This 21 year-old woman (right) appears as old as her 70 year-old grandmother (left). Courtesy Prof Dr Chua Chung Nen
What Is Acquired Cutis Laxa?
A cquired cutis laxa is an uncommon skin disorder characterized by abnormal reduction and degeneration of elastic fibers of the skin that can appear simply as thick, saggy skin with loose folds to severe involvement showing a premature aged appearance.
Q: What are elastic fibers of the skin?
A: Elastic fibers of the skin are connective tissue found in the dermis, which is the layer of skin under the epidermis, or surface layer. They hold the shape of skin and are important for wound healing in the development of scars.
What Is Cutis Laxa In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
What Is Vitiligo? V itiligo is a pigmentation disorder of the skin characterized by permanent loss of melanocytes in defined areas and, in some patients, antibodies to melanin. Vitiligo has significant psychological impact if occurring before…
Baby with Allergic Reaction to Peanuts. GFW photo.
What Is Food Allergy?
Food allergy is an abnormal immune response to food proteins that may damage the small intestinal lining and produce malabsorption of food. The reaction is usually delayed which makes it difficult to identify the offending food that is causing symptoms.
Q: How does food allergy develop?
A: The gastrointestinal tract serves not only to digest and absorb foodstuffs but also to protect the body from unwanted substances. When allergic food substances are eaten, the immune response that is triggered in the gut produces inflammation with symptoms such as pain, vomiting and loose bowels.
Inflammation causes swelling of the gut lining that can interfere with the passage of nutrients through it to the body which results in malabsorption. Malabsorption deprives the body of nutrients needed for normal function.
Symptoms other than digestive may involve skin rashes, hives, and respiratory difficulties that can be distressing and life-threatening.
What Is Food Allergy In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
Drawing of Biopsy Showing Muscle Fibers Invaded by Immune Cells. Courtesy MDA.org
What Is Polymyositis?
P olymyositis is a body-wide connective tissue disease resulting from autoimmune attack of skeletal muscles that is characterized by inflammatory and degeneratory changes. The course is unpredictable being marked by spontaneous flare-ups and remissions.
Polymyositis can begin slowly or abruptly according to the factor that is triggering the onset such as infection, medications like phenytoin, and autoimmune disease.
Progressive muscle weakness starts in the proximal skeletal muscles (muscles closest to the trunk of the body).
Skeletal muscles, also called voluntary, are muscles that move the body as we want, such as walking and lifting objects, as opposed to those we cannot voluntarily control, such as the muscles of digestion.
Q: What are the degeneratory changes in skeletal muscles?
A: In polymyositis, degeneratory changes in skeletal muscles means that muscles are being destroyed (called necrosis), resulting in fibrosis, or scarring. When scar tissue takes the place of lost muscle tissue, it cannot act like muscle to contract and relax. Muscle destruction is what causes muscle pain and weakness.
After the clinical work-up of exams and blood studies to determine muscle damage, the diagnosis of polymyositis is confirmed by muscle biopsy. See image at above left. The black dots are inflammatory cells. Edema (fluid) between cells caused by inflammation pushes muscle fibers apart.
There is no cure for polymyositis, but the symptoms can be treated. Options include medication, physical therapy, exercise, heat therapy (including microwave and ultrasound), orthotics and assistive devices, and rest. The standard treatment for polymyositis is a corticosteroid drug, given either in pill form or intravenously. Immunosuppressant drugs, such as azathioprine and methotrexate, may reduce inflammation in people who do not respond well to prednisone.
Periodic treatment using intravenous immunoglobulin can also improve recovery. Other immunosuppressive agents used to treat the inflammation associated with polymyositis include cyclosporine A, cyclophosphamide, and tacrolimus. Physical therapy is usually recommended to prevent muscle atrophy and to regain muscle strength and range of motion.1
Diagnosis is based on elevated muscles enzymes, increased urinary creatine level, and electromyograph abnormalities.
Polymyositis can affect people at any age. It is most common in adults between ages 50 and 70, and in children ages 5 to 15. It affects women twice as often as men and is more common in African Americans than Caucasians.2 The major causes of death from polymyositis are cancer and lung disease, including pneumonia. The 5-year mortality rate can be as high as 1 in 5 patients.2
What Is Polymyositis In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
Sources:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [↩]
We teach children this common thinking almost from the time they can speak. It makes sense. The food that you put in your mouth, chew and swallow becomes the person you are.
Most people believe it. So do most doctors.
Well, it may sound logical but it is only partially correct and based on a very iffy assumption.
The assumption is that your body absorbs what you eat.
Glutenfreeworks.com has pressed the truth, namely that you are actually what you eat and absorb. If something like celiac disease is stopping you from absorbing properly, then you are NOT what you eat.
In this important three minute video, Neil Raff, MD concisely explains how what you absorb is just as important as what you put in your mouth. Dr Raff covers the various ways nutrient absorption can be affected and limited. He also touches on a related topic – foods today do not contain the nutrients they provided in the past.
Kudos to Dr. Raff for covering this important topic in this quick and easy-to-understand must-see presentation.
Over 3 million people in the United States have undiagnosed
F ine hair (lower diameter across the width) with rough texture is an abnormal hair shaft feature altered from the normal diameter and smooth quality of hair.
Q: What is the normal diameter and smooth quality of hair?
A: Although hair may appear to be a simple structure, it is actually a complex part of the anatomy whose biology is only partially understood. Hair grows from small organs (follicles) located within the complex microenvironment of the skin which has multiple layers of tissue, three glands whose secretions bathe hair, and multiple vascular systems.1
An individual hair is a thread-like shaft made up of cornified cells. It consists of the outermost layer, or cuticle, the cortex which is a horny component, and the medulla which is the central part.
Hairs receive nourishment from capillaries via the papilla at the base of their follicles (roots). Since the number of hair follicles are determined at birth, it is important to properly nourish them so they remain healthy.
What Is Fine Hair with Rough Texture In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
Sources:
Harkey MR. Anatomy and physiology of hair. Forensic Sci Int. 1993 Dec;63(1-3):9-18. [↩]
D ental enamel defects (DED) comprise a variety of abnormalities in the dental enamel of the second or permanent teeth and of primary or baby teeth.
Teeth may appear with pits, thin or missing enamel, non-white enamel (yellow, orange, or gray colored teeth), and demarcated opacities (very white spots) even if teeth are white.
Q: What is enamel?
A: Dental enamel is the shiny, hard, white, dense, inorganic substance covering the crowns of the teeth. The crown is the tooth portion above the gum. Under the enamel is hard dentin which surround the living pulp. In teeth with missing enamel, the areas with exposed dentin appear dull and tan colored.
What Are Dental Enamel Defects In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
B leeding and/or swollen gums is an inflammatory disorder characterized by changes in gum integrity that may result in tooth loss.
Sponginess of the gum (swelling) indicates inflammation, called gingivitis.
Q: What causes gingivitis?
A: Gingivitis that is caused by inadequate dental hygiene shows as pockets of swollen gum between or along the base of teeth where sticky plaque was allowed to build up. Plaque holds bacteria that inflames the gums where it occurs.
Gingivitis that is caused by vitamin C deficiency, pregnancy, certain drugs such as the anti-epileptic drug phenytoin, and leukemia affects the whole gum irrespective of mouth care.
What Are Bleeding / Swollen Gums In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
![Enamel_celiac[1]](https://glutenfreeworks.com/health/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/Enamel_celiac1.jpg)
