Thermography, Mammography or Ultrasound?

One of the most frequent questions I am asked as a clinical thermographer is: �What exactly is the difference between mammography, ultrasound and thermography?� There seems to be some confusion on this subject by thinking that one replaces the other as tests, nothing could be further from the truth. Both mammography and ultrasound are structural (anatomical) tests, while thermography is a functional (physiological) test. None of these tests are truly diagnostic technologies. Thermography images the breast and surrounding area and provides us with risk assessment, while mammography and ultrasound detect structural abnormalities. If a breast abnormality is found that could possibly be malignant, a biopsy is performed. A biopsy removes a tissue sample for examination under a microscope.

Many women after their initial assessment with thermography may be asked to follow up either with an ultrasound or mammogram or both to rule out the existing pathology. Frequently some will be relieved that their mammogram or ultrasound test results show no abnormal findings, however this does not necessarily mean that nothing is going on with their breasts. Several other factors may be contributing to a high risk (abnormal) thermogram, such as: hormonal imbalance, early angiogenesis (proliferation of blood vessels), lymphatic swellings and poor function and other contributing factors � all of these are important contributors to breast disease and malignancy and are not detected by mammography or ultrasound as these factors do not appear as structural changes.

The following is a list comparing all three types of tests with their pros and cons:

Mammography

� Structural test: can pinpoint the location of suspicious area

� Compresses the breast

� X-ray radiation produces an image; the area of concern must have greater density to stand out against regular tissue

� Can detect tumors in mainly slow growing stage or pre-invasive stage

� Cannot detect fast growing tumors in the pre-invasive stage

� The use of hormones decreases sensitivity

� Large, dense and fibrocystic breasts are difficult to read

� The upper portions of the breast including the tail of the breast and the Axillary region cannot be visualized

� Can detect tumors 1-2 years earlier than physical examination

� Average Specificity 75% (25% false-positive) 9 out of 10 biopsies initiated by mammography are negative

� Average Sensitivity 80% with 20% of cancers missed in women over age 50

in women under age 50 Sensitivity is 60% or 40% of cancers missed

Ultrasound

� Structural test, can pinpoint the location of suspicious area

� Uses sound waves with moderate contact

� High frequency sound waves are bounced off the breast tissue and collected as an echo to produce an image

� Able to detect some tumors missed by mammography

� No data available on detecting pre-invasive tumors

� May be affected by the hormonal influence due to the menstrual cycle, (i.e. cystic changes)

� All areas of the breast and Axillary region can be analyzed

Ultrasound - continued

� Good for distinguishing between solid and fluid masses, helpful in investigating an area of concern due to mammography, thermography or physical examination findings

� Average Specificity 66% (34% false positive)

� Average Sensitivity 83% (17% of cancers missed)

Thermography

� Functional testing, able to detect physiological changes, cannot pinpoint the exact location of suspicious area

� No radiation, non-invasive, no risk, can be used as often as necessary to observe the effectiveness of treatment over time

� Uses infrared detectors to detect heat and increased vascularity that may be related to angiogenesis

� Can detect physiological changes many years prior to any other method of screening

� Very sensitive to fast growing aggressive tumors

� Hormonal activity in the breast will affect thermographic imaging but not to the point of abnormality

� All breast shapes, conditions and areas are within the scope of imaging

� Earliest warning system with breast tissue and physiological changes that usually precedes tumor formation years prior to its occurrence

� Average Specificity 90% (10% false positive)

� Average Sensitivity 90% (10% cancers missed) most of these are slow growing tumors with low metabolic rate in the area with a high rate of survival

Of course everyone has heard by now that early detection prolongs life expectancy, this is a given. However if cancer has been detected early, it would mean that you already have cancer. Prevention should take precedence over detection. Prevention means not getting cancer in the first place. If we are going to reverse the present trend of the epidemic proportion of breast cancer, we need to come up with a more proactive approach, which needs to become the norm for patient assessment. Cancer starts with one abnormal cell, and it takes nearly 8 years for that one abnormal cell to replicate to one billion cells. One billion cells produce a detectable lump that is one centimeter in size. This is the size of a lump that can be seen on a mammogram. This is not an early finding.

Every woman should know her risk for breast cancer. With proper risk assessment that includes different testing modalities, the patient is able to determine her risk factors and develop an action plan on how to improve the breast tissue or even reverse the existing trend. The current screening strategy is not enough to protect women from breast cancer. Medical infrared imaging should be added to every woman�s regular breast health care.
by: Cynthia Simmons

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Posted in: thermography

Walking Exercise Is Healthy

Do you like sports? Sports is one way to get healthy body. Nowdays many people do sports because sports can give good impact for health. Many people usually do sport with gym in fitness center, now fitness center is one way for sports lover, because fitness center is use modern equipment, you must have a lot of money, so that you can use the service of fitness center. Beside fitness center, you can have healthy body without expensive cost. The sports is walking exercise. Walking exercise is an ideal sports. Walking exercise can give health, reduce weight, and has no risk.

Walking exercise is something important because can give many benefit for our healthy. A better walking exercise must do at least 20 minutes of exercise everyday, if more and more do exercise your body will be healthy and you can feel the change of your body such as, feel fresh and stronger body from ill various. Walking exercise can also reduce the risk attack of heart�s sufferer because has many benefit and can help your body will be fresh everyday.

Walking exercise usually can help to reduce weight, that is dream of women. Walking exercise can help big people to get slim body, with do walking exercise�s routine. Walking exercise�s routine can be fire the calorie, so you can get dream�s body. Beside can reduce weight walking exercise can be late ostheophorosis.

The important of walking exercise has no risk. Because walking exercise not use any equipment, but only walking we can get many benefit, compare with another sports that use complex equipment. Most people want do sports without risk. If sports has many risk maybe people never do sports. Walking exercise is the one of any sports has no risk.

Walking exercise normally can do with everybody. Everybody actually need sports, with sports we can have healthy body because a healthy body is something loonged for everybody, and with a healthy we can avoid from another ill. So I think walking exercise is an ideal sports.

Created by Gokvina

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Home Treatment For Eczema, Dermatitis

Home Remedies for Eczema are quite useful and safe as most people can confirm simply due to the fact that it's the type of skin condition that can hinder one's self-esteem and be extremely difficult to cure at the same time. The first thing that must be made clear about home remedies for eczema is, it's a serious condition, especially in its more severe forms. The symptoms that characterize it are red and scaly patches that are typically very itchy. These rashes can occur on all parts of the human body but in the case of infants mainly the scalp gets affected.

Let's start our list of home remedies of eczema by defining the things to avoid in the first place, because such precautions are more useful that the actual cures as they prevent the problem from happening in the first place. Try to avoid sugary foods like candy bars, ice cream and chocolate. These are the some of the sweetest things in life but we end up paying a high price for them so ask yourself are they really worth it? Spend more time outdoor especially when it's sunny as that's really good on the skin. Of course we are not talking about sunbathing in a 40 degree Celsius type of heat, but just to expose your eczema to the sun for a few minutes daily as that will help clear it up. But just don't overdo it, because your skin will get burned.

Once the eczema has become an absolute fact, then you have to seriously consider such home remedies for eczema and one of the most effective amongst them is to soak in a lukewarm bath with some dry oats in it. Oatmeal has been proven to have a positive effect on the skin. The thing to remember is that hot tubs should be avoided because the heat from the water will make the rash even worse. Soak in the bath for no longer than 15 minutes per day so that the skin gets well moisten.

There are various different herbs that can work as home remedies for eczema with high levels of effectiveness. Some of the most notable ones are chamomile, sage and marigold. The process of preparation is simple as all you got to do is add them to a cup of water and clean the affected areas with the mixture. Alternatively, you can drink up the mixture, although it appears that the direct application tends to be more effective.

Bilberries have the reputation for being one of the most effective home remedies for eczema. All you need is a dosage of 50 grams, put the bilberries in a steel container, and add a liter of water. Have the whole mixture lukewarm and keep in mind that you should leave it for an hour, to become homogenous. Then it's boiled for 20 minutes and becomes a really great cleanser that makes your skin healthy and protects it from various infections. Hope these home remedies will help you in treating the eczema.

Copyright - Ryan Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

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Posted in: Alternative Medicine

Nutritional Vitamin Supplements & Arthritis::research Results

Research about vitamins and arthritis distress, have found positive results. But nutritional vitamins usually are not the only useful ingredients. Minerals and amino acids, as well as unique compounds like glucosamine and SAM-e have been evaluated for their pain-relieving benefits.

2 Crucial Steps

Step One, obviously, is to insure that you are receiving all the important nutritional values on a daily basis. That may be not easy to do without a superior supplement. The value of the much advertised multi-vitamin supplements is questionable. This is because they contain synthetics and the least expensive forms of the obtainable vitamins and minerals. Therefore, always purchase all-natural supplements. "Plastic" nutrients probably don't contain much of an effect.

The Next Step for somebody that has sore knuckles, general stiffness or a bit of irritation is Omega-3 fish oil. Fish oil has been used for numerous years to alleviate the agony associated with osteoarthritis. Modern day research have revealed that it is beneficial for the rheumatoid sort, too. Technical reviews have shown that a number of fish oils have more anti-inflammatory action than others. Therefore, search for a vitamin company which has had their fish oil tested for its inflammation-preventing-ability.

Mussel Power

Once you have the basics of a multi-nutritional formula and a good quality fish oil supplement, you may consider green lipped mussel powder, that's another natural anti-inflammatory. The mussels have a variety of nutritional value important to joint and bone health.

Some of the scientific studies relating to vitamin supplements and arthritis agony in the knee joints have looked at the value of natural vitamin E and glucosamine sulfate. Although glucosamine has been recommended for years as a dietary supplement for rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, research workers are still debating the effectiveness of the treatments.

This and other research have confirmed that it is the form of glucosamine used in the scientific studies that accounts for the various outcome. Glucosamine sulfate is much more practical than glucosamine hydrochloride. But, since both have a positive effect, some of the better manufacturers incorporate both sorts in their supplements.

Vitamin Research Result

Studies concerning certain vitamins and arthritis agony indicate that A, C, D and E may be beneficial, because they lessen the oxidative harm caused by free radicals. Also because the body's natural antioxidant status decreases with time. Contained in the study mentioned above, researchers concluded that 400mg of natural vitamin E (derived from palm oil) every day was just as effective as glucosamine sulfate.

So far, there have been no scientific studies comparing the effectiveness of other nutrition, like SAM-e and chondroitin. As a result, when it comes to nutritional vitamins and arthritis suffering, it really is safe to say that a mixture of components (rather than just one vitamin like E) is the most effective choice.

3 Factors to Seriously Consider

If combined with a -
1. nutritious diet and
2. regular physical activity,
3. high-quality nutritional health supplements
should help repair damaged joints and decrease pain, while the curative course of action is ongoing. A number of customers say that the dietary supplements are effective, regardless of whether they look at what they eat or manage to have enough exercise.

If you choose that supplementation is the appropriate choice in your case, look for a brand that includes numerous natural anti-inflammatories, plus turmeric, piperine and ginger. In scientific studies concerning herbs, vitamin supplements and arthritis pain, those three spice extracts have proved to be most efficient.

And now please visit the HealthyBodySupplements website listed below for more important information on Vitamins and Arthritis Suffering.

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Posted in: Supplements and Vitamins

There Might Be Relief In Arthritis Rheumatism Natural Treatment

Arthritis rheumatism natural treatments can be less costly than some other solutions that take prescriptions. If you want to test an alternative, perhaps it's time to think about a more natural solution.

There are arthritis rheumatism natural treatments that you can simply rub in. Let them work themselves down to the muscles in question and soothe them.

The same arthritis rheumatism natural treatments can also provide relief for congestion, that tightness that you can feel in your chest or back. Apply the ointment to your chest or neck for relief.

Or you can add a bit of the ointment to boiling water and use it as a steam or vapor. Either breathe it in up close or leave it in the corner of the bedroom, on top of a bureau or table.

This can be a useful solution before bedtime, for little children or adults. It will make the room smell like relief, like your grandma's house.

Make sure you keep such ointments away from your face, particularly your eyes and nose. Always use it for external use only. Keep such ointments and oils far from the reach of children and pets. There are ingredients that can cause harm if ingested.

Let's get back to relief of arthritis rheumatism. Try rubbing an ointment onto the affected areas and allow it to work itself down to the muscles. Let them rest while it works, though you do not want to stop using your body.

As with many conditions, if you let yourself slow down to a stop voluntarily, it will be harder to get going again

Look at what you can do. Remain positive, and look for exercises and outings that meet your needs and abilities. Arthritis is not a death sentence.

Swimming is low weight bearing, and it can get you out of the house and in touch with others. Whatever can put that smile back on your face will make you feel lighter and happier, and just plain better.

At times, a bit of relief can change your mood, and allow you to bring the positive back into line. This is so important.

Take advantage of feeling better to put on some music and do a little dance, or tidy that box of stuff that's been waiting for you to feel well enough to tackle. Simple stuff, a little at a time, makes a big difference to our list of things to do.

Another solution is to become the boss, and allow someone else to help you with the big stuff. A cup of tea in hand, and you'll be able to spend time with a grandson or granddaughter, or even a friend, who can reach up high and down low, to find and then replace those items for you.

There are also some things related to diet, when it comes to arthritis that you might want to consult your homeopath about, to make sure that you're not eating your way to an irritating situation.

The same arthritis rheumatism natural treatments are useful for a variety of ailments, and, most importantly, they'll bring you relief.

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Posted in: Alternative Medicine