MRI scans are strong diagnostics with high-definition images of what lies inside a body. Strong magnetic fields require precaution, as brought out by an instance where a young woman suffered very serious injuries due to an oversight in a metallic core within a silicone sex toy that she happened to have before the MRI scan. This makes a stark reminder about the potentially deadly consequences of missing metal objects when such procedures are being performed. In April 2023, a 23-year-old woman went into an MRI with a silicone plug containing a metal core that was not known.

She thought that the item is made entirely out of silicone according to the advertising. However, the strong magnetic field of the MRI machine interacted with the hidden metal, dragging the object through her body and causing excruciating pain. According to reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the scene was harrowing, with the woman screaming in agony and requiring immediate hospitalization. Despite pre-scan screenings, which are routine prior to a scan, the patient did not inform the facility that the object existed because he presumed it was purely non-metallic. This caused serious injuries that led to the patient's law suit against the manufacturer for deceitful misrepresentations of material content.

MRI machines employ magnets between 0.5 to 3 Tesla (T). This is thousands of times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field. The tremendous force causes ferromagnetic materials, like iron and nickel, to be magnetized quickly and become strongly attracted toward the magnet. Objects as small as hairpins or paper clips will accelerate at 40 miles per hour inside the magnetic field.

The force can lead to catastrophic injuries in items lodged within the body, such as metallic implants or foreign objects. Metallic cores within devices, like pacemakers or intrauterine devices, must be disclosed to radiologists to prevent such complications.

How Metal Objects Interact with MRI Fields?

On these claims, Dr. Adam Taylor, a specialist in human anatomy, weighed his words in a international health website and added that the distance away and mass of this object would increase its velocity towards that of sound, "The acceleration would be phenomenal, but with a metallic core, it can't go anywhere near supersonic speeds. As for the size, the magnetic acceleration to the internal soft tissues would ensure that there could be severe intracranial trauma."

The injuries inflicted in this case likely involved damage to major blood vessels, nerves, or organs, highlighting the devastating impact of even minor oversight during an MRI scan.

This is not an isolated case. There are documented cases of metallic objects causing serious damage during MRI scans with a 65-year-old man with schizophrenia swallowed metal objects, including sockets and a hinge pin. The powerful magnetic field during an MRI scan caused the objects to rupture his stomach, resulting in serious injuries.

A toddler who ingested 11 small magnets perforated his bowel while undergoing a scan, making his case unique. In another deadly but extremely rare incident, there have been people who hide a firearm on themselves during MRI procedures. Magnetic attraction can trigger a discharge in a weapon and has led to some fatal injuries.

These cases emphasize the very strong need for adequate screening and patient education prior to an MRI.

Preventing MRI-Related Incidents

Medical professionals have been trained to avoid risks. This is by properly screening a patient for metallic objects. In general, most pre-scan protocols include:

• Patients are interrogated about implants, recent surgery or exposures at work related to metals.
• Radiologists sometimes use handheld metal detectors to search for hidden items.
• People who work with metal, like welders or machinists, will need additional testing to detect microscopic metal fragments within soft tissues or eyes.

The case emphasizes the importance of product labeling by manufacturers, especially those products that are likely to unintentionally cause harm to health. The patient's assumption that her device was 100% silicone points to a larger problem in consumer markets with misinformation.

It also reminds the patients to report any possible dangers to the medical professionals, no matter how the objects look non-metallic. In sensitive cases, patients can request private discussions with healthcare providers to ensure safety without discomfort.

In the end, it is a joint effort from manufacturers, healthcare professionals, and patients that can prevent such tragedies. Manufacturers must ensure truthful marketing, while healthcare providers should educate patients about the dangers of metal objects in MRI settings. For patients, understanding the risks and actively participating in pre-scan disclosures can be lifesaving.

This young woman's experience is a sobering example of the unforeseen dangers posed by MRI machines when precautions are overlooked. It serves as a wake-up call to address gaps in patient awareness, medical protocols, and product transparency. By learning from this incident, the medical community and the public can work together to ensure MRI scans remain a safe and effective diagnostic tool.

As of 8am, in Delhi, the city's average AQI stands at 513 according to aqi.in. Major pollutant in the Delhi's air include PM2.5, PM10, Carbon Monoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Ozone. The AQI is equivalent to smoking 11.8 cigarettes per day, 82.6 cigarettes per week, and 354 cigarettes in a month. Amid this, doctors have called this major public health hazard, and warned people about the damage it can cause to our organs.

"The smaller the particle the more dangerous it is because it really goes into the depth of our lungs and causes damage there," says Dr. Vivek Nangia, Vice Chairman and Head of Pulmonology at Max Healthcare Saket, as told to news agency PTI.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Dr. Naresh Trehan, MD, Medanta, called the current situation “a major, major health-wise hazard,” stressing that the impact is unfolding across all age groups.

“A disaster for humanity,” says Dr Trehan

According to Dr. Trehan, pollution is now causing illness “many fold,” with outpatient departments packed with people suffering from cough, cold, chest congestion, asthma attacks, and severe breathing difficulties. But his biggest concern goes beyond the lungs.

He explained that the particulate matter present in polluted air moves far deeper into the body than most people realise. “These particulates go everywhere,” he told ANI. “They get absorbed into the blood, they go to your brain, they go to your kidneys, they go to your liver.”

Dr. Trehan added that the chronic effects of such constant exposure are making the public “sicker than they would be if they were living in a cleaner area.” Children, he warned, face an even greater threat as trapped toxic gases and particulate matter during winter behave “like a gas chamber,” potentially harming neurological development.

Dr Nangia breaks down the danger of PM2.5

Giving the scientific context behind this damage, Dr Nangia told PTI that the toxicity varies by particle size.

Particles larger than 5–10 microns usually stay in the upper respiratory tract, causing symptoms like throat irritation, watery eyes, and a runny nose. However, “a particle size less than 2.5 microns goes into the lungs,” he explained. Even more dangerous are particles smaller than 0.5 microns, which “go directly into the bloodstream from the lungs and trigger an inflammatory cascade.”

This cascade, Dr. Nangia said, spreads through the body and can inflame various organs—contributing to asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, and even conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Reading Delhi's AQI

As per the aqi.in there are six categories under which air pollution levels are measured, which are as followed:

• Good 0 to 50
• Moderate 50 to 100
• Poor 100 to 150
• Unhealthy 150 to 200
• Severe 200 to 300
• Hazardous 301+

Fact: AQI in Delhi is 1.9 times above than in India

Public Health Emergency

There are many short-term and long-term impact on public health from the constant exposure of air pollution. As per IQAir, in the short-term, people experience irritation in eyes, throat, and nose, along with irregular heartbeats, asthma attacks, coughing, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing.

Prolonged exposure also intensifies these risks and leads to long-term effects such as chronic respiratory illnesses like bronchitis, asthma, and emphysema. Pollutants can also damage lung tissue, increasing the likelihood of lung cancer. Air pollution also leads to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes and could also be linked to premature death.

Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis and has called for a targeted screening. In an interview with Times, he said, "You always hope for the best. You have a high PSA score - that is probably nothing. You have an MRI scan with a few black marks on it. You think, ‘Ah, that’s probably OK.’ But when the biopsy comes back, and it says you have got prostate cancer. You always dread hearing those words. And then literally as they’re coming out of the doctor’s mouth you’re thinking, ‘Oh, no, he’s going to say it. He’s going to say it. Oh God, he said it.’"

Also Read: Tatiana Schlossberg, JFK's Granddaughter Who Has A Rare Blood Cancer Says The Healthcare System Under RFK Jr Feels 'Strained, Shaky'

The former PM, 59, said that he had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for the screening that looks for proteins associated with the form of the disease. His result was high, and a biopsy after that revealed his cancer.

It was his wife, Samantha, who urged him to get tested, after the couple heard the founder of Soho House, Nick Jones, talking about his diagnosis on radio. Cameron had received focal therapy for treatment, where electrical pulses target and destroy the cancer cells.

Cameron Calls for National Prostate Cancer Screening

He has urged the government to introduce a national screening programme to detect prostate cancer earlier, when treatment is far more effective.

Cameron said, “I want to, as it were, come out. I want to add my name to the long list of people calling for a targeted screening programme.

“I don’t particularly like discussing my personal intimate health issues, but I feel I ought to. Let’s be honest. Men are not very good at talking about their health. We tend to put things off.”

Prostate Cancer: The UK’s Most Common Male Cancer

Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer among men in the UK, with around 55,000 cases diagnosed every year. Despite this, there is currently no national screening programme because of concerns over the accuracy of PSA tests.

In October 2024, six-time Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy revealed he had been diagnosed with terminal stage 4 cancer. His prostate cancer had spread to his shoulder, pelvis, hips, ribs and spine.

Read: Olympic Cyclist Sir Chris Hoy Shares His Diagnosis Of Prostate Cancer From A Common Shoulder Pain

Cameron, who stepped down as prime minister and MP in 2016, returned to government as foreign secretary under Rishi Sunak in 2023 and was appointed a life peer in the House of Lords.

New Screening Trial Begins Across the UK

Cameron’s announcement comes just days after eligible men began receiving invitations to join a major trial testing the most promising prostate cancer screening technologies.

The Transform project will evaluate new screening methods against current NHS diagnostic pathways, which typically include blood tests and biopsies. The trial is being run in partnership with the NHS through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which has committed £16 million, with additional funding from Prostate Cancer UK.

Its launch coincides with the UK National Screening Committee’s upcoming decision on whether current evidence supports introducing national screening.

‘Men’s Lives Should Not Be Left to Chance’

Chiara De Biase, director of health services, equity and improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, welcomed Cameron’s openness about his diagnosis.

Also Read: Joe Biden Is Diagnosed With Aggressive Prostate Cancer: All That You Need To Know

“We’re glad to hear that David Cameron found his prostate cancer at an early stage and had successful treatment,” she said. “We thank him for sharing his story and raising vital awareness of this disease, which is completely curable if found early. But men’s lives should not be left to chance.

“We lose 12,000 dads, brothers, sons and friends every year. We’ve reached a tipping point in the UK, with too many men dying from a curable disease and worse outcomes for higher-risk groups like black men and men from working-class communities.

“Prostate cancer is the last major cancer without a screening programme, and we need change now.”

What Happens In Prostate Cancer?

As per Urology Care Foundation, prostate cancer develops when abnormal cells form and grow in the prostate gland. Not all abnormal growths, also called tumors, are cancerous. Some are benign growth and are not life threatening. They also do not spread to nearby tissue or other parts of the body.

Whereas cancerous growths can spread to nearby organs and tissues, as in the case of Biden.

Donald Glover, who formerly performed under the stage name of Childish Gambino revealed that he had a stroke last year due to which he had to cancel his world tour date. Now, 42, he said he is dealing with an "ailment", after the New Orleans performance. He revealed that after that performance, he had gone to hospital in Houston, where he discovered that his condition required surgery.

As a result, he postponed his tour, which eventually was cancelled. This tour was remainder of his US tour and his UK, European, and Australian tour dates. He wrote: "Unfortunately, my path to recovery is taking longer than expected."

While performing at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles on Saturday, Glover shared the real reason behind his sudden tour halt.

“I was doing this world tour … really loving seeing you guys,” he said, as reported in Guardian. “I had a really bad pain in my head in Louisiana and did the show anyway. I couldn’t really see well, so when we went to Houston, I went to the hospital and the doctor was like, ‘You had a stroke.’”

He joked that his first thought was, “Here I am still copying Jamie Foxx,” referencing Foxx’s 2023 stroke, before admitting his immediate fear was that he was letting fans down—though he knows that isn’t true.

Glover added that doctors also found he had a broken foot and a hole in his heart, which required two surgeries.

“They say everybody has two lives, and the second starts when you realize you only have one,” he told the crowd. “You’ve got one life, guys, and the life I’ve lived with you has been such a blessing.”

Glover, a five-time Grammy winner, has since retired the Childish Gambino moniker after releasing his final album, Bando Stone & the New World. The cancelled tour had been planned as his farewell to the stage name.

What Happens In A Stroke?

When you have a stroke, the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted. This cause brain cells to die from a lack of oxygen and nutrients. This could also lead to lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.

What Does It Mean To Have A Hole In Heart?

As per Cleveland Clinic, hole in heart means to have an atrial septal defect or ASD, which is an opening in the wall that separates the heart's chambers. While some small holes may close on their own and have no symptoms, larger holes can cause blood to mix between oxygenated and deoxygenated sides, forcing the heart to work harder and potentially leading to health issues like shortness of breath. Treatment options range from monitoring to surgery or minimally invasive procedures, depending on the size and severity of the defect.

Types of holes in the heart

• Atrial Septal Defect (ASD): A hole in the wall (septum) between the two upper chambers (atria) of the heart.
• Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD): A hole in the wall between the two lower chambers (ventricles).
• Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO): A common type of ASD, where the opening between the atria doesn't close after birth.

What Happens When Someone Has A Hole In Their Heart?

• Normally, the left side of the heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to the body, and the right side pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs.
• A hole in the heart allows oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to mix.
• This can cause oxygen-rich blood to recirculate to the lungs instead of the body, or cause the heart to pump extra blood to the lungs.