Northern Virginia Holistic Primary Care

11/16/2021

09/17/2021

07/07/2021

As Kirsten Karchmer aptly has made the analogy, your period serves as a barometer of your health, and can serve much like the canary in the coal mine. An erratic period, heavy bleeding, scant bleeding or loss of the cycle, PMS symptoms, cramps, and even PMDD can be your body’s signals that your health has gone off course. The first step is to recognize that these symptoms are not normal and you shouldn't assume that you are supposed to just tolerate it. Second, you can use these symptoms as a gauge of how your body is responding as you take steps to improve your underlying health.

06/26/2021

04/18/2021

*Because approximately 99% of magnesium in our body is intracellular, the common blood test used to check levels can be misleadingly normal even when one is very deficient.

*Soil contamination and erosion leading to mineral deficiencies in our food source, modern processing of refined foods, and water treatments have depleted our source of magnesium from the diet.

*Long term suboptimal intake of magnesium has been associated with the pathogenesis of many chronic diseases

*If deficiencies, the body will pull magnesium from bones, predisposing to osteoporosis & fractures

*Deficiency is also associated with:
high blood pressure, diabetes, migraines, metabolic syndrome & obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, asthma, colon cancer, chronic inflammation, exacerbating states of stress, anxiety, painful menstruation, muscle cramps, and arrhythmias

*Because it is excreted in the urine, anyone with kidney disease must use caution with appropriate intake.

This information is for educational purposes only and should not be used for individual medical diagnosis or treatment.

REFERENCES: see comments

04/11/2021

*MELANOPSIN, a retinal cell protein in your eye (different than rod and cone cells and only discovered in 2002), uses light to affect your circadian clock.

*When melanopsin is stimulated by light, it wires a message to the brain to reset your internal clock to the light it is perceiving - telling your brain it is daytime and to pump out time specific hormones like cortisol and turn off melatonin production.

*Melanopsin is triggered by blue light (all of your digital screens) and minimally stimulated by red light… hence the decision to offer red lights on phones in the evening.

*Melanopsin's effects on regions of the brain give insight to:
-People with migraines who are more sensitive to screen light
-People who don't go outdoors in daylight and feel low energy, depression, or brain fog
-Those with insomnia and anxiety

*Your circadian clock is set to optimize hormone production and biological functions at finely tuned timings. Most of us today have put the system into haywire. The more you are "functioning" at an off schedule, the more likely it is having a chronic negative effect on your health. Circadian disruption has been associated with gastrointestinal diseases, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

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REFERENCES:
S. Panda et al., Melanopsin (Opn4) Requirement for Normal Light-Induced Circadian Phase Shifting," Science 298, no.5601(2002):2213-16.
S. Panda. The Circadian Code: Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight. New York, Rodale Books, 2018.
N.F. Ruby etc al., "Role of Melanopsin in Circadian Responses to Light," Science 298, no. 5601 (2002):2211-13.
S. Sookoian etc al., "Effects of Rotating Shift Work on Biomarkers of Metabolic Syndrome and Inflammation," Journal of Internal Medicine 261, no.3(2007):285-92.

03/23/2021

Answer:
B) Gastric ulcers, as a group, are usually associated with reduced acid production.

*Gastric ulcers (Type I-IV) are classified by location within the stomach. Generally, the closer the ulcer is towards the esophagus, the more likely it will be associated with low acid production.
*Gastric ulcers are also associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, which thrives in a slightly less acidic environment.
*Because gastric ulcers can be malignant, they should be biopsied and healing confirmed.
*There is still a role of a PPI (acid blocker) for pain management and the acute healing of an ulcer, but it is not justified for long term use in MOST cases.

This information is for educational purposes only and should not be used for individual medical diagnosis or treatment.

References:

Sachs, G., Scott, D.R. & Wen, Y. Gastric Infection by Helicobacter pylori . Curr Gastroenterol Rep 13, 540 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11894-011-0226-4

Schubert ML, Peura DA. Control of gastric acid secretion in health and disease. Gastroenterology. 2008 Jun;134(7):1842-60. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2008.05.021. Epub 2008 May 12. PMID: 18474247.

03/16/2021

03/12/2021

If you missed our last Webinar, please join us:
Topic: What are my Cardiovascular Risks?
Speakers: Rachel Shelton, FNP & Dr. Salma Haque Date: Tuesday March 16, 2021 @ 7:00 pm Registration Required Heart Disease is preventable. The best time to address it is before you develop symptoms. If you already have heart disease, your greatest risk factors can be reversed. We will discuss the most important modifiable risk factors and how to test for them. Link: http://www.fallschurchva.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1086