healthbriefs
Using Medical Thermography to Detect Autoimmune Conditions M
edical thermography, a noninvasive diagnos-
Patterns of hypothermia over T1/T2 are always indicative of autoimmune dysfunction.
tic technique that allows the examiner to quantify changes in skin surface temperature, has largely been used in the U.S. as a preventive application for early detection of breast dis- ease. Although this is the most common use of digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI), which converts infrared radiation emitted from the skin surface
into electrical impulses that are visualized in color on a monitor, thermography’s uses and benefits in medicine are far more widespread. The visual image that graphically maps body tempera- ture is called a thermogram, and its spectrum of colors indicates an increase or decrease in the amount of infrared radiation being emitted from the body’s surface. Because a normal body shows a high degree of thermal symmetry, subtle abnormal temperature asymmetries that relate to dysfunction can be easily identified. For example, DITI is helpful in monitoring thermal abnormalities present in health problems such as fibromyalgia and thyroid dysfunc- tion, even when all thyroid levels are within normal levels in a patient’s blood work. A pattern of hypothermia (cool areas) over T1/T2 (the first and second thoracic vertebrae) in a thermogram indicates autoimmune dysfunction, but cannot determine if there is hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. This pattern, often seen in patients that also suffer from symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, is helpful in confirming a suspected diagnosis and monitoring a patient’s response to treatment. As the patient improves and the body returns to more normal thermal symmetry, the hypothermic pattern will be reduced. Conversely, if the patient is not responding to treatment or is regressing, the pattern will either remain the same or the tem- perature differentials will increase and the pattern will become more pronounced.
Taryn Kean is a level III thermographer certified by the American College of Clinical Thermology and a member of the American Medical Thermology Society. She owns and operates Southwest Medical Thermal Imaging (
SouthwestMedicalThermalImaging.com), in Bonita Springs, and EquiSpectrum (
EquiSpectrum.com), a mobile thermal clinic catering to elite equine athletes. For more information, phone 239-949-2011. See ad, page 38.
20 Collier/Lee Counties
swfl.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com
Tips for Maintaining Better Gum Health A
ccording to recent findings
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 47 percent of Americans aged 30 or older have periodontitis, an advanced form of gum disease that occurs when inflammation or infection of the gums (gingivitis) is untreated or treatment is delayed. Periodontitis attacks the gums and supporting bone structure of the teeth and if left untreated, can lead to tooth loss and increase the level of systemic inflammation, a characteristic of all chronic inflammatory diseases, including coronary artery disease.
In its early stages, periodontal disease has few symptoms, but as it progresses and affects the tis- sues and bone supporting the teeth, individuals may experience sore teeth and bleeding gums. In severe cases, loose teeth and bad breath are the result of active bacteria that not only form as plaque on the teeth, but also flourish below the gums. An important measure of gum health is the depth of the “pocket” around each tooth. Healthy pockets are one to three millimeters deep. The formation of plaque and calculus (hardened plaque) leads to bone loss, as well as unhealthy pocket formation, which in advanced stages can range from four to 10 millimeters. Teeth can become loose or abscessed and require extraction. Gum disease is preventable with regular professional dental cleaning and measurement of pockets. The frequency of treatment, which can range from two to six visits per year, varies with age, the ability to practice thorough home care, and prior diagnosis of pockets that are four milli- meters or more deep.
Bacteria can reform in pockets two months after
cleaning and become destructive after three months. Anyone with pockets four millimeters or deeper that has been treated previously for gum disease should visit the dentist or periodontist on a quarterly basis. Elderly patients that are physically or mentally un- able to brush should be seen six times annually.
Resource: William E. Lovett, DDS, 860 111th Ave., Ste. 5, Naples; 239-593-4911.
RestorativeDentist.com. See ad, page 9.
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