Did you know that over 10 million patients need an MRI each year?1 Many people find the experience extremely stressful. There are ways to combat that stress to make your time in the MRI machine more pleasant. In light of National Stress Awareness Month, let's look at six tips to reduce stress during your MRI:
- Meditation: Closing your eyes and practicing visualization techniques can help. Imagine yourself in a happy place.
- Deep Breathing: Practice deep breaths inhaling and exhaling slowly to reduce the concentrations of stress hormones in your bloodstream.
- Support from Loved Ones: A family member or loved one can be with you during the MRI. Having someone in the room can offer extra comfort and help alleviate stress.
- Educate & Prepare: Prepare yourself by doing research and asking questions. If you prepare yourself in advance, you will be better educated to handle the situation with composure and less anxiety.
- Medication: If none of the above methods have been successful, you may want to speak with your physician about anti-anxiety medications. Sedation may be required in exceptional cases, such as when the patient is highly claustrophobic.
The team at Houston MRI strives to make your experience as stress-free as possible. Our technicians are here to help you remain calm and offer support every step of the way.
Our mission at Houston MRI ® & Diagnostic Imaging is to provide patients and physicians affordable medical diagnostic imaging in a warm and patient-friendly environment. It is our goal to make the medical imaging procedure as pleasant as possible. Our promise to our communities is "hospital quality imaging without the hospital costs" with efficient service to both our patients and physicians.