I find the use of the Doppler/sonogram just fascinating! Most of us use the Doppler or have heard of the Doppler because we watch the weatherman on the news. Or you've heard of a sonogram in relation to pregnancy and seeing a baby in vitro.
But you have no idea how many different diseases can be diagnosed without a biopsy, and without cutting into the body or causing other major damage, by using the body friendly Doppler and sonogram. This is such a great leap forward in terms of diagnosing disease.
Dr. Bard of the Bard Cancer Center (http://www.cancerscan.com or 212-355-7017) in New York City - who has been my link to all things radiology - has told me what can happen, for example, just in the case of a missed diagnosis of parathyroid disease. I always wonder how a disease that has these many symptoms can possibly be missed, but it is - 90% of the time clinically!
If you don't understand the symptoms of a parathyroid disease, first it helps to understand the thyroid and the parathyroid relationship. The thyroid looks like a Monarch butterfly. It wraps its wings part-way around the cartilage in the cervical spine/neck area. The parathyroid is like the circles on the Monarch wings - there are four little parathyroid glands. They can be easily missed - but the symptoms cannot!
The following symptoms can be a signal to you that something may be happening (like parathyroid adenomas):
- HAIR LOSS (frontal), DRY SKIN, and BRITTLE NAILS
- TIREDNESS, LACK OF ENERGY, and IRRITABILITY
- DEPRESSION, POOR SLEEP, and LOSS OF SEXUAL DESIRE
- LACK OF CONCENTRATION and FORGETFULNESS
- GASTRIC REFLUX, KIDNEY STONES (back pain), and CONSTIPATION
- HEADACHES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, and EYE PROBLEMS
- MUSCLE PAIN, BONE PAIN, and WEAKNESS!!
What? Holy cow!!!! All these problems may be relieved by a correct diagnosis? What are ya waiting for?
A simple, painless, non-invasive procedure can help diagnose and then help you to decide on a treatment that may be able to relieve so many symptoms. That is the great thing about living in our time medically - we have options. Options, however, are only good if you know they exist!
And THAT is why I write my blogs!!! :)
