What should you know before having an MRI? MRI has become an increasingly common test in hospitals, but there are many considerations that doctors often forget to remind patients of. Here are a few things you should know before getting an MRI: Contraindications to MRI: Patients with pacemakers, neurostimulators, insulin pumps, artificial heart valves, and patients with vascular stents; patients with aneurysm clips (except non-paramagnetic ones such as titanium); patients with intraocular metallic foreign bodies, metal prostheses in the inner ear, metal prostheses, metal joints, and ferromagnetic foreign bodies (shrapnel) Early pregnancy within the third trimester; post-arthroplasty, post-surgical use of sutures, women with metal contraceptive rings and dentures, and other cases with metal foreign bodies in the body. Take off all jewelry: During the examination, the strong magnetic field will attract all metal objects and may cause you injury. Therefore, always remember to remove all jewelry, including belly button and foot ornaments. Do not wear makeup: Some cosmetics contain metals, which can react with the magnetic field. So don’t wear makeup on the day of the exam, including nail polish, antiperspirant, sunscreen, etc. It’s best not to use hair care products either. You may feel anxious: Some people will feel fear or anxiety when undergoing the examination, similar to the feeling of claustrophobia. So it’s best to close your eyes before entering the machine and not open them during the whole process. You may wish to imagine something more interesting, or a person or pet you like. Some people need to take anti-anxiety medication. Let the doctor know about your tattoo: During the examination, the pigments in the tattoo will heat up, causing skin irritation or even burns, and covering up won’t help. If your skin feels irritated during the examination, you should stop immediately. The examination may take longer than you expect: The standard examination procedure only takes about 15 minutes, but it may be stretched to an hour. So you may want to eat something before the exam, and be sure to go to the bathroom. Lots of noise during the exam: You may hear a lot of noise, like a percussion drill under construction, at a volume of 82 to 118 decibels, so it’s a good idea to wear earplugs ahead of time. Some people, especially small children, may be frightened, so they will need to take a sedative to quietly undergo the exam. There is of course silent MRI equipment, but it is estimated that it will take some time for it to spread to all hospitals. You may feel hot: With radio waves, the body temperature may increase by about 1 degree Celsius, so some people may feel hot during the examination. Don’t worry and stay calm at this point. Don’t move: If you move during the test, you will have to do it all over again. Don’t worry about radiation: MRI uses a powerful magnetic field and radio waves, not X-rays, so there is no radiation hazard to worry about.