Tag: inflammation

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Health

Infrared sauna..health effects?

This question from a reader prompted me to investigate use of infrared as a treatment for inflammation, pain and autoimmune diseases.

Here’s what I found…

Mayo Clinic describes infrared saunas as being similar in function to heat saunas: regular heat saunas warm the body by producing heat in the air around the body; infrared saunas produce warmth directly, generating heat in the tissues (similar to the way longer wavelength microwaves heat food). They report these treatments are considered safe, with no reports of adverse effects.

While we are all familiar with light emitting diodes (or LEDs) in our TVs and lightbulbs, infrared-LEDs (or IR-LEDs) emit light in a specific wavelength that is longer than visible red light – somewhere in the range of 800-1000 nanometers (nm). Infrared rays are invisible to humans but sometimes appear red due to a small amount of red or orange wavelength light being also emitted.

Infrared light waves can penetrate the skin up to 3 – 4 cm, depending on the wavelength and power intensity of the LED. While the IR-LED does not feel warm on the skin (or only slightly warm), it generates heat in and below the surface of the skin. Users will usually describe sweating during use.

In addition to generating heat, studies have found that IR-LEDs reduce “mediators of inflammation”, substances that the body produces to create and sustain the inflammatory process. Infrared LEDs also dilate blood vessels. They are used in medicine to reduce edema (swelling caused by increased fluid in the tissues), reduce production and movement of inflammatory substances, and to accelerate skin and connective tissue healing.

Studies have demonstrated increased healing rates of 25-35% post-surgery and similar rates of improvement in soft tissue injury, such as sprains. IR-LEDs have also been shown to decrease pain and increase range of movement in injuries with no bone involvement, such as tennis elbow.

Many diseases of aging, for example rheumatoid arthritis, involve production of inflammatory substances that have been shown to be reduced by IR-LED irradiation, suggesting a potential use in these diseases. Animal studies suggest IR-LED may also improve healing of nerve lesions but, as of the publication of the articles I found, additional study was still needed.

Infrared-LEDs are available as small portable units as well as complete saunas. The technology is considered very safe to use, with the exception of early pregnancy when no saunas of any type are recommended (increased body temperature can be harmful to the baby). I would expect heat therapy would be safe for small area treatment, such as a joint, with a hand-held unit but best, as always, to check with your doctor first.

Regarding IR-LED use in autoimmune diseases, the focus of the question I received, there didn’t seem to be as much research available. Infrared-LED seems to be primarily recommended for inflammatory diseases: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, chronic muscle and joint pain, poor digestion and anger/depression (although no mechanism was given for these last two actions). Infrared saunas are recommended for those with increased blood pressure who wish to use a sauna. They cause a temporary reduction in pressure due to dilation of blood vessels, as compared to heat saunas that raise blood pressure when used.

Only one reference I found (blog by physician Amy Myers) referred to autoimmune action. She described many of the benefits of infrared LED as being produced by vasodilation and increased blood circulation to the area. She also described differences in various wavelengths of infrared radiation:

  • Near-infrared (shorter wavelength) – best for wound healing and improving immune function

  • Middle-infrared – ideal for increasing circulation and promoting muscle relaxation

  • Far-infrared (longer wavelength) – mainly for detoxification

I would expect that one would need to use a sauna-style of near infrared LED to expose the entire body to achieve immune effects. A hand-held unit could be used when only a small area needs to be treated for pain or inflammation.

It is recommended to use IR-LED for 5 to 30 minutes, with one source recommending no longer than 20 minutes per session. Sessions can be repeated several times daily, however. The effect is considered useful for temporary relief when used for pain and inflammation.

Bottom line…

For pain and inflammation, infrared-LED can be useful but would be expected to give subtle improvements. There does not yet appear to be a lot of scientific study for its use in autoimmune disease but it is safe and not extremely expensive for those who want to try it. For relaxation or detoxification (produced by sweating), infrared saunas would function similarly to heat saunas.

Healthy Aging Review 2015

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Health

Increase in child inflammatory disease

Recent reports in the news discussed a significant increase in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Canadian children…7.5% each year between 1999 and 2010. IBD most commonly begins around age 20, and in the past has almost never been seen in children less than 5 years old. But now, even babies are being diagnosed with it. So, what is happening?

IBD is a group of diseases that include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These are lifelong diseases with no cure… medications only control and reduce the symptoms to a varying extent, depending on the individual patient’s response. Those affected experience recurring bouts of abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea and severe fatigue.

Almost 250,000 cases have been diagnosed in Canada, and 10,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. The cause is vaguely described as likely being a combination of hereditary and environmental factors that trigger the immune system to malfunction and attack the digestive system. As well as genetics and environment, vitamin D and gut bacteria have been proposed as being involved in the cause.

Lack of vitamin D has been linked to increased inflammation and pain. In northern countries like Canada, insufficient sunshine is available to enable production of adequate vitamin D during the winter months, putting people at increased risk of deficiency.

As well, babies under 6 months are recommended to be kept out of sunlight and to be protected with sunscreens after 6 months of age. Since breast milk does not contain adequate vitamin D and without sun exposure babies are unlikely to produce adequate amounts of their own vitamin D, supplementation of 400iu per day is recommended.

During birth and early life, babies are exposed to their mothers’ bacterial flora. With antibiotic use, however, good bacteria are destroyed along with the infectious bacteria, so mothers do not always have the ideal bacteria to share with their infants.

In my previous blog reviewing the book Bacteria for Breakfast, I discussed how the type of bacteria in our digestive system can influence the function of the immune system. It seems to me that correcting the balance of bacteria in the digestive system should be part of the basic treatment for any autoimmune disease…or a strategy for prevention.

Standard treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, however, tend to ignore the environmental factors that might prevent the disease if avoided or changed…instead they focus on which elements of the immune system can be blocked by drugs to reduce the inflammatory response in the bowel. Since they don’t correct the underlying problem, these drugs are needed lifelong to control symptoms…certainly more lucrative than finding and correcting the underlying cause. Perhaps this is the reason researchers are not addressing the root of the immune malfunction.

However, you don’t need a prescription to replace vitamin D or try probiotics. Both are safe to take, even for young children, as long as recommended daily amounts of vitamin D are used. Specially formulated versions of vitamin D and probiotics are available for children and even for young babies.

With an increase in an inflammatory disease like IBD and other immune dysfunction conditions such as allergies, perhaps gut bacterial health and vitamin D status will be given greater consideration in childcare recommendations, and will become an increased focus of research for possible causes of the increase of inflammatory diseases in children.

The role of inflammation in chronic diseases is an area of current study for me and in upcoming blogs I plan to address this topic further…sign up for my mailing list if you’d like to receive notice of these postings!

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Book review Health

Bacteria for Breakfast, Probiotics for Good Health – A book review

Did you know that at least 90% of our bodies’ cells are not human? They are bacteria that live mostly in our digestive system (about 3 pounds worth!), as well as on our skin, in the lungs, and within the urinary and genital tracts.

These are “good” bacteria that help prevent disease by reducing growth of “bad” bacteria that can cause harm. These good bacteria also produce some nutrients that we need, help digest our food, provide energy in the form of short chain fatty acids, and stimulate our immune systems. And, just being there in sufficient numbers, they crowd out other bacteria that could cause us harm. The make-up of this bacterial flora varies from person to person, and may account for our variable risks for certain diseases.

Pharmacist, Dr. Kelly Dowhower Karpa, wrote Bacteria for Breakfast, Probiotics for Good Health after using probiotics (supplements of good bacteria) to cure her 2-year-old son’s infection of C. Difficile bacteria that was resistant to all antibiotics that his doctors tried. She did extensive research into how these good bacteria keep us healthy before beginning to write and, although some parts of her book are quite technical with explanations designed to answer questions doctors may have, the book is written for the general public. The goal of her book is to educate patients themselves, and to enable them to discuss their gut health with physicians. I will present a brief overview of some of the topics she discusses.

The book focuses on bacteria that live in our digestive systems, from the mouth where they prevent bad breath and dental cavities that can be caused by unfavourable bacteria, to the intestines where imbalances can promote inflammatory diseases. It explains how the stomach is designed to produce acid that kills bacteria that may be in our food but when acid is chronically suppressed with commonly used medications, such as Zantac, Losec (Prilosec), Nexium, etc., or is naturally reduced these bacteria are more likely to survive and the risk of gut infections is increased.

Food allergies can occur when overgrowth of bacteria damages the lining of the bowel, allowing undigested food particles to pass through into the blood stream, triggering allergic reactions to these large proteins that are not normally found in blood (termed “leaky gut syndrome”). This “leakiness” is also associated with inflammation, severe infection, organ failure and even death. Wide-spread activation of the immune system can lead to inflammation, severe allergies, asthma, eczema and even anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic response).

The incidence of these immune-related conditions has exploded in the past 50 years, suggesting non-genetic factors are involved. Two major changes are increased hygiene resulting in less exposure to various bacteria, and change in diet with more sterile pre-packaged food and less fresh, fermented and dried foods that would contain various bacteria. Our first exposure to bacteria usually occurs during birth, when passing through the birth canal, so babies born by Cesarian Section do not receive this initial dose of good bacteria and sometimes never develop an ideal gut flora. As well, if the mother has a less than ideal balance of bacteria, then this is what is passed on to the baby.

The effect of our bacterial flora can easily be seen in changes in the daily elimination function of the bowel. After treatment with a course of antibiotics, which kill healthy bacteria along with the infectious bacteria being treated, bowel function often changes with development of either diarrhea or constipation that can be corrected with supplements of good bacteria (probiotics). You may have noticed a difference in your digestion after eating fermented foods that still contain live bacteria. Chronic constipation that is resistant to various laxatives or returns as soon as the laxative is discontinued, will also sometimes respond to a course of probiotics. Keep in mind that probiotic supplements generally contain much more bacteria than you would get in foods like yoghurt, and might be preferred when trying to correct a serious imbalance in gut bacteria.

Dr. Karpa also explains an additional hypothesis for how bacteria may increase our risk for disease in detail with supporting evidence from studies. Although complex, I will try to explain this briefly…

The gastrointestinal tract is considered to be the largest immune system organ, and it communicates with the immune system throughout the body by producing immune particles called cytokines. Good bacteria activate the immune system, by stimulating production of cytokines that create a low-level inflammation. Some of these cytokines also enable production of the thick layer of mucous that protects the cells that line our digestive system. Still other cytokines are produced that limit the amount of inflammation that is created.

If we do not have the correct balance of cytokine-producing bacteria, we could be missing the protective mucous layer (allowing damage to occur in the intestinal wall with resulting leakage of undigested food proteins), we could be lacking enough stimulation of the immune system (leading to poor protection against common infections) or we could become less able to block excessive inflammation (leading to autoimmune diseases like allergies, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.). The book cites many examples of improvement in chronic health conditions with adequate supplementation of probiotics (or good bacteria) and explains in detail how changes in gut flora are connected with various health conditions.

Disturbed gut flora has been described as potentially playing a critical role in the development of various autoimmune diseases (where the body’s immune system attacks an organ system) such as:

  • Inflammatory bowel disease

  • Type 1 diabetes

  • Rheumatoid arthritis

  • Hashimoto’s Disease (thyroiditis)

The book also briefly describes the benefit that some patients experience by also adding pancreatic enzymes or plant enzymes to help digest food, leading to a reduction in food allergies presumably by increasing the breakdown of proteins they contain. This might be another avenue to discuss with your physician if you have chronic severe food allergies.

As a pharmacist, I believe it is preferable to prevent disease or to treat the root cause, if possible, rather than to simply control the symptoms. I think this is why I found this subject fascinating and wanted to share a little of this information with you.

Other recent research I have stumbled across, suggests that gut bacteria may also be associated with changes in the frontal lobe of the brain that could be associated with autism or schizophrenia. Another report suggests a possible association between gut bacteria and the ability to create the protective myelin sheath (the covering that insulates nerve cells) that is destroyed in degenerative nerve diseases like Multiple Sclerosis. Probiotics have even been noted to increase the beneficial effect of vaccines. So you can easily see that many problems may originate with imbalances in the digestive system’s bacteria, and research continues to look for these associations and how they occur.

If you are interested in reading further, here is information on the book I have reviewed:

Bacteria for Breakfast; Probiotics for Good Health, Dr. Kelly Dowhower Karpa, Trafford Publishing, ISBN 1-4120-0925-0.