medical imaging technique since it has no radiation risks when compared to other imaging tests. However, for safety assurance, it would be good to learn about radiation safety during MRI:
- Before starting the preparation process, the history of the patient is detailly researched along with the previous surgery history, medications, and more.
- If you have bullets or shrapnel in your body, it would be a highly likely problem for patient concern.
- In addition to metallic objects, you may have medical implants inside of your body such as hearing implants, SCS, etc. You need to tell them about them since they may be not safe for an MRI scan.
MRI vs. Other Imaging Methods: A Radiation-Free Alternative
When compared to other imaging methods such as CT scan or X-Ray, it can be said that MRI is safer since it offers a radiation-free alternative. This feature provides safe imaging opportunities for children since radiation is considered highly dangerous for them. Also, MRI has a great chance to catch images from all angles and perspectives because the MRI machine is tube-shaped, which can be used to detect any problems around the visualized part of the body in various ways. It provides high-quality and detailed images of soft tissues such as organs like the neck, brain, muscles, etc.
