If you're like most people, the word "starch" may conjure up images of guilty pleasures and high-calorie treats like pizza, pasta and donuts. It's been drilled into our brains time and time again that starches are unhealthy and should be avoided at all costs if you're looking to stay trim and achieve better health. Not…
If you've had a rash, you may have had erythema. The Greek word erythros means "red." Thus, erythema is any sort of abnormal redness of your skin. Not only is unusual, visible skin redness often a source of social embarrassment for many people, but it can also be painful, as well as a symptom for…
Moderate-to-severe pain in the right upper quarter of the abdomen may be a sign of cholangitis. Johns Hopkins Medicine’s cholangitis definition is “an inflammation of the bile duct system that is usually related to a bacterial infection.” Symptoms of cholangitis generally range from moderate to severe, and if suspected, you should seek medical attention as soon…
Inflammatory bowel disease is chronic inflammation (swelling and irritation) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The two main diseases that fall in this category are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both of these conditions are caused by an abnormal response from your body’s immune system, where your system attacks your own tissue. Inflammatory bowel disease shares…
Arthritis is something that affects a lot of people. In fact, it's believed that approximately 350 million people worldwide have arthritis, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) estimates that more than 54 million in the U.S. alone suffer from arthritis symptoms. (1, 2) Rheumatoid arthritis is really autoimmune in nature and actually starts…
Pellagra is niacin deficiency. This means your body doesn’t have enough niacin or is unable to use the niacin it does have. Niacin is a B vitamin that is essential for your health. Pellagra may also develop if you do not have enough tryptophan in the diet. In most cases, pellagra is easily reversed with…
As we age, there are a few telltale signs of scary medical conditions it’s normal to observe — one of which is the sharp chest pains signaling a heart attack. But what if you’re young and healthy? What happens when your doctor observes your symptoms and sees no risk factors of heart disease and chooses…
Between 25 percent to 40 percent of Americans of all ages suffer from acid reflux symptoms. An estimated 20 percent of adults experience gastroesophageal reflux disease weekly or daily — commonly called GERD or referred to as heartburn, a more severe case of acid reflux. (1) Why do so many suffer from these agitating, often…
Antibiotic side effects should be on everyone's radar, given the scope of antibiotic use in the United States. As of April 2018, antibiotics ranked as the No. 1 most commonly prescribed drug class with sales hitting $40 billion globally. (1) Between 2000 and 2015, human use of antibiotics rose by nearly 40 percent. And some…
To alleviate allergy-like symptoms, many people seek natural remedies for allergies — yet some folks continue to experience difficult, even strange, symptoms. Frustrating! Until recently, most health care practitioners just chalked up runny noses, itchy skin and headaches after meals to “food allergies,” but it’s not that simple because IgE allergy-mediated response tests usually come up negative. Instead, the problem…
