Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About MRI

MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses a combination of a large magnet, radio frequencies, and a computer to generate images of internal structures and organs of the body without using x-ray radiation and surgery.

MRI has been developed based on the principles of nuclear magnetic resonance. NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) was discovered by Felix Bloch and Edward Purcell in 1946. During the 1950s and 1960s, NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) was used for chemical and physical molecular analysis. In 1971, Raymond Damadian showed that the nuclear magnetic relaxation periods of tissues and tumors differed. In 1973, Paul Lauterbur used a back projection technique similar to that used in CT scans and demonstrated magnetic resonance imaging on small test tube samples. In 1977, Raymond Damadian came up with the first whole body MRI scanner and performed a whole body scan in 4 hours and 45 minutes. In 1980, Edelstein and coworkers could acquire a single image in approximately 5 minutes using Ernst's technique. In 1986, this time was reduced to approximately 5 seconds. In 1993, functional MRI was developed which showed the mapping of the function of the various regions of the human brain.

An MRI machine is a large tube-shaped machine running through the magnet from front to end. The magnet creates a strong magnetic field around the patient and sends pulses of radio waves from the scanner. These waves force the nuclei of hydrogen atoms out of their normal position. As the nuclei realigns into their normal position they send out radio waves on their own. The computers or the scanners identify these signals and analyze and convert them into pictures with minute details of the part of the body being examined. MRI scans are now widely used to examine organs, detect tumors and in the diagnosis of many forms of cancer and injuries in bones and tissues.

MRI provides detailed information on MRIs, Open MRIs, Brain MRIs, MRI Scans and more. MRI is affiliated with Digital Oscilloscopes.

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Expressing Yourself With Tattoos

Have you noticed that there are a lot of people that have Tattoos these days? In the past you may have only seen tattoos on people such as sailors, outlaws, and biker gangs but now tattoos are a very popular body decoration for many people. The types and styles of tattoos has also come a very long way. It is no longer crude pictures of pinup girls, skulls, and anchors. Tattoos have developed into very sophisticated art work ranging from Celtic crosses to very personalized symbols. People have found and created designs that express themselves in a very personal way.

What is a Tattoo?

Very simply a tattoo is a puncture wound made in the skin that is filled with ink. Although done differently today than in the past the technique is still somewhat similar. Today, tattoo artist use a tattoo gun that has one or more needles that penetrate the skin and delivery ink into the skin. Tattoos last a very long time due to the fact that the ink is placed deeply into the skin. The top layer of skins is called the epidermis and it is constantly shedding and being reproduced. If the ink from a tattoo was in this layer of skin it would not last very long. The layer of skin that the ink is injected to is called the dermis, which is a deeper layer of skin that is very stable and makes the tattoo stay visible almost permanently.

Tattoos in the past were done manually with a tool that they tapped on the skin to make the puncture wound and then the ink would be injected by hand. Most tattoo shops today have tattoo guns or machines to do this today, although you can still find areas around the world that still use the older style of tattooing. The tattoo guns make tattooing much more quickly today because the machine is able to deliver the ink into the skin as it is puncturing the skin. The tattoo artist can change the tip of the machine to contain one needle or group of needles depending on if they are drawing the outline of the design or shading part of the design. Most tattoo artist today are very skilled and know just how far to drive the needle into the skin to produce a good tattoo. Not going deep enough can result in ragged tattoo and going to deep can result in excessive bleeding, not to mention the pain would be much worse.

Does It Hurt?

Getting a tattoo can hurt and can take several hours or even days to complete depending on the size and design of the tattoo you are getting. The amount of pain can and will very depending on the location of the tattoo. Everyone has a different threshold to pain also. The art has a bit to do with it also. A good tattoo artist can provide less pain over a new or less experienced tattoo artist.

So you want a Tattoo!

First and foremost, if you are going to get a tattoo, get it done safely! Remember, a tattoo is a puncture wound that needs to be taken care of just like any other scrape or cut that you may get. By taking care of your tattoo you will be less likely to have it get infected. It may sound a little silly but you need to make sure that your immunizations are up to date. Tattoo shops today have implement steps to help you avoid infections and disease but it doesn't hurt to take an extra step for your own safety. Have a plan to get medical care if your tattoo does get infected. Some signs of infection are excessive redness, prolonged bleeding, pus or changes in your skin color around the tattoo.

If you have a prior or existing condition such as heart disease, allergies, diabetes or a condition that effects your immune systems by all means consult with your doctor. He may be able to recommend precautions that you can take before getting your tattoo.

Choosing the place to get your tattoo is very important. You want to be sure the tattoo shop is clean and safe. Things such as needles, gloves, mask should all be disposable and should never be used on more than one person. The guns themselves and other equipment that is not disposable should be sterilized after every use. You can contact your local government agencies(county, city, local health department) that can inform your on licensed tattoo shops, standards or complaints against a specific tattoo shop.

Here are some things to look for:

Does the tattoo shop you are looking at have an autoclave to sterilize equipment? An autoclave is a piece of equipment that uses steam, pressure and heat to sterilize with.

Is the shop licensed? You can check this through you local government agency and the tattoo shop you are looking at should be able to provide you with references.

Make sure the tattoo shop the regulations that outline procedures to be followed when dealing with bodily fluids that are provided by the Occupational Safely and Health Administration's Universal Procedures.

Just keep in mind, if the tattoo shop you are considering looks dirty or just doesn't feel right to you for any reason it would probably be best to find a tattoo shop you are more comfortable with.

What to expect

First of all you will need to find your design that you are wanting tattooed on your body. The tattoo shop you are going to will most likely have thousands of designs that you can look through. You may also be able to have the artist create a unique design for you. There are also may designs to choose from on the web. Once you have decided on a design you will need to decide on a location. You may already have a location in mind and be able to choose the tattoo you will be getting for that particular location. The tattoo artist will then clean and even shave if necessary to area getting tattooed and apply a type of stencil of the tattoo on that area and allow you to see it. This will give you a good idea of what it will look like. As the artist is getting the ink and gun ready they will explain things about the needles and the procedures in order for you to become more comfortable with the whole process. When you are both ready they will begin the outline. Once the outline is finished the tattoo artist will once again clean the tattoo area and most likely change the needles in the gun to do the shading or fill in. After finishing the tattoo the artist will again clean the tattoo area and apply some type of antibiotic ointment and then it will be covered with a bandage. Congratulations! You now have a new tattoo. It will take a few days to heal but soon you will be able to remove the bandage and show off your new art.

Tattoo Care

The last step you will need to follow in very important. That is taking care of your new tattoo until it is fully healed. The tattoo shop will give you instructions that you should follow and will most likely give you ointment to use on your tattoo. Just remember to contact your doctor if something about your tattoo seems out of the ordinary (as discussed earlier). Make sure that you keep your tattoo bandaged for the first 24 hours. This will help in the healing process greatly. You will want to avoid touching the new tattoo and picking at any scabs that may form. After all, it is a wound and will most likely form some scabs in places. When you wash it for the first time try to use an antibiotic soap and just pat it dry. Re-apply some antibiotic ointment and also re-bandage it. This will only help your tattoo to heal. You want to avoid getting your new tattoo wet(pools, hot tubs, long showers) until the tattoo has fully healed. The other important step is keeping your tattoo out of direct sunlight. Even after it is fully healed the sun can cause fading of your tattoo a great deal. So it is suggested to use a sun screen on your tattoo for quite some time so that your new tattoo does not begin to fade to soon.

Rick Watson

Find out more about tattoos and other body modification at http://www.tatsandthings.blogspot.com where you will find related information on tattoos and piercings with links and more showing you where you can go to get tattoo designs and body jewelry.

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What Is The Most Important Machine In Your Life?

What do you consider the most important machine in your life -- Car? Computer? Cell Phone? Television? Something Else? On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is it to you? Why? What are all of the reasons that make it a 10 in your life?

If you believe that the car belongs at the top of your list, how much time and money do you spend taking care of it? Do you use any old fuel, consider checkups a waste of time, ignore the car wash, etc.? You probably have your own special rules for whatever machine you chose.

Next question, do you treat and care for your own body with the same amount of effort? For instance:

What quality of fuel (food)do you give it? Do you give it an adequate supply of water? Do you skip the boring routines like annual checkups because there are other things you would rather do? Do you keep doing what you have always done (too many calories with no exercise) and expect to get different results? Do you expect the doctor to order some "magic" pill for you to take when you are ill -- just as long as there is no change required in your regular activities? Do you avoid making any healthy new habits because the old way is so comfortable?

We cannot trade in our old body for a new one -- life does not work that way. As Mickey Mantel once said: "If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."

There has been a change in attitude the last few years. It is rare to find magazine articles promoting the newest diet guaranteed to erase all the extra weight from holiday season indulgences or how to get ready for wearing that new bikini at the beach.

We now recognize that diets, especially crash diets, are no longer acceptable. Lifestyle plans are the newest buzzwords. Sometimes it sounds like just another variation on the one-size-fits-all idea. It is not that simple!

Oh sure, the same basic principles are necessary -- more fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, legumes, nuts, lean protein, less sugar and fat, portion-size control, exercise, fitness and water instead of soft drinks. Unfortunately, not enough attention is given to the uniqueness of each person. We start with different bodies, jobs, family situations, personal and family history, likes and dislikes. Thank goodness, there is more than one way to get the desired results.

The biggest challenge is deciding how important we consider a healthy lifestyle and what we are willing to do to achieve it. Honesty is the first step. Whether we like or dislike what we see in the mirror, it was our own past choices that got us to this point. No one else can be blamed for force-feeding us with junk food or roping us to a chair in front of the television. And no one else can make the choices each day that lead toward better health in our future!

Start by deciding how you want to look and feel. All the things that make life rich and enjoyable -- vigor, vitality, optimism, strength, lack of illness and disease -- deserve top billing. It may seem trivial, but having deep, meaningful reasons is critical for your success.

You are the only person who can make lasting changes in your life. Recognize from the beginning that it will take time. After all, no one changes from being a star athlete to a flabby couch potato in one or two months -- and it does not work any faster in reverse.

A sudden, drastic overhaul of everything in your life simply will not work! More can be accomplished by making small changes -- one baby step at a time. Once the first changes become habits that feel comfortable you can be confident moving on to the next goals. Trust yourself and your ability to change. Soon enough, you will have concrete proof of progress.

Which makes more sense -- losing 15 pounds in a month but gaining it back before the end of the year? Or, avoid feeling like some kind of a martyr, lose 4 to 6 pounds a month and keep it off for the rest of your life? Remember too, there is more than one way to exercise and find what you really, really like and enjoy doing.

Success lies in the united effort of mind, body and emotion. You may find that writing a personal journal reporting your before-and-after story is an excellent incentive to stay on track. Begin your book with photographs and the usual records of weight, measurements, health profile and physical fitness. It will feel good to add new data as you progress. Statistics are necessary, but probably more important is the diary part recording your feelings about the changing results.

What you experience along the way becomes as interesting as where you think you are going. Record the pleasure you find discovering a new flexibility when you stretch, the enjoyment in finding foods that taste as good as they are good for you, the freedom of living without those annoying aches and pains and, of course, the newfound energy that lasts throughout the day. Every so often, look backwards and savor the progress you have made going one step at a time!

We cannot turn our bodies in for shiny new models but we can feel and look younger than the calendar suggests. The important thing is to start taking care of our most precious machine -- our own body. Picasso said this: "Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone."

Enjoy the journey to a healthy and happy lifestyle!

Gloria Hansen is an author and educator on consumer issues. She has a B.S. degree in foods and nutrition from Iowa State University. Her articles feature lifestyle changes for optinum health, living life in abundance, feeling and looking great, changing your mind to change your world and other resources for self improvement.

For more information: http://www.LivingBetterAndBetter.com/

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