Your brain serves as the command center for the body. It controls vital functions such as your heart rhythm and breathing and relays many other messages to other areas of your body. To say that it’s essential to keep your brain in solid health is an understatement. Many people aren’t aware that something is off with their brain function until serious issues occur, so having your brain checked plays a crucial part in catching issues before they become more severe. With that said, it can be easy to wonder what signs you must look for that can indicate the start of an issue or how to address it. The team of Texas Neurosurgery specializes in diagnosing and treating many conditions that affect the brain. An MRI is one of the best ways to identify a potential issue, but how often should you have one?
Here are a few points on what an MRI can reveal and how often you may need one for your brain.
What is an MRI?
An MRI is a minimally invasive procedure that scans your body tissues. Rather than exposing you to radiation as an x-ray would, an MRI uses magnetic fields to provide images of your internal organs and tissues, including your brain. The MRI is an effective tool because it can provide detailed images of every area of the body to ensure everything is functioning appropriately or uncover the possible reason(s) why it may not be.
What Does an MRI Find?
An MRI helps medical professionals identify things in the body that could be responsible for lingering issues. If you’ve experienced dizziness, headaches, light sensitivity, tremors, or weakness, an MRI scan of your brain can help you discover why.
An MRI commonly uncovers issues such as:
- Inflammation
- Infections
- Compromised blood flow
- Swelling
- Or Tumors
How Often Do I Need An MRI of My Brain?
Many experts debate how often an MRI scan of the brain, but many believe that having an MRI twice annually is safe. However, the number of MRI scans you may need depends on your situation, condition, and doctor’s recommendation.
If you want to know more about how an MRI scan can help you, please schedule a consultation with us. Please call our north Texas location by calling us at 214-823-2052.