Immune System

Melatonin is produced — primarily at night — by the pineal gland, a tiny gland located in the brain. The pineal acts as a controller of our body's clock, including the day-to-day 24-hour clock that tells us when to sleep and when to wake. It also controls our lifetime biological clock that decides on bigger […]

Your immune system's job is to protect you against infections, toxins, and invaders — everything from bacteria, to viruses, to allergens. When the immune system encounters something that could be potentially harmful, it mounts a defense to help kill or overcome the "invader," and protect the body. For a number of reasons — many which […]

"Yep," said the doctor, chuckling. "Looks like an overactive thyroid to me. Every one of you practically go airborne!" He had reviewed her chart and latest symptoms, and suspected correctly that she had an overactive thyroid. While his diagnostic method is not one Holtorf Medical Group doctors would use, we still consider this patient luckier […]

While your symptoms resemble a mental health issue, they could be signs of Hashimoto's disease, one cause of hypothyroidism. Hashimoto's disease, also known as autoimmune thyroiditis or simply "Hashimoto's", is caused by an autoimmune disorder. In this case, the body's immune system sees the thyroid gland as a foreign body and begins to attack, damaging […]

What is PCOS? PCOS, also called Stein-Leventhal Syndrome, is the most common endocrine disorder among women, affecting as many as 5% to 10% of all women. And while many of its symptoms are externally visible, PCOS can involve multiple organ systems within the body. It is the most common cause of infertility in women, and […]

Our adrenal glands produce hormones that help balance blood sugar levels, manage our energy levels, and help us handle stress. If a person is under constant physical or emotional stress, their adrenals may become weak and unable to produce adequate amounts of critical hormones, especially a hormone called cortisol. This creates an illness commonly known […]

Brief periods of mental or physical exertion left them exhausted. And while their pains might migrate from one area of the body to another at any given time, there were 11 points on the body that were always more tender than other areas. This illness has been studied since the 1800's, and identified by a […]

The microflora in the gut form a barrier that protects against invaders by competing with harmful bacteria and viruses. These microflora actually communicate with the immune system, prompting it to attack bad bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites, and to prevent more bacteria from taking up residence. When microflora aren't thriving, these harmful agents are left […]

The immune system also plays a role in restricting tumors and cancerous growths inside the body. It's important to keep your immune system strong and healthy. Here are eight things that can make your immune system weaker. Stress Stress can have a major negative impact on your immune system. When you experience continued stress, the […]

If you had asked me ten years ago whether I thought I would still be alive today, I would have responded with "absolutely not." That's how surely I was convinced that I was slowly dying — emotionally, socially, intellectually, spiritually, and physically. The most frightening thing about it was that I perceived I was powerless […]

What is the Immune System Made Of? The immune system is composed of a network of cells, tissues and organs that work together like a well-trained army. Its major components include the lymph nodes, the spleen, bone marrow, the thymus, lymphocytes and leukocytes. The lymph nodes are the most commonly recognized part of the immune […]

If Lyme disease is not diagnosed and treated early, the Lyme spirochete can spread, and can go into hiding in the body, causing health problems months or even years after the infection occurs. Perhaps this is why there is so much confusion and difficulty in getting proper treatment for Lyme disease. It Starts With an […]

This new estimate suggests that the total number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease is as much as ten times greater than the number of cases reported to the CDC annually, at 30,000. With such large numbers, you might think that diagnosing Lyme disease is fairly simple. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Why is […]

Contrary to popular belief, Lyme disease is not limited to the northeastern United States, but is seen in every state across the country. It is often called "the great imitator" because Lyme can mimic virtually any disease, including multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou […]

Don't blame yourself for failure. Sometimes there's a medical reason for weight gain or the inability to lose weight! Here is a list of key tests that can determine if there's a physiological cause for your weight problems. Thyroid hormone imbalance An imbalance of thyroid hormones, specifically hypothyroidism or thyroid hormone conversion disorders, can make […]

The "set point" is the brain's target weight for a person's body. Just as the body works to maintain a fairly standard temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, it also works to maintain a body weight that is physiologically comfortable. The set point is maintained by the hypothalamus, and is often genetically influenced. However, a number […]

Obesity has become a major health crisis in the United States. In the last two decades, obesity rates have doubled among adults. As many as 60 million people, or 30% of the adult population, are now obese. Youth are at risk too. Since 1980, obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents. And […]

For patients with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome can be extremely debilitating and can interfere with the basic activities of daily life, even bringing psychological distress and social isolation. A Relatively New Diagnosis Fibromyalgia is not a new syndrome, but it is surprisingly not well recognized in medical practice, even though it is […]

How Does Poor Gut Health Affect Your Thyroid Health? Your gut is home to 70% of your body's immune system. Tissues within the gut store immune cells that attack and produce antibodies against foreign substances such as viruses or bacteria. A healthy intestinal lining allows nutrients and other biological substances to be filtered through for […]

To properly treat hypothyroidism, you must first know your Ts. Thyroxine, or T4, is the thyroid "storage hormone." Triodothyronine, or T3, is the "energy hormone." For the body to use T4, it must first convert it to the active hormone T3, giving energy to every cell in the body. Another critical thyroid hormone is reverse […]

What is an autoimmune disorder? Simply put, an autoimmune disorder is a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue. In Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, the immune system attacks and kills thyroid cells. This "attack and destroy" can cause wild symptom swings from hypothyroid to hyperthyroid, and back. Each attack destroys more and […]

Untangling cause and effect can challenge even seasoned clinicians, and the potential for missed diagnoses is growing these days. Most mental-health counselors rely on primary-care doctors to spot medical issues, but those physicians are increasingly time-pressed and may not know their patients well. Neither do the psychiatrists who mainly write prescriptions and see patients only […]

"Drugs are not always necessary, but belief in recovery always is." Norman Cousins There's no one magic pill that ensures that one can live well with thyroid disease. Rather, the secret lies in finding the right doctor, the right treatments, the right attitude and support groups! Some of the best tips we've found are described […]

It's important to find a doctor who is actually able to deal with harder to diagnose thyroid imbalances. Arming yourself with knowledge can help you find a thyroid doctor that can address your needs properly. Is An Endocrinologist Your Best Choice? If you experience a "harder to diagnose" thyroid imbalance, autoimmune thyroid disease like Hashimoto's, […]