Ectoparasites
PodcastDX
This week we will discuss Ectoparasites. The CDC says: "Although the term ectoparasites can broadly include blood-sucking arthropods such as mosquitoes (because they are dependent on a blood meal from a human host for their survival), this term is generally used more narrowly to refer to organisms such as ticks, fleas, lice, and mites that attach or burrow into the skin and remain there for relatively long periods of time (e.g., weeks to months). Arthropods are important in causing diseases in their own right, but are even more important as vectors, or transmitters, of many different...
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Pasteurization For Your Health
PodcastDX
Over 200 years ago Louis Pasteur was born in Dole, France. Among Pasteur's major contributions and their benefit to society, the most important is the heat treatment of foods and beverages to reduce spoilage and eliminate pathogens for consumers. Probably the greatest achievement of Pasteur was the process that bears the name of this famous scientist who perfected the technique: pasteurization. For liquids, this process does not involve boiling the product to sterility but simply applying just enough heat (ie, par-boiling) to 50–60°C for a specified period to reduce spoilage microbes and...
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Spontaneous Pneumothorax with Jack
PodcastDX
In this episode we are talking again with our audio editor Jack Scaro. The topic again is: spontaneous pneumothorax, or collapsed lung. Spontaneous pneumothorax is an abnormal condition of the lung characterized by the collection of gas in the pleural space between the lungs and the chest wall. This condition occurs without an obvious etiology and can be classified as either primary or secondary. Patients may present with symptoms such as tachycardia and dyspnea. The diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion and can be confirmed with imaging. Jack had this condition which surprised...
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Bile acid malabsorption (BAM) part 2
PodcastDX
This week we will continue our coverage of Bile acid malabsorption (BAM), a . It’s a common cause of . When bile acids aren’t properly absorbed in your intestines, they build up, upsetting the chemical balance inside. Excess bile acids trigger your to secrete extra water, leading to watery stools. This week we will continue our coverage of Bile acid malabsorption (BAM), a . It’s a common cause of . When bile acids aren’t properly absorbed in your intestines, they build up, upsetting the chemical balance inside. Excess bile acids trigger...
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Bile Acid Malabsorption
PodcastDX
This week we will discuss Bile acid malabsorption (BAM), a . It’s a common cause of . When bile acids aren’t properly absorbed in your intestines, they build up, upsetting the chemical balance inside. Excess bile acids trigger your to secrete extra water, leading to watery stools. What are bile acids? Bile is a substance your makes while filtering your blood. Your liver sorts waste products, such as toxins, dead blood cells and excess cholesterol into bile. Bile acids come from synthesizing these products together. The different acids in bile help...
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Veteran's Hesitancy to Healthcare
PodcastDX
This week we will discuss a Veteran's hesitancy to receive healthcare at the government hospital system known as Veterans Administration or "VA". Although many veterans may share the concern over receiving care through a government agency due to the medical care they got while in training or active duty; i.e. sucrettes and tylenol being the standard of care when Jean Marie and I were in training. Our guest, Mark Frerichs, has different reasons to question the quality of care. Mark, a Navy veteran who continued working as a contractor post-war in Afghanistan. It was during his work...
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Adrenal Insufficiency
PodcastDX
In this episode we discuss adrenal insufficiency You can have either primary, secondary, or tertiary adrenal insufficiency. Primary adrenal insufficiency is also called Addison’s disease. When you have this type, your adrenal glands are damaged and can’t make the cortisol you need. They also might not make enough aldosterone. Secondary adrenal insufficiency is more common than Addison’s disease. The condition happens because of a problem with your pituitary gland, a pea-sized bulge at the base of your . It makes a hormone called adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). This is the...
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Heart Attack on a Train
PodcastDX
Have you ever wondered "what would happen if you or a family member had a medical emergency while using public transportation" Today we feature Bill H. who had a cardiac event after boarding a Chicago Metra train and the two bystanders that weren't about to let these be his LAST train ride! can help save lives during sudden cardiac arrest. However, even after training, remembering the steps to use an AED the right way can be difficult. In order to help keep your skills sharp, we've created a quick step-by-step guide that you can print up and place on your refrigerator, in...
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EDS and Gastroparesis
PodcastDX
This week we are speaking with Dani, AKA, Stoned Zebra. It took almost 7 years of her health declining after giving birth, until she finally received her EDS diagnosis. She was initially misdiagnosed with Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Neuropathy, or chronic pain syndrome. Her gastroparesis, symptoms (bloating, nausea, early satiety, severe constipation, weight loss, dehydration, belching, belly pain) began July 2022, and after a ton of aggressive testing, she was diagnosed in May 2023. EDS just tacks on chronic pain, joint instability and other comorbidities like POTS, MCAS, and OH that...
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Long Covid With Grace Miller
PodcastDX
This week we will discuss a topic that is of concern for millions of people: "Long Covid" and our guest this week is Grace Miller. Grace is 20 years old, and lives in Iowa. Currently attending college, where she is president of the honor society and finishing up her gen eds. She plans on pursuing a degree in Communication Disorders and become a speech pathologist. Some of her hobbies include crocheting, singing, playing the piano, and learning. Some people who have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can experience long-term effects from their infection, known as Long...
info_outlineToday, we have with us today, Sheila Ames a registered nurse in Northern California who has been diagnosed with a rare type of a primary immunodeficiency known as common variable immunodeficiency or CVID for short. At the time of her diagnosis she was working as an ICU nurse and her first doctors order was: no more exposure to infectious patients. This diagnosis not only changed her career dramatically, it led her to following her life's purpose in opening her own health & wellness online coaching business to help others continue to find and work towards their life's purpose despite the hurdles that life gives us.
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immune deficiency disease characterized by low levels of protective antibodies and an increased risk of infections. Although the disease usually is diagnosed in adults, it also can occur in children. CVID also is known as hypogammaglobulinemia, adult-onset agammaglobulinemia, late-onset hypogammaglobulinemia, and acquired agammaglobulinemia.
NIAID supports research to determine genetic causes of CVID that may lead to therapeutic approaches to address the disease. Researchers also are exploring how antibody-based drugs may lessen the severity of the condition.
Causes
CVID is caused by a variety of different genetic abnormalities that result in a defect in the capability of immune cells to produce normal amounts of all types of antibodies. Only a few of these defects have been identified, and the cause of most cases of CVID is unknown. Many people with CVID carry a DNA variation called a polymorphism in a gene known as TACI. However, while this genetic abnormality confers increased risk of developing CVID, it alone is not capable of causing CVID.
CVID is also linked to IgA deficiency, a related condition in which only the level of the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) is low, while levels of other antibody types are usually normal or near normal. IgA deficiency typically occurs alone, but in some cases it may precede the development of CVID or occur in family members of CVID patients.
Symptoms & Diagnosis
People with CVID may experience frequent bacterial and viral infections of the upper airway, sinuses, and lungs. Acute lung infections can cause pneumonia, and long-term lung infections may cause a chronic form of bronchitis known as bronchiectasis, which is characterized by thickened airway walls colonized by bacteria.
People with CVID also may have diarrhea, problems absorbing food nutrients, reduced liver function, and impaired blood flow to the liver. Autoimmune problems that cause reduced levels of blood cells or platelets also may occur. People with CVID may develop an enlarged spleen and swollen glands or lymph nodes, as well as painful swollen joints in the knee, ankle, elbow, or wrist. In addition, people with CVID may have an increased risk of developing some cancers.
Doctors can diagnose CVID by weighing factors including infection history, digestive symptoms, lab tests showing very low immunoglobulin levels, and low antibody responses to immunization.
Treatment
CVID is treated with intravenous immunoglobulin infusions or subcutaneous (under the skin) immunoglobulin injection to partially restore immunoglobulin levels. The immunoglobulin given by either method provides antibodies from the blood of healthy donors. The frequent bacterial infections experienced by people with CVID are treated with antibiotics. Other problems caused by CVID may require additional, tailored treatments.
To learn more about CVID, visit the National Library of Medicine, Genetics Home Reference CVID site (Credits to NIH)
If you would like to reach out to our guest:
Sheila Ames BSN, RN, PHN
Holistic Health Coach
Business FB page: https://www.facebook.com/JourneyIntoWellness1
PID (primary immunodeficiency) group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/journeyintowellnesspid
Instagram: @journeyintowellnesscoaching
My website: journeyintowellness.net