Thermography can reveal a lot about your body's inner workings. It can show blood flow, and where blood isn't flowing enough. It can show lymphatic blockage, nerve damage, and digestive issues. Additionally, it identifies a sinus headache and hidden inflammation by identifying the signature patterns of hot and cold spots created by the natural functions of the human body. However, heat imaging doesn't tell you everything. Thermography is a powerful diagnostic tool and can provide early detection of several medical conditions, including breast cancer and inflammatory disorders. Nevertheless, it becomes even more effective when combined with other test types that provide a comprehensive health screening. Doing so offers a clearer understanding of your body's internal state. Today, we're taking a closer look at what you can learn when you combine thermography with other screenings like mammograms, ultrasounds, and bloodwork. 

Thermography and Mammograms

Another popular method for early detection of both breast cancer and non-cancerous breast conditions like cysts or dense breast tissue formations is thermography. It can also detect where inflammation, dense tissue, and tumors are forming by thermal patterns alone. Dense tissue causes a variation in the otherwise uniform temperature of the breast, while inflamed cysts and tumors create distinct hot spots. But it doesn't provide a clear picture. 

Mammograms use X-ray scans to capture extremely clear images of breast tissue. It shows dense vs. not-dense areas, which can reveal the formation of a tumor even at the earliest and smallest size. It is so precise that you can see the fibers of breast tissue defined in each scan.

Mammograms can become indistinct with conditions like dense breast tissue, but dense breast tissue has a different thermal signature than tumors or cysts. Therefore, combining thermography and mammograms is the best way to get a clear and precise diagnosis of breast health.

Thermography and Ultrasounds

Ultrasounds are another way to get a picture of what's going on inside your body. Ultrasounds are best known for pregnancy and breast health scans, but can be used for all sorts of things that require examining tissue density in the body. Ultrasound sends a high-frequency sound wave into the body and builds a picture based on how the body reflects those sound waves back. This is modulated based on the density of tissue and material that is hit by the sound waves.

Thermal imaging detects heat patterns in the body. It effectively detects inflamed areas, measures blood flow rates, and identifies blocked blood flow. It also reveals conditions that either increase or decrease temperature in specific body regions. However, this often raises the question of "why" an area might be blocked or inflamed.

Ultrasound provides a different type of detailed look. It can reveal obstructions that reflect sound waves differently from the surrounding tissue. Thermography can help target an affected area by detecting abnormal temperature changes. Then, ultrasound can be used to provide detailed structural information to determine the cause.

Thermography and Blood Work

Thermography is uniquely well-suited to detecting whether blood flow is normal, excessive, or blocked. This is because blood carries heat throughout the body. Where there is more blood, there is typically more heat. Inflamed areas full of blood are hotter, while areas with blockages and insufficient blood flow are cool.

Blood work is an analysis of a patient's blood composition that can provide insight into what is going on with blood flow abnormalities detected through thermographic images. For example, blood work can reveal an infection which would cause increased body temperature systemically or in a specific area. It can identify issues like diabetes or anemia that influence body temperature.

Blood work determines biochemical markers, which provide insights into the body's internal processes. Thermography helps visualize problems, and blood work can reveal the underlying cause.

For example, Thermography can detect joint inflammation, and blood work can confirm a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Thermography in Comprehensive Health Screening

If you are looking for comprehensive health screening or precise diagnosis, thermography is an excellent addition to any combination of scans and tests. Thermography helps provide a more complete view of the body's functions, revealing early signs of trouble. In contrast, additional tests like mammograms, ultrasounds, and blood work can help create a clear view of causes and correlating factors. Contact us today to learn more about the uses of thermographic testing or schedule a thermography scan.