Everywhere you go, people are toting around their water bottles. Water seems to be a more popular drink than ever before. Fifty billion water bottles are sold every year! Eight 8-ounce glasses of water are recommended per day but it can fluctuate from person to person. How can you tell if you’re getting enough water and is it possible to drink too much?

Drinking enough water is essential to health. Water makes up about 60% of body weight and is excreted routinely through perspiration, urine, breathing, bowel movements, and exercise. It supports our immune system, increases energy, flushes out toxins, regulates body temperature, relieves body cramps, prevents headaches, etc.

Listening to your “thirst” is usually the best way to judge if you are getting enough water. Since thirst signals often get interpreted as hunger, there are other signs that signal adequate hydration. It is normal to urinate 7-8 times per day and the color should be light yellow. Going several hours without urinating or having urine that is darker yellow can often be a sign that you’re not drinking enough.
The kidneys can eliminate about 30 ounces of water per hour so drinking more than that should be avoided. Completely clear urine is a sign that you are drinking more water than your body needs. Too much water can lead to over-dilution of salt and other electrolytes in the body – sometimes leading to dangerously low levels. In its early stages, mild symptoms might include nausea, vomiting, headache, and mental confusion or disorientation. More serious symptoms indicating low sodium levels include weakness, muscle spasms, seizure, unconsciousness, and even coma.

The paragraph below describes the importance of water in removing toxins and waste from the body and how it works. (http://www.freedrinkingwater.com)

 “It flushes toxins and waste from the body and transports nutrients to where they are needed. Without water the contents of your colon can dry out and get stuck, eventually causing constipation. Water is a natural lubricant that softens stool and promotes evacuation of the bowels. Our kidney system is unique in its filtering capabilities and totally dependent upon water in order for it to work. The kidneys remove waste products from the blood, eliminate toxic substances in the urine, and receive water-soluble toxins from the liver for processing. They filter voluminous amounts of blood each day and in doing so maintain the body’s water balance and excrete toxins and excess fluid through the bladder. Daily fluid intake is essential for our bodies to function efficiently”.

The importance of drinking the correct amount of water cannot be over-emphasized! Make sure to drink enough clean, good quality water each day to keep your body functioning at its optimal level.

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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine (colon). The most common symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, and abdominal cramping.

IBS is a common condition affecting 20-40 year olds and is predominately found in women. There is no test available to diagnose IBS but the diagnosis is usually made by ruling out other serious diseases. When presenting with digestive issues and “all tests are normal”, IBS is determined to be the culprit.
 
A thermography screening of the abdominal area is an option that offers “visualization” of the affected area and may aid in diagnosis of IBS and its treatment. Thermography detects early inflammation and can lead to the identification of many negative health conditions associated with IBS and other digestive diseases.
 
Although the cause is unknown, diet, nutrition, and stress reduction can play a major role in treating the symptoms. Determining food sensitivities and allergies can help in clarifying specific symptom triggers.
 
Since 90% of our immune system is thought to be in the gut, a healthy digestive tract will not only boost digestive health but will inevitably lead to whole body wellness.

​CRP is a blood test used to detect a protein called C-reactive protein and is commonly used to check for the presence of inflammation in the body. C-reactive protein is released by the liver into the blood stream during injury or infection and is an early indicator of inflammation.

According to www.healthline.com:

•       A CRP test can help doctors determine the risk for heart disease or stroke
•       A Harvard study found CRP to be more effective than cholesterol at predicting coronary issues in         women
•       Pregnancy, arthritis, lupus, pneumonia, and cancer can cause an especially high CRP

A high level of CRP in the blood is a marker of any condition that causes inflammation. Because it is an extremely non-specific test, the cause of inflammation could range anywhere from a respiratory infection to an increased risk of heart attack or cancer. A CRP test cannot show where the inflammation is located and therefore, other tests are needed to find the source.

Thermography is an ideal screening to determine the location of inflammation in the body. As a physiological test, thermal imaging indicates areas of inflammation by recording heat patterns being emitted from the body surface. The areas of inflammation will show up, reflecting an increase in metabolic function. An evaluation by a MD thermologist can give answers concerning the location of these areas.

Inflammation is a precursor to the disease process. By adding full-body thermography screening to CRP blood testing, inflammation can be identified at an early stage and treated appropriately. CRP and thermography - the perfect combination!

​Mercury is characterized as a dense, silvery-white, poisonous metal with a mirror-like appearance. It is the only common metal that is liquid at room temperature. The effects of mercury toxicity have been known for years and yet it is still being used in consumer products today. Probably the most widely remembered product was the glass mercury thermometer that has since been taken off the market due to the danger of mercury exposure when broken.

Author Dr. David A. Olson’s (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1175560-overview) published paper on mercury toxicity states: “For centuries, mercury was an essential part of many different medicines, such as diuretics, antibacterial agents, antiseptics, and laxatives. In the late 18th century, anti-syphilitic agents contained mercury. It was during the 1800s that the phrase "mad as a hatter" was coined, owing to the effects of chronic mercury exposure in the hat-making industry, where the metal was used in the manufacturing process”.

According to mercurysafety.com, “Mercury is a highly toxic metal and can have severe adverse effects on our health”. Mercury is a known neurotoxin (causes neurological injury) that can lead to developmental defects and weaken the immune system.

Most dentists no longer use amalgam fillings because fifty percent of the filling is composed of liquid mercury. In a large U.S. Center for Disease Control epidemiological study, NHANES found that those with more amalgam fillings (more mercury exposure) have significantly higher levels of chronic health conditions. There is also a reasonable concern that mercury, presently used as a preservative in vaccines, has been shown to compromise the health of children and adults.

Mayo Clinic advises pregnant women “if you regularly eat fish high in mercury, the substance can accumulate in your bloodstream over time. Too much mercury in your bloodstream could damage your baby's developing brain and nervous system”. Mercury exposure can be fatal when inhaled and can damage organs and decrease fertility (male and female).

Some common symptoms of chronic mercury poisoning are digestive issues, emotional changes, dizziness, frequent headaches, muscle and joint pain, depression, and decreased energy, but the list goes on and on.
If you suspect that mercury poisoning might be causing your symptoms, and you want to know more about the causes and treatments, here is a blog titled ‘Mercury: How to Get This Lethal Poison Out Of Your Body”. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/mercury-how-to-get-this-l_b_469358.html)

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Breast cancer survival rates can triple with early detection. Mammograms miss about 50% of cancers in dense breast tissue. According to Dr. Kevin Kelly (you can see his TEDx talk here https://youtu.be/sYcpMVgXcqA), who is passionate and dedicated to early detection of breast cancer, a 5 -10 mm cancer (the size of a pea or less) is considered early stage. It takes a cancer the size of 17 mm to be seen on a mammogram in a dense breast and 26 mm (the size of a quarter) to be felt on palpation.

According to Dr. Barbara Hayden of Sound Breast Institute, “Dr. Kelly is one of this country’s leading authorities on using ultrasound to detect cancers in women with dense breast tissue and/or implants. Since 1993, he has been conducting clinical research on the discovery and characterization of breast cancer by ultrasound, and in 1997 began his journey to develop SonoCiné AWBUS (Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound). Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound (AWBUS), a breakthrough technology in cancer screening, is not only better at detecting smaller tumors (as small as 3 mm) even in dense breasts: it is also radiation-free”.

In Memphis, TN, we have this technology available but it seems to be slow in gaining acceptance and use. It took 30 years for the medical community to finally accept the commonly used “PAP” Test for cervical cancer. It was the nurses’ association that finally convinced the medical community of its enormous value. Now it’s a routine test.

It is similar with the acceptance of thermography and also seems to hold true for AWBUS. Breast thermography can detect early changes in the breast tissue, sometimes 8-10 years before it is large enough to be seen on a mammogram. It is a screening of physiology while AWBUS is anatomical and can detect tumors smaller than 3mm.

We have these two tests that could change the future of early breast cancer detection: AWBUS and Thermography – the perfect combination!

Phlebitis is defined as inflammation in the walls of a vein. Pain, swelling, redness, and tenderness are all common symptoms of phlebitis. They can be either superficial-close to the skin surface-or deep within the tissue below the skin.

Superficial thrombophlebitis refers to an inflamed vein near the surface of the skin, usually a varicose vein, caused by a blood clot or injury. The condition is rarely serious and can usually be treated with warm compresses and anti-inflammatory drugs.

On the other hand, deep vein thrombophlebitis (DVT) occurs in the veins located deeper in the tissue. The danger is that a blood clot within the vein might break off and travel to the lungs. This is called a pulmonary embolism and can become a life threatening situation.

Keeping track of inflammation throughout the body and in the veins can be done by getting regular screenings with Thermography (Infra-Red Imaging). Thermologists (interpreting doctors) can see the areas where venous inflammation might be present, alerting you and your healthcare practitioner to be on the lookout for further developments.

​On a regular basis, I have clients that come in for a thermography session complaining of fatigue, lack of energy, sore joints, “fuzzy” brain, and changes in body weight. These can all be symptoms of hypothyroidism (low levels of thyroid). Most say they have normal thyroid levels. However, thermal imaging of the head/neck region often indicates otherwise.

If thermal findings indicate thyroid dysfunction and clinical symptoms are present, Thermologists often recommend that thyroid lab tests include the following: TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Thyroglobulin Antibodies, and Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies.

According to thyroid.org, "More than 12 percent of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime. An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease. Up to 60 percent of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition.”  

Because there is such a wide range (.5-5.0) for TSH normal levels, many symptomatic patients are told that there is no thyroid problem. That’s why there has been some controversy in the past with talk of changing the levels to a more narrow range (.3-3.0). If the normal reference range were to be changed, as many as 60 million Americans, who now fall outside the reference range, would be diagnosed with thyroid disease.

Why is the number of people with low thyroid levels continuing to increase?  Some causes are:

• chemicals and toxins in the environment
• pesticides
• radiation exposure
• multiple dental x-rays
• increased consumption of soy products  
• lack of iodine in the diet

Getting the proper lab tests and adding thermal imaging to your annual wellness screenings can give you a more accurate picture of your thyroid (and overall) health.
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​It’s October. Breast cancer awareness and pink ribbons are everywhere! In 1982, The Komen Foundation brought breast cancer “awareness” and “race for the cure” to the forefront.  That’s 24 years ago! We have yet to see the “cure” part of that equation or acknowledge that “prevention” is part of the “cure”.

​Many of us still believe that there is nothing we can do to prevent breast cancer and it’s just “in the genes”. According to the National Breast Cancer Coalition (http://www.breastcancerdeadline2020.org/), “a family history is one risk factor. But a risk factor doesn't cause cancer; it just affects your chance of getting cancer”. Prevention is all about reducing risk factors!

At Thermogrpahy Center of Memphis we take pride in guiding you through your first step toward breast cancer prevention. The American College of Clinical Thermology discusses the role of Thermography in breast health: “Thermography’s role in breast cancer and other breast disorders is to help in early detection and monitoring of abnormal physiology and the establishment of risk factors for the development or existence of cancer. When used with other procedures the best possible evaluation of breast health is made”.

The National Breast Cancer Coalition notes that the “risk factors for breast cancer include getting older, benign breast problems, early exposure to ionizing radiation, having children late in life or not at all, longer exposure to estrogen and progesterone, lack of exercise, and drinking alcohol”.

Dense breast tissue has also become a concern. Dr. Nancy Cappello’s story (areyoudense.org) tells about her experience. “I have dense breast tissue – and women like me (2/3 of pre-menopausal and 1/4 of post-menopausal) have less than a 48% chance of having breast cancer detected by a mammogram.” Her mammogram was negative but her ultrasound showed a stage 3 cancer. Thermography is not limited by dense breast tissue and can detect changes years before a growth would be large enough to be seen on a mammogram.
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Being aware of our breast health and knowing our risk factors provides us with the knowledge needed to take steps toward prevention. Adding thermography to our yearly breast screenings increases our chances of detecting changes before we need “the cure’.

​Summer is over and the kids are back in school. Some of us have sent our children off to college and are experiencing “letting go” for the first time. It’s a combination of happy and sad as we get back into our everyday school year routine. It’s also gives us time to concentrate on ourselves and our health. It’s time to schedule the appointments and research those ideas that we have put off this summer.

Always, at the forefront of the daily news, there is talk of breast cancer. The numbers are rising! The gold standard for screening, mammography isn’t preventative and may even be considered a causative factor. Once a breast tumor is found on a mammogram, it has already been growing for years. Most women are not aware of this. Breast cancer cells double in a ninety day period which means that by the time it is large enough to be seen on a mammogram, it has already doubled approximately 32 times.

At Thermography Center of Memphis, we offer radiation-free and compression-free screening of the breast (and body). Breast thermography can detect neo-angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels in a tumor. These blood vessels develop to provide a tumor with nutrients to grow. These vascular changes can show up at an early stage when lifestyle changes, dietary changes, and optimizing vitamin and mineral levels can change the course of the abnormal growth’s progression.

Breast cancer awareness month is coming up. Breast cancer has touched us all at some point in our lives so we are all very much aware. What we need now is prevention. Early detection is important, but prevention is the key. Be smart and be proactive with your breast health. Your breast health is in your hands!

​This is a question that we get asked every day! Since I can’t explain it any clearer, here’s what the American College of Clinical Thermology (ACCT) has to say on this subject.
 
“When thermography was first explored for breast imaging, it was viewed as competitive to mammograms. It was tested and evaluated to see if it was safer and more diagnostically accurate than mammography. These comparisons should not have been made, as you cannot compare tests of physiology and anatomy.

In particular, when thermography was tested on younger women, thermographic abnormalities were detected many times but mammograms did not detect any tumors. The results were considered “false positives”. The more patients of younger age screened with the so-called false positive, the more suspicion was placed on thermography. Years later, in re-call studies, a large percentage of these women had developed breast cancer or other breast disease, in the exact location of the abnormal “false-positive” thermogram, thus validating its early warning role. Thermography’s only “error” was that it was too accurate too early and the results couldn’t be corroborated at the time.

Secondly, thermography was being used in sports medicine, dentistry, podiatry, chiropractic, orthopedics rheumatology, and neurology in a variety of supportive or adjunctive diagnostic roles. It was soon realized that thermography could clearly, objectively, and easily demonstrate the physiological component of pain and injury, especially to the spinal column, due to car accidents, job injuries, and a host of other “tort” related law suits. Everyone involved had benefited from these positive test findings, which could be clearly shown to a jury. Everyone, that is, except the defendant insurance industry.
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Needless to say, the insurance industry in the United States placed an all-out effort to diminish the value of thermography in courts of law due to high litigation costs. Eventually, lobbying efforts at the AMA’s House of Delegates and at Medicare, brought about the removal of thermographic coverage by most insurance companies and the greatly reduced utilization of thermography in the United States. This was most unfortunate for the patients who could clearly benefit from thermal imaging.”
 
To this day, thermography is still not covered by most insurance companies. There are some states that are actively working to have that changed. Until that happens, we try to keep the costs affordable so that everyone can reap the benefits of thermography. The good news is…if you have a Health Savings Plan or a Flexible Spending Plan, you are in luck. These plans usually cover your full body or breast thermograms.