What Happens During an MRI Test? A Patient’s Walkthrough

You’ve just been handed a referral slip. Your doctor has recommended an MRI, and now you’re sitting at home, typing questions into your phone at midnight. What exactly is going to happen? Will it hurt? How long will you be inside that machine? Is it going to be loud?

These are completely normal questions, and you deserve honest, clear answers — not just a pamphlet with diagrams.

So let’s walk through it together, step by step, exactly the way a patient experiences it.

What Happens During an MRI Test? A Patient’s Walkthrough is something every person should understand before they ever lie down on that scanning table. Because when you know what to expect, the fear disappears — and what’s left is just a medical procedure doing its job.

What Is an MRI, Really?

Before we get into the process, a quick grounding.

MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Unlike an X-ray or CT scan, an MRI uses no radiation whatsoever. Instead, it uses powerful magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed, cross-sectional images of the inside of your body — your organs, soft tissues, joints, spine, brain, and more.

Think of it as an extremely detailed internal photograph taken in multiple layers, like slicing a loaf of bread and examining every single slice.

It’s one of the safest diagnostic tools in modern medicine. And for the vast majority of patients, it’s entirely painless.

Before Your MRI Appointment: What to Prepare

The experience actually begins before you even arrive at the diagnostic centre. Your preparation matters more than most patients realise.

Clothing and Metal

You’ll be asked to change into a hospital gown. This is because metal and MRI machines do not mix. The magnet inside an MRI scanner is extraordinarily powerful — strong enough to pull metal objects across the room.

Before your scan, you’ll need to remove:

• Jewellery, rings, earrings, and piercings
• Hair clips and bobby pins
• Watches and hearing aids
• Glasses and contact lenses (in some cases)
• Underwire bras
• Any removable dental work

You’ll also be asked about metal inside your body. If you have a pacemaker, cochlear implant, certain types of surgical clips, or metal fragments in your body from old injuries or surgeries, the radiographer must know before your scan begins. Most modern implants are MRI-safe, but verification is essential.

Food and Water

For most MRI scans, you can eat and drink normally beforehand. However, if your scan involves contrast dye or focuses on abdominal organs, you may be asked to fast for a few hours. Your appointment letter will specify this clearly.

Paperwork and Consent

When you arrive at Al-Noor Diagnostic Centre, you’ll be asked to fill out a safety questionnaire. Answer every question truthfully — this form exists to protect you. The staff will review it with you, and it’s perfectly fine to ask questions at this stage.

Arriving at the Centre: Your First 15 Minutes

You arrive, check in at reception, and then a radiographer — a trained specialist in medical imaging — will come to meet you. They’ll take you through the safety checklist, explain the procedure in straightforward language, and answer any concerns you have.

This is a good moment to mention:

• Claustrophobia — if you feel anxious in enclosed spaces, say so. There are options, including open MRI machines and mild sedation in some cases.
• Pregnancy — MRI is generally considered safe during pregnancy, but the team should know.
• Kidney problems — relevant if contrast dye is being used.
• Anxiety — there’s no shame in it. The team has seen it before and can help you feel more comfortable.

Entering the MRI Room

The MRI room is cool, clinical, and quieter than you might expect — until the machine starts, of course.

The scanner itself looks like a large, hollow cylinder — a tube about 60 to 70 centimetres wide, surrounded by a thick, ring-shaped machine. You’ll lie down on a narrow, motorised table called the patient couch or gantry table. It’s padded, and you’ll be positioned either head-first or feet-first depending on the area being scanned.

A coil — a special antenna-like device — may be placed over or around the part of your body being examined. For a brain scan, it fits loosely around your head like a cage helmet. For a knee scan, it wraps around your joint. These coils receive the magnetic signals and help produce sharper images.

You’ll be given earplugs or headphones. Many centres, including ours, play music through the headphones to help patients relax during the scan.

A small rubber button — called a call ball or squeeze bulb — will be placed in your hand. If at any point you feel unwell, panicked, or need to stop, you squeeze it and the radiographer will pause the scan immediately and come to you. You are never trapped. You are always in control.

Inside the Scanner: What You’ll Actually Experience

Once you’re positioned and comfortable, the table will slowly slide you into the cylindrical opening of the machine.

Here’s the honest truth: the space inside is relatively tight. Your arms usually rest at your sides, and the walls of the tube are close. For head and brain MRIs, your face may be near the top of the machine. For lower body scans — hip, knee, ankle — your head often remains outside the tube entirely.

The Noise

This is the part that surprises most first-time patients.

An MRI machine is loud. Not dangerously loud, but genuinely startling if you’re not expecting it. The sounds are created by rapid changes in electrical current within the scanner’s gradient coils — they produce a series of knocking, thumping, clicking, and buzzing sounds that can vary in rhythm and intensity throughout the scan.

Common descriptions from patients:

• A rapid knocking like someone banging pipes
• A loud, rhythmic thumping
• A high-pitched buzzing or beeping

This is completely normal. The earplugs or headphones you were given will reduce the volume significantly.

Staying Still

The most important thing you can do during an MRI is stay still. Even small movements can blur the images and mean the scan has to be repeated.

You don’t need to hold your breath for most sequences, but for certain images — particularly abdominal scans — the radiographer may ask you to hold your breath briefly, for around 10 to 20 seconds. They’ll tell you over an intercom exactly when to breathe and when to hold.

The Intercom

You’re not alone in that room. The radiographer is in an adjacent control room with a clear window, watching you at all times through a camera and monitor. They can speak to you through an intercom built into the machine, and you can hear them clearly through your headphones.

Expect to hear check-ins like: “Are you doing okay in there?” “We’re starting the next sequence now — it’ll last about three minutes.” “Brilliant, just two more sequences to go.”

Contrast Dye (If Required)

Some MRI scans require the injection of a contrast agent — a substance called gadolinium — which helps highlight specific tissues, blood vessels, or abnormalities more clearly on the images.

If contrast is needed, a cannula (a thin, flexible tube) will be inserted into a vein in your arm before or during the scan. When the dye is injected, you may feel a brief cool or slightly warm sensation spreading up your arm. Some patients notice a faint metallic taste. These sensations pass within seconds and are entirely harmless.

Serious reactions to MRI contrast are extremely rare — far rarer than reactions to CT contrast dye. The team will monitor you throughout.

How Long Does an MRI Take?

This is one of the most common questions patients ask, and the honest answer is: it depends.

Scan Type	Approximate Duration
Brain MRI	30–45 minutes
Spine (one region)	30–45 minutes
Knee or joint	20–30 minutes
Abdomen or pelvis	45–60 minutes
Full body MRI	60–90 minutes

These times include positioning, setup, and any repeat sequences. If contrast dye is used, add a few minutes for injection and waiting.

The radiographer will give you an estimated time before the scan begins. It’s not always possible to be exact, because sometimes a sequence needs to be repeated or a certain view requires additional imaging.

After the MRI: Coming Out of the Scanner

When the scan is complete, the table will slide back out smoothly, and the radiographer will come to remove any coils placed on your body. You’ll be helped off the table if needed.

If you had contrast dye, the cannula will be removed and you’ll be monitored briefly — usually 15 to 30 minutes — before being allowed to leave. Drink plenty of water afterwards, as this helps your kidneys flush the dye from your system.

If no contrast was used, you can typically get dressed and leave immediately. There’s no recovery time. You can drive (unless you were sedated), eat normally, return to work, and carry on with your day as usual.

The MRI itself has no after-effects. You won’t feel tired, dizzy, or unwell because of the scan.

When Will You Get Your Results?

This is a question close to every patient’s heart.

The images from your scan are analysed and reported on by a radiologist — a doctor who specialises in interpreting medical imaging. At Al-Noor Diagnostic Centre, we understand that waiting is stressful, and we work to provide reports as promptly as possible.

Typically, your written report will be ready within 24 to 48 hours, depending on the complexity of the scan. Your referring doctor will receive the report and will discuss the findings with you at your follow-up appointment.

A few important points about results:

• The radiographer who performs your scan is not usually in a position to interpret findings or share results with you in the scanning room. This is not unhelpfulness — it’s the correct clinical process.
• Your GP or specialist is the right person to explain what the results mean for your specific health situation.
• If your results are urgent, the radiologist will flag them directly to your referring doctor.

Common Fears — Addressed Honestly

“I’m claustrophobic. I can’t do this.”

Many patients feel this way. You have options. Open MRI machines have no enclosed tube at all — they’re open on the sides, making them far more comfortable for anxious patients. Alternatively, your doctor may prescribe a mild sedative to help you relax for a standard MRI. Speak up about this before your appointment, not during.

“What if I need to stop mid-scan?”

You squeeze the call bulb. The scan pauses. The team comes to you. There is no scenario where you are locked in or unable to stop.

“Will I feel anything from the magnetic field?”

No. You will not feel the magnetic field or the radio waves. The only sensations are the noise, the vibration of the table in some sequences, and the coolness of the room. Nothing more.

“What if I have tattoos? I’ve heard they heat up.”

Older tattoos that used metal-based inks occasionally caused mild tingling or warmth in rare cases. Modern tattoo inks are largely MRI-safe. Inform the radiographer if you have extensive tattoos and they will advise you accordingly.

“I’m nervous about the results.”

That’s not a question — it’s a feeling. And it’s valid. The uncertainty of waiting for results is genuinely difficult. What we can tell you is that an MRI is not a verdict. It’s information. And information, even when it reveals a problem, is the first step toward fixing it.

A Note from Al-Noor Diagnostic Centre

At Al-Noor Diagnostic Centre, we believe that an informed patient is a calm patient — and a calm patient has a better scan.

Our radiographers are trained not just in the technical operation of advanced imaging equipment, but in human communication. They know how to talk to someone who is scared. They know how to make a difficult appointment feel manageable.

If you have any questions before your MRI — about preparation, what to expect, or your specific scan — you are always welcome to call us. We would rather answer ten questions before your appointment than have you lie inside the scanner in silent anxiety.

Your health is why we’re here. Every image we take, every report we produce, is in service of one goal: helping you and your doctor make the best decisions for your wellbeing.

Final Thoughts

An MRI test is not something to fear. It is one of the most detailed, non-invasive, radiation-free ways modern medicine has to look inside the human body. Millions of people have one every year, and the overwhelming majority walk out of the scanning room relieved it was far simpler than they expected.

Now you know exactly what to expect — from the moment you change into your gown to the moment you walk out the door. The machine is loud. The space is tight. But you are safe, you are monitored, you are in control, and you are in good hands.