The start of a new year generally includes personal resolutions for achieving and maintaining better health. The first step toward achieving these goals can be making an important investment in our health by beginning 2021 with an appointment for a thermographic scan. This safe and non-invasive, radiation-free image offers an individual the baseline for a personal normal or an alert to a potential health issue that is in the process of developing.

Preventative Screening and Risk Assessment

Medical thermography, a preventative screening and risk assessment test, is largely well known for its use in the early detection of breast disease, although its uses and benefits in medicine are now more widespread. The major clinical value in thermography is its high sensitivity to pathology in the vascular, muscular, neural and skeletal systems. In the absence of disease or injury, a healthy body exhibits a high degree of thermal symmetry, making subtle abnormal temperature asymmetries that relate to dysfunction easily identified. There are often significant findings before symptoms are even present, allowing for immediate treatment or assessment and preventing a full-blown illness or chronic condition. A simple, full-body scan can evaluate immune, thyroid, cardiac and organ function, as well as stroke risk.

Detecting Autoimmune Dysfunction

There are specific thermal patterns that relate to autoimmune dysfunction. A hypothermic, or cold, circle seen over T1/T2 (thoracic vertebrae 1,2) in a thermography scan is generally indicative of autoimmune dysfunction. This can be a range of conditions such as allergies, metal toxicity, lupus, multiple sclerosis, etc. This pattern is often seen in patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as fibromyalgia, a disorder that is very difficult to diagnose, but is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Fibromyalgia patients often have myofascial inflammation accompanying the hypothermic pattern. Thermography is useful in confirming a suspected diagnosis of these syndromes, as well as monitoring the patient’s response to treatment.  As the patient improves, the hypothermic focus reduces both in size and intensity. Conversely, if the patient is not responding to treatment or is regressing, this pattern remains unchanged or the temperature differentials increase and the pattern becomes more pronounced.

Thyroid Dysfunction

Thermography can easily detect thyroid dysfunction, even when all thyroid levels are within normal range in the patient’s blood work. While it cannot differentiate between hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, a determination is made that there is dysfunction within the thyroid. This is useful information when blood panels are not giving a clear picture. Thermography can also validate the appropriate levels of thyroid supplementation. For example, if a patient is on thyroid medication and no patterns appear on the thermogram related to thyroid, it can then be assumed that they are receiving the adequate amount of medication or supplementation.

Carotid Arteries

A simple thermal scan of the head and neck can evaluate inflammation in the carotid arteries. This inflammation can be the very early warning signal for the onset of occlusive disease, often by a time frame as much as five years. This finding will often warrant C reactive protein testing and doppler ultrasound.

Cardiac Function

Cardiac function can be assessed via thermography. Findings are frequently without symptoms, which allows for preventative treatment or preemptive action. Hypothermic patterns on the left breast in men and in the lower inner quadrant of the left breast in woman are associated with coronary artery disease.

Although thermography excels in many aspects of health screening, like other modalities, it has limitations. It is not recommended for brain, prostate or lung function evaluation. A small percentage of breast cancers will be thermographically silent. These are generally tumors that are either dormant and not metabolically active, or extremely slow growing and will not exhibit the vascular and lymphatic changes that alert us to their presence.

Choosing a Thermography Center

Perform research when choosing a thermography center. Determine the training and certification of the technician taking the images, inquire regarding who will interpret the images and generate the report, if it will be an M.D. board-certified in thermology, and whether the infrared camera system has a U.S. Food and Drug Administration manufacturer’s registration.

Taryn Brandt, CCT level III, is the owner of Southwest Medical Thermal Imaging & Ultrasound, LLC, with locations at 9200 Bonita Beach Rd., Ste. 213, Bonita Beach, 7680 Cambridge Manor Pl., Ste. 100, Ft. Myers and 1570 Colonial Blvd., Ste. A, Ft. Myers. For more information, call 239-949-2011 or visit ThermalClinic.com.