How to Overcome Claustrophobia When Having an MRI

The dread of being imprisoned in a small or dark place is one of the most common symptoms of claustrophobia. People who suffer from agoraphobic tendencies are also afraid of being trapped in their bodies.

 According to the Journal of Psychological Medicine, around 9 percent of the US population suffers from the disorder. Although many of these people go about their daily lives without a diagnosis, they take considerable measures to avoid tight situations. 

An MRI from quality diagnostic imaging services may be your only option if you need answers. However, if you have claustrophobia, the notion of laying in a tube for a lengthy period is almost unbearable. In the research, 13% of those undergoing MRI Edison NJ reported anxiety attacks in people with claustrophobia.

It is very uncommon for persons who suffer from extreme anxiety in enclosed spaces to be concerned about an MRI scan, even though the treatment is non-invasive, painless, and safe. Claustrophobic individuals may develop panic episodes if they are not appropriately accommodated during an MRI Elizabeth NJ. These symptoms include elevated heart rate, trouble breathing, chills, and sweat.

Up to 5% of the community suffers from claustrophobia, fearing being enclosed in a small space. If you have a history of panic episodes or claustrophobia, talk to your doctor before you go for a claustrophobia wide-bore MRI.

 To make your process as pleasant as possible, your physicians and imaging specialists may coordinate their efforts in this manner. An MRI in Perth Amboy may be a stressful experience, but there are a few things you can do to make it less so.

Knowledge is power

Diagnosing a medical condition may be stressful even for those who do not fear confined spaces or have a history of panic episodes. Having a slew of unresolved concerns may be debilitating and lead to excessive anxiety. 

Then, either phone your diagnostic imaging services or bring a list of all your concerns and questions with you to a future visit. Do not hesitate to ask more questions if they emerge throughout the discussion. When it comes to providing high-quality, patient-centered medical care, patients must get clear answers to their queries related to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Essentials of Comfort

If you are a nervous patient, an experienced radiologic technician from NJ imaging may frequently give little comfort to assist you to finish a necessary imaging scan. You may use a blanket to make your position more comfortable and to warm you up and comfy while you’re doing it! 

With headphones, you may enjoy music, natural noises, guided meditation, or anything else you find most calming while having an MRI imaging. A family member may accompany you throughout your surgery. The affordable medical imaging provider should always request this accommodation in advance.

Meditation or Breath Focus

To avoid dwelling on the sensation of being confined, try distracting your attention with anything else. Consider incorporating your current meditation routine into your new routine. If not, there are several easy things you may do to soothe your mind and body during medical imaging.

Count your breath

While having a wide bore MRI NJ, the technician from affordable imaging services may ask you to hold your breath at particular moments. Breath counting may be a good relaxing practice when you’re feeling stressed. 

Please keep track of how many breaths it takes to achieve a certain number by counting steadily as you inhale. It’s possible to extend the length of your exhalation by one or two counts by re-counting. 

After you’ve exhaled, if it’s easier for you, wait a few seconds before taking another breath. This helps soothe the stress reaction by focusing your thoughts and encouraging you to breathe slowly.

Practice grounding methods

Grounding is a method of grounding oneself in the present, which may help draw you back if your mind begins spinning off worrying ideas. Grounding techniques, such as a body scan, may be employed during an open bore MRI. 

Bring all of your attention to one area of your body. Spend some time getting to know the sensations in that area. The best way to keep your concentration during diagnostic imaging is to move your attention throughout your body from one place to the next. 

Make it a point to bring yourself back to the task at hand as soon as you can. Keeping your attention on your body rather than your mind might assist you in avoiding thinking about things that aren’t necessary.

Listen to soothing music or a guided meditation

If you’d like to play music or a guided meditation while having a closed MRI NJ, many wide-bore MRIs in New Jersey give free headphones. Inquire ahead of time about your possibilities. 

Using specific applications, radiology imaging NJ provides patients with access to various channels, including guided meditations and music of all kinds. 

Wide-Bore MRI

MRI scanners vary widely in their capabilities for diagnostic imaging in New Jersey. The apertures in wide-bore MRI machines are 20 percent bigger. Then those in closed-bore engines, and the devices are also quieter. 

Patients may undergo at least 80 percent of their scans while standing up in this beautiful medical technology because of its shorter, more open, and airy design, mimicking a CT scan. With its powerful magnet, the wide-bore machine can scan faster and more accurately. So you can get out of there quicker without loosing picture quality.

Medication

Your referring doctor may recommend a benzodiazepine for you. To take before a diagnostic medical imaging exam if you are experiencing anxiety. Doctors prescribe these medicines, which calm anxiety and ease the MRI process. Take a benzodiazepine before your test and have a designated driver ready to take you home.

For those with claustrophobia or severe discomfort that prevents them from going through an MRI. Intravenous conscious sedation (IVCS) may be viable. Some patients, such as those who use CPAP devices to treat sleep apnea, are morbidly obese. Having uncontrolled COPD, emphysema, lung, and heart disease, are ineligible for this treatment option. 

Medical workers must continuously monitor patients receiving MRI sedation to treat any adverse reactions.

If you believe you may require medication to finish your MRI, contact your doctor as soon as possible. Doctors take a complete medical history of the patient within 30 days after the treatment to assure their safety.