What is Hashimoto’s Thyroid Disease?

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune thyroid disease, which is one of the leading causes of hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid functioning. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis causes primary hypothyroidism, where the underactivity is due directly to poor thyroid functioning, rather than an interference with thyroid-pituitary regulating mechanism. Since Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is one of the  organ specific types of autoimmune disease, the dysfunction results from the body’s immune system ‘attacking’ the thyroid gland, when lymphocytes penetrate the thyroid gland and cause significant inflammation. This autoimmune thyroid disease affects more women than men and there is strong evidence to suggest a genetic link to  this form of thyroiditis, although the presence of other organ specific autoimmune diseases, like type I diabetes, may also be a consideration when assessing family history.

continue reading Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis – Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

Diabetes is a term for glucose intolerance where the body cannot adequately manage the blood glucose levels. This is usually caused by insulin resistance (intolerance), reduced levels of insulin or the absence of insulin. Insulin is the hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps regulate blood glucose levels. When insulin is secreted, the body cells increase the uptake of glucose from the blood and excess glucose is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscle cells. Any glucose above and beyond may be converted into fat and stored in fat cells.

continue reading Diabetes and Immunity (Immune Causes)

Diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes), also known commonly as sugar diabetes, is the inability of the body to maintain the blood sugar levels within a normal range. Prior to the onset of sugar diabetes, a state known as impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or pre-diabetes, exists whereby the fluctuating blood glucose levels may not reach extreme levels as in diabetes mellitus. In pre-diabetes, the body’s mechanisms for maintaining normal blood glucose levels is still functioning, although impaired.

continue reading Blood Sugar Diabetes & Impaired Glucose Tolerance Levels

What is Hirsutism?

Hirsutism is the excessive growth of thick hair, particularly on areas of the body not commonly seen in women. The hair growth in hirsutism is typical of male hair growth patterns, affecting the face (moustache/mustache or beard), chest, abdomen or back. While most women may have fine hair on these parts of the body, in hirsutism, the type of hair growth is usually associated with androgenic hair growth (hair as a result of high levels of male hormones, androgens).

Excessive Body Hair in Women & Men

Hair growth and distribution may vary among different ethnic groups but thick female facial hair, the presence of a visible mustache or beard in women, are considered to be uncharacteristic of the female gender. Hair growth is primarily dependent on the sex hormones, androgens and estrogen. Androgens, like testosterone are usually responsible for thicker hair while the female sex hormones like estrogen are responsible for fine hair.

continue reading Causes of Female Facial Hair, Beard – Hirsutism in Women

A swollen lymph node or gland is a term commonly used to describe lymphadenopathy, a condition associated with enlarged lymph nodes in a specific area of the body (localized) or throughout the entire body (generalized lymphadenopathy). Lymphadenopathy is an indicator of a disorder affecting a certain area of the body or a generalized condition throughout the body.

continue reading Swollen Lymph Nodes, Glands – Lymphedema, Lymphadenopathy

What is Hereditary Fructose Intolerance (HFI)?

Hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) is a rare genetic disease in which fructose can’t be properly metabolised in the body. Affected person gets bad abdominal reaction (bloating, diarrhea, generalized malaise) after eating fructose-containing foods. HFI is an autosomal recessive disorder of fructose metabolism, due to a deficiency of fructose-1-phosphate aldolase – an enzyme, which converts fructose into glucose in the liver. Incidence of HFI is estimated at 1 / 22-58,000 (1).

HFI should be differed from fructose malabsorption.

continue reading Rare Genetic Disorders: Hereditary Fructose Intolerance (HFI)

What Are Hot Flashes?

Hot flashes (flushes) are episodes of intense warm feeling on the face and upper trunk that last from few seconds to few minutes. They are not the same as the low-grade fever that usually lasts at least for several hours, and can be detected by the thermometer, while hot flashes can’t be.

Hot flashes may appear in menopausal women, in healthy middle aged men, in psychological stress, and in some diseases.

continue reading Causes of Hot Flashes in Menopause, Males; Symptoms, Treatment

According to a new study, the risk of getting several heart and other diseases greatly increases in women as they begin to enter menopause.

In 949 American women that were followed for almost a decade, the researchers found increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome during perimenopause. Perimenopause is considered the period when woman’s body begins to shift into menopause and usually that stage starts in 40s.

High blood pressure, high blood sugar, abdominal obesity, high levels of triglycerides and low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol are referred as metabolic syndrome and they all are considered risk factors for diabetes, heart disease and high blood sugar.

continue reading Metabolic Syndrome Risk in Menopause

FRIDAY, April 4 (Health Day News) – According to a new study, high levels of uric acid in the blood may be a near the beginning sign of diabetic kidney disease among the people that have type 1 diabetes.

Joslin Diabetes Center Boston:

At the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston the researchers noted that high uric acid levels may emerge before any notable change in urine albumin levels which is the standard screening test for diabetic kidney disease.

Urine albumin levels:

The researchers checked serum uric acid attentiveness and urine albumin levels in 675 patients who have type 1 diabetes.They found that 311 patients had micro-albuminuria (little amount of protein albumin in the urine), an early sign of diabetic kidney disease and the other 364 patients had standard urine albumin levels.While none of the patients had higher levels of albumin (albuminuria), one out of five did have some harm of kidney function.

continue reading Diabetic Kidney Disease: