So I got an earful after canceling my MRI. I had a doctor and a nurse tell me there is absolutely no radiation with an MRI. I feel they should be more technical and say there is no Ionizing Radiation. I get it, Ionizing radiation surely is much worse for us, but isn't large amounts of any kind of electromagnetic radiation bad for us? Some people are clearly more sensitive to it. With all the Wi-Fi around us and RF towers we are more and more exposed to radiation. In turn cancer rate has increased. Maybe it's food, maybe it's both. What are other peoples thoughts on this subject. I always thought it was bad to live under power transmission lines 😕
Do any of you out there worry about modern medical image testing or any sort of environmental radiation like cell phones or Wi-Fi etc?? I mean I get it if you have a brain tumor or something where the benefits out weigh the risks. For example last year I had a CT scan to check my pancreas for damage, I found that I was willing to expose myself to the amount of ionizing radiation for the diagnostic benefits. But this MRI is because I have a disk pushing on some nerves and they have confirmed via the CT scan and several X-Rays. The MRI will just give them a better look at what nerves are being pinched. I don't need an MRI or even the Xrays to tell me I have a pinched nerve, it's not bad enough for surgery but they want to start injections. No thanks. Not till it's really bad. I can live with it for now.
Do any of you out there worry about modern medical image testing or any sort of environmental radiation like cell phones or Wi-Fi etc?? I mean I get it if you have a brain tumor or something where the benefits out weigh the risks. For example last year I had a CT scan to check my pancreas for damage, I found that I was willing to expose myself to the amount of ionizing radiation for the diagnostic benefits. But this MRI is because I have a disk pushing on some nerves and they have confirmed via the CT scan and several X-Rays. The MRI will just give them a better look at what nerves are being pinched. I don't need an MRI or even the Xrays to tell me I have a pinched nerve, it's not bad enough for surgery but they want to start injections. No thanks. Not till it's really bad. I can live with it for now.
If you are not getting surgery then what would be the point of more pictures ?
I do not think that MRI's hurt but why risk it? Also, they will often give you an injection
to make parts of you show up with the MRI .
a side note, a chiropractor may be able to help. Their specialty is gently moving bones to fix pinched nerves.
I do not think that MRI's hurt but why risk it? Also, they will often give you an injection
to make parts of you show up with the MRI .
a side note, a chiropractor may be able to help. Their specialty is gently moving bones to fix pinched nerves.
My insurance does not cover it. When I had a full time job I payed for it out of my pocket. I did get a little temporary relief sometimes, and sometimes it seemed like it made it worse.
According to various studies a single chest CT increases lifetime risk of cancer by about 1%.
One of such studies I can find in 2 minutes of googling Studies examine radiation exposure long-term cancer risks of CT scans - UK HealthCare
There are no known risks for MRI related to the magnetic field or RF emission.
Yes that information is easily found. I know the risks of ionizing radiation and am well aware of the fact that we are actually receiving small amounts of this at all times, especially astronauts and people whom live in higher elevations.
This is where I would like other peoples thoughts. It's like years ago when smoking wasn't linked to any health problems lol. They just keep saying the effects are unknown to what sounds like me to cover their butts for the future because they actually don't know what it's effects are. IF it's so safe why can't pregnant woman use them? It might damage the fetus, that doesn't sound very benign.
MR imaging is actually closer to shortwave radio than X-rays, and unless you live in an isolated valley far away from civilisation, you are probably constantly exposed to accumulated RF levels way beyond a single MR examination. But of course, - thats your decision, and no one elses.......
Another detail about X-ray exposure that is seldom mentioned, is that a normal trans atlantic air flight, gives approximately the same dose of X-ray as an old fashioned X-ray examination, - all from cosmic radiation at normal flight altitudes.
Another detail about X-ray exposure that is seldom mentioned, is that a normal trans atlantic air flight, gives approximately the same dose of X-ray as an old fashioned X-ray examination, - all from cosmic radiation at normal flight altitudes.
I will clarify again. I am actually not worried about ionizing radiation which I understand we are exposed to all the time, e.g. like you said a long plane flight.
This is what I am getting at. Is all this RF good for us? Some research is saying no. What about the strong magnetic field in the MRI machine that lines up the hydrogen molecules? What else does it do?
This is what I am getting at. Is all this RF good for us? Some research is saying no. What about the strong magnetic field in the MRI machine that lines up the hydrogen molecules? What else does it do?
People have told you that an MRI does no harm because it uses non-ionising radiation. You seem to want to question this, or understand it further, but asking people to (in effect) vote on something they don't understand is not a good way to arrive at truth.
They actually can: MRISafety.com - Info
"Initially, there were substantial technical problems with the use of MR imaging primarily due to image degradation from fetal motion. However, several technological improvements, including the development of high-performance gradient systems and rapid pulse sequences, have provided major advances especially useful for imaging pregnant patients. Thus, MR imaging examinations for obstetrical and fetal applications may now be accomplished routinely in the clinical setting."
They not saying that effects are unknown, they saying that it is generally safe, unless there is a steel staple, pacemaker or something like that inside of a patient.
Not true, at least this is not the major reason by far: people are getting older and the risk of getting cancer increases with age. There is also obesity rates and other more contributing factors
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a friend who is an oncologist told me that 99.9% of men will die of prostate cancer if they live to be over the age of 130.
I am just saying people have been exposed to small amounts of ionized radiation for as long as we have walked this earth. But until recently man has just started sticking each other in strong magnetic fields and shooting RF all through our bodies, we don't have enough data to know what the long term effects of them can be so how can anyone say they are harmless?
"The use of MRI gradient MF represents a potential health risk beside peripheral nerve and cardiac stimulation to the patient. With the advent of the new generation of MR systems characterized by higher static MF and faster gradient fields, their effects on human health should be the object of further and properly designed studies"
"MRI generated RF are unlikely to be genotoxic, but unfortunately, to date no epidemiological studies are available to assess possible long term health effects due to these radiations."
Biological Effects and Safety in Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Review
"The use of MRI gradient MF represents a potential health risk beside peripheral nerve and cardiac stimulation to the patient. With the advent of the new generation of MR systems characterized by higher static MF and faster gradient fields, their effects on human health should be the object of further and properly designed studies"
"MRI generated RF are unlikely to be genotoxic, but unfortunately, to date no epidemiological studies are available to assess possible long term health effects due to these radiations."
Biological Effects and Safety in Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Review
I've been exposed to more ionizing radiation than you will have if you live to be a hundred.
Early tomorrow morning, I'm scheduled for the 2nd cat scan in my life, looked at a whole lot more from the other side of the scanning room window.
Your/my hydrogen protons are spinning anyway. For an nmr scan, I'd be more worried about metal residu in my body.
Early tomorrow morning, I'm scheduled for the 2nd cat scan in my life, looked at a whole lot more from the other side of the scanning room window.
Your/my hydrogen protons are spinning anyway. For an nmr scan, I'd be more worried about metal residu in my body.
I start looking for circumstantial evidence... Tesla lived to 86... I'm unaware of hams, broadcast engineers, disc jockeys, etc. passing away unusually young.
That's not to say RF is harmless, just that I'm not ready to trade my tin foil hat for a lead one.
That's not to say RF is harmless, just that I'm not ready to trade my tin foil hat for a lead one.
I have learned a lot from my research of magnetic resonance imaging, well more then I knew yesterday. I have no conclusion other than I am either way too paranoid or I am over thinking it like I do with everything else in my life.
Oh well back to obsessing over vacuum tubes I guess.........
Oh well back to obsessing over vacuum tubes I guess.........
I think they use gadolinium for the injection.
I would be more worried about it's effect.
I would be more worried about it's effect.
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Yes, if you are male, your chances of developing prostate cancer is 100%--if you live long enough. No one knows precisely what at what age "long enough" hits but it's thought not to exceed 150 years.
A friend I know is no longer concerned. He had his completely removed a couple years ago, with seemingly few negative effects.
Only place I have ever been really worried about an RF field was one of the chambers at BAE (now astrium) which had a large notice on the door warning you not to enter if you wore contact lenses (which I did).
The RF levels in MRI are pretty small in comparison to many fields you come across in life. And given the cost of scans at least in uk they only put you forward for them if you really need it.
IMO there are many other things to worry about being exposed to!
The RF levels in MRI are pretty small in comparison to many fields you come across in life. And given the cost of scans at least in uk they only put you forward for them if you really need it.
IMO there are many other things to worry about being exposed to!
The time averaged RF level is pretty low, but the peak RF field is enormous. The RF level and RF frequency of an MRI machine has increased as the ability to generate large magnetic fields has increased. I have purchased several scrap RF amps pulled from MRI machines for use as ham radio amps. The last one I got was capable of 3 KILOWATTS in the 40 MHz region. All of this RF power is beamed at the target tissue using a very directional antenna The RF pulse only lasts for a few microseconds. 3 KW of RF about a foot away from your body is a LOT of power.
The jury is still out on cell phone use VS brain cancer. Several studies have shown no correlation and testing on animals shows no statistically significant risk increase. Many of these studies however were funded by the cell phone manufacturers. I worked in a facility where some of the research was done, and I knew most of the researchers....one died of throat cancer. Another was murdered, but that is south Florida, and one of the reasons I left!
One of Sherri's relatives died of a rare fast growing brain tumor. The tumor was located right where the antenna was on her old analog cell phone was. She used the phone a lot. A researcher at UPMC said that there are possible links, but wouldn't discuss it because he knew where I worked.
Old analog cell phones used up to 1 watt of continuous RF power at 900 MHz with the antenna on the top of the phone near the brain. Newer digital phones use 200 to 500 mW of pulsed RF power in the 700 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz or 2 GHz range and the antenna is usually at the bottom or back of the phone, aimed away from the head.
It is believed that the RF risk if there is one increases with the RF frequency.
I have had two MRI's of my lower spine for the same reason. There are two bulging disks putting pressure on the nerve bundle in the spine. A stupid bicycle trick caused an inflammation of this area creating enough pressure on my sciatic nerve to render me incapable of walking for about a week, and very poor mobility for several months after that. That was about 15 years ago.
Surgery was suggested, as was a series of epidural injections. I declined both after talking to people who had the procedures. Some improved, some didn't and a couple said things got worse. Physical therapy and lifestyle changes have made things much better for me. I still have some degree of back pain nearly every day.
I'm sure that surgical techniques and success rates have improved in 15 years, but ask what percentage of patients suffer paralysis after the surgery. The number was almost 1% at the time I was in the hospital.
If power lines and RF are a problem, I'm probably toast. The main distribution lines from the power plant to Miami International Airport ran along the edge of the property where I lived for the first 20 years of my life.
A 10 KW AM radio station at 1.08 MHz had its transmitter site about a block away. Early in life I made a radio by connecting a diode and a speaker in series between the swing set and the water faucet. It was loud enough to hear in the back yard with the noisy street about 50 feet away.
The pictures are of the RF amp used in an MRI machine.
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3000W*.001s isn't much dose though, esp down at 40MHz. Certainly an X-ray could easily be considered nastier. But it's emotive and I won't chide anyone for declining a scan.
Anyone who served in the navy will likely as not got very significant RF doses, esp if in their 50s.
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