Full Form of MRI

MRI Full Form: Many of us have undergone the MRI scan for several purposes. Doctors also prescribe the MRI scan to have a clear picture of what the patient is suffering from. But what does MRI stand for? The full form of MRI is Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The MRI scan uses magnetic and radio waves that give a detailed picture of your body to the doctor.

This method is also used after the treatment so that the doctor gets to know how your body is reacting to the treatment. People with severe disorders like cancer, hernia, etc undergo the MRI scan. Well, there is an interesting fact to know here i.e. the X-Ray machine or CT scan uses harmful ion radiations that might affect the patient’s body. But the MRI Scan is free of such radiations. This scan does not have any harmful effect on the patient’s body.

Now, let us look at some of the uses of MRI.

• An MRI is helpful in recognizing the disease one is suffering from. Moreover, the doctors also get to know how the patient is reacting to the treatment given to him. In the MRI scan, the nervous system and soft tissues are majorly diagnosed.
• MRI helps find and treat internal injuries like cancer, eye problem, blood vessel damage, brain injury, inner ear problems, etc. In terms of heart and blood vessel, the MRI can diagnose blocked veins and vessels, heart diseases, damage caused by a major or minor heart attack, etc.
• There is a special kind of MRI that helps in mapping brain activity. This kind of MRI is called Functional MRI.
• MRI is also used for treating and checking the health of organs like the liver, breast, kidneys, pancreas, prostate, etc.

So, these are some of the uses of MRI. The MRI Scan is useful for diagnosing several diseases and treating them. But along with the uses, the MRI scan has related risks as well. It is advisable by the doctors that pregnant women must not get their MRI done for the first three months. It is because in the first three months, the organs of the baby are developed and that is why doctors suggest that pregnant ladies must not get their MRI done.

Another risk of MRI is that people, who have any metal object in their bodies, cannot undergo the MRI scan. These metal objects include the clips used for brain aneurysms, cardiac defibrillators, cochlear implants, artificial heart valves, piercing, insulin pumps, etc. These are the two risks associated with the MRI scan.     

Before going for an MRI scan, it is important to talk to your doctor regarding allergies or diseases that you had earlier. Moreover, if one has a tattoo then also you need to discuss it with your doctor as some tattoos contain metal. If you have any metal object in your body then, it is not advisable to undergo the scan.

Well, here is an interesting fact to know. During an MRI, the doctor puts a contrast dye in the arm of the patient. Through this dye, the doctor can diagnose the disease and decide the kind of treatment that he has to give. With the help of this dye, the internal structures of the body are seen. This contrast dye is called gadolinium. The monitor with the help of magnetic and radio waves presents the series of pictures through which the doctor can locate the part where the root of the disease is located.

Now, you must be wondering; Is an MRI scan helpful? Well, MRI uses a painless radiology technique that has no side effects unlike X-Rays and CT scans. MRI is known for its accuracy in detecting disorders in any part of the body. Thus, MRI is very helpful as it is accurate and there is no pain in the diagnosing process.

Again one question arises i.e. Is MRI scan better than CT scan? Both MRI and CT scans are used for diagnosing internal injuries and looking at the structure of the body. CT scan is faster as compared to MRI in capturing the pictures of tissues and organs. But CT scans can have negative effects on the body. That is why doctors prescribe that the patients to undergo the MRI scan so that no harmful rays can affect the body.

MRI Scan is a painless technique wherein the structure of the internal organs is put forth to the doctor. From the images, the doctor can diagnose and treat the injury. Thus, an MRI scan is helpful in many ways.