Marcel Hernandez, N.D.
As part of our preventive medicine program at Pacific Naturopathic, we’ve offered BREAST THERMOGRAPHY for many years.
Because we’ve learned a great deal about thermography over time, here’s a brief update.
What we know…
- The uses and applications of thermography go well beyond evaluating breast health.
- EVERYONE can benefit from routine breast thermography. Thermography can detect inflammation in any body tissue. In fact, thermography is tragically undervalued and under-utilized for health evaluation.
- Unlike mammography, thermography doesn’t emit radiation.
What is thermography?
Put simply, thermography uses infrared light to detect heat patterns that indicate inflammation in tissues.
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How does thermography help evaluate breast cancer risk?
Before a tumor can be detected by traditional mammography, the cancer cells will require a great deal of oxygen-rich blood to grow; and when the blood flow to the cells increases, the temperature in the affected tissue rises.
Is Mammography an alternative to a mammogram?
No. Thermography is not an alternative to mammography.
Mammography detects tumors in breasts. Mammography is not an instrument for diagnosing breast cancer. Only a biopsy is diagnostic.
Thermography detects higher than normal temperatures in tissues. The cause of the elevated temperatures needs to be determined before we can arrive at a diagnosis.
Who should get a breast thermogram?
Breast thermography evaluation can be helpful to detect abnormally high tissue temperatures in men or women, but it is especially useful for those with dense breasts.
What can I expect during a thermographic evaluation?
For thermography of the breast and upper body, the patient will disrobe from the waist up and rest for a short period as their body becomes acclimated to the temperature of the room. A technician will then take several images of the breasts, including front and side views. The test takes about 30 minutes, including acclimatization.
A doctor will analyze the images, and results will usually be available within a week.
A similar procedure is followed for evaluating other parts of the body.
What are the risks and side effects?
The risks of thermography are equivalent to having your photo taken with a smartphone. It’s a non-invasive, non-contact test that just uses a different type of camera. There is no risk.
What are some applications of thermography?
Inflammation in tissues creates heat. For example, infections generate heat at the site of the infection – we’ve all felt the heat around an abscessed tooth, a sprained ankle, or a sore knee.
In fact, dentistry is another possible area of thermographic evaluation. When Dr. Connie and I purchased our thermography equipment, the person demonstrating it focused the camera on my head and shoulders. Everything looked fine except for heat emanating from my lower right jaw, even though I felt no pain, nor did I notice any swelling or discomfort. The next day, I noticed that a crown in the area was loose and rubbing against the soft tissue, creating chafing and mild inflammation. The infrared camera had picked it up even before I could notice it. I was won over!
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In addition to breast thermography, we’re now offering complete upper-body thermography in our office. Please phone to schedule, or for more information.
For information about the services we offer at Pacific Naturopathic, please give us a call at 650-961-1660, use the convenient Contact Form to get in touch.