Recently, Karen Gadol, PA-C, Certified Thermographer and I met with Dr. Bernard and her team from the Charleston based Carolina Hormone and Health Center. We were pleased to learn what good care they take of their patients. We wanted to introduce our Thermography Center of Charleston to their team and learn more about the services they could offer our patients. In addition to Bioidentical Hormone prescribing for men and women, we learned that they do much more! For example, they offer patients, Heart Rate Variability (HRV) testing. HRV testing evaluates the balancing act between the sympathetic nervous system (fight and flight) and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). An imbalance in HRV is the #1 risk factor for sudden cardiac death. The simple hand electro-sensor test shows you a report on the balance between your heart and nervous system in minutes.
Heart Rate Variability testing:
- Designed by a unique team of scientists and medical doctors with software engineering skills, the HRV testing is of great value as a preventive healthcare tool.
- Quick and reliable.
- Measurements of HRV are noninvasive and highly reproducible.
- Detects arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), or loss of arterial elasticity, blood circulation status, the relative age (biological age) of blood vessels, and disturbances in the smaller blood vessels not found when measuring blood pressure with a cuff.
- Assesses cardiovascular health, management of disease progression, and the effects of medication, therapies, lifestyle changes and dietary habits.
- HRV testing is a prognostic (predictive) indicator of cardiac condition, fitness, stress levels, aging, health risk levels, chronic disease condition and more. HRV training can result in enhanced health and wellness, as well as an increase in attention, concentration and short term/working memory.
As I, Dr. Cometa, work so closely with my patients nervous, endocrine, and metabolic systems, while I strive to attain a balance in their health, I found this service to be especially interesting and very useful.
To remind everybody what The Thermography Center of Charleston offers, Medical Thermography done correctly with a Meditherm Infrared Camera, is a digital map of your body’s cells activity visualized through heat patterns. These thermal images (heat patterns) are analyzed by a medical doctor called a Thermologist, for abnormalities (irregular heat patterns) that may signal the onset of disease in your body, such as breast cancer. The most common use of thermography is for breast health screening. In short, thermography is a tool to monitor breast health, not just a way to find disease. Is this not the true definition of “screening”; to assess the body’s cell health; and insure no potential for upcoming morbidity and mortality?
Look at the below table. As you can see, breast cancer that was found with our Meditherm Infrared camera at 2 years of inception, was not detected until 8 years with a mammogram! Why wait? Early Detection saves lives. An ultrasound done after this abnormal Thermogram below would be the next step.
In addition to breast cancer screening, Thermography screens the body for so much more. The following is only a sampling of conditions:
- Benign breast disease (avoid “false positive” breast cancer scares so common with mammography)
- Thyroid disorders of all types, especially those thyroid issues NOT found on blood work testing
- Early signs of vascular inflammation such as in the carotid arteries or in the veins (varicosities)
- Sinus inflammation
- Mouth (periodontal, teeth and bone disease) as well as TMJ issues
- Differentiate Pain: arthritis vs. tendonitis vs. neurological vs. vascular disorders in the upper and lower extremities, neck and spine (examples: carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, disc disease, bursitis, fibromyalgia, and nerve impingement, etc)…
The list goes on – the point is … anyone – male or female – can benefit from FULL BODY Thermography. Let’s look at some examples.
We at Charleston Integrative Medicine want to provide you with both the medical services as well as the knowledge to feel ready to embark upon or build upon your already health conscious lifestyle.
To learn more about The Thermogaphy Center of Charleston or schedule a thermogram, please email or call Karen at:
843-813-4575
To learn more about The Integrative Medical Services that Dr. Cometa offers the Greater Charleston area, please email or call me at:
ariane@cometawellnesscenter.com
443-804-1970
To learn more about Carolina Hormone and Health Center, visit them on the web @
http://carolinahormoneandhealth.com
Of course, please check out the various pages of this blog/website, to learn more about both Karen Gadol PA as well as me, Dr. Ariane Cometa, Integrative Family Medicine!
We look forward to working with you!
Ariane Cometa MD, the holistic doc
Charleston Integrative Medicine 