Dr. Pettitt - Dispensary

Healthy Aging

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SKIN

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Anxiety

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Post Covid Hair Loss

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Long-term side effects following COVID-19 infection have caused many devastating symptoms, from loss of taste and smell to brain fog and fatigue. Hair loss has also been reported as a common symptom. While this side effect could be one of the most alarming, it is short lived in most circumstances. What causes hair loss? Patients who experience hair loss from SARS-CoV-2 infection may notice clumps of hair falling out during their daily combings or while washing their hair in the shower. The phenomenon is known as telogen effluvium. About 90 percent of hairs on our scalp are in a growth phase, called anagen, and about 10 percent of hairs are in a resting phase, called telogen. On our scalp, anagen lasts for about three years, and then hairs begin transitioning into telogen, which lasts between two to six months. At the end of telogen, our hairs are shed from their follicles and gradually replaced by new anagen hairs. Then, the growth cycle continues. On average, people shed about 100 to 150 hairs a day. But when an individual experiences a stressful event, such as COVID-19 infection, our bodies can prematurely shift a greater than normal proportion of growing anagen hairs into a resting telogen state. “Instead of the usual 10 percent of hairs that are in the resting and shedding phase, up to 50 percent of hairs are resting and shedding, which is much more than normal,” says Powell Perng, MD , a dermatologist and specialist in hair loss (alopecia) at University of Utah Health. What can trigger hair loss? Viral infections Hospitalization Surgery Childbirth Medications, especially hormonal medications Thyroid dysfunction Entering menopause Significant emotional stress How long does hair shedding last? The good news is the majority of telogen effluvium cases are over in about three to six months, when those additional hairs that were prematurely shifted into telogen have shed. According to Perng, this characteristic recovery happens after an inciting event, such as COVID-19 infection. When that period is over, those hairs will slowly shift back to normal. Telogen effluvium does not cause a person to lose their hair follicles. While hair may not temporarily grow, the hair follicles are still present, and hair will eventually regrow. Even after the shedding has stopped, patients may notice their hair is not as thick as it once was. Perng says that’s because of how slowly the hair grows on average, which is about a centimeter a month. “If someone has shoulder length hair, it can take over two years for the new hairs to reach that length again and for a ponytail to feel full again,” he says. In less than 10 percent of cases, patients may experience a condition called chronic telogen effluvium , where excessive hair shedding can persist beyond six months. “This can last for a couple months to a couple years, and usually no obvious cause can be found,” Perng says. “In this situation, we treat the symptoms the best we can with medical therapy.” Chronic telogen effluvium can be a symptom for long COVID patients. This is likely because their bodies are undergoing a significant amount of stress and are still not quite back to normal. Perng reassures patients who experience chronic telogen effluvium that they will not lose all of their hair, because the proportion of telogen hairs never exceeds 50 percent. COVID-19 infection and hair shedding According to published reports , hair shedding following COVID-19 infection can occur a little sooner than average. Instead of three months from an inciting event, it may be closer to two months. Other studies have also noticed faster recovery, around two to three months compared to six months on average. Treatments Covid 19 is an overwhelming inflammatory condition. It also depletes the body of the nutrients required to synthesize and maintain cells. So it makes sense then, to utilize anti-inflammatory supplements and replete the lost nutrients. Of course there are conventional medications such as Bicalutamide, Dutasteride, Spironolactone and Minoxidil but medications can be tricky and some are toxic to the liver or suppress TESTOSTERONE (who wants that?!?!?)

The Gut Microbiome and Covid 19

In case you haven’t noticed yet, illness never affects two people in the exact same way, when infected with the exact same bacteria or virus. One person may get a slight cough for days while others end up with symptoms that linger for months. We see this with all infections, and right now we’re seeing this with COVID. 🤔 Why does this happen? More importantly, is there anything we can do to increase our odds of being one of those who just gets a mild cough? The questions still outnumber the answers, but more research is showing that our body’s response to the COVID infection is linked (at least in part) to… ...... THE GUT MICROBIOME. The journal Gut BMJ recently reported that hospitalized patients with COVID-19 had alterations in their gut microbiome compared to people who tested negative for the virus. They also found: 👉 Depletion of beneficial gut microbes in patients with COVID correlated with higher levels of cytokines and inflammatory markers in the blood. 👉 Gut microbes known to modulate immune function remained low 30 days after symptom resolution. This isn't the first study to look at the possible link between the gut microbiome and individual responses to the virus. In July, a survey published in The Lancet reported that 85% of people struggling with long-haul symptoms also experienced some sort of gastrointestinal symptoms. All of this makes logical sense. We know that disruption in the gut microbiome can break down gut barrier function, aggravate inflammation, and alter immune function. I cannot promise you for certain that improving your gut health will strengthen your immune response to any virus. But I can promise you that improving your gut health will do no harm. 🌱 In functional medicine, we use testing, diet, supplements (sometimes probiotics—but not for everyone!), and other lifestyle changes to support optimal gut health. For more information on how we can help, please contact our office at 928.813.2522! #chapteronewellness #healthcarenotsickcare #healthybody #healthyaging #healthy #guthealth #gutimmuneaxis #gutbrainaxis #holistichealth #holistic #nutrients #nutrition #wellness #hownottodie #investinyou #health

Turmeric and Quercitin

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