What Are the Odds of an MRI Causing Hearing Damage?

Just had an MRI and I'm worried it could have caused hearing damage. They gave me headphones to wear but it still seemed very loud.

What are the odds I did any damage? I get really worried about this kind of stuff.

 

I had an MRI done a while back and was completely fine after, doesn't mean for certain that you are though, if you think you notice a difference maybe get a hearing test?

 

Yeah, they are loud, I’ve read that they can get up to 125db and higher depending on the machine.

My hearing is done after wearing foam plugs probably not incerted probably. I have had nightmare tinnitus for 5 years, I thought life was tough before, after the mri scan my life is literally dog shit, absolutely zero quality left, I’m in hell.

I haven’t slept for more than a couple of hours per night for almost two months since the scan. It’s now 5:30am still haven’t crashed, some nights I get nothing, no sleep at all. Then I walk through the days like a zombie while being tortured with painful screaming in the head, and sore full ears.

If you were wearing muffs you’re probably fine, you would really notice if things changed. I could tell as soon as I was out of the machine, I knew I was screwed when I could hardly hear the tech speaking.

I would recommend double protection for anyone who needs mri imagining done. Plugs plus muffs.

 

If you don't notice anything after a week then you're going to be fine. If you get a tinnitus spike (assuming you already have tinnitus) in the first week, it will likely settle down within a few weeks.

The headphones I've been given for MRIs before are next to useless. Foam plugs are your best best in future. If you're not having a brain scan, you can buy and wear your own MRI approved (metal free) earmuffs as well for extra protection. Or find a clinic with one of the new quiet/silent MRI units from Siemens and GE.

 

Do they let you do a small test run before you actually get in?

 

They give you a panic button, you can stop it anytime you want. If you are an idiot like I am, you don’t use the button, ignore your body, and just push through.

 

I had a brain and neck MRI today using the silent scan. IT WAS NOT SILENT. That name is a monomer. It should be called reduced sound, but most scan sequences were well above 4 decibles over ambient sound. Some were very loud and I was wearing ear plugs along with having them pack the side of my head and ear area with padding to further block the sounds. I don't know how GE can get away with such blatant false advertising.

 

I have had numerous MRI scans and due another soon, it’s always loud, they give you foam plugs and muffs, but the muffs are always far too big and slip off! I always tell the technician I have very severe tinnitus, and they do their best to keep the protective measures in place. Just don’t give it too much thought, the more you stress about it, the worse it’s likely to be. I go in and say to myself, this has to be done, it will be over soon, gives a spike, true, but I can get them at any time, for no apparent reason!

 

I had 5 MRI in 5 years, never anything bad happened, but this time my right ear developed a Tinnitus. Its been 2 weeks and 3 days since then. To me it seems that doing it once, if you are healthy is not a big deal, but doing it maybe once a year, can break your neck. I did wear the protection, but as you said, it did slip off a tiny bit in the right ear, so it was louder than in the left. 15 minutes later, I had the high pulsating sound in my ear.
Next day, a loud horn too and a whistle.

Whistle is gone completely in week 1, without much doing from my side. The horn is in the background, but I am afraid it comes back heavier like on Friday. The pulsating high pitch is a mystery to me. Sometimes it´s gone completely, unless I check for it. Maybe its my nerves, as it has such an electic type of attitude, like from a printer or fax machine.##

 

Open MRI's are much quieter... and yes there is a panic button. You can stop the scan whenever you want. But you still have to double protect your ears.
Have an MRI only if it is necessary. IMHO