Schizophrenia is a very serious mental condition in which people have an abnormal or skewed perception of reality. Those with schizophrenia often experience hallucinations, delusions, and a cognitive impairment that hinders their ability to perform day-to-day functions. The disorder is typically diagnosed in men in their mid-20s and in women in their late 20s.
There is no known cause of schizophrenia, but scientists hypothesize problems with naturally occurring chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine and glutamate, may contribute to the disorder. In fact, Australian researchers in 2019 found a link between schizophrenia and a blocked pathway for glutamate in the brain, a link that inhibits brain nerve cell communication.
Asthma: Inflaming the Lungs
Inflammation plays an important role in the everyday functioning of the lungs. Think of all the bacteria, viruses, dust, and everything else floating through the air, and then think of yourself breathing it in. Small amounts of inflammation are at work throughout the day battling these particles, creating and using an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) to aid in breaking down the pollutants.
The lungs of people with asthma, however, overreact to these particles. The immune system mass-produces the IgE antibodies, which then attach to something called mast cells. Each time someone with asthma inhales the offending particles, the antibodies lock onto the invaders and cause the mast cells to release histamine and leukotrienes, which irritate the lining of the airways. The irritation causes the airways to spasm and constrict, making breathing difficult; the harder the person tries to breathe, the more irritated and constricted the airways become.
Atopy, or IgE reactions, is the greatest predisposing factor to developing asthma. Many people with asthma also have sensitivity to sulfites, which are found in certain foods and are used in wine-making and preserving dried fruit.
Asthma can be caused by a variety of factors that result in airway inflammation, and triggers for asthma attacks may be allergic or nonallergic. Allergic asthma, or extrinsic asthma, is triggered by allergens. Nonallergic asthma, or intrinsic asthma, can be triggered by anything but is not considered an allergic reaction.
Allergic triggers include the following:
Cat or dog hair and saliva
Dust mites, mold, or spores
Pollen
Nonallergic triggers include the following:
Smoke, smog, fumes
Natural gas, cooking fuel
Exercise
Viral respiratory infections
Weather changes, such as exposure to cold air
Disrupting Your Digestive System
Inflammation steps in when the digestive tract goes askew, whether it’s because something has physically injured the tract or you’ve eaten your way to trouble. Sometimes the inflammation takes the form of a mild stomach issue such as diarrhea or constipation, and other times it can lead to something much more serious.
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which are inflammation-related diseases that affect the colon and small intestines. In both conditions, parts of the digestive tract — also known as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract — become inflamed and create problems with digestion:
Crohn’s disease: Crohn’s disease causes inflammation anywhere along the GI tract and can spread into the layers of bowel tissue. It can cause inflammation in several areas of the tract at once, leaving healthy bowel trapped between two segments of diseased bowel.Researchers believe Crohn’s disease is a result of the body’s immune system creating an inflammatory response to misidentified invaders, building a protective area against certain foods. What results is abdominal pain and diarrhea as the body attempts to rid itself of the invaders. Other symptoms of Crohn’s disease include rectal bleeding, weight loss, fatigue, skin irritations, and fever. Bleeding can become excessive, leading to anemia (low iron).
Ulcerative colitis: Ulcerative colitis creates inflammation and ulcers only in the top layer of the lining of the large intestine, and it often affects the rectum. Symptoms of ulcerative colitis are very similar to those of Crohn’s disease, causing some confusion in trying to establish a diagnosis between the two. The symptoms include anemia, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, bloody diarrhea mixed with mucus, loss of body fluids and nutrients, skin lesions, joint pain and stunted growth (especially in children), and abdominal pain.
Medications can ease some of the discomfort of inflammatory bowel disorders, and surgery is necessary for about two-thirds of people with Crohn’s disease.
Inflammation of the digestive tract can cause further problems in other parts of the body, too. Leaky gut syndrome is a phenomenon whereby the cells of the digestive tract are inflamed and no longer provide a protective barrier between the inside and outside worlds of your digestive tract. It also can make you feel bloated and fatigued, especially after eating.
The first step to treating IBD is to identify the causes of inflammation — diet, stressors, nutrient deficiencies, genetic susceptibility, and so on. Next, remove the inflammatory foods from your diet. You also have to heal the gut, which may involve taking anti-inflammatory drugs and supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids and l-glutamine. The inflamed gut is unable to absorb vitamins such as B12, so after healing, you can then address nutrient deficiencies.
Knocking Your Immune System Off-Kilter
The body’s immune system is a wonderful thing when it’s working properly. It keeps infection at bay and protects an injured area from getting reinjured while it heals. Sometimes, however, the immune system misfires and sends out signals when none are needed. In those instances, the inflammation attacks the body, creating autoimmune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. We discuss these autoimmune disorders in this section.
Autoimmune disorders seem to be associated with leaky gut syndrome (see the preceding section), and people with these disorders also have a higher incidence of vitamin D deficiency. An anti-inflammatory diet and stress reduction may improve autoimmune conditions.
Getting to know lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly referred to as lupus, is an autoimmune disorder that affects the kidneys and other organs as well as the skin and joints.
Lupus appears to be a women’s disease for the most part — more than 90 percent of those diagnosed are women between the ages of 15 and 40. People with relatives who have lupus have a 5 to 13 percent chance of developing the disease, although people whose mothers have lupus have just a 5 percent chance of getting it. In most cases, people diagnosed with lupus have a relative who has been diagnosed with some other autoimmune disease.
Although lupus is largely a genetic disorder, some environmental factors can trigger the illness: exposure to ultraviolet sun rays or rays from fluorescent bulbs, sulfa drugs, penicillin, an infection, a cold or other viral infection, exhaustion, stress, or an injury.
The severity of lupus can range widely; it can be very mild, or it can turn fatal. Symptoms of lupus vary according to which part of the body is affected:
Brain and nervous system: Symptoms may include headaches, personality changes, psychotic episodes, tingling in the arms and legs, and seizures.
Digestive tract: Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Kidneys: Look for discolored urine.