#autoimmune disorders

[talkethtothehandeth]

If you have celiac and buy the brand Van’s for their waffles, please know that 9 days ago there was a recall because some of the packages of the gluten free waffles may contain “undeclared” wheat. And if you have celiac, you know “may” might as well mean “does”.

This recall only applies to boxes with the matching lot codes and numbers, and do not pertain to other products that Van’s has to offer. These boxes were distributed in AZ, CA, FL, GA, IL, NC, & WA. Please check your boxes immediately to ensure your own safety and save yourself the painful reactions to gluten. It’s advised the purchased packages be either thrown out (or given to someone who can eat wheat so as not to waste it) or return the product to where you’ve purchased it from.

“The U.S. Food & Drug Administration website published the recall July 3. It applies to certain packs of Van's Gluten Free Original Waffles with lot code UW40193L, expiration date Jan. 19, 2024, and UPC 0 89947 30206 4. According to the Van's recall, some of the packs of waffles may contain undeclared wheat.”

[she-is-ovarit]

"Approximately 80% of all patients diagnosed with autoimmune diseases are women."

For those of you who might wonder why this is the case, to shock nobody, we can add this to the list of mysterious medical conditions women experience that still remain elusive to the medical field.

However, there's some speculation:

Female sex hormones

The X chromosome

Microchimerism

Environmental factors

The microbiome

Antibodies

Interesting, considering female human beings actually have stronger immune systems than males.

To briefly talk about maybe the most overlooked and dismissed cause of high rates of autoimmune diseases in women, chronic stress (which presumably falls under "environmental factors") has been found to be strongly correlated with autoimmune diseases across multiple studies ("...up to 80% of patients reported uncommon emotional stress before disease onset), which can be triggered by even just one traumatic event, and anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, PTSD, etc. are extremely high for women in comparison to men.

Women experience PTSD two to three times the rate as men do (source), panic disorder is 2.5 times more common in women and girls than in men and boys (source), and generalized anxiety disorder (which is often treated as trivial and grossly overlooked) is again 2-3 times higher for women and girls than it is for men and boys (source). Behaviorally chronic stress and trauma also often presents differently between the sexes - "fight or flight" for men and "tend and befriend" (fawn and freeze) for women.

Men are more likely to commit physical, psychological, and sexual violence and women are more likely to respond to this violence by continuously be on the receiving end of their behavior and never leaving, even when their children are caught in the middle.

Chronic stress means persistent high levels of cortisol in women's bodies. There is sexual dimorphism in our immune systems. High cortisol leads to Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation (please, learn more about this).

This leads to heart issues, susceptibility to infectious diseases and auto-immune disorders, an unexplainable debilitating chronic fatigue that can lead to a bedridden life, multiple sclerosis, the progression and reoccurance of cancers, earlier HIV disease progression, and dementia. There's also the bidirectional problem in which HPA axis dysregulation, created from high levels of cortisol from chronic stress in the first place, also in turn biologically causes increased anxiety.

So...

Approximately 80% of all patients diagnosed with auto-immune diseases are women.

And auto-immune diseases are found to be strongly, strongly linked with stress disorders.

And women are several more times likely to experience trauma and stress disorders than males across the board.

And when stress is triggered, men are more likely to throw punches or leave and women are more likely to freeze and people please.

And men are vastly less likely to seek out a therapist to fix their issues or even demonstrate empathy for other men, instead using women as emotional crutches and punching bags.

And freezing and fawning for women often means staying in those same conditions even when there's a risk of death.

And staying in those same conditions when a woman has children and the means those children learn those behaviors and likely develop chronic stress themselves, and the cycle of trauma continues.

And even when women leave those conditions, we're far more likely to end up in re-traumatizing situations as we seek out familiar dynamics.

And even when we're able to break free from this dynamic, because we're far more likely to seek out and stay in therapy, we're still left with trying to resolve chronic, disabling, sometimes life-threatening health issues caused by HPA-axis dysregulation from chronic stress.

While HPA-axis dysregulation in turn generates anxiety, which then creates high cortisol, which results in a feedback loop.

This was supposed to be a short post, but I want to leave off with solutions. Please don't give up on your mental health. Religiously go to therapy. Have extremely high standards for yourself in your relationships. Practice diaphragmatic breathing, meditation, exercise. It's been found that moving your body through exercise, Thai-chi, sports, short walks, dance, whatever (to the best of your ability, if you're able) can really help - just know your limits. If you're not there yet take liquid vitamins as needed (vitamin deficiencies such as low B-vitamins, low magnesium, low good fats, and D3 also cause chronic stress, immunity issues, and chronic fatigue). Make those medical appointments. Eat well, socialize, rest (especially during a PEM or immunity crash), aim for 64 ounces of water a day. Leave miserable situations when you find your chance to. Learn the language of your body and listen to it, and have patience. I've had periods of being bedridden and unable to work. I'm getting better, but it hasn't just been one thing that has been a "fix". If this list overwhelms you, just pick one thing that's most doable. We matter.

[disabled-models]

Bice, a model with alopecia universalis (AU), for Hearts Magazine

[chronicillnesshumor]

This meme was brought to you by connective tissue disorders

[gypsy-that-i-was]

I WILL have this….

[genzforbettergenerations]

Since I’ve never seen any kind of positivity post for this:

Shout out to people who get IV infusions weekly, biweekly, monthly, multiple times a year.

Shout out to people whose hands/arms/elbows/feet/legs are covered in scars and scar tissue. Shout out to people whose scar tissue hurts or locks up joints. Shout out to people who are covered in bruises after getting an IV.

Shout out to people whose veins roll or disappear, people who need multiple sticks or digging to get a vein. Shout out to people whose veins blow when getting IVs or during infusions. Shout out to people who feel like their veins have no more to give.

Shout out to people who cry or need someone to hold onto when getting an IV. Shout out to people who have anxiety or panic attacks when getting or thinking about IVs/infusions.

Shout out to people who will continue to need IV infusions into the foreseeable future. Shout out to people who will continue to need IV infusions for the rest of their lives. Shout out to the people who leave their IV in for several days, and thus need to cover it and continue with school, jobs, chores, etc, and sleep with it in.

Shout out to the kids and teens who need IV infusions.

Shout out to people who feel self-conscious about their IV scars. Shout out to people who worry about someone noticing them and treating them differently (though no one should be shamed for their scars, no matter how they got them).

Shout out to people who are traumatized from IVs/infusions. Shout out to people who have terrible memories associated with IVs/infusions.

Shout out to people who go to the hospital for infusions. Shout out to people who get infusions at home. Shout out to people who lose hours of their days while getting infusions.

You are no less worthy of love and positivity because you need IV infusions.

--

Anyone can reblog (and please do!), but only people who need (or have needed) regular/intermittent IV infusions should add on.

[titleknown]

Esoteric take, but I will say, the existence of autoimmune disorders pisses me off on an existential level.

Not just because of the people I've known who's lives they've fucked up but also because the idea of the bodily system meant to protect you randomly deciding "Now and forever, we have decided to cause problems on purpose" is just cosmically-enraging on a level that's hard to describe.

[loredropper]

The scars on all for one, mainly the one on his arm and shoulder, are from Bakugo’s recklessness.

The scars on his knees are from when he was running from the shie hassaikai, he was holding eri.

The image is set after the people found out Arata’s severe lung issues, basically his lungs just don’t absorb the oxygen if he’s not focusing on breathing, so he has hypoxia and fainting spells frequently without the mask.

@muzwoom

[justinnault]

Sodium Effects on Inflammation, Migraines & Acid Reflux AMA #104

Hey all! Buckle up because episode #104 of our AMA series is about to blow your mind. We're talking about something you might not expect: sodium! We all know salt adds flavor and keeps us hydrated, but there's a whole hidden world to this stuff.

This week, we're joined by Justin Nault, a super cool Certified Nutritional Therapist who specializes in keeping athletes and fitness enthusiasts fueled. He's here to spill the tea (or maybe the electrolytes?) on how sodium can actually help with some surprising things, like fighting inflammation, preventing those awful migraines, and even easing acid reflux.

Justin's gonna break down the science behind how sodium works its magic in our bodies and explain why getting the right amount is key to feeling fantastic. So whether you've been a Clovis Culture devotee for ages or are just joining the party, this episode is packed with info to help you level up your health game.

Want to geek out further? Clovis.show has all the resources, detailed notes, and maybe even some secret bonus content (wink wink). Plus, if your brain is overflowing with questions about sodium or anything health-related, join our Clovis Academy Facebook group! It's a fantastic community where you can connect with like-minded folks and even submit questions for future AMAs.

So grab your favorite snack, salty or sweet, tune in, and let's unlock the hidden power of sodium together! This is gonna be epic!

[exlibrisfangirl]

Hi friends! Sorry I've been quiet the past few days; I just haven't had the energy for tumblr. I've been fighting a terrible infection (which my doctor is worried could turn into sepsis... whee!), so I'm dealing with a high fever, an overwhelming amount of pain and fatigue, and some pretty hardcore meds (which are wreaking absolute havoc on my GI tract... double whee!). There has been talk of having me admitted to the hospital for closer monitoring and treatment, but I'm still at home for now. Words of encouragement and prayers would be very much appreciated! 💛

[soontobecyborg]

me: has a small infection, nbd

my immune system:

[disabled-models]

Mia Castro, a model with Hashimoto’s Disease, Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), and Tarsal Coalition.

[lordbeebrain]

Happiness is finally being able to wiggle your toes again, after not being able to do so for 4 months, due to your Multiple Sclerosis causing them to me stiff/numb 😮‍💨🥹😭❤️

I’m glad my recent Ocrevus infusion seems to be having positive effects ☺️

[thesecretlifeofmecfs]

Health Diary: December 9, 2022

Subject: Flu or ME? Sometimes it's hard to tell.

Earlier in the day, I got hit with an awful migraine. Ambient noises and the light of a screen felt like knives stabbing into my head. I ended up taking Tylenol and laying in bed with a heating pad against my neck, an eye mask to block out the light, and noise canceling headphones. I listened to an audiobook on lowest volume for most of the day.

I started coming down with a low grade fever, sore throat, and nausea. I was freezing cold but sweating under the blankets.

I took a shower, and by shower, I mean sitting in the tub with hot water running over my head. I turned off the lights but had a blue star projector on instead to make the light very dim but enough to see. But the sound from the faucet was too loud. Usually unnoticeable, it's not squeaky like some tend to me, but the water running through the pipes was just awful. I put on binaural beats to try to soften the sound, and plugged my ears the entire time. The raindrops from the shower head sound so different that way. Soft, calming, like pouring rain hitting a tin roof. I sat there until the water turned cold, letting it soothe my body.

After getting out, my wet hair against my neck helped ease the headache and nausea some. I put on seasick bands to help curb it as well, I felt just well enough to play my mindless video game in bed for a little while.

But the sickly feelings came back stronger. This time, feeling like my body was trying to fight being poisoned. I felt weak, shaky, sick. I ended up taking a bath, which was much easier on the senses though didn't provide as much relief.

Nevertheless, I have found that water is the most therapeutic short term relief with much of this illness. My baths and showers have become a highlight of my days lately, often the only time I feel somewhat okay.

It's hard to tell if I'm really sick, or if the ME/CFS is the culprit of these symptoms. Flu-like symptoms are a common occurrence with ME, but my weakened immune system also makes me very susceptible to infections and sickness. I have found that ME fevers tend to pass within 24 hours while actual sickness will usually linger for a week or more. So I suppose we will wait and see.

Tl;dr: Felt migraine-y and sickly today with flu-like symptoms, talked about the healing power of water in the form of showers and baths.

Update: The flu-like symptoms passed overnight! Looks like it was just the ME/CFS. Wild just how sick this illness can make you even beyond fatigue.