What is an mri? i am scheduled to have an mri soon and i was wondering how they work and what to expect.

You : You will be carefully screened before the MRI to ensure you are not using or wearing devices, implants, or materials that could be damaged by the magnet or cause damage to your body under the influence of the magnet. Examples of these include pacemakers, some aneurysm clips, metallic bone or joint pins, shrapnel, or braces. Everyday items, such as credit cards, watches, metallic jewelry and hair clips will be removed before you enter the magnet. During the scan, you will be asked to lie very still on a padded table in the scanner. Depending on what body part is being examined, a specialized coil, which looks like a plastic cage, and which acts as an antenna, will be placed over that body part. While lying on the table, you then will be moved into the center of the MRI machine. The machine is well-lit and has a fan to blow air through it. It makes loud banging noises, and you will be given earphones to wear to muffle the loud scanner noise. You will be asked to lie still in the scanner for about 30-45 minutes, depending on what type of scan is being done. If necessary, you can choose to stop the study at any time to get out of the scanner.

Magnetic Resonance: Imaging (MRI) uses a magnetic field and radio waves to generate images of the body. The test takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes or longer depending on body part(s) being imaged. Once the tech determines you are safe to enter, you will be placed in a long tube that makes a lot of strange noises. Other than being loud, the test is not painful. You may need an IV if contrast is ordered.