Nearly a third of Britons suffer from claustrophobia at some point in their lives, according to a new survey.

The fear of small spaces is worse for women, affecting 36 per cent, compared to 27 per cent of men. 

The top three nightmare scenarios are a tiny room with no windows (mentioned by 54 per cent), crowded places (51 per cent) and a “tunnel” MRI scanner (45 per cent).

Reported symptoms included a general feeling of panic (71 per cent), shortness of breath/hyperventilation (45 per cent) and sweating/chills (33 per cent).  

“Previous studies have indicated around 12 per cent of people suffer from claustrophobia,” says Professor Francis Smith, medical director at Medserena Upright MRI Centres, who commissioned the study.  

“So for our new research to show it’s actually a third of adults suggests the problem is more widespread than originally thought.”

More than half (57 per cent) of those scanned in an enclosed MRI tube said felt very nervous. A further 10 per cent required sedation and another 13 per cent asked for the process to be stopped altogether.

Worryingly, a quarter of Britons with claustrophobia said they would prefer to leave a medical condition untreated, if they were very frightened of the test to diagnose it. 

Nearly a quarter of sufferers thought being trapped in a confined space during childhood was the root cause of their claustrophobia, with a further fifth citing a traumatic or stressful life experience, such as a bereavement.  

Avoiding situations known to trigger attacks is the most common step taken to help (65 per cent), while 41per cent rely on breathing techniques and 33 per cent try to focus on peaceful and relaxing images.

Medserena Upright MRI scanning centres are located in London and Manchester.  https://www.trulyopenmri.com   Tel: 020 7370 6003  

email: info@trulyopenmri.com