Tag: InVite Health

INTRODUCING PROBIOTIC HX IMMUNE~GUT AND IMMUNE SUPPORT

INTRODUCING PROBIOTIC HX IMMUNE~GUT AND IMMUNE SUPPORT

INTRODUCING PROBIOTIC HX IMMUNE~GUT AND IMMUNE SUPPORT By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT   We all know about the benefits of a probiotic. Whether you know about it through a healthcare or wellness provider or from commercials and advertisements, it’s rather familiar to us all. 

Bilberry for Eye Health and More!!!

Bilberry for Eye Health and More!!!

Bilberry for Eye Health and More!!! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND   In this blog we will be talking about Bilberry. Yes you read that correct, bilberry not blueberry. Now I bet your thinking but Dr. Claire what exactly is the difference between a bilberry and 

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy

Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND

 

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that is associated with diabetes. Diabetes as you can guess is a huge health concern. In fact in the United States in 2021 diabetes was found to be the 8th leading cause of death. In fact in 2021 38.4 million Americans or 11.6% of the population had diabetes. (1) Anyone who has diabetes of any type is at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. However the less controlled your blood sugar is the higher your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. (2) For more information on diabetes please check out my blog series on this important topic.

What is diabetic retinopathy? Well it might surprise you to learn but there is actually 2 types of diabetic retinopathy. To start with let’s just do a general overall of diabetic retinopathy first. Basically when you have diabetic retinopathy there is too much sugar in your blood and this high sugar occurs over a longer period of time. This high concentration of sugar in your blood can affect your blood vessels by either blocking them or causing them to dilate and become damaged. In some cases to try and compensate for the reduction in blood flow caused by the blockages the eyes will start to grow new blood vessels. However these new blood vessels, or the dilated blood vessels are “leaky” and can ooze fluid and blood into the retina. Now as I said that’s a basic definition. Remember how I said that there are 2 types of diabetic retinopathy? Let’s talk more about that, shall we? The most common type is early diabetic retinopathy, which is called nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). It is important to note that this form can change over time to advanced diabetic retinopathy, which is called proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Now I bet your thinking but what the heck is the difference? Basically in NPDR the walls of the blood vessels bulge or dilate due to the sugar taking up space in the vessels. This causes them to weaken and become as I’ve said “leaky” and fluids leak into the retina causing damage. As the blockage becomes worse the eyes begin to compensate by growing new but leaky blood vessels. This is where PDR comes into play. As you can guess in PDR the blood vessels are blocked and new blood vessels form which leak which can lead to scar tissue formation and that scar formation can cause damage to the retina. The leaked fluids can also build up which can increase glaucoma risk. (2)  But what does this all look like? Please see the attached picture. (3)

What are the risk factors for developing diabetic retinopathy? Well I bet you can guess the first one! If you said having diabetes you would be correct! In fact studies estimate that in those with type 2 diabetes between 29.5-40.3% have diabetic retinopathy. (4) The longer you have diabetes the higher your risk becomes. Having poor control of your blood sugar also increases your risk. Having a history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even tobacco use can all increase your risk. Lastly being pregnant and being of certain ethnic backgrounds can all increase your risk. For example being of African American, Hispanic or Native American background can all place you in a high risk category for diabetic retinopathy. (2)

Like many diseases that affect our eyes diabetic retinopathy may not present with symptoms in the early stages. As the disease gets worse you may have floaters as well as dark or empty spots in your vision. You may have blurry vision. Over time you may experience vision loss. (2)

What are the most common complications? Diabetic macular edema occurs in about half of those who have diabetic retinopathy. Another possible complication is vitreous hemorrhage. Diabetic retinopathy increases the risk of both glaucoma and retinal detachment. (5) Over time diabetic retinopathy can lead to complete vision loss. (2)

What can you do to help reduce your risk of diabetic retinopathy? Well let’s review a few things, shall we?

  • One of the most important things you can do is to control your diabetes. The worse control over your diabetes is the higher your risk of diabetic retinopathy. (5) For information on how to control your diabetes please check out my blog series!
  • It is also important to keep your cholesterol under control and to stop smoking.
  • As with any condition that affects our eyes it is also important to monitor your vision for any changes. (2)
  • Horse chestnut may seem like an odd recommendation but stop and think for a moment. Studies show that horse chestnut can help strengthen blood vessels and even help circulation. (6) Both of these things are important in diabetic retinopathy. Please see Invite’s Veins Hx.
  • Vitamin C has been found to be associated with a lower risk of diabetic retinopathy. (7) Please see Invite’s extensive line of vitamin C products as well as our Immunity Hx, Veins Hx and Macula Advanced.
  • Vitamin E has also been found to be associated with a reduced risk of diabetic retinopathy. (7) Please see Invite’s Tocotrienols with Pine Bark and our Macula Advanced Hx!
  • Bilberry will be our product highlight. I do want to point out that Bilberry has been found to help protect against diabetic retinopathy! (8) Please see Invite’s Macula Advanced Hx, our Purples Hx and even our amazing Reds Hx!

Sources:

  1. https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/statistics/about-diabetes
  2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-retinopathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20371611
  3. https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fd2jx2rerrg6sh3.cloudfront.net%2Fimage-handler%2Fpicture%2F2015%2F12%2FDiabetic_Retinopathy_2.jpg&tbnid=yNlaNvgRf98UIM&vet=1&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news-medical.net%2Fhealth%2FDiabetic-eye-disease-diabetic-retinopathy-stages.aspx&docid=26tVsIgmcCp3FM&w=590&h=730&hl=en-us&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim%2Fm4%2F7&kgs=ff6bb476a1f43b24&shem=abme%2Ctrie
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4657234/
  5. https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/diabetic-retinopathy-complications
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7144685/
  7. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/11/21/6490
  8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10181411/#sec8-nutrients-15-02031title

 

 

L Carnosine Plus

L Carnosine Plus

L Carnosine Plus Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND   Today we will be talking about a product you may have heard of. This product is L Carnosine. Now I just want to point out that in this blog I will be talking about L Carnosine not 

HERPES VS COLD SORES~ IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?

HERPES VS COLD SORES~ IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?

HERPES VS COLD SORES~ IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT   Herpes…the word always seems make people cringe and curl their face in disbelief. It is associated with sores along the nether regions of the body. Many people are plagued with 

Glaucoma part 2

Glaucoma part 2

Glaucoma part 2

Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND

 

Today we will be completing our 2 part blog series on glaucoma. Let’s get right into it, shall we? The symptoms you may experience with glaucoma can vary slightly depending on the type you have. This is due to the differences in what is causing the nerve damage in the different types. Let’s start with open angle glaucoma.  As I said in my 1st blog open angle is the most common type of glaucoma. In the beginning stages there is often no symptoms. As the disease progress’s patchy blind spots begin to appear in your peripheral vision. This visual difficulty will eventually extend into your central vision.  One of the key note features of acute or closed angle glaucoma is how quickly the symptoms appear. You may experience a sever headache/eye pain, blurry vision and even see halos or rings around light’s. The color of your eyes may become red. On a more systematic note you may experience nausea or vomiting. In normal – tension glaucoma just like we saw in open angle glaucoma it may initially presents with no symptoms. Over time vision will become blurry and this can eventually lead to a loss of peripheral vision. In pigmentary glaucoma you may experience halos around lights. When you exercise your vision may become blurry. As the disease progress’s there is a loss of peripheral vision. Lastly what can you look for in children who may have glaucoma? Children with glaucoma may have headaches and blurry vision. They may have nearsightedness that gets worse over time. As a care giver you may notice that infants have dull or cloudy eyes. There may be an increase in how often they blink. Lastly infants may have tears without crying.  (1)

Now what are the most common risk factors for glaucoma? Diabetes is a huge risk factor for glaucoma. In fact for those with diabetes they are twice as likely to get glaucoma as those without diabetes! The less controlled your diabetes the higher the risk of glaucoma becomes. This is just one reason why it is so important to stay in control of any chronic disease you may have or be at risk of developing. Having a previous eye injury or any eye surgery is also a risk factor. Additionally having a family history of glaucoma increases your risk. Having either hypertension or hypotension are both risk factors. Using corticosteroids long term can increase your risk. When it comes to open angle glaucoma myopia, or nearsightedness is a particular risk factor. For closed angle glaucoma hyperopia or farsightedness is a risk factor. (2) Other chronic conditions such as migraines and sickle cell are also risk factors. Being over 55 years old increases your risk for glaucoma. Having corneas that are thin in the center can increase your risk. Having a history of high internal eye pressure is a risk. Lastly certain ethnic groups such as those of African American descent, Asian or Hispanic descent all have a higher risk of developing glaucoma. (1)

How glaucoma is usually treated? Prescriptions usually involve eye drops as well as medications. Surgical options can include laser therapy, filtering surgery, drainage tubes or minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. (1)

What can you do in addition to following your doctor’s advice? Well let’s take a look at some things you may want to consider adding into your regime.

  • AC Carbamide! I can’t do a talk on glaucoma without mentioning this product. In my clinical experience working with people I have recommended this product and have often received feedback that those who use it have had fantastic results with their eye pressure!
  • DHA is another great supplement. While more research is needed in one study it was found that DHA can help to decrease eye pressure which indicated that it may be helpful in glaucoma. Studies have found that DHA may help with dry eye especially in those with glaucoma. (3) Please see Invite’s Lutein Plus as well as our Fish Oil and Krill Oil for this great nutrient!
  • Grape Seed is another interesting nutrient. In one study grape seed extract was found to protect the retina from damage in those with glaucoma. (4) Please see Invite’s Grape Seed Extract!
  • Macula Advanced may not be specifically for glaucoma but it is important for overall eye health. Please check out my blog on this amazing nutrient. Remember keeping our eyes healthy is important to helping maintain healthy vision.
  • In my next product highlight I will be talking about L Carnosine!

Sources:

  1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glaucoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20372839
  2. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4212-glaucoma
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8000043/
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33078305/