Taking daily vitamin D supplements — or a combination of vitamin D and omega-3 fish oil — appears to carry a lower risk of developing autoimmune disease, with a more pronounced effect after two years, finds a trial of older US adults published by The BMJ. 

The researchers say the clinical importance of these findings is high, “given that these are well-tolerated, non-toxic supplements, and that there are no other known effective therapies to reduce rates of autoimmune diseases.” 

Autoimmune disease happens when the body’s natural defense system mistakenly attacks normal cells. Common conditions include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and thyroid diseases, which increase with age, particularly among women. 

Researchers set out to test the effects of vitamin D and omega-3 fish oil supplements on rates of autoimmune diseases in 25,871 US adults. 

Autoimmune disease was reduced by 22% in those who took the increased levels of Vitamin D with or without fish oil. And those that only took fish oil supplements saw disease decline of 15%. More research is needed to better understand the effects of dietary supplements on autoimmune disease, like lupus.

Our health should not be part of a free market exchange. Saving money is not equivalent to saving lives.

While you can decide to keep your house a bit cooler to lower your electric bill, you can’t have a little less chemo to save a few thousand dollars. There’s no “hey, maybe just forget the insulin so you can save for a few months of retirement money, skimp on the blood thinners or dialysis and get some pocket change for the movies.”

Healthcare is a non-negotiable part of life. So why do we rely on a system which ebbs and flows based on the number of healthy people who choose to sign up and create a market based on humans as commodities; the federal laws (looking at you, abortion ban HR-7) that cause insurance companies to choose their own financial safety over the people who need medical safety?

Don’t let this government turn us and those less fortunate than those I know reading my inordinately long post into market objects for financial gain. Call, dissent.

As always, continue to support the ACA by calling your reps or Sen. Paul Ryan–(202) 225-3031

Oppose HR7 (which bans all federal funding for abortion services, targeting the underprivileged on Medicaid as well as effectively eliminating ability to get coverage for abortion even if paying your own funds through any ACA/gov program) by calling your reps.

I had to get blood work done last week (underachieving thyroid) and when my doctor called me back, she said my Vitamin D was very low. She was going to send me some meds and, I quote, “Get outside and get some sunshine. You deserve it.” It literally made my brain stop thinking because I had never had a doctor tell me I deserve to be healthy. It kinda hit me just right so now every time I am outside and the sun hits my face, I tell myself I deserve it.

Hyperthyroidism = excess thyroid hormone. This makes the body use energy faster than it should and therefore some cells and tissues in the body work faster than they should do. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism are:

• Palpitations (fast or abnormal heart rate)
• Feeling anxious, nervous, irritable or emotional
• Anxiety & depression
• Difficulty sleeping
• Diarrhoea
• Feeling hot
• Weakness & fatigue
• Weight loss despite feeling hungry
• Tremor
• Hair loss
• Light or absent periods
• A swelling of the thyroid gland ( goitre)

Graves: 

Graves’ disease is the most common cause of an overactive thyroid gland. 

• Symptoms include blurred vision/enlarged eyes in some cases. 
• Thyroid peroxidase antibody is an autoantibody found in most people with Graves’ disease.

Other causes 

Other causes of hyperthyroidism include inflammation of the thyroid gland which is known as thyroiditis. It generally occurs after a viral illness (which is known as subacute thyroiditis) or after a pregnancy (postpartum thyroiditis). Hyperthyroidism may also be caused by autoimmune diseases that are different to Graves’ disease, as well as by some medications e.g. amiodorone or lithium.

Less commonly hyperthyroidism is caused by a growth of part of the thyroid gland called a nodule. One nodule may develop (e.g. toxic solitary adenoma) or occasionally multiple nodules may form (e.g. multinodular goitre).  They are usually non-cancerous.

When your immune system is so shot that you only just got over being sick….and you’re sick again.

When they hear you’re not doing to we’ll at the moment, and they tell you to just get better.
My bad obviously I just don’t have enough will fucking power!

Wishing I had the power to show someone how I was feeling. Because they just don’t understand.

No one could tell from looking at me right now, that my ankles and knees are putting me in some almost unbearable pain. Poker face.

Having to sharpie the words “take meds” on my water bottle that goes everywhere with me, because I just never remember.

Getting super sore joints at the moment because it’s so cold here.
You know it’s bad when it hurts to walk because of your toes.

I’ll have weeks where my brain will function normally, hardly any fogging or silly mistakes but then every now and again I suffer really badly. I find it hard to comprehend things or understand, I forget words, I misplace things and make stupid mistakes that I regret instantly. And it’s the most frustrating thing because I know I can be better, I know I’m smarter than how I’m acting but I’m once in a while trapped with this brain that is going slower than usual. It’s like I don’t think or understand things like I used to anymore.

So I’m currently sick with the flu, whilst everyone around me mostly just has a sore throat. Boo for none existent immune systems. Anyone else super sick at the moment compared to people around them? It makes me look like I’m overreacting. When in reality I’m finding it hard to get out of bed.

Cute guy: want breakfast
Me : I have to take my medication first.
*dying on the inside*

when you introduce sugar back into your diet but you start putting weight back on, seriously stupid thyroid, why can’t I have nice tasty things.

I have been completely zoning out recently and it’s coming across as rude to the people I’m unintentionally ignoring. Like I’ll be completely invested in the conversation then all of a sudden I haven’t been listening to anything they have said or even look at them.