When you need to have a magnetic resonance imaging scan (MRI), you might be quite nervous about it. Even though this is a hugely important and useful diagnostic tool that will help healthcare professionals to understand more about what is wrong with you and how to make you better (or at least manage the symptoms), it can still be a nerve-wracking time. This is why it’s wise to prepare for an MRI in advance as much as possible. This way, you’ll know what to expect and feel less anxious. With that in mind, read on to find out how you can prepare for an MRI.
Understand The Procedure
Before you have your MRI, make sure you understand as much about it as possible. To begin with, you’ll need to know precisely why you’re having the MRI – this will take away a lot of the mystery and help you see that it’s important, so it’s not something you should cancel or try to avoid. If you’re not sure, speak to experts like those at Express MRI, and they can give you plenty of help and advice.
It’s also a good idea to understand how the procedure works and what it does. You can look at videos online, read information about it, or, again, speak to professionals who can guide you through the process. Never be worried about asking questions because this is your health, and the professionals will certainly have the answers. In fact, it’s a good idea to let your healthcare provider know that you’re anxious even if you don’t have any specific questions, as they’ll know what to do to keep you calm.
Clothing And Personal Items
When you are getting ready to undergo an MRI, it’s important to wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing without any metal parts, such as buttons or zippers. It might be that your doctor offers you a hospital gown, and even if you don’t like the look of one, it is good to wear it as it is safe for an MRI procedure, and it will help you stay cool and comfortable as well.
Make sure you remove all jewelry, watches, hairpins, and any other metal objects. These can cause a problem with the magnetic field in the MRI machine, and the images may not come out very clearly. You may prefer to keep these at home rather than take them off while waiting for your scan.
Eating And Drinking
Depending on the type of MRI you are scheduled for, your doctor might give you some specific instructions about what you can eat and drink. In the majority of cases, there won’t be any restrictions because the procedure is a non-invasive one, and no surgery (meaning no anesthetic) is required.
The main area where this will be different is if you are having an abdominal or pelvic scan. If this is the case, you’ll probably be asked not to eat or drink for a few hours before the scan, as this could interfere with the images and mean that you’ll have to come back for another scan at a different time.
