23andMe offers you a world of genetics! Analyzing the variations at specific positions in your genome- called SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). They can give you a report covering your genetic traits (eye/hair color, etc) and your risks for certain health conditions. Their 'Health + Ancestry' service provides all the reports on ancestry-related findings and carrier statuses, health predispositions, wellness, and genetic traits. Carrier status reports, Health predisposition reports, Wellness reports, and Traits are discussed.
23andMe's home-based saliva collection kit makes it the simplest. Once you order their test, you will receive the saliva collection kit within 3-5 days. You have to follow the instructions given in the kit and spit into the tube provided. Register it using the barcode and mail it back to their lab using the pre-paid package. And within a time span of 3-5 weeks, they will contact you via an email and provide your reports. You can just login into your account to discover everything about your DNA.
click here to know how to provide your saliva sample
You get the right to choose how your genetic information can be used and shared with others. 23andMe tells you how your choices can be implemented, how they collect, utilize and disclose your information. They promise the following:
Depending on the type of services you buy, you will be receiving the reports. If you happen to purchase the Health + Ancestry service, you would be getting all the reports and tools offered in the Ancestry service along with reports on your traits, wellness, carrier status, and health predispositions.
No, 23andMe reports do not diagnose any diseases or health conditions, nor does it provide any medical advice.
Will you receive a printed (hard) copy of my results?
Although you will not be receiving a printed copy of your report, your reports available via your account are printable. You just have to log in to your 23andMe account to view your information and print it out, if need be.
click here to view the list of diseases that 23andMe test for
Genetic testing has reached a milestone when it comes to pre-screening technology! It gives you tremendous benefits by letting you know the health predispositions that you could pass on to your kids in advance.
click here to view the list of the best genetic test
While the sample processing is likely to take 3 to 5 weeks (from the time your sample reaches the lab).
Genetic testing can reveal endless possibilities! It can even help individuals conceived via sperm donors trace his/her ancestry and discover their risk of acquiring certain diseases. If you are someone who possesses a strong family history of a certain disease condition, your doctor can shortlist the best test you might need.
Most of the risks associated with genetic testing involve the emotional, financial and/or social consequences of the results. Individuals might end up feeling sad, angry, anxious, frustrated or guilty upon seeing their results. It could also create tension within the family and there's also a possibility of genetic discrimination.
Upon making the decision to proceed with genetic testing, you can get your doctor, specialist, a medical geneticist or nurse practitioner to order the test. Most genetic tests are performed using your sample of blood, saliva, hair, amniotic fluid, skin or tissue.
The exclusive rights to a gene (the specific sequence of DNA) given by a government to the individual, corporation or organization who claims to have identified the gene for the first time is referred to as a "Gene Patent".
If a gene receives a patent, the holder of the patent gets to dictate how the gene can be used- in clinical, commercial and non-commercial settings for 20 years from the date of the patent.
How is genetic testing in a research setting different from clinical genetic testing?
The purpose of the test and the recipient of the results account to the main differences between genetic testing done in a research setting and that of a clinical setting.
There are umpteen success stories that we hear every day about someone or the other who have found information about their family using a DNA test. There are an equal amount of stories that claim that these tests can be inaccurate as well. Thus it is necessary to analyze all the myths related to what DNA testing can or cannot offer.
Pros:
Whether the results are positive or otherwise, genetic testing has potential benefits. It can give you a sense of relief from uncertainty and help you make informed decisions about managing your health. While a negative result can eliminate the need for unnecessary checkups and screening tests, a positive result can take you towards preventative measures, monitoring and treatment aspects. It can help you make decisions about starting a family too
MyHeritage DNA is all about your genealogy. It helps you discover your lineage, your blood relatives, ethnicity and your unknown relatives. The Lineage testing can trace your ancestry back to real existing individuals who possess that particular DNA type throughout the prehistoric period until the present.
It can range from Under $100 to more than $2000 depending on its complexity. If it involves more than one test or multiple family members, extra cost might be required. Newborn screening might cost between $15 and $60 per infant.
Yes, it is a prerequisite that you must be 18 years of age or older in order to agree to the company's Terms of services (TOS) on behalf of yourself or whomsoever you have the legal authority to agree. You have to represent that you are 18 years of age or older while providing a saliva sample or to access your genetic information.
Yes, 23andMe analyzes the variations at specific positions in your genome- Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and has the potential to give you all the information about your ancestry. You get to choose the specific type of DNA to learn about how your DNA is used in their ancestry reports. They are as follows:
click here to know about the best DNA kits
No, 23andMe reports do not diagnose any diseases or health conditions, nor does it provide any medical advice.
This report will tell you if you possess any specific genetic variants that you could pass over to your kids.
Also, Carrier Status Reports are not intended to diagnose a disease or predicting your future risk of acquiring a disease.
Each of these reports is the most relevant for individuals of certain ethnicities.
Most importantly, this report is not intended to predict anything regarding the health of your fetus or newborn's risk of developing certain diseases later.
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This tells you if you possess genetic variants that might increase your risk of developing certain health conditions.
But it is important to ensure that these reports do not cover all the possible genetic variants and that there could be other factors (lifestyle and environment) that could also influence your risk to these health conditions.
This link your DNA and traits that are related to healthy living.
This link your DNA and your features and characteristics and while it can predict your chances of possessing a trait, it is important to note that there can be numerous other factors that can influence your actual traits.
Although you will not be receiving a printed copy of your report, your reports available via your account are printable. You just have to log in to your 23andMe account to view your information and print it out, if need be.
The 23andMe genetic testing finds out if you possess risks for the following diseases and health conditions:
| Age-related Macular degeneration | Autism | Depression | Hemophilia | Parkinson's disease |
| Alopecia areata | Beta thalassemia | Epilepsy | Hypertension | Psoriasis |
| Alzheimer's disease | Bloom's syndrome | Familial Hypercholesterolemia | Hypertriglyceridemia | Rheumatoid arthritis |
| Amyloidosis | Bone Mineral Density | Fracture | Hypothyroidism | Schizophrenia |
| Anemia | Cardiomyopathy | Gallstone disease | Migraine | Scoliosis |
| Anorexia | Chronic kidney disease | Glaucoma | Multiple sclerosis | Stroke |
| Anxiety | Con-rod dystrophy | Glycogen storage diseases | Non-alcoholic Fatty liver disease | Thrombosis |
| Asthma | COPD | Gout | Obesity | Type 2 Diabetes |
| Atopic dermatitis | Crohn's Disease | Heart diseases (coronary heart disease, Myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and heart attack) | Osteoarthritis | Ulcerative Colitis |
| Atrial fibrillation | Cystic fibrosis | Hemochromatosis | Osteoporosis | Vitiligo |
Genetic testing has reached a milestone when it comes to pre-screening technology!
It gives you tremendous benefits by letting you know the health predispositions that you could pass on to your kids in advance.
Imagine how you could design a diet and fitness regimen to maintain good health or to prevent certain cancers!
Healthcare professionals are finding genetic testing to be extremely beneficial and their studies on it are transforming how they prescribe various treatment aspects.
When one comes to know that they are at risk for certain diseases or health conditions, they get to make preventative actions in order to stave them off.
For instance, if the report predicts the risk of Alzheimer's, the person can take preventative actions such as doing activities that help boost their memory and can stand a chance to prevent the disease.
Genetic testing reveals endless possibilities about you- your traits toward going bald to finding out if you have inherited the genetic tendencies from your grandfather who was an Olympic swimmer. However, you cannot expect a 100% accuracy in results. You could still acquire a disease if you have certain genetic markers.
Currently, there are over 70000 genetic testing products available in the U.S. markets and has evolved to be a big business and is going towards making an even bigger impact on healthcare.
Not only is genetic testing interesting or informative, but can also be life-saving!
You might also like: How genetic report from 23andMe Raw data can help you improve your health
| AncestryDNA | Popular Genetic testing company for cousin matching; covers most geographic regions of ethnicity |
| FamilyTree DNA | Genetic testing for serious genealogy that offers YDNA and mtDNA test that help you discover ethnic percentages, origins, and complete ancestry information |
| MyHeritage | Budget-friendly autosomal test that helps you discover your family history |
| 23andMe | Offers more than 125 personalized reports that help you discover your ancestry, health, traits and more |
| 23andMe | Screening for roots in the British Isles |
While the sample processing is likely to take 3 to 5 weeks (from the time your sample reaches the lab).
You can find the status of your sample by logging in to your 23andMe account. The lab will report your data once the processing gets completed. Your results will then be computed and made available on your account.
It can even help individuals conceived via sperm donors trace his/her ancestry and discover their risk of acquiring certain diseases.
If you are someone who possesses a strong family history of a certain disease condition, your doctor can shortlist the best test you might need.
Not only does genetic testing help you discover if you're at risk of any disease but also guide towards what needs to be done.
You can discover your DNA relatives that you never knew before. These genetic testing companies offer a social media platform that helps you connect with your relatives. This can be beneficial for adoptees, donor0received children and people who hope to find their unknown relatives.
Most of the risks associated with genetic testing involve the emotional, financial and/or social consequences of the results.
Individuals might end up feeling sad, angry, anxious, frustrated or guilty upon seeing their results. It could also create tension within the family and there's also a possibility of genetic discrimination.
When it comes to an inherited condition, Genetic testing can only offer limited information. It also fails to determine if one will exhibit symptoms of a disorder, about the severity of it and whether or not if the disease/health condition might progress over time.
One major limitation of genetic testing is the lack of treatment strategies after being diagnosed with a genetic disorder.
However, a genetics professional will be able to explain all the benefits, risks and limitations involved with a particular test you might be willing to take.
It is important that anyone who is considering genetic testing understand and weigh these factors before going for one.
Hand-Picked article for you: Have Your 23andMe Raw Data? Use It To Get 500+ Health-Realted Genetic Traits!
Upon making the decision to proceed with genetic testing, you can get your doctor, specialist, a medical geneticist or nurse practitioner to order the test.
Most genetic tests are performed using your sample of blood, saliva, hair, amniotic fluid, skin or tissue.
The sample is then sent to the lab where trained technicians find out if there are any specific changes in the DNA, chromosomes or proteins, based on the suspected disease/health condition.
They then report the test results directly to the patient (if requested) or the doctor, specialist or genetic counselor who ordered the test.
Prior to undergoing a genetic test, it is important that a person understands the testing procedure, the pros & cons and the possible consequences of the results.
The exclusive rights to a gene (the specific sequence of DNA) given by a government to the individual, corporation or organization who claims to have identified the gene for the first time is referred to as a "Gene Patent".
If a gene receives a patent, the holder of the patent gets to dictate how the gene can be used- in clinical, commercial and non-commercial settings for 20 years from the date of the patent.
The purpose of the test and the recipient of the results account to the main differences between genetic testing done in a research setting and that of a clinical setting.
While the genetic testing done for the clinical scenario is aimed at finding of an inherited disorder in a family or by an individual, that done as a part of a research study are usually not available to patients or their doctors.
It is important for individuals considering genetic testing to know if the test is available on research or clinical basis. Both of these types of genetic testing involves a process of informed consent.
There are umpteen success stories that we hear every day about someone or the other who have found information about their family using a DNA test. There are an equal amount of stories that claim that these tests can be inaccurate as well.
Thus, it is necessary to analyze all the myths related to what DNA testing can or cannot offer.
No, in reality, there are three kinds of them that can help you discover your family history. They are:
Depending on what your research goal is, you can make use of all these 3 kinds of DNA tests.
There is DNA on licked stamps, envelopes, used razors and in the root of your hair.
Although it can be a tricky process to extract and an expensive process to process, it is entirely possible.
Though your DNA test might give you insights into where your ancestors might have lived or belonged to, it is quite unlikely to significantly impact your genealogy.
While autosomal DNA test results can be very good at determining immediate relationships, you will need to make a further interpretation of other tests and relationships prior to making any solid conclusions.
Indeed, you can discover your 2X great-grandparents.
However, it might take a significant amount of genealogy research.
Pros:
Cons:
Whether the results are positive or otherwise, genetic testing has potential benefits.
It can give you a sense of relief from uncertainty and help you make informed decisions about managing your health.
While a negative result can eliminate the need for unnecessary checkups and screening tests, a positive result can take you towards preventative measures, monitoring and treatment aspects.
It can help you make decisions about starting a family too.
MyHeritage DNA is all about your genealogy.
It helps you discover your lineage, your blood relatives, ethnicity and your unknown relatives.
The Lineage testing can trace your ancestry back to real existing individuals who possess that particular DNA type throughout the prehistoric period until the present.
It can range from Under $100 to more than $2000 depending on its complexity.
If it involves more than one test or multiple family members, an extra cost might be required.
Newborn screening might cost between $15 and $60 per infant.
Click here to know about Xcode life's FTDNA, AncestryDNA, and 23andme DNA raw data interpretation and analysis cost.
Yes, it is a prerequisite that you must be 18 years of age or older in order to agree to the company's Terms of services (TOS) on behalf of yourself or whomsoever you have the legal authority to agree.
You have to represent that you are 18 years of age or older while providing a saliva sample or to access your genetic information.
Yes, 23andMe analyzes the variations at specific positions in your genome.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and has the potential to give you all the information about your ancestry.
You get to choose the specific type of DNA to learn about how your DNA is used in their ancestry reports. They are as follows:
Ancestry Composition report uses DNA you inherited from both sides of your family and informs the proportion of your DNA that comes from genetic populations worldwide.
Haplogroup reports tell you about the ancient origins of your patrilineal ancestors and matrilineal ones.
Neanderthal Ancestry report tells you if parts of your DNA can be traced back to Neanderthals (ancient humans that interbred with modern ones before becoming extinct 40000 years ago).
Your DNA family report gives you all the information about the diverse group of 23andMe customers who have DNA in common with you and help you trace all your DNA relatives around the world.
The following are the best DNA kits:
| 23andMe | Offers a trove of information about your personal genetics, your deeper ancestry, genetic health risks and carrier statuses for diseases and/or health conditions |
| AncestryDNA | An easy-to-use tool that helps you explore your ancestry family tree. You can even find your relatives among the previously collected profiles |
| Living DNA | an affordable testing kit that can track your ancestry back to thousands of years |
| HomeDNA | offers a detailed and closer look at your ancestor's migration patterns |
| National Geographic Genographic Project | This Anthropologically fascinating project tracks your ancestor's migration patterns to 200000 years back |
| MyHeritage DNA | Offers family tree software and research resources and helps you interpret how your ancestors lived |
Xcode Life accepts DNA raw data from all the ancestry test providers listed above and several more.
Click here to find out the complete list.
Xcode Life covers more than 50 traits in Gene Nutrition and Gene Fitness Reports. Personalized reports on health, skin, allergies and precision medicine are generated from the DNA raw data.
More than 500 genetic variants are analyzed for the diet and fitness modules.
Our expert-curated topical reports are based on publicly available literature from a range of resources from leading scientific journals.
You might also be interested: Best Ancestry DNA Test of 2018
23andMe offers you a world of genetics!
Analyzing the variations at specific positions in your genome- called SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms).
They can give you a report covering your genetic traits (eye, hair color, etc) and your risks for certain health conditions.
Their 'Health + Ancestry' service provides all the reports on ancestry-related findings and carrier status, health predispositions, wellness, and genetic traits.
Tells you about variants that may not affect your health but could possibly affect the health of your future family.
If you are reported to be a carrier for a particular condition, although you typically do not have the genetic condition, you are likely to pass it down to your kids.
You can work towards preparing for your future family's health when you understand your carrier status.
Tells you how your genetic makeup can influence the chances of acquiring certain diseases. You can learn if you possess genetic variants linked to a high risk of developing certain health conditions like Parkinson's disease, Late-onset Alzheimer's disease, etc.
If your reports say you have a particular variant, it doesn't necessarily imply that you will develop the condition but that you are a risk of developing it. Non-genetic factors like lifestyle and environment can also influence the risk of those diseases.
This helps you make more informed choices related to healthy living. You can find out if your DNA influences your muscle type, caffeine consumption, lactose intolerance, etc.
The traits report helps you explore how your DNA makes you unique by emphasizing all your traits- from physical features to your food preferences.
23andMe's home-based saliva collection kit makes it the simplest.
Once you order their test, you will receive the saliva collection kit within 3-5 days.
You have to follow the instructions given in the kit and spit into the tube provided.
Register it using the barcode and mail it back to their lab using the pre-paid package. And within a time span of 3-5 weeks, they will contact you via an email and provide your reports.
You can just login into your account to discover everything about your DNA.
Providing your saliva sample
23andMe's saliva collection kits are easy to use and contain detailed instructions in every kit. It permits samples given even under varying health circumstances such as pregnancy, flu, acid reflux, etc.
But, if you are undergoing medical treatment like chemotherapy that reduces your WBC count, it is best to wait until a couple of weeks after your last treatment.
Once it is mixed with the DNA stabilization buffer liquid, your saliva sample gets stable even at a wide range of temperatures (-4ºF to 122ºF). It is recommended that your sample gets shipped to the laboratory at the earliest.
The kit provides a set of instructions that you need to follow strictly during the collection and shipping processes.
You might also like: 23andMeRaw data analysis interpretation
You get the right to choose how your genetic information can be used and shared with others. 23andMe tells you how your choices can be implemented, how they collect, utilize and disclose your information.
They promise the following:
Depending on the type of services you buy, you will be receiving the reports.
If you happen to purchase the Health + Ancestry service, you would be getting all the reports and tools offered in the Ancestry service along with reports on your traits, wellness, carrier status, and health predispositions.
Regardless of the service you purchase, you just need one kit for a single person. If you buy only the Ancestry service, you have the option of adding the other reports whenever you want, by just paying an additional fee.
An allergy occurs when your body overreacts to foreign particles (which are usually harmless) such as pollen, food, dust, drugs, etc.
The substances that cause such a reaction are known as “Allergens.”
They vary based on the type of allergen and the way you get into contact with it.
A lot of things can trigger an allergic reaction.
It occurs when your body attacks something harmless such as pollen, foods, dander, etc. defensively.
When you sneeze or have a runny/stuffy nose, itchy & watery eyes when you’re exposed to pollen from plants like grasses, weeds, trees, etc.
This allergy can be treated with OTC drugs and allergy shots.
You could also prevent those symptoms by staying indoors on windy days when the pollen counts are high or using air conditioners.
Some of you might be allergic to proteins in your pet animal’s saliva or the oil glands in their skin.
You could use a HEPA filter or get a preventive allergy shot.
You could also try avoiding pets in your room and ensure he bathes regularly.
You could get allergic to the tiny bugs that live in your mattresses, bedding, upholstery, carpets, curtains, etc.
They feed on your dead skin cells and thrive in high humidity.
To avoid this, use hypoallergenic beddings, pillows, mattress covers, etc., and ensure that you wash them every week in hot water.
Also try to avoid dust-collecting items like curtains, carpet, etc.
It could also cause skin redness or itching which might last for days or weeks together.
In some rare cases, they can trigger life-threatening reactions called ‘anaphylaxis.’
You could get preventive shots or take epinephrine when you’re severely allergic.
It grows in damp and moist places like bathrooms, basements, attics, etc.
Breathing in such areas can cause allergies in some people.
Foods like milk, peanuts, shellfish, eggs, etc. can cause allergies in some people within minutes of eating them.
Characteristic symptoms include difficulty in breathing, hives, swelling around the mouth, and other symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, and vomiting.
It is caused when latex in items like medical devices, disposable gloves, condoms, etc. triggers a reaction leading to itchy red skin, breathing difficulties, etc.
Common symptoms of latex allergy include rashes, hives, itchy eyes, runny nose, wheezing, sneezing, etc.
Medicines like penicillin, aspirin, etc. can trigger allergies in some people.
Common symptoms include hives, eye irritation, swelling of the face, mouth, throat, etc.
It is important to tell your doctor what drugs you’re allergic to every time you get any prescription so that your treatment excludes them.
There is a strong genetic basis established for allergic diseases.
Several Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been employed for allergic diseases, and significant associations have been reported. About 100 genes have been published for asthma and other allergies.
The prevalence of allergic traits with respect to family history was studied and the results demonstrated an incremental increase in the risks of developing allergic diseases like asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic dermatitis when one or both parents have these allergies and about >3 times risk when they have more than one first-degree relative who is affected.
As many as 80% of what’s presumed to be food allergies are intolerances rather than an allergic response.
Since both allergies and intolerances have similar symptoms, there can be confusion between the two.
A real food allergy occurs when your immune system reacts in such a way that it affects multiple organs in your body.
While allergies can be life-threatening or severe, intolerances are usually less severe and are often limited only to digestive issues.
You can eat small amounts of the offending food when you have an intolerance.
For instance, If you’re lactose intolerant, You also have options like switching to lactose-free milk or taking lactase enzyme pills for digestion.
If you react to consuming a particular food, you should consult your doctor to find out if you have a food allergy or food intolerance because, if it was a food allergy, it could be life-threatening even if your past reactions have been only mild.
But if it is just an intolerance, you might be recommended steps to follow that aids digestion or treat your underlying condition which might have caused it.
You have food intolerance when you find it difficult to digest certain foods or if you react unpleasantly upon consuming them.
Food intolerances can include symptoms like bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, skin rashes, itching, etc.
There aren’t any specific tests to diagnose food intolerance.
The only way to find that out is by monitoring your symptoms after consuming foods you think you’re intolerant to.
It is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme ‘Lactase’ which is essential for the digestion of Lactose sugar found in milk and dairy products.
Symptoms: stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea, gas, and nausea.
It occurs when you are sensitive towards proteins found in wheat, rye, barley, and triticale.
Symptoms: abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, headache, joint pain, skin rashes, anxiety, depression, and Anemia.
It occurs when one is sensitive to caffeine (a bitter chemical found in beverages like coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, etc.)
While most adults can have up to four cups of coffee without having any side effects, some people are more sensitive to caffeine and can experience adverse reactions.
Symptoms: nervousness, insomnia, anxiety, jitters, rapid heartbeat, restlessness, etc.
It is a natural substance secreted by plants as a means of defense against environmental stressors like insects, diseases, etc., which are found in a wide range of foods like fruits, vegetables, teas, coffee, spices, honey, and nuts.
Some people are extremely sensitive towards them and suffer from adverse reactions even when consumed in small amounts.
Symptoms: sinus infections, nasal & sinus polyps, stuffy nose, asthma, diarrhea, colitis, hives, etc.
It is secreted by bacteria during fermentation and food storage.
They are found in a large variety of foods. (Such as fermented foods, cured meats, aged cheeses, avocados, citrus fruits, smoked fish, and fermented alcoholic beverages like wine & beer).
Although there are many types of amines, histamines are most frequently linked to intolerances.
Symptoms: skin flushing, headaches, hives, itching, diarrhea, stomach pain, anxiety, low BP.
It is a group of short-chain carbohydrates naturally present in a variety of foods (like apples, soft cheeses, honey, beer, beans, bread, artichokes, milk, lentils, etc.) that can cause digestive distress in some individuals.
This happens when the intestinal bacteria ferment these foods producing gas and causing bloating & discomfort.
Symptoms: stomach ache, bloating, diarrhea, gas, and constipation.
Occurs when people with this condition consume sugar present in fruits and vegetables, honey, sweeteners, etc.,
This is characterized by sugar malabsorption in the intestine where the sugar gets fermented by the gut bacteria to cause digestive distress.
Symptoms: abdominal pain, reflux, diarrhea, gas, bloating, vomiting, and nausea.
It is the chemical commonly used as food preservatives and can be intolerable to some individuals.
This sensitivity is quite prevalent in people with Asthma.
Symptoms: hives, stuffy nose, hypotension, flushing, coughing, wheezing, diarrhea, skin swelling, etc.
Some other foods that cause intolerance include eggs, peanuts, shellfish, corn, soy, aspartame (an artificial sweetener), MSG (Monosodium glutamate- a flavor enhancer), food colorings, sugar alcohols, yeast, etc.
It is reported that one out of every 100 individuals in North America suffers from celiac disease and about 10-20 % of them also have differing degrees of lactose intolerance.
A study suggests that 24% of patients with lactose intolerance also had celiac disease and it has been recommended that all those who are lactose intolerant should be tested for celiac disease and be placed on a double diet whammy which is free of both gluten and dairy products.
The study has also pointed out that celiac disease damages the villi (the finger-like projections lining the intestinal wall acting as gatekeepers for absorbing nutrients) and also destroys the lactase enzyme contained in the villi.
Intolerance to dairy that stems from celiac damage is known as secondary lactose intolerance, and the good news is that by eliminating gluten from the diet one can heal their gut and become lactose tolerant.
While milk is gluten-free, celiac disease can lead to secondary lactose intolerance, and thereby avoiding dairy is recommended.
Since celiac disease damages your villi, it can cause lactase deficiency and might make it difficult for you to digest Dairy products.
There is no way to treat celiac disease, you need to avoid Gluten-containing foods altogether to prevent the symptoms.
Going Gluten-free lets your gut heal and prevents future inflammation.
Celiac disease is a severe condition damaging and causing inflammation to the small intestines of more than 2.5 million people in the U.S.
Here is a list of what you need to cut down:
Food products such as wheat & wheat flour, rye, barley, malt, semolina, farina, graham flour, and durum
Unexpected foods that contain gluten: canned soups, salad dressings, candy bars, mustard, ketchup, yogurt, pasta, pastries, processed & canned meat, ice cream, instant coffee, etc.
OTC & prescription drugs, vitamins & supplements since they might also contain Gluten as wheat starch might be used as a binding agent in such tablets and capsules.
Nutritional supplements, toothpaste, mouthwash, cosmetic products which might also contain gluten.
Histamines are chemical substances that are released by the cells of one's body in response to an injury, allergy, or inflammatory reaction which causes smooth muscles to contract and the capillaries to dilate.
An imbalance of these chemicals and the capacity for their degradation causes Histamine Intolerance.
Histamine intolerance is not sensitivity to histamine but an indication that an individual has developed an excess of it.
Individuals with histamine intolerance might experience symptoms such as diarrhea, headache, rhinoconjunctival symptoms, asthma, hypotension, urticaria, pruritis, flushing, arrhythmia, etc. when they consume histamine-rich foods like alcohol or drugs that release histamines.
Common symptoms of histamine intolerance include:
Anti-Histamine foods are those that contain vitamin C, quercetin, and omega 3 to reduce allergy symptoms.
Foods high in histamines tend to be frozen, aged, highly processed, cured, smoked, or fermented.
Breakfast: Make smoothies such as mango green smoothie, sweet & savory potato toast, blueberry peach overnight oats, quick granolas, tropical mango overnight oats, quick oat muesli, sweet & savory toast
Morning snack: blueberries, pistachios, brazil nuts, raisins, cottage cheese, cherries, unsweetened shredded coconut, cantaloupe, grapes, Unsweetened applesauce with chia seeds & pistachios
Lunch: turkey meatballs with cherry sauce, steamed broccoli, chicken salad sandwich, celery sticks, grapes, quinoa herb salad, baby carrots, cucumber slices, Fresh salad, asparagus herb cottage cheese tartine.
Afternoon snack: celery sticks, cottage cheese, raisins, chia seeds, apple sprinkled with cinnamon, brazil nuts, baby carrots with no-bean hummus, grapes, cantaloupe, pistachios
Dinner: chicken marinated in apple cider vinegar, asparagus spears, red potato, salads, turkey herb meatballs with cherry sauce, steamed broccoli, salmon tacos, chicken breast topped with mozzarella & basil, zucchini pasta with creamy herb sauce, gyro turkey lettuce wrap, turkey spinach burger
Individuals with MTHFR gene mutations are likely to have histamine intolerances since the mutation hinders an individual's ability to methylate properly and excess toxins and histamines accumulate in the body.
Depending on the type of the variant, the symptoms of MTHFR mutations vary from a person to another.
Methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a gene which all of us carry two copies of.
The gene decides how we create an enzyme that is responsible for breaking down the amino acid Homocysteine. The two common variants of the gene are C677T and A1298C.
Individuals with common MTHFR variants have normal or high levels of homocysteine in their blood or urine.
Elevated homocysteine levels are reported to be the risk factors for a variety of health conditions.
Since each of us has two copies of the gene, we can inherit one copy of one variant or both the copies (one from each parent).
People who inherit two copies of the C677T variant are at an elevated risk of having a child with neural tube defects.
The severe risks of MTHFR mutations can be managed or prevented via the use of active B vitamins, such as Methylcobalamin, Methylfolate, 5-MTHF, Methyltetrahydrofolates.
Include Vitamin B12 in your diets by adding foods such as eggs, nuts, beans, and yeast.
Mast cell activation disorder causes a part of the innate immune system to overreact and release histamines and other chemicals affecting other organs of the body.
Numerous factors contribute to this, such as the over-production of histamines, Diamine oxidase enzyme deficiency, HMNT mutation, poor methylation in the liver, etc.
MCAD clinically presents itself as a chronic, multisystem pathology of a general allergy and inflammation, associated with obesity, diabetes, skin conditions, IBS, etc.
It is commonly called pink eye.
When an allergy causes inflammation of the membrane covering the white portion of the eye (conjunctiva), allergic conjunctivitis occurs.
There are a variety of allergies, but the common cause is hay fever.
Symptoms: redness, swelling of the conjunctiva, irritation, itching, and increased production of tears.
When this occurs alongside rhinitis, it is called allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.
The appropriate treatment for allergic conjunctivitis involves removing or avoiding the irritant and using cold compresses and artificial tears to relieve discomfort in mild cases.
In case of severity in the condition, NSAIDs and antihistamines might be prescribed. Individuals who suffer from persistent allergic conjunctivitis might also be prescribed topical steroid eye drops.
Both conjunctivitis and allergies might give you the same set of symptoms- red eyes and excessive tearing, and thus it is easy to get confused between the two.
But allergies can make your eyes itch and feel sore.
Also, the cause of the two is what tells them apart.
While pink eye is an infection caused by a virus or bacteria, allergies are triggered by various irritants such as pollen or pet dander.
Allergic conjunctivitis can last anywhere between a few days to a few weeks, depending on what caused it.
When caused by a common viral infection without any other complications, it might get cleared up in just a few days or within a couple of weeks.
But if bacteria cause it, even with prescription antibiotic eye drops, it can last up to a month or even slightly longer than that.
There are several types of skin allergies such as Eczema, Hives, contact dermatitis.
You could get skin rashes due to many reasons including exposure to certain individual plants and allergic reactions to food or medicine, or due to illnesses like measles, chickenpox, etc.
It is characterized by dry, irritated, and itchy skin.
It affects around 10-20% of children and 1-3% of adults.
In some cases, they might have small, fluid-filled bumps that ooze out a clear or yellowish fluid.
This condition is often reported in people with a family history of allergies.
Treatment includes prescription medications like topical steroids and antihistamines, and milder cases can be treated with just moisturizers and petroleum jelly.
The first FDA-approved topical medicine “Crisaborole” is very effective at decreasing inflammation and is well tolerated with long-term use.
It is characterized by red bumps or welts appearing on the skin.
Acute urticaria lasts for around six weeks, and chronic urticaria can persist for more than six weeks.
While the former is commonly caused by being exposed to an allergen or an infection, the cause of the latter is unknown.
Treatment involves antihistamines- either low- sedating or nonsedating types.
Sometimes urticaria might need temporary treatment with prednisone- a corticosteroid medicine, or an immune modulator to reduce the severity.
Epinephrine shots might also help, in the case of anaphylaxis.
It occurs when your skin is exposed to an allergen or an irritant.
Typical symptoms include rashes, blisters, burning, and itching of the skin.
Soaps, laundry detergents, shampoos, fabric softeners, water, metals, adhesives, nail enamels, medications, latex gloves, and certain plants can cause contact dermatitis.
Treating irritated skin should be prioritized, followed by finding the allergen to avoid future incidents.
Topical creams and oral medications are prescribed to relieve the itching and to heal the damaged skin.
Antihistamines and ointments have also proven to be helpful.
The process of cleaning such as vacuuming, sweeping, and dusting can trigger allergic symptoms in some people when they inhale dust that stirs up.
Dust mites are tiny organisms that feed off the house dust and the moisture in the air and are one of the most common allergens.
Symptoms can be present throughout the year.
Apart from allergic rhinitis, it can also trigger asthma and eczema.
Symptoms: sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, coughing, wheezing, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, itching, etc.
Treatment options include allergy shots, medications, and changes to household routines such as removing curtains and drapes, especially in the bedroom, keeping pets away and minimizing humidity in the house, using mite-proof beddings, and washing bed linens using hot water.
Pollen allergies are caused by exposure to trees, grass, and weed pollen.
Pollen is a fine yellowish powder transported via wind, birds, insects, etc. from one plant to another and can cause this seasonal allergy.
Symptoms include runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, itchy throat, wheezing and nasal congestion.
You could also get asthma symptoms and excessive coughing.
Treatment options include allergy shots and oral medication that should be taken as a preventive measure.
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As per the National sleep foundation’s study results, the panel recommends the following sleep ranges for the following age groups:
Deep sleep is vital since it is when your body is working its best to strengthen your mind and repair your body from the previous day's exertions.
The deep stage is the third stage of sleep, which is the most refreshing sleep.
Unfortunately, deep sleep reduces with age.
It is called heavy sleep because it is more difficult to wake people up in this stage as compared to the others.
People tend to experience sleep inertia if they suddenly wake up from this stage of sleep.
At this stage, you are less likely to wake in response to external stimuli as compared to when in light sleep.
One doesn't go directly to this stage but slowly transitions from non-REM sleep to light sleep to deep sleep.
It is during this stage that the human growth hormone gets released and restores your body from physical stresses of the day and your immune system and the brain refreshes itself for new learning for the next day.
Diverse yet equally crucial, restorative work happens during the deep sleep and REM sleep stages.
The third stage of sleep is the deep sleep during which both the brain and the body activity drop to their lowest possible point, directing blood from the brain to the muscles.
The final stage is REM (Rapid Eye Movement), when your brain gets extremely active, even more than when you are awake.
It is at this stage that you dream.
While deep sleep is important for growth, physical renewal, and hormone regulation, REM is the stage where the brain processes and synthesizes memories and actions.
When your brain is deprived of REM sleep, you might find it difficult to concentrate on a single activity as well as multitasking.
The lack of deep sleep also makes you feel depressed, get sick, and gain unhealthy weight.
Fitbit devices use actigraphy (the method of using a device to track your movements) to track your sleep.
When you are entirely unmoving, and at complete rest, your Fitbit device will count it as sleep.
The device automatically detects your sleep, and you simply have to wear it and go to bed.
For Fitbit devices with heart-rate tracking, your sleep stages will be recorded.
And for other devices, you will see your sleep pattern such as the time spent awake, restless, and asleep.
Total time slept is calculated by subtracting the time you were awake from the overall time tracked.
During normal sleep, you cycle through the four stages every night.
When such a cycle is interrupted, you might be deprived of good sleep, especially if the final or deep sleep stages are disturbed.
Sometimes, lack of sleep can be temporary, stem from a simple cause like a jet lag, an illness, a stressful event, high caffeine intake, or as a side effect of certain medication.
Long-term sleep deprivation can be due to depression, anxiety, or stress.
Other possible causes of insomnia include circadian rhythm disorder, sleep apnea, snoring, pregnancy, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, nightmares, night terrors, etc.
Deep sleep is essential for good health.
The following tips help get deep sleep faster:
A full night’s sleep is not a continuous experience but is divided into four well-defined sleep stages.
The last stage, REM sleep where you dream, is the most important stage of sleep.
This stage is vital for learning, retaining, and modifying our memories.
Deprivation of this stage of sleep can lead to physical and mental hardships, psychological damage, and could even lead to an early death.
No, the brain does not completely shut down during sleep.
However, during the REM stage, your brain’s thalamus (the part of your brain that relays sensory signals to the cerebral cortex to make you perceive things) reengages.
Your brain remains active when you sleep and thrives on a consistent sleep schedule.
Waking up in the middle of a night’s sleep can be due to the following reasons:
It might be difficult to wake someone up from deep sleep.
To do that, gently walk towards his/her bed and uncover them slowly.
Call them out in a low voice and raise your tone as you continue to do that alongside shaking them lightly until they wake up.
Yes. The rise in melatonin levels happens in the evening, which puts you into a state of quiet wakefulness.
The melatonin hormone, which is produced by the pineal gland in your brain, has a daily biorhythm.
Its levels rise and fall throughout the day and night, and reach its highest level in the evening, and falling to its lowest in the morning.
While most people produce melatonin naturally, some have to depend on a supplement to treat insomnia.
You are a restless sleeper if you roll over, change positions frequently, and wake up briefly.
While it is believed that restless sleeping could lead to tired days, it is perfectly normal to sleep restlessly.
According to Fitbit Sleep advisor, Dr. Michael Grandner, sleep is not completely still, and it is normal to move during our sleep, especially in the first two stages of sleep.
If you are seeking a little extra help to get a good night’s sleep, consider the following natural aids:
Dreams help to cope with major life stress and are important for memory consolidation and conflict resolution.
Dreaming can help alleviate depression and is like an overnight therapy session, that has the potential to de-escalate emotional reactivity in people.
It can take the sting out of painful emotions and help heal from it to carry on with our lives.
Dreaming also enhances creativity and problem-solving ability.
Sleep talking can be due to stress, depression, alcohol, fever, day-time drowsiness, and sleep deprivation.
It can even run in the family and sometimes co-occur with other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, nightmares, and confusional arousals.
In rare cases, it is linked to psychiatric disorders or nocturnal seizures.
Although it is possible that sleep deprivation can be fatal, given enough time, there is no known human being known to have died from staying awake.
But a series of groundbreaking experiments conducted on rats have reported the death of all the rats after 32 days of total sleep deprivation.
It is expected that humans too, could experience such a result when kept awake for such a long duration.
A consistent lack of sleep can play havoc with most aspects of your health.
Insomnia is often considered an early symptom of a rapid neurodegenerative disorder that could result in death within a couple of years.
However, it is so rare that only about 60 such cases have been reported throughout the world.
Cannabis can be an excellent sleep aid and can help even the most stubborn insomnia patients.
It has been used to induce sleep for centuries.
Per a recent study, cannabis reduces the time it takes to fall asleep, both for people with and without sleep problems.
Cannabis contains several natural chemicals including cannabinoids and terpenes that have an effect on the sleep and sleep cycle.
It also improves sleep apnea and its complications.
As per the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in five individuals have insomnia.
While sleeping pills or herbal sleep products can help you sleep, they aren’t always the best solution.
It can increase dependency, and some may even develop tolerance to them over time.
Thus, before trying out such options, it is important that you try following sleep hygiene and Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Intervention for insomnia (CBT-I).
Sleep hygiene includes habits such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule, taking a warm shower before bedtime, doing relaxation exercises, reducing caffeine intake, not eating a heavy meal close to bedtime, etc.
It will help you relax a bit since the carbohydrates in it can trigger serotonin production, which will make you drowsy.
2. Cut down or limit alcohol and caffeine.
Both of these have adverse effects on sleep, and thus curbing them can help insomnia.
3.Switch to non-alcoholic drinks like raspberry limeade
4. Include the following foods before bedtime to enhance sleep quality: Almonds, walnuts, turkey, chamomile tea, passion flower tea, milk, white rice, oatmeal, cottage cheese, bananas, kiwi, tart cherry juice and fatty fish.
Sleep meditation or Yoga Nidra (in Sanskrit) is a technique that produces a state of deep relaxation while being awake and alert.
It is a holistic approach to achieving a relaxed mind and body.
The difference between being asleep and sleep meditation is that during the former’s REM stage, our consciousness is suspended and the latter is a mind-calming practice where you are conscious.
Some popular methods of sleep medication include mindfulness meditation, concentration meditation, and guided meditation.
Hypnosis can be a good thing for promoting sleep.
It is a nonpharmacological approach that involves a state of changed mental activity after an induction procedure encompassing a state of focused absorption and attention.
Slow wave sleep plays a vital role in body restoration and promotes brain plasticity.
A study demonstrates that hypnosis is effective in increasing slow wave sleep and might be a successful tool with lower side effects to extend SWS in elderly and clinical populations.
Individuals with a certain genetic mutation tend to have deeper and more intense sleep than the rest.
A study has identified two genes- salt-inducible kinase 3 (SIK3) and sodium leak channel non-selective (Nalcn) that play a vital role in REM and NREM sleep.
Genes affect your sleep pattern, and it is estimated that there might be around six different kinds of insomnia associated with genetic factors.
Insomnia has been associated with the occurrence of specific variants on chromosome 7 and chromosome 9 among individuals of European descent.
Consume these healthy foods that help you fall asleep easier:
Xcode Life Gene Sleep Report analyzes genetic variants for several sleep disorders and sleep-associated conditions.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease which affects about 1.5 million individuals in the United States.
It occurs when a person's immune system that normally functions by attacking foreign substances such as bacteria & viruses, mistakenly attacks the joints and creates inflammation.
The tissues lining inside the joints start to thicken which results in pain and swelling around the joints.
When the inflammation goes unchecked, it damages the cartilages covering the ends of the bones.
Over time, it results in complete loss of cartilage, causing pain in the joints and thus affecting mobility.
Such damage to the joints cannot be reversed but when diagnosed early, aggressive treatments may help.
Joint pain and stiffness are the main signs of RA.
There are a few warning signs, especially those specific to joint pain that is indicative of RA, particularly if either or both joints are affected.
Given below is a list of some warning signs of RA:
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RA is an autoimmune disease caused by the body's immune system mistakenly attacking the healthy body tissue.
Various theories attempt to explain why the immune system starts to attack the joints, although none have been proved.
The following are some of the risk factors for RA:
Genes: There's evidence that RA can run in the families but the risk of inheriting it is thought to be low since genes are only thought to play a very small role.
Hormone: RA is more prevalent in women than men, which indicates the role of estrogen hormone (although this association has not been proven yet)
There is also some evidence that smoking increases the risk of RA.
Rheumatoid factor test is a blood test primarily used to diagnose RA.
Rheumatoid factors are the proteins synthesized by the immune system which attacks healthy tissues in the body in the blood.
The amount of rheumatoid factors in the blood is measured by the rheumatoid factor test.
During the test, a small sample of blood is drawn from a vein in one's arms and sent to the laboratory for getting tested.
A positive rheumatoid factor test result indicates that the level of rheumatoid factor in the blood is high.
But it is important to note that for some people with RA, the levels of rheumatoid factor in the blood might be low; it might also be high in some healthy people without the disease.
A high rheumatoid factor level is associated with rheumatoid arthritis and a number of other diseases like cancer, sarcoidosis, chronic infections, Sjogren's syndrome, lupus, etc.
Due to the vast number of unpredictable variables involved in RA, the life expectancy of an affected person can be difficult to calculate.
Research emphasizes that it is not the disease itself that reduces a patient's life expectancy, but it is the varying complications which can shorten the life expectancy.
It can sometimes cause respiratory and cardiovascular conditions that might lead to a shortened lifespan and eventually even become fatal.
In general, it is believed that RA shortens life expectancy by about 10-15 years.
The symptoms of RA usually come and go, and might progress over a period of weeks or months.
Fatigue is the first sign of RA and is usually experienced before the onset of other symptoms.
Fatigue could be accompanied by depression or a feeling of ill health.
One could also experience morning stiffness, joint stiffness, joint pain, fever, minor joint swelling, decrease in range of motion, numbness & tingling, weight loss, difficulty in sleeping, dry mouth, loss of appetite, eye discharge, etc during the early stages of development of the disease.
There isn't any known cure for RA currently.
A healthy diet, appropriate rest, regular physical activity and stress management can help improve the quality of life among RA patients.
OTC medications and complementary treatments are also available for relieving pain and reducing inflammation.
Let’s take a look at some of the options:
Most commonly, arthritis usually starts between ages 30-50. However, it might be surprising to learn that individuals of any age including children can get arthritis.
Younger people who suffer joint pain, swelling or stiffness might not even consider arthritis to be the cause.
At the end stage of RA, the inflammatory process stops and joints cease to function altogether.
The main symptoms of this stage are pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of mobility.
Usually, people with RA have little to no family history of it.
Many of the genetic areas that are linked to RA are also associated with other autoimmune diseases like lupus, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.
However, the following two genes are reported to be involved with the development of RA:
The HLA-DRB1 gene: The strongest known genetic risk factor associated with an increased risk for developing RA.
It has been observed that those who possess variants of this gene and also smoke might be at a higher risk of developing RA.
The PTPN22 gene: Though there isn't much clarity about how this gene predisposes one to autoimmune diseases, it is known to be linked to a stronger likelihood of developing RA.
RA typically begins in an insidious manner with signs and symptoms developing slowly over weeks to months.
The patients notice stiffness in joints usually accompanied by pain while moving and tenderness in the joints.
From time to time, patients experience symptoms developing in multiple joints within 24-48 hours.
In another pattern of development, the patients might experience swelling in either or both the joints which may last for a few days to weeks and then completely disappear to return later in some other joints in such a way that it gets worse over time.
If left untreated, one could experience unfortunate outcomes such as chronic pain, disability, and excess mortality.
About 80-85% of cases could experience joint damage and untreated patients are twice as likely to die compared to normal people their age.
The disease is also associated with higher risks for anemia, lymphoma, osteoporosis, and depression.
RA can cause pain, swelling, and deformity.
Symmetric pain in multiple joints is a typical symptom of RA and is the symptom that differentiates it from other types of arthritis.
One might feel pain in both left and right hands, knees and/or wrists.
Joint pains can range from mild to moderate or even severe.
It can sometimes feel like a sprain or a broken bone.
Certain areas of one's body might even get painful to touch.
Apart from pain, RA also causes stiffness in the joints that are affected, which can make mobility difficult.
Gout is the most painful type of arthritis which causes intense pain, swelling, and joint stiffness.
This kind of arthritis is caused by excess uric acid in the bloodstream which crystallizes, causing inflammatory arthritis in the joints that leads to pain.
The following are the triggers of RA flare-up:
Although RA and fibromyalgia share some symptoms, they are both unrelated and have different causes.
While fibromyalgia causes pain, stiffness, and tenderness in connective tissues and muscles throughout the body, RA causes pain, swelling, and tenderness in joints.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic neurological condition, whereas, RA is an autoimmune condition.
Diet plays a vital role in many chronic conditions like RA and it is important that individuals suffering from RA get adequate vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to help relieve symptoms and lower their risks of complications.
Vitamin D is especially important for RA patients since certain RA medications could put them at risk of vitamin D deficiencies that might lead to other complications.
Since RA is an autoimmune disorder, vitamin D which plays an important role in the immune system might help.
It can also help reduce inflammation.
It is recommended that RA patients get their vitamin D levels checked and take supplements if required.
Other vitamins that help RA patients are:
Vitamin E potent antioxidants that decrease damage to the linings of joints and reduces pain and swelling.
Folic acid & bromelain that have anti-inflammatory & pain-relieving properties.
It has been identified that RA patients should follow a certain diet that includes certain foods which can help control inflammation.
Omega-3 containing fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, anchovies can reduce a couple of inflammatory proteins like C-reactive proteins (CRPs) and interleukin-6.
Anti-oxidant rich fruits & vegetables like blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries, spinach, broccoli, and kale can support the immune system to fight inflammation.
Monounsaturated fat-rich nuts and seeds such as walnuts, pine nuts, almonds, and pistachios helps fight inflammation and can also help reduce weight since they're rich in protein and fiber.
Pinto, black and red kidney and garbanzo varieties of beans that contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.
Onions are rich in beneficial antioxidants which may reduce inflammation and reduce bad cholesterol.
Fibers can lower CRPs that are responsible for inflammation.
Carotenoid-rich foods like carrots, peppers, etc also lower CRP.
Tomatoes are often thought to make arthritis worse.
This is because it produces a toxin called Solanine which is believed to cause inflammation, swelling and joint pain.
However, there is no known relationship that exists between tomato consumption and arthritis pain.
Bananas being a rich source of vitamin B-6, folates and vitamin-C can help arthritis patients by aiding the production of collagen that serves as a building block for joints.
They also help in the eradication of joint-destroying free radicals that increase the body's intake of B vitamins that might be depleted by the inflammation caused by arthritis.
However, some websites caution that bananas should be avoided as it aggravates arthritis.
Although coffee contains antioxidant polyphenols and is believed to protect against gout, it is also believed that it can increase one's risk for osteoporosis. Thus, it is best to follow the thumb rule of consuming in moderation (not more than a couple of cups daily).
Living with RA can be like a rollercoaster ride when symptoms get suddenly good or extremely worse.
There are certain foods, activities or situations that can trigger the symptoms and understanding them can help manage RA.
Some of these triggers include:
Various treatment options are available for inflammatory joint diseases like medications (NSAIDs, corticosteroids, biologic therapy, and narcotic pain relievers), rest, exercise and surgery to correct joint damage.
The prescribed treatment option will depend on factors such as the type of arthritis, the patient's age, medications taken, medical history, overall health, and severity of symptoms.
Studies suggest that MS diagnosis increases the likelihood of a subsequent diagnosis of RA in patients independent of attributes like age, gender and smoking history.
The findings also suggest that the pain associated with RA limit mobility, physical activity and disrupt normal activity in MS patients.
Also, depression and anxiety that are more prevalent in MS lead to higher disease activity, subclinical atherosclerosis, and mortality in RA patients.
Thus co-occurrence of these two conditions might represent a disease entity that might require aggressive treatment.
RA increases one's risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
Although RA is a kind of arthritis affecting joints, it is also a chronic autoimmune disease that promotes the release of cytokines that spreads inflammation throughout the body.
Inflammation can increase the production and deposition of amyloid proteins- that are responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.
It is also suggested that both RA and Alzheimer's require an environmental trigger for genetic predisposition.
A specific cytokine- tumor necrosis factor alpha contributes to both the inflammatory process of RA as well as the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Both celiac disease and RA are autoimmune diseases that share comparable environmental influences and associated antibodies.
Pathophysiologically, both of them are mediated by endogenous enzymes in the target organs and both of them share multiple non-HLA loci - the genes that are important for activating and regulating adaptive and innate immunity.
RA can cause chronic joint pain and affect other organs like the lungs and cause severe breathing problems.
Also, using anti-inflammatory medication can increase a person's risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis.
Although the link between RA and cystic fibrosis isn't fully understood, it is estimated that about 40% of RA patients have pulmonary fibrosis.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/causes/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20205741
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4937922/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26190704
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The literal meaning of the word ‘misophonia’ is hatred to sound.
If the sound of a dripping tap, the clicking of a pen or chewing makes an individual irritated or induces panic, then he/she is said to be suffering from a condition called misophonia.
However, this condition is different from hyperacusis where a sound is perceived or heard much louder and more painfully than it actually is.
Other sounds that can trigger or tick-off a misophonic person is the tapping of a pencil, tapping of feet, sneezing, loud breathing, etc.
If you answered yes to the above question, you most likely suffer from a condition known as misophonia.
Individuals with this brain abnormality hate sound like that of chewing, loud breathing, tapping, etc.
Some individuals are aversive to or scared of loud noises, including their own voice.
This condition is known as phonophobia or sonophobia.
This is a rare condition and often occurs as a result of hyperacusis.
Similar to OCD, misophonia presents itself differently in each individual, however, misophonia is not a type of OCD.
There might be an overlap between the two conditions, but there isn’t enough evidence to show that misophonia is a type of OCD.
Misophonia is not classified under auditory or psychiatric (mental illness) conditions.
For this reason, it is not the same as phonophobia, which is the fear of sound.
There is very little research done on the incidence, how common it is or what treatments can be given for this condition.
In individuals who suffer from misophonia, the sound of pens clicking, chewing, slurping, etc act as trigger sounds and elicit an immediate response from them.
Researchers at Newcastle University reported changes in the frontal lobe of the brain in people who suffered from misophonia.
The brain imaging revealed that people with this condition have some abnormality in the emotional control mechanism of the brain that causes them to go into overdrive when they hear trigger sounds.
The researchers also found an alternate connectivity pattern to the frontal lobe which is the origin of this brain activity.
The trigger sounds increased the heart rate and also caused sweating in those suffering from the condition.
Till date, there is no proven way to treat misophonia.
However, there are several therapies being used to reduce the symptoms and increase the tolerance of individuals to trigger noises.
Though there is no proper treatment for misophonia, there are a few therapies that have been used to successfully treat patients suffering from it.
One such therapy is Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), that involves training people on how to improve their tolerance to certain trigger noises.
Another type of therapy is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), that trains people to control negative thoughts which may be acting as a contributing factor to their suffering.
Some people prefer the use of fans and other ‘white noise’ devices behind their ears to generate a constant background sound so that they can avoid hearing any trigger noises.
Deconditioning people and reinforcing them with positive thoughts is also a suggested method of therapy.
Medication has also been suggested as a method to treat misophonia. These include medicines that treat anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), a person with a disability is one who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
When you think of misophonia and the workplace together, it can be considered to be a disability.
This is where people spend most of their day.
The workplace has multiple trigger sounds like the clicking of keyboards and mouses, constant chatter, pens clicking, the sound of marker pens on the board, etc.
Therefore misophonia can be categorized under mental disabilities.
Individuals suffering from misophonia have certain specific trigger sounds that they are sensitive to.
Each person has their own personal trigger sounds and these form a central fact of their life.
Hearing a trigger sound causes these affected individuals to generate an involuntary response that could be irritation, anger, rage, hatred, or disgust.
The common trigger sounds include:
In some cases, the sound triggers are preceded by visual or tactile triggers like the jaw movement before chewing or touching a keyboard before typing, etc.
While one of the methods to help subdue misophonia may seem to be hearing sounds above the trigger sounds, this might not be a good idea after all.
Trigger sounds are already irritating, obnoxious and troublesome to those with misophonia.
Listening to sounds in itself is a difficult task for such people. So, blocking sounds using earphones and music in the ears is only going to make misophonia worse.
This has been proved using the fact that we have a ‘central auditory gain’.
This means that the hearing centers in our brain increase the loudness of sound within it to make up for the perceived hearing loss.
So, if the brain is unable to hear the sound well, it will try to intensify the sound within it.
This happens at several levels and can increase one’s sensitivity to trigger sounds. In these cases, misophonia gets worse.
Sensitivity to noise is termed as hyperacusis in medicine.
It occurs due to a problem in the way the brain’s central auditory processing centers understands or perceives the sounds.
An individual with hyperacusis finds it difficult to tolerate even everyday noises as they tend to become too loud and painful for them.
The same thing occurs in misophonia, which is a type of selective noise sensitivity.
Misophonia is quite a common disease. However, it has not been documented too well because it is often misdiagnosed.
It is said to affect about 15-20% of adults, and is more common and severe in women as compared to men.
Misophonia is more common in women.
About 15-20% of adults suffer from the condition and the condition is more common in individuals with European ancestry.
These few facts are strong indicators of the fact that misophonia has a genetic component.
A variant near the gene TENM2, which plays a role in brain development is suspected to be the culprit.
Synesthesia is a phenomenon of perception in which stimulating one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic and involuntary experiences in another sensory or cognitive pathway.
Synesthesia is of two types:
Misophonia has been strongly linked with synesthesia in terms of connectivity between different brain regions and specific symptoms.
It is hypothesized that a pathological distortion of connections between the auditory cortex and limbic structures could cause a type of sound synesthesia.
In some cases, the link between touch and emotions can take an extreme turn. Touching a material can induce extreme disgust, the need to vomit, contentment, etc.
That’s life for people with tactile-emotional synesthesia, a mysterious condition in which seemingly arbitrary textures can be enough to make someone laugh or cry.
Emotional synesthesia is among the rarest forms of synesthesia or at least one of the most sparsely studied.
It’s possible that the insular cortex, which regulates emotion, may never have been fully pruned from the somatosensory cortex, which processes touch, hence bringing about this condition.
Misophonia is a neurological condition where certain ‘trigger’ noises can elicit or cause negative, involuntary reactions from an affected individual such as irritation, disgust, rage, or anger.
On the other hand, there is a condition known as Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response or ASMR, where sound can create a euphoric, happy or a relaxed feeling.
ASMR is said to be the exact opposite of what misophonia is. However, there is not much scientific research on both conditions.
TRT is one of the many ways to manage a case of misophonia.
The therapy works on two aspects:
It uses external sounds to mask the internal sounds that an individual is hearing.
This helps divert the mind and the individual feels better.
In this part of the therapy, the individual’s mind is trained to ignore or avoid any unwanted sounds.
There are multiple ways and levels at which sound therapy can be offered.
This part of the therapy helps manage the emotional aspect of misophonia.
This forms an equally important part of the treatment because the tinnitus or trigger noises elicit emotional responses like anger, anxiety, and depression.
It can be delivered as a one-on-one basis, in groups, at a clinic or on the phone.
The cognitive behavioral therapy involves educating the patient about the condition, his or her personal trigger points, how to develop healthy lifestyle choices to mitigate symptoms, etc.
There is currently no conclusive research that has been performed that categorizes misophonia as a sensory disorder.
While sensory disorders cause an individual to have sensitivity in more than one sense, misophonia falls only under the auditory domain.
Individuals with autism have many varying symptoms, due to which autism is actually known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
One of the main characteristics of an individual with autism is that they are sensitive to sound, touch, light or communication.
But, any sensitivity to noises cannot be called as a sign of autism as it can be seen with other conditions and disorders like phonophobia, misophonia, etc.
Yes, in many cases, misophonics suffer from panic attacks when they hear trigger sounds and are unable to control their emotional outbreak.
There are many methods people use to ignore noises. Some of them are:
Misophonia is selective sound sensitivity, where the individual gets agitated, or angry when an individual hears certain sounds.
Sound sensitivity, on the other hand, is common to many conditions like OCD, bipolar disorders, multiple sclerosis, autism, etc.
There is a clear overlap of symptoms that makes diagnosis confusing in the case of misophonia.
However, misophonia can be, in some cases, an overlapping symptom of anxiety.
ASMR or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response is actually an experience that is described as a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin, beginning at the scalp and moving down the back of the neck and upper part of the spine.
It creates a calming or relaxing sensation that spreads throughout the body.
Some people also describe this as a low-grade euphoria that is a combination of positive feelings and tingling sensation on the skin.
It is triggered commonly by specific visual or auditory stimuli.
ASMR is pleasant, calming yet tingling feeling one experiences when he/she hears unique voices or sounds like tapping, scratching, whispering, etc.
This tingling feeling begins at the back of the head and travels down through the spine and spreads across the entire body, relaxing you and making you feel happy and optimistic.
ASMR has many trigger factors that are responsible for eliciting a response from the brain in an affected individual, which can be auditory or visual. Some of these trigger factors include:
Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a condition characterized by elevated levels of ‘bad’ or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
This condition occurs in nearly 1 in 500 individuals.
According to the European Atherosclerosis Society, there is a 13 fold increased risk of coronary heart disease for people with FH.
What’s more? Nearly 90% of FH patients remain undiagnosed!
Cholesterol is a precursor for many molecules like vitamin D, bile acids, and even steroid hormones.
It forms the lipid component of cell membranes, aiding in stabilizing, and maintaining the integrity of the membrane.
Nearly one-fifth of circulating cholesterol is from the diet consumed.
High intake of cholesterol-rich foods increases serum cholesterol levels temporarily, with a reduction in levels after about seven hours.
Cholesterol is synthesized primarily in the liver, intestines, adrenal gland, and in the reproductive organs.
LDL particles transport cholesterol from the liver to the extremities, while HDL particles transport cholesterol from the extremities back to the liver, where it is removed from the body.
The genes associated with familial hypercholesterolemia are LDLR, which codes for the LDL receptor, APOB that codes for apolipoprotein B100, and PCSK9 genes that code for proprotein convertase subtilisin/Kexin type 9, which promotes intracellular degradation by binding to LDLR.
80% of FH incidences are due to variations in the LDLR genes, followed by variations in the APOB and PCSK9 genes.
Xcode Life's Gene Health Report provides information about familial hypercholesterolemia.
An understanding of risk will help in the initiation of therapeutic strategies that can lower risk.
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Upload your 23andme, Ancestry DNA, or FTDNA raw data to find out if you have the genetic variants associated with increased risk of familial hypercholesterolemia.
There is a complex relationship between genes and the environment with factors like diet and lifestyle also playing a role in the outcome.
Therefore, the information obtained from your health genetic report can be used to tailor diet and lifestyle to lower the risk of diseases.
The health report should be interpreted only by a qualified health care practitioner.
This report generated using raw data from ancestry tests and has limitations.
Only an exome report is clinically certified to diagnose disease conditions.
Xcode Life Gene Health Report currently offers 50+ reports spanning 700+ health-related categories.
