Autoimmune Disease
What Is Multiple Sclerosis: The Basics
Overview Multiple Sclerosis or M.S., is a chronic autoimmune disease. MS is known to affect the nervous system, which results in problems with vision, balance and muscle control. Since the nervous system affects the whole body, we also see symptoms of fatigue, digestive changes and more. Epidemiology (Statistics) Top disabling condition of young adults (U.S.)…
Read MoreTesting Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rheumatoid Factor and Anti-CPP
Quick Notes Rheumatoid Factor (RF) may help rule in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) RF testing isn’t perfect: some with Rheumatoid Arthritis will show low RF titres, some healthy people will show moderate RF titres, and some normal people will even show high RF Titres Anti-CPP is a newer test, which is very helpful in diagnosing Rheumatoid…
Read MoreSecretory IgA and Autoimmune Disease
What Is Secretory IgA IgA stands for Immunoglobulin A. Our bodies contain 5 different types of immunoglobins; IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, IgD. We have many different types of immune cells, and these are a few of them. They each have unique roles to play. IgA is the most abundant immunoglobulin in the human body. In…
Read MoreHow Do You Get Vitiligo?
To Summarize: Vitiligo is a depigmentation disorder, where white patches appear on the skin Vitiligo is a multifactorial condition – with multiple theories, all of which are likely to contribute to varying amounts The theories of vitiligo include autoimmune, neural driven, biochemical (inflammatory and oxidative) Treatment must be comprehensive and involve all of the above…
Read MoreDifferentiating Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative Colitis
There are a lot of similarities between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Together, these two conditions are group in as Inflammatory Bowel Disease. To a degree, they look quite similar [1]: Crohn’s Disease Ulcerative Colitis Age Any Any Gender Male = Female Male = Female Population Distribution 75 / 100 000 150 /100 000 Ethnic Group…
Read MoreDietary Goitrogens
Quick Notes Goitrogens are substances which interfere with thyroid function They can work on the thyroid gland or the hormones themselves Certain otherwise healthy foods can act as goitrogens, so anyone with low functioning thyroid function may want to be weary Thyroid Function Proper thyroid gland function and hormone metabolism is key for optimal health.…
Read MoreWhat is Thyroid Hormone Conversion?
Normal Thyroid Physiology When we refer to ‘thyroid hormones’ we are talking about T3 and T4. They are the ones the thyroid gland secretes. T4 is more stable in the blood and better for transport around the body; T3 is more biologically active. Of the thyroid hormones produced, 85-90% is T4 and 10-15% is T3.…
Read MoreWhat is Hypothyroid Disease?
Hypothyroidism is the term used for abnormally low activity of the thyroid gland. Since the thyroid gland serves so many functions, signs and symptoms are varying and can affect many aspects of human health. Hypothyroidism is diagnosed by signs and symptoms, and confirmed with blood tests. It affects about 1 in 4,000 newborns and approximately…
Read MoreConfusing Thyroid Blood Work
Normal Lab Testing Thyroid Function Tests (TFTs) are among the most commonly requested lab investigations. For most of the population, interpreting the lab work is fairly straightforward when we look at a combination of TSH, T4 and perhaps T3. Learn more about the routine lab work here. For a quick review of Basic Thyroid Anatomy…
Read MoreConfusing Thyroid Blood Work? Consider Thyroid Binding Proteins
Thyroid lab tests are commonly run. Oftentimes, the lab results make sense and treatment is straightforward. However, there are a lot of cases where the lab results don’t correlate with your symptoms, or the lab results contradict each other. Click here to learn more about how thyroid test results can be confusing. This article focuses…
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