# Head MRI tomorrow. Is it scary? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 29, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/head-mri-tomorrow-is-it-scary/992267 "2023-10-29T14:33:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 65
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/head-mri-tomorrow-is-it-scary/992267/65 "2023-10-30T05:49:55Z")
I’ve had several head MRIs because I used to have a hemifacial spasm, or HFS. I posted about my HFS years ago, to share in case someone else had it. It is pretty rare. I just closed my eyes and tried sleeping. Just go along for the ride. Think of the serenity prayer: you’re not in charge so just chill out as best you can and relax, take it easy. Bring earplugs. They do help. > [@Anybody Suffering with HFS? (Hemifacial Spasm)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-suffering-with-hfs-hemifacial-spasm/653622): > > From [Wikipedia’s page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemifacial_spasm), [Here’s a 10 second YouTube video of a guy with HFS.](http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RejdFpEw5yw) It is often caused by a blood vessel pressing against the seventh cranial nerve (CN-VII). When blood flows it excites the nerve and causes the spasm. If you or someone you know has this, look for a surgical solution called MVD, Microvascular Decompression ([Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microvascular_decompression)). MVD consists of placing a teflon felt “spongy” material between the offending blood vessel and CN-VII to act as a shock absorber and spacer betw… > [@Anybody Suffering with TN? (Trigeminal Neuralgia) Also HFS (Hemifacial Spasm).](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-suffering-with-tn-trigeminal-neuralgia-also-hfs-hemifacial-spasm/784705): > > This thread’s subtitle can be: It’s hard to find data on treatments and their outcomes. WHY??!! Grrr… Why is it, if one has a disease and needs to find which surgeons have performed a specific surgery, nailed right down to the exact CPT code, why can’t I find data on: who has performed this CPT code? And how many have they performed, and over what time period? And what have their patients’ outcomes been? Why can’t it be like cancer, which is a mandatorily reported disease with lots of data b… --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/head-mri-tomorrow-is-it-scary/992267)._