[dropcap]Z[/dropcap]incemia means the zinc level in blood plasma is too low to meet metabolic needs of the body for this mineral.
Q: How important is a normal blood level of zinc?
A: A low blood level of zinc is characterized by widespread alterations in energy metabolism, growth, hemoglobin, carbon dioxide transport, hormone activity, insulin storage, many enzyme activities, prostaglandin function, collagen production, male fertility, protein synthesis, and vitamin A metabolism.
What Is Zincemia In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]etany is a painful feature of low blood calcium or low blood magnesium causing hyperexcitability of all nerves which in turn stimulates involuntary sudden, intermittent and repetitious tonic spasms of muscles. Tonic spasms are steady rather than jerky.
Causes include low function of the parathyroid glands which regulate calcium blood levels, vitamin D deficiency which inhibits calcium absorption from the gut that leads to calcium deficiency, and alkalosis.
In alkalosis, the chemical pH (acid/alkaline measure) of blood is too high, or alkaline, which inhibits adequate free calcium ions from being available for cell use.
Q: Why do low blood levels of calcium or magnesium cause muscles to spasm?
A: Calcium controls the readiness of muscle to respond to nerve stimulation. In muscle action, calcium and magnesium are minerals that oppose each other. Calcium allows a muscle to contract while magnesium allows it to relax. Inadequate levels of these opposing minerals affect the ability of muscles to properly function.
A simple test for tetany is called Trouseau’s named after the doctor who developed it. A blood pressure cuff is placed on an upper arm as usual and pumped up to a pressure sufficient to stop blood flow. The pressure must be held for 3 minutes. A positive result is shown in the above photo of carpopedal spasm: the wrist and hand flexes inward while the fingers extend (opposite of wrist and hand) and the thumb goes against the palm.
What Is Tetany In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
Proptosis and Lid Retraction are Features of Grave’s Disease, or Hyperthyroidism.
What Is Grave’s Disease (Hyperthyroidism)?
[dropcap]G[/dropcap]rave’s disease, or hyperthyroidism, is an autoimmune thyroid disease characterized by diffuse nontender goiter, elevated thyroxine hormone levels (T4, T3), suppressed thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and presence of thyroid receptor antibodies in the blood.
The autoantibodies involved are anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies. They bind to the thyroid stimulating hormone receptors, causing thyroid stimulation. These antibodies are detected by blood tests.
Q: What happens to the thyroid gland in Grave’s disease?
A: The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck. This butterfly shaped gland consists of a large number of closed vesicles that contain a homogenous substance called colloid, which contains the thyroglobulin. Thyroglobulin is an iodine-containing protein secreted by the thyroid gland and stored within its colloid, from which the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyroinine (T3) are derived.1
Thyroxine molecule. Atoms are represented as spheres with conventional color coding: hydrogen (white), carbon (grey), oxygen (red), nitrogen (blue), iodine (purple).
T3 is the active hormone and is made from T4. Thyroid hormones are released into the bloodstream as needed to control metabolism, brain development, breathing, heart and nervous system functions, body temperature, muscle strength, skin dryness, menstrual cycles, weight, and cholesterol levels.
Thyroid hormone production is regulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which is made by the pituitary gland in the brain. Normally, when thyroid hormone levels in the blood are low, the pituitary releases more TSH in response to stimulation by the nearby hypothalamus which is continually monitoring levels of thyroxin. When thyroid hormone levels are high, the pituitary decreases TSH production. So in Grave’s disease, release of TSH by the pituitary gland is suppressed by the hypothalamus because thyroid hormone is elevated. Goiter develops from growth stimulation by thyroid stimulating autoantibodies.
What Is Grave’s Disease In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
Sources:
Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. 19th ed. F.A. Davis Company. Philadelphia, PA. [↩]
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What Is Zincemia?
