{"id":406,"date":"2018-02-28T09:10:25","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T09:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yza.ec2.mytemp.website\/blog\/?p=406"},"modified":"2025-03-10T15:18:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T09:48:53","slug":"6-ways-to-tackle-claustrophobia-during-mri-scan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/6-ways-to-tackle-claustrophobia-during-mri-scan\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways To Tackle Claustrophobia During An MRI Scan."},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you\u2019ve shied away from getting an MRI scan because of claustrophobia, you\u2019re not alone. You\u2019ll be surprised at the number of people who suffer from claustrophobia \u2013 and whose claustrophobia gets\u00a0 exacerbated once they enter the MRI machine. But don\u2019t worry, there\u2019s light at the end of the tunnel. At Star Imaging, in order to minimize our patients\u2019 discomfort and provide a better experience, we\u2019ve installed the world\u2019s most advanced 3T MRI scanner, with ambient experience, across our 3 centres. Read on to see how it helps.<\/p>\n

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A movie experience during your MRI scan<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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The new 3T MRI machines at Star Imaging enable patients to watch movies\/videos while inside the tunnel, successfully distracting them from their immediate surroundings and transporting them into a world of cinematic delights. The machine also creates the illusion of more space and light when you\u2019re inside the bore, which otherwise feels narrow and constricted. In fact, thanks to this ambient feature, over 90% of our patients who previously required sedation don\u2019t need it anymore! This is indeed a big win for both our patients and us.<\/p>\n

In case you don\u2019t have access to a 3T MRI scanner with ambient experience, here are a few other pointers that could help you tackle claustrophobia and get that much-needed scan.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Feet First<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Positioning the patient is an important factor in halting the trigger of any claustrophobic attacks. Some scans do not require the head to enter the scanner, depending on the part of the body being scanned; and you could consult the radiologist on this matter. If the doctor agrees, then you could undergo the procedure without having your head enter the scanner, thereby minimizing your anxiety.<\/p>\n

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Cancelling Out Noise<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Sometimes, the noises the machines make and the overall atmosphere at the diagnostic centre, with the machines beeping and the nurses and doctors going about their duties, can cause anxiety and claustrophobia to kick in. To reduce the ambient noise, we recommend you wear the ear plugs provided. Mentally distancing yourself from the noises can also help \u2013 to do this, focus on taking in deep, long breaths. You can also distract yourself by thinking about something that requires concentration \u2013 like the names of the last 5 books you read, or the grocery items you need to buy.<\/p>\n

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Familiarization<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Sometimes, anxiety stems from the unfamiliarity of the situation. To tackle this, try taking part in a rehearsal of sorts, where you are made comfortable with the process of getting into and out of the machine. In addition, you can also request the medical staff to help you get familiarised with the machine, which will make it seem like less of a threat. Just a quick reminder though: ensure that you follow all safety procedures before entering the imaging room and that you\u2019re always accompanied by a staff member.<\/p>\n

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Company<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Being in the company of friends or loved ones can greatly help reduce symptoms of claustrophobia. We\u2019ve often observed that when a loved one is standing next to the patient and talking to them, it helps distract and calm the patient to a great extent. However, do remember that the companion will have to follow appropriate safety protocols too, such as removing all metallic items on their person and changing into a hospital gown.<\/p>\n

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Sedation<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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If the above methods do not work and you still find the experience unbearably claustrophobic, you could explore sedation options with your doctor. Patients whose claustrophobia and anxiety threaten to culminate into panic attacks could be given short-acting sedatives. However, the timing of the sedative administration is crucial and patients must also be given sufficient time for recovery. While sedation may be necessary in certain cases, especially for small children, please note that this is not always the solution and caution is to be exercised with this method. At Star Imaging, we have a full-time anesthetist to closely monitor patients and ensure your safety before, during and after the MRI process.<\/p>\n

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About Star Imaging<\/h2>
Need more advice on how to deal with claustrophobia during your MRI scan? We have a solution - feel free to reach out to us.<\/div><\/div>
Book an Appointment<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":459,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-child-healthcare","category-mri-and-ct-scan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=406"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1442,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406\/revisions\/1442"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}