Medicines that stop the stomach

A mixture of water, protein, and salts produced in the mouth that makes food easy to swallow and begins the process of digestion.

Muscle movements, such as those in the colon, that cause pain, cramps, and diarrhea.

Condition that occurs when there is a connection between the esophagus and the trachea, or windpipe, causing food and saliva to enter the lungs. It is most often caused by cancer.

What Is Chronic Fatigue?

[dropcap]C hronic fatigue or lassitude is a state of weariness not relieved by rest and the inability to do normal physical or mental work.

Q: What are causes of chronic fatigue?

A: Chronic fatigue can be a feature of many disorders including nutritional problems like poor diet or malabsorption, sleep problems, systemic conditions like anemia or heart disease, respiratory disorders like COPD or asthma, infectious disease like tuberculosis, endocrine disorders like diabetes, autoimmune disease like thyroid disease, and cancer.

Fatigue greatly reduces quality of life in all aspects including the desire and ability to socialize and find fullfillment in new and interesting ways.

What Is Chronic Fatigue In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

What Is Lymphocytic Bronchoalveolitis?

[dropcap]L ymphocytic bronchoalveolitis is a pulmonary disorder characterized by lymphocytic airway inflammation of the bronchi (main passageways branching from the windpipe), bronchioles (small passageways), and alveoli (air sacs) at the end.

The chronic, productive cough that develops and worsens with progression is due to increased mucus secretion in the large and small airways.

If infection develops in the bronchioles, it is call bronchopneumonia. If infection develops in the alveoli, it is called interstitial pneumonia. The most common organism causing infection is staphylcoccus aureus.

Q: What effect does inflammation have on the lungs?

A: Alveoli are air sacs, each only one cell thick, where oxygen is obtained by the bloodsteam from air breathed into them and carbon dioxide is released from the bloodstream to air that is breathed out of air sacs. Two things happen:

1. Inflammation  impairs exchange of gases in alveoli, resulting in lack of sufficient oxygen (O2) for body cell functions, called hypoxia, and build-up of carbon dioxide (CO2) in blood, called CO2 retention.
2. Inflammation narrows passageways, which reduces the movement of air to and from the alveoli, and this puts stress on the right side of the heart.

Lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell, can be collected and assessed by a procedure called bronchoalveolar lavage to determine the degree of involvement.

What Is Lymphocytic Bronchoalveolitis In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

What Is Non-Infectious Uveitis?

[dropcap]N on-infectious uveitis, as opposed to that which is caused by an infection, is an inflammatory eye disorder characterized mainly by swelling of the uveal tract structures in the anterior (front) of the eye.  

Inflammation can also affect the lens, retina, optic nerve, and vitreous, producing reduced vision or blindness if left untreated. 

Q: What are structures of the uveal tract?

A: Structures of the uveal tract are composed of the iris, the ciliary body, and the choroid: 

• The iris is the colored circle at the front of the eye. It defines eye color, secretes nutrients to keep the lens healthy, and controls the amount of light that enters the eye by adjusting the size of the pupil (opening).
• The ciliary body is located between the iris and the choroid. It helps the eye focus by controlling the shape of the lens and it provides nutrients to keep the lens healthy.
• The choroid is a thin, spongy network of blood vessels, which primarily provides nutrients to the retina in the back of the eye.¹

Uveitis may be caused by problems or diseases occurring in the eye itself or it can be part of an inflammatory disease affecting other parts of the body. The uveal tract has a rich supply of blood vessels that contain immune cells to fight microbial invasion. These immune cells are lymphocytes, phagocytes, and plasma cells.

The uvea can be attacked by autoimmune antibodies produced in autoimmune diseases that affect similar tissues in other parts of the body such as psoriasis, Behcet’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis, sarcoidosis, Vogt Koyanagi Harada’s disease, and celiac disease.

Uveitis can last for a short (acute) or a long (chronic) time. The severest forms of uveitis reoccur many times.

What Is Non-Infectious Uveitis In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:

1. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/uveitis/uveitis.asp [↩]

What Is A Bladder Infection?

[dropcap]B ladder infection, or cystitis, is a urinary disorder characterized by pyuria (pus in urine) and dysuria (impaired urination).

Cystitis is often simply called a UTI, although UTI (urinary tract infection) can affect any part of the urinary system.

Q: Is urine sterile?

A: Yes. While urine normally consists of 95% water, salts (eg. sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium), and waste products (eg. urea, uric acid, ammonia) it should not contain microbes (germs).

The usual cause of bladder infection is microbial invasion that may be bacteria, fungi or virus entering from the urethra. Infection results from microbe colonization of the lining and growth in the bladder. Most infections are caused by bacteria that live in the colon.

Who is at Risk in the General Population? UTI is the second most common type of infection in the body. Women are most prone with a lifetime risk of 50%. Everyone has some risk, but those with highest risk to develop cystitis include:

• Persons who have trouble emptying the bladder.
• Persons with a problem that obstructs urine flow, like enlarged prostate.
• Persons with diabetes.
• Persons with a debilitating condition, like stroke or heart disease.
• Persons with spinal cord injury.
• Persons with malnutrition like celiac disease or poor defenses against infection like anemia or cancer. 

What Is Bladder Infection In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

What Are Obstetrical Complications?

[dropcap]O bstetrical complications are reproductive disorders during pregnancy, labor and delivery that endanger the mother and unborn infant.

Complications may result from prolonged constipation, malnutriton, hormonal imbalance, infection, systemic disease such as diabetes, obesity, tumors of the uterus, medication adverse effects, drug abuse, smoking, and alcohol abuse.

What Are Obstetrical Complications In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

What Is Stroke In Childhood?

[dropcap]S troke in childhood is a medical emergency during which blood flow to an area of the brain is stopped, causing infarction or death of the area of cells in the brain fed by the blocked artery. Stroke is characterized by loss of muscle and brain function according to the location of the lost cells.

The brain is a highly active metabolic and complex organ of our body that performs important functions, therefore, any disruption in its normal functioning can have devastating effects on whole body.

After stroke, an immune response is initiated that leads to production of proinflammatory cytokines (chemicals) and gathering of various inflammatory cells like neutrophils, T-cells, macrophage, and monocytes to the affected area that exacerbate or worsen the ischemic (oxygen starved) injury.¹

Arterial ischemic stroke is an important cause of acquired brain injury in children.² This stroke results from loss of adequate blood flow through an artery that supplies the affected area of the brain with oxygen and nutrients.

A recent study found the majority of  children (85%) had focal features (most commonly one sided weakness or paralysis) at presentation to their medical practitioner. Seizures were more common in younger children a year old or younger and headache was more common in children 5 years or older.³

Who is at Risk in the General Population?

• A British study in 2014 found the crude incidence of childhood arterial ischemic stroke was 1.60 per 100,000 per year.
• The incidence of arterial ischemic stroke was highest in children aged under 1 year (4.14 per 100,000 per year).
• There was no difference in the risk of arterial ischemic stroke between sexes.
• Asian and black children were at higher risk than were white children.³

What Is Stroke in Childhood In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:

1. Andrabi SS, Parvez S, Tabassum H. Melatonin and Ischemic Stroke: Mechanistic Roles and Action. Adv Pharmacol Sci. 2015;2015:384750. doi: 10.1155/2015/384750. Epub 2015 Sep 7. [↩]
2. Mallick AA, Ganesan V, Kirkham FJ, et al. Childhood arterial ischaemic stroke incidence, presenting features, and risk factors: a prospective population-based study. Lancet Neurol. 2014 Jan;13(1):35-43. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(13)70290-4. Epub 2013 Dec 2. [↩]
3. Mallick AA, Ganesan V, Kirkham FJ, et al. Childhood arterial ischaemic stroke incidence, presenting features, and risk factors: a prospective population-based study. Lancet Neurol. 2014 Jan;13(1):35-43. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(13)70290-4. Epub 2013 Dec 2. [↩] [↩]