A magnetic resonance imaging screening (more commonly known as an MRI) could be the best way to understand exactly what is happening in your body. Whether you know the issue or not, the MRI is a tool that has been perfectly designed using the best and most up-to-date technology to allow a truly in-depth look into your body to see exactly what the problem is, thereby allowing medical professionals to come up with the right treatment plan.
You might think that an MRI is only for broken bones or back pain, but there are actually dozens of different conditions that an MRI can detect. Read on to find out more, as it could be that an MRI should be your next step.
Tumors
The word ‘tumor’ sounds scary, and in some cases, it can be, but a tumor is not always linked to cancer, and it is not always something that will cause you health problems – it can be benign as opposed to malignant. However, if you have a tumor, it will need to be thoroughly investigated to find out more about it and see if anything needs to be done, whether that is removing the tumor or trying medication.
An MRI is able to detect tumors very early on – much earlier than most other technology can. Since it is always best to deal with tumors as soon as possible (especially if they do happen to be malignant), the early detection that an MRI scan at Express MRI offers means you stand a much better chance of getting the right treatment at the right time. Since an MRI can be used on any part of the body, it doesn’t matter whether the potential tumor is in your brain or your feet – or anywhere in between – as it will still be picked up.
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a health condition that affects the nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord. Essentially it means that information does not get from the brain to the other areas of the body, and that results in difficulty performing various tasks including walking, holding objects, and talking. It also leads to excessive fatigue and can result in muscle spasms.
If you or your doctor feels you might be at risk of developing MS or that you have it and need a definitive diagnosis, an MRI is the answer. The MRI will be focused on the brain in this case, and the technician will be looking for white or dark spots which could lead to a diagnosis of MS.
Stroke
In some cases, it is easy to visibly see that someone has had a stroke; they might be weak on one side, their face may have dropped (again, usually on one side), they may not be able to speak, and they will be confused, among other signs.
However, in other cases, it is not so obvious. It’s entirely possible for someone to have a stroke and not present any of the usual symptoms, or at least not to a degree that would cause immediate concern. A mini stroke, or TIA, would not offer up too many symptoms, for example.
Yet even if the symptoms are not there, that doesn’t mean the stroke has not done some damage, and it is wise to determine exactly what has happened; this can be done with an MRI.