| It is extremely important for a person to make sure | | | | clothing that is completely metal free. This also is true |
| that their health is the best it can be. This means eating | | | | for any accessories that a person might be wearing |
| healthy foods, exercising correctly, and getting enough | | | | that have metal in them, such as hearing aids or |
| sleep each night. However, sometimes even doing | | | | glasses. All of these things will have to be removed |
| these three things is not enough, which is why a | | | | prior to the scan. An interesting side note to make is |
| person needs to see their doctor at least once a year. | | | | that by no means should a person have a credit card |
| A preventative scan, such as an MRI scan, might be | | | | on their person during the scan, because the magnetic |
| used in order to determine whether or not a person | | | | field can corrupt it. |
| has a medical condition. Short for Magnetic Resonance | | | | That is basically the only thing that a person has to do |
| Imaging, this scan is a way to check the body for | | | | in order to effectively prepare for the MRI scan, since |
| various irregularities without using dyes or the | | | | for this procedure there are not any food restrictions. |
| potentially harmful radiation that traditional x rays use. | | | | Another thing that patients who have never had the |
| Instead, in addition to magnets, an MRI scan uses | | | | scan done are usually concerned about is whether the |
| computer technology as well as radio waves to scan | | | | scan will hurt. The scan will not hurt, and all it requires is |
| the body and produce pictures. These pictures are | | | | the patient lying very still while the scan itself is taking |
| considered to be very detailed, which of course helps | | | | place. |
| the technician as well as the doctor to determine what, | | | | The scan itself takes anywhere from fifteen to forty |
| if any, irregularities are present. | | | | five minutes to complete. There used to be a concern |
| As progressive as an MRI scan is in terms of the | | | | with these scans being rather claustrophobic, but the |
| technology that it uses, it is very important to note that | | | | machine designs have become more upgraded to |
| there are some kinds of people who should not have | | | | eliminate this problem. Something that patients might be |
| this scan done. For example, people with pacemakers | | | | unaware of is that they can have a person |
| should avoid this scan because the magnetic field that | | | | accompany them to the scan for support if need be. |
| the scan creates can cause the pacemaker to | | | | However, the person will be subjected to the magnetic |
| malfunction. Also, this scan should be avoided by | | | | field in just the same manner as the patient, so it is |
| people who have various kinds of implants, especially | | | | very important that the person also avoid wearing |
| ones that contain metal, for the same reason. | | | | anything with metal. They should also be free of any |
| Thus, in order to effective prepare for this procedure, | | | | other conditions that might prove harmful to them if |
| the patient will need to arrive at the facility wearing | | | | they come in contact with the magnetic field. |