dysbiosis – Naturally Inspiring

November 4, 2024

Fibromyalgia: a Mystery Disease?

What is Fibromyalgia and who does it affect?

Could you imagine waking up every day with pain that never goes away? That is the reality many fibromyalgia sufferers experience in their everyday lives. Fibromyalgia is from the Latin word fiber (fiber) and the Greek words myo (muscle) and algos (pain). These root words offer a glimpse into what fibromyalgia is and how it causes suffering. It is a pain of the fibrous tissues and muscle in the human body. While anyone of any background regardless of race or ethnicity can get fibromyalgia, it typically affects women more than men (NIH, 2024). You are more likely to develop fibromyalgia as you age, and if a family member has fibromyalgia. There are cases of children and young adults having fibromyalgia, but it usually occurs in middle-aged women (Erdrich et al., 2023).

Around 2 to 4% of adults live with the challenges of fibromyalgia (Stewart, 2022). They wake up, feeling exhausted, struggling to get through daily tasks, and facing unpredictable flare-ups. This chronic condition, along with many other symptoms mentioned can affect your mental health, sleep and cognitive issues like brain fog, chronic headaches, and memory impairment. In addition, It can also make you more at risk for depression and anxiety by more than 50% (Freirich et al., 2021). Figure 1(A) displays many of the possible or common symptoms that sufferers of fibromyalgia have. The National Institute of Health has a great page about fibromyalgia, including its symptoms, causes and an overview.

October 25, 2024November 5, 2024

Could drinking this yogurt beverage daily decrease Polycystic Ovary Syndrome symptoms?

Background

5 to 6 million American women live with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). According to the endocrine society, PCOS affects 7–10% of women of childbearing age and is the most common cause of infertility (Solorzano et al., 2022). PCOS is characterized by consistent inflammation, an irregular menstrual cycle, an excess production of male hormones, cysts formed on the ovaries (which cause pain in the uterine area), and dysbiosis. Dysbiosis is defined by an imbalance in bacterial makeup, changes in bacterial metabolic activities, or changes in distribution of bacteria within the gut. It is involved in the process by which many diseases develop or progress (“pathogenesis”). There are three types of dysbiosis according to a study in an Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) journal: 1) Loss of beneficial bacteria, 2) Overgrowth of potentially pathogenic bacteria, and 3) Loss of overall number of species of bacteria (DeGruttola et al., 2016).

October 25, 2024November 6, 2024

Is city life giving our kids Asthma?

Have you ever wondered why so many people nowadays seem to suffer chronic illnesses and conditions? Have you ever heard a grandparent say “Back in my day, nobody had inhalers”? It would seem as though despite the medical advances we’ve made, we are only getting sicker. As you probably know, humans are full of bacteria and living organisms. Microbes are becoming a hot topic with lots of talk about how these organisms affect our overall health. The communities of bacteria that inhabit our bodies are known as the human microbiome. Now, you might be pondering about the connection between bacteria and chronic illnesses. Fear not, for in this post we will explore the fascinating world of the human microbiome.