Preparing for a Thermal Scan
When you have decided on your scan, we want your images and subsequent report to be as accurate as possible, so please read the following information.
Please be aware that we can only work with the medical history that you provide to us. The thermal findings on your images are interpreted by our thermologists in correlation with the full history and symptoms given by you. Therefore, you need to fill in the medical history form that you can access through your confirmation form. This is required no less than 48 hours before your appointment. If this is not done, your scan result will be late.
The scan works by imaging the heat coming from your skin and for the scan to work effectively, your body needs to be cooled, otherwise the infra-red process will be adversely affected and your appointment may have to be re-booked. The camera cannot see through your clothes, so you will be asked to disrobe specifically for the sections of the body the thermographer will be imaging. Please wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes to the scan appointment; close fitting clothes cause tightness and heat, so takes longer to cool down. It is advisable NOT to wear a bra to the scan, but do please bring one with you for after.
If you have medium to long hair, please bring something to tie it off your neck prior to being scanned.
There are many everyday things to consider that can have a negative effect on your scan, so please make sure to avoid the following:
- Do not have physiotherapy, massage,reflexology, steam room, acupuncture, osteopathy, ultrasound, any electrical treatment or hot/cold packs on upper body for 24 hours before exam
- If you are pregnant or lactating, a breast/chest scan cannot be performed until 3 months after lactation
- There should be no new bruising, rashes or skin irritation on your breasts or underarms on the day of your scan, so do not shave under your arms.
- Do not excessively exercise for at least 2 hours before scan
- Do not use lotions, deodorants, antiperspirants, creams, powders, hair removal product, makeup or hormone creams on the day of the test, before the test is performed, as this may cause inflammation.
- Do not take a bath or hot shower immediately prior to the scan
- Avoid any vigorous physical stimulation, examination or compression of your breasts (self or clinical examination, ultrasound or mammogram) for at lease 3 days prior to your scan.
- You must not have had any significant fever (37.8C or more) within 36 hours of your scan or have any level of fever on the day of your study. If you feel unwell at all, for any reason, please re-book your appointment.
- Do not smoke and do not drink excessive amounts of hot or cold drinks 2 hours prior to the test
- You should avoid any natural or artificial tanning for 3 days before your thermogram. Please do not come for a scan if you have any sunburn, due to the fact that if you are burned the test will need to be postponed. You would need to wait until all of the sunburned area has peeled off.
- No surgery (including biopsies), completion of chemotherapy or radiation treatment for 3 months before having a thermal scan
Unlike other tests that you may undergo, there are no dietary or medication restrictions on the day of your scan.
The Appointment
After you arrive for your appointment, you will be asked to disrobe depending on the area to be imaged and offered a light robe to wear.
The procedure will be explained and you will be asked to sign a consent form. You may also be asked extra questions if the medical history form has not been answered adequately – we can only work with the history given by you. It is very important that you tell us as much about yourself as you can for your report to be optimum, as the thermologists have never met you before and the thermal findings are interpreted in correlation with the full history and symptoms given by you.
Once the images are taken you can put your robe back on again straight away. If you are having a breast thermography only, your clothes can remain on from the waist down.
The appointment length is about 30 minutes for a breast or follow up breast scan appointment, 45 minutes for a women’s health scan or upper body scan appointment and 45-60 minutes for a full body scan appointment.
After the imaging is finished, you have a chance to review your scan, then all your images and medical history are sent to our team of thermologists (medical doctors specially trained in thermography), who will interpret the images and create a report for you. You will receive this report by email, usually within 5 days.
The Results
Your thermography report will normally be sent to you by email within five days; or, if you prefer, by post (but this will take longer and incur an extra cost). Your scan is kept securely on computer. You have the opportunity to discuss your results with the thermographer via a phone appointment at no extra cost.
Follow-up for Breast Scans
It is advisable for clients who have had a breast scan to return three months after for a follow-up scan. That’s because the most accurate result we can produce for a breast scan is to show change over time – and before we can start to evaluate any changes, we need to establish an accurate and stable baseline for you. This baseline represents your unique thermal fingerprint, which will only be altered by developing pathology. A baseline cannot be established with only one study, as we would have no way of knowing if what we see is your normal pattern, or if it is actually changing at the time of the first exam. By comparing two studies three months apart, the doctors are able to judge if your breast physiology is stable and suitable to be used as your normal baseline – safe for continued annual screening.
The reason a three-month interval is used relates to the period of time it takes for blood vessels to show change. A period of time less than three months may miss significant change; a period of time much more than three months can miss significant change that may have already taken place. There is no substitute for establishing an accurate baseline – single study cannot do this.
Thermologists advise that you have a scan done annually, to detect any potential problems that may be starting, so you can be referred for investigation and subsequent treatment at an earlier stage. It offers an alternative method of detection long before you may feel any symptoms or be diagnosed with an actual disease.
Medical research is continually finding new areas in which thermography can provide valuable insights into what’s happening within our bodies, so having an annual body scan is not dissimilar to having a normal annual medical check-up. It’s just less intrusive.
Book Your Scan Today
Book now for your non-invasive thermography scan.