How do we prove it? After I got tinnitus I inquired to the hospital about the MRI machine, they admitted the water pump was damaged... I asked what effect that would have on the machine and they said they did not know. I contacted a lawyer and was told because I was given hearing protection for the MRI I do not have a case. I do not think it was the noise that caused the tinnitus, but something with the magnetic fields. Try to prove it though...
Yeah, unless they gave you earplugs, you didn't have proper protection as those headphones are very thin and don't protect from anything. I was also wearing them and apparently that didn't stop the tinnitus from appearing.
I have no idea what the function is, I asked them and they did not know either. I guess I would need to contact whoever manufactured the MRI. I think it was Tesla.
As ironic as that would be, it's usually measured in Teslas. Probably Broker or Toshiba, etc. They make tons of lab stuff.
Hey, thought I'd chime in here. I'm a radiographer myself, I'm guessing that the water pump is used for cooling the magnets of the MRI scanner. Usually liquid helium is used but of course that's an extremely finite resource so any other option would be beneficial. If indeed the water pump was damaged, I don't see that it would cause harm, only to the scanner itself. The way MRI works is by the precession of hydrogen atoms in the body to align in response to the magnetic signal. The images created are based on the amount of hydrogen in that particular area of the body, so any area of unusual density will be detected by being lighter/darker depending on the weighting of the scan.
I cannot recommend an specific MRI machine, but a knee MRI should be perceived as lower sound that a head MRI scan. Your head will not be inside the tube (or open MRI), only your knee, so your head will be sitting further from the noise source.
Okay, I do recall hearing Tesla 5 or 10? The brand was probably Siemans or Toshiba.
Hey, no problem. I think we are all very much the same, if there was an identifiable cause that could be corrected then we would all jump at that chance. I totally get it.
Hey, I'm sorry you're dealing with this. I also have crazy tinnitus, sounds constantly changing etc, it's not pleasant. I am certainly not doubting your experience, I'm just saying I highly doubt that an MRI scan caused any physical damage by the mechanism of obtaining the images. It is a form of medical imaging, but unlike X-ray/CT it doesn't use radiation. Those modalities have an extremely minor risk of causing abnormalities within the cells of the body by the way they interact with the electrons within the cells. MRI is different as it uses a magnetic field to first align the protons of cells, then a radio frequency is emitted which causes the unmatched protons to also align and once the radio signal is removed, the unmatched protons return to their resting state, creating the energy that provides the images. Obviously you're entitled to your opinion, but it's literally the physics of how the equipment works.
As said it's not just me. I have spoken to two more people that have it bad from the MRI and all of us were using earplugs. They said they have been exposed to much louder sounds with no issues but the MRI, although not as loud, caused a permanent spike in tinnitus.
You said it's not the noise that's the issue with MRI, then gave an example where noise is believed to be the culprit?
OK, it looks like you haven't done your own research or you don't want to do it. Here is a documented case of MRI causing hearing loss. If it doesn't convince you, I will find you more documented cases. There is no doubt that MRI can cause hearing loss. But if you don't want to believe it, that's a different story. Also, keep in mind that it's not necessary for any cochlear damage to manifest immediately with symptoms. You may have damage done but your ears may not start ringing immediately or a hearing test may not detect it straight away.
That's good that you are radiographer. And you have an idea on how the MRI works.
That article gives no indication of the individual's previous lifestyle etc so we have no idea how healthy his ears were previously, again it's assuming that noise is the culprit and not the mechanism of MRI itself. You really don't need to find more cases to convince me because I don't need convincing, I don't find it necessary to live my life based on other people's experiences. People develop tinnitus for all sorts of reasons and you can't reasonably avoid EVERYTHING that may or may not cause it. I have horrible tinnitus that's to some extent ruined my life, but I chose to have the MRI because without it, the neurologist I'm seeing won't be able to assess me properly. Is my condition likely life threatening? No. Is MRI the best imaging modality for what the neurologist is looking for? Yes. As bad as my tinnitus is, I recognise I still need to live in the real world too.
Awww, you are kind. No, I have never had any relief from tinnitus. It started suddenly on April 16, 2017 in right ear, then a few minutes in later left ear. It started 2 weeks after I injured my neck. Initially I thought tinnitus may go away... after a couple of months I just focused on coping as I accepted the tinnitus seemed permanent.
This is the thing, how far do you go trying to solve something that isn't actually harmful but can definitely make life miserable? This is definitely the most frustrating condition I've ever come across, in terms of symptoms and lack of resolution. Ah yeah, I remember those days of thinking it was going to go away.Awww, you are kind. No, I have never had any relief from tinnitus. It started suddenly on April 16, 2017 in right ear, then a few minutes in later left ear. It started 2 weeks after I injured my neck. Initially I thought tinnitus may go away... after a couple of months I just focused on coping as I accepted the tinnitus seemed permanent.
I often wonder if I ever have to get my neck repaired (surgery) then perhaps I have a chance of resolving the tinnitus. But deciding to have surgery on my neck is not something I want to do unless absolutely necessary; the possibility of things going wrong after surgery would be far worse than tinnitus. And so... here I am. On a Tinnitus Talk Support Forum
It is hard, it is very hard. If only I could go back in time and change my mind not to have the MRI. This MRI took away from me my family, my job and my life. Since 27th June 2018 immediately after this shitty MRI the nightmare started for me.
Hey, you're right, you don't know how bad mine is, but let's just say that I ended up in a psychiatric hospital after my work colleagues found me in my bedroom after being in bed for god knows how long. I didn't know what day it was and could barely speak because the tinnitus and the stress was so bad. I've been off work for almost 6 months and almost got sectioned.
To be fair, she is not ignoring that MRI may worsen tinnitus. She stated that she is well aware that MRIs are really loud and can cause hearing issues. She stated her opinion responding to you saying that it might be more to MRIs causing damage other than noise.
I'm really sorry for your suffering, I personally would try to avoid MRIs, because the one I got exacerbated my tinnitus, fortunately only temporarily and it was horrid, but many people do not react to MRI even with tinnitus. I agree with you that they should acknowledge the risk and inform the patients and never perform a scan without adequate hearing protection. But bear in mind, that even plugs and muffs may not provide enough protection to the loudness of the machine, if you are sensitive.
Hey, thanks for your reply xx
It is an ongoing battle, some days are better then others. I can concentrate fine now on things during the day, but sleep has always been an issue. I am also quite short tempered at times. I really feel tinnitus affected my self confidence, I tend to spend a lot more time alone then I used to. Initially I pushed myself so as "not to let my disability limit me." Lately I feel exhausted and like just giving in to it. Trying to stay positive... but sometimes I feel like I can only put on this facade for so long.
I don't think I could have described it any better myself. I feel like I'm in a constant state of irritability, and my confidence is pretty much non existent now. Life just generally feels exhausting now overall. Things definitely aren't the same at all, and I still struggle to accept that. As much as I try to think positively, there's part of me that is always always sad about this. It's not easy at all is it, it's wearing and draining, but we are doing our best and that's all we can do xxx
Hey, I don't think anyone can truly advise you on this, as you can see some people appear to have worsening after an MRI, a lot of people don't (myself included), but I do know that recently a former colleague of mine developed tinnitus, had an MRI and they discovered a neuroma, so it really is risk vs benefit and it's only you that can decide whether to go ahead. I personally found it beneficial to learn that there is nothing structurally wrong with my anatomy but I know the fear of worsened tinnitus puts people off. It's a really individual decision and I can't tell you that if you have it you're guaranteed to not perceive the tinnitus as worse, but no one I know in real life has experienced worsened tinnitus as a result of MRI.
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