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I was hammered by a pair of rare autoimmune diseases in January of 2004. I went from being a dedicated business owner, Father, bass tournament fisherman and powerlifter….. I had recently achieved my lifetime goal of bench pressing OVER 425 lbs and squatting over 900 lbs (100% drug & supplement free!) the preceding November…. to being physically incapacitated, unable to stand or walk within few short months.I didn’t feel very well for most of December, but nothing bad enough to make me go to the Dr’s or anything like that. Fast forward to January 18 or 19 of 2004…. I was watching my favorite NHL team (Colorado Avalanche) and being on the east coast that meant I was up past midnight watching the game. I had the chills and what felt like a minor fever…..but nothing horrific.Out of the blue I woke up in AGONY at 3:30 AM (I have a clock in my man cave, I was in my basement so I wouldn’t disturb my wife and our 5.5 year old and 2.5 year old) and I had jack-hammer like, uncontrollable chills, the WORST ( headache I had ever encountered to that point of my life. This pain is truly INDESCRIBABLE, but feels as if something is pressing my eyeballs out of my skull from behind. The pain emanates between my temples and a very narrow band from the middle of my eyes and forehead.***I had these identical issues 2–3 days after receiving all of the mandatory vaccinations and/or immunizations that as an enlistee in the US ARMY I had no choice but to have, in July 1990 . My records have been “lost since first filing for them in early ‘92! I have ZERO military medical records related to ANY hospitalizations, and I had 3 of them though only one was for multiple days/over a week.***I also had horribly painful, swollen joints, my throat was swollen to the point I could hardly breath let alone make any audible noises and my throat was KILLING me! I was panicking for what seemed like an eternity when I was finally able to tap on the wall.We had a 90 lb Shepherd mix named “Boomer”, who on top of being an awesome dog overall, NO ONE, including me, could lay a hand on my kids, and no one could get anywhere near my yard unless I was there with the dog. I’ve always let my dogs stay in the basement at night, which may have saved my life as he went ballistic once I started to knock on the wall (even though with all of the strength my body possessed I could hardly muster taps on the wall)… With my dog going nuts, my wife woke up and came downstairs to see what was going on. The look on her face scared me, and she said I was a dark purple and had a rash of some sort all over my chest and parts of my upper torso. She took my temp and it pegged the thermometer @ 106!I was rushed to the hospital and within an hour they gave me some incredibly potent pain med (turns out it was Dilaudid as they tried 2 doses of morphine which didn’t seem to phase me) and my fever went down to 102.4. Within 2 hours my fever was under 100 and I started to feel more like myself, but incredibly stiff, sore and my head was still POUNDING! I was discharged with a couple of prescriptions and told to follow up with my family Dr. I never had the chance as 3 days later the same exact thing occurred, except this time my fever wouldn’t go below 105 & change and I was admitted. I stayed there for 12 days and left with no diagnosis. Two weeks to the day I was discharged, I was readmitted again and saw infectious disease again, had my 2nd spinal tap and spent almost 3 weeks in the hospital. I left with a tentative diagnosis of a very rare autoimmune disease. No one had ANY CLUE as to the source/cause of the headaches and the only medication that provided me with short term relief to date is Dilaudid…..not exactly something I ever wanted to be on periodically, let alone every few hours at least!Well, that 1st year I was convinced I was dying! I had a piece of shit rheumatologist so I went searching for a good one….I wound up with hospitalizations at University of Penn in Philly, 3 different local hospitals (Philly is 100 miles away from me), Johns Hopkins, Hershey Medical center etc…. There are at least 2 or 3 I can’t even recall. I spent more time in the hospital that year than out. My 5′7″ 232 lb built like a “tank” body began to look like total shit as Prednisone was the ONLY drug that kept me stable (I couldn’t get under 20 mg/day) and Dilaudid was the only pain med that would phase my headache, as in singular, never has left since my onset (this is true to this day!), and I wound up on very high dosages of Prednisone for years, having osteoporosis by age 37..it took me until 2015 to FINALLY taper off of Prednisone completely. Compounding the Osteoporosis in my spine, my hip and forearm bone density wasn’t anywhere near as bad as my spine…..but my teeth literally crumbled apart or outright exploded….especially when my headache level would exceed my pain threshold I have a habit of clenching my jaw, which has shattered every tooth in my mouth…..(Numerous physicians have mentioned my pain threshold is through the roof)… What truly PISSES ME OFF about my dental issues are that I can not get a nickle’s worth of assistance. I have the most critical shatter tooth extracted one by one as i can afford to pay for it……no military medical records, can’t get a nickle for MASSIVE dental issues where every tooth is at least partially broken. Two broke down to the gumline and my gums have grown back over them, but I can’t afford to pay for the surgery necessary to extract those two as I don’t have the $1400.00!I did find an AWESOME Rheumatologist in Lebanon, Pa (Dr Thomas Kantor) on advice from a fellow out of UPMC (Pittsburgh) who told me he was 95% certain on my initial diagnosis but knew pieces were missing as I had an indescribable headache 24/7/365(still do almost 16 yrs later, though now I have the necessary meds on hand to help keep me out of the hospital as often. My Rheumy recommended me to the Jefferson Headache Center in Philly, where I was seeing Dr William Young (AMAZING DR!) ….. I had been on maximum dosages of over 30 different migraine meds, psychotropics, and countless “other” (over 100 with ease) meds that were supposed to stop the headaches…all to no avail. The ONLY 2 things that will back the headache down to where my eyes aren’t swollen totally closed were radically high doses of Prednisone in conjunction with 2mg/dilaudid every 2 hours!!, my eyes felt as if they were being driven out of my skull from behind (I had already seen 3 “Neuro-ophthalmologists” who all swore the issue had nothing to do with my eyes, though I get severe double vision (diplopia, eyes go out of alignment) and some other medical jargon I can’t recall…. My headache is NOT a migraine….I’m never sensitive to sound, light etc and actually prefer my music to be “kicking me in the chest” type of LOUD as it helps take my mind off of the pain a tiny bit… I’m also never sick to my stomach, migraine meds have never affected this headache and it has been constant since my onset. the only variations I experience is that it is as moderate as it gets when it is as hot & humid as possible and instant cold fronts, cool-cold-freezing weather are triggers to make it spike higher and higher.I saw Dr Young 2 or 3 times when my headache got past my threshold for taking the pain (trust me, I promise my threshold for pain is far beyond the average man!) and I was admitted at the Jefferson Headache Center and stayed for 19 days. Dr Young ran every possible test imaginable, thinking I may have been misdiagnosed. I had my 9th or 10th spinal tap there (all show white blood cells indicating some sort of infection within my CSF fluid) yet NOTHING every grows from the “sample”…..Dr Young refused to use dilaudid, instead trying every possible thing he could think of. After 19 days,my headache finally backed off to “tolerable”, and by that I mean it became tolerable though still extremely painful. I followed up with Dr. Young a few mores times, but I was out of money and couldn’t even afford the gas/tolls/parking to go see him any longer. My diagnosis from Jefferson is “New Daily Persistent Headache”…… too bad there seems to be ZERO answer, and to date I’ve been on OVER 100 migraine and other associated medications with zero benefit and loads of negative side effects.He still is a part of my medical “team” (long story, but I FOUGHT to get a great group of non associated Dr’s to communicate/work together with each other on my case, and it took me a few years to get it to where I am happy with who I have) but even now seeing Dr Young on a regular basis is simply not in my budget. I had to sell my shop which made me want to eat a bullet as I built that business from the ground up to the highest rated repair facility in the valley…..truth be told the ONLY reason I still draw breath today is I could not imagine my sons without a Father!The best way I can describe this headache is this: I was in such total AGONY that one day I figured I’d run into the block walls in my basement head-first as hard as I possibly could as I’d knock myself out….and when unconscious I’d be oblivious to the pain…. I must have smashed my head off of the wall as hard as I possibly could well over a dozen times and didn’t hear the door open upstairs to warn me my wife & kids were home. She walked into the basement to see me sprint headfirst into the wall, covered in blood, blood all over the wall and floor and freaked out. I had to convince my Dr’s I wasn’t insane…I knew exactly what I was doing. Unfortunately, I learned why no one could ever hurt me in a fight growing up as my head refuses to acknowledge “THAT” kind of pain!I had to promise my wife & Dr’s I’d never try to knock myself out again, which I’ve honored.Now Prednisone is a last resort medication for me as I had osteoporosis at 37 and 18 months of Forteo brought that back up to osteopenia. I’d literally MURDER 500 people for my “LOST” military medical records” that I’ve been fighting for since 1991/92, and that includes enlisting the help of countless state representatives, senators, military veterans associations etc.. I have every record available from being in the Pa National Guard, but ZERO medical files from active duty. My records are inaccurate as they do not reflect I first filed for a copy of my medical file in the early ‘90’s on the advice of my Company Clerk (who physically filed the records himself), that I again filed for them right before my enlistment ended on 19Nov95, they have a record of my filing for them in 2004 after this all flared up for good but lack my State reps filing in ‘09, lack a Lt Col who works IN the VA (I have all of the corresponding emails with his staff) when I again tried to get my records again in ’14 and I just finished going through my US Senator, Robert Casey. His staff was great and did everything they could for me, but now the ARMY says my records would have been destroyed due to how much time has passed, so I’m fucked. I NEED a veteran’s advocate who knows how to play these fucking games as I had to sell a business I helped my Dad build from the ground up to where we constantly won the newspaper’s reader’s poll of “BEST GARAGE” all 18 years they had the poll, and the new owner started with me as a 16 year old who I trained myself and took to countless school with me who is without a doubt in the top 1& of technicians on the planet today (I know I’m still in the top 2–4%, just need my body to cooperate!) as I am just as interested in my field as I was a a teen. I GUARANTEE I have close to double the education of what is required for a Bachelor’s degree…..but because we’re “only” “mechanics”….we’re only supposed to make a pittance. Those days are GONE, at least they are if the shop you go to is up to date with equipment and training! A labor rate of $120/hour today is affordable…when I began $28.00/hour was the norm!Back to my living hell…..by October of ’04 I could no longer stand or walk. My back was destroyed by destructive arthritis, mainly my Facet joints, but also my Sacroiliac joints, my Coccyx and massive degenerative disc disease. Add to that fun I started “wetting the bed” out of nowhere (let me tell you, if I didn’t learn to laugh at myself I’d have been buried a long time ago)….and I wound up with a morphine pump implant in May of ‘05.In March of ’05, on the recommendation of my PCP, I tried the one local hospital who has a “nationally renowned reputation in Bloomsburg, Pa” as once again I was in agony, indescribable headache, fever, chills..the whole 9 yards…. I was there 1 full day when this Indian Dr walks in and asks me a number of questions, questions I’d been asked so many times I could recite the answers in my sleep.Then, he comes right out and says “I’m sending you home, you are only here to suck up all of my drugs”……I was stunned, and beyond ENRAGED! I inclined my bed and asked him what he had just said to me and he gets right in my face and repeats himself. I don’t feel even a little sorry for him. I was still stronger than 95% of all men and growing up had wrestled for years and was still an active coach up until these issues hammered me… and had been in more full blown fist fights than I can ever recall, so I grabbed his shirt with my left hand and drilled him with my right. His blood literally exploded in every direction, even reaching the ceiling. If that bastards legs wouldn’t have given out AND I could have got out of bed I would have continued to hammer the ever living whit out of him.First, allow me to emphatically state that I had NEVER in my life done illegal drugs, period. I’m about as anti-drug as one can get!. The only drug I’ll even allow around me is pot, mainly because I don’t consider that a drug, but again, it isn’t my thing….even with the medicinal versions, I haven’t had much benefit from it. If I had ever done drugs, even experimented, I couldn’t justify my stance on this, but to this day I REFUSE to allow ANYONE, especially a medical professional, to accuse me of being a drug seeker. I know they see them every single day of their lives, and I do feel they deserve a certain amount of leeway because of that….but when you have a guy who can’t stand/walk who can’t even control his urine and has t wear a ******* diaper you would have to think that maybe, just maybe this person really is sick, REALLY IS SCARED!I lied back with a huge shit eating grin on my face as it felt that one punch took 10 tons of stress off of my shoulders! I was just awaiting the police….but an hour goes by…nothing…another 20 minutes and I needed a nurse so I rang my buzzer. The nurse walked in, all professional as 95% of the nurses I’ve ever dealt with have been and asked what I needed. Well, I knew it was time to get changed now or change the entire bed in 20 minutes and I was due for my pain meds. She said she’d be right back to take care of me….but before she got out the door I had to ask what was going on with me, and she had no idea what I was talking about. I explained what the asshole Dr said and what I did and she started jumping up & down smiling and laughing! I was floored! Turned out virtually every nurse there despised that son-of-a-bitch and gave me a great big hug for being the reason he had 3″ worth of bandages all over his face and had to leave for the day. I never was treated like royalty before that in my life, but every nurse, whether my nurse or not was thrilled someone finally did something to him! They sent down a patient’s advocate to take my statements of exactly what he did….I explained how he berated me for being in a diaper and then not once, but twice, including being almost nose to nose with me told me the only reason I was in “his” hospital was to suck up all of “his” drugs! I wound up there for 5 more days, and the nurses were bringing me in coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts, ice cream “flurries” etc etc etc….. I never saw that mother ******* again, and he apparently got himself into a whole bunch of trouble as he had countless complaints about him from both patients & nurses for his total lack of proper bedside manner.Thanks to my AMAZING Rheumatologist in Lebanon, Pa and my AWESOME PCP with almost as much responsibility from my neurosurgeon (Dr, Carlo DeLuna out of Penn State Hershey with a satellite office right down the road from me in Wilkes-Barre, Pa) & my Pain Management Dr’s (Dr Usoh out of the Saxton Ctr in Edwardsville, Pa replaced the now retired Dr Satyam) I’m dong far better today than I ever thought I’d be, especially after the 1st year of this misery. Dr Kantor (Rheumy) is brilliant and he;s the ne who got me off of the insurance company standard drugs of Methotrexate & other shit that did more harm than good to me and got me on Kineret despite an epic battle between hm and the ins company!, my pain management Dr recommended I not have surgery due to the risks being far too high especially with the fevers of unknown origin, white blood cells in every CSF sample from the 10 or so spinal taps I had in my 1st 12–18 months and my Neurosurgeon who advised me to go with a morphine pump as it was the “safe” bet….. I had to have that pump replaced in May or ‘12, which had to be almost immediately removed due to a massive staph infection….and my PCP stepped in and got me on oral pain meds (which is now another war as the insurance company insists I’m on far too much narcotic pain medication!!! All of this because of the people who NEVER had a legitimate need for OxyContin or similarly potent pain meds getting their hands on them, abusing them and then becoming “addicted”…I CAN”T tell you how bad I want to smash my TV when those commercials come on that insist “addiction IS a disease”!!! If I was going to abuse these meds or become a junkie, I think I would have done it a LONG time ago as I’m still in tremendous amounts of pain more than half of the time but ESPECIALLY whenever a cold front rolls in and all throughout the cold weather months (mid October through early/mid May here)and now I no longer have a morphine pump and can get around with a cane MOST of the time…..though I still have a walker and a wheelchair for when I flare. My PCP is also the reason I have dilaudid (pill form) on hand. Since I’ve had a prescription for that, I’ve only had 2 hospitalizations in the past 3 years…this compared to 47 or 48 in the previous 12!Now, with all of that “BRIEF HISTORY” (the entire history would take me a year to write!) I’ve encountered 3 ASSHOLE Dr’s in the ER who have hinted at or outright stated they thought I was a drug seeker. I go to the same hospital all of the time now that I’ve been up * down the east coast and even quite a bit west * and I’ve been “nice”….. I’ve asked them to please review my entire chart and to seriously “rethink” the “drug seeker” idea and get it out of their ****** heads. One couldn’t take a hint when I asked him to get the idea out of his head while making “quotation” symbols with my fingers, so I essentially spelled it out for him….he came back with 3 security guards and told me I had to leave. I called a patient advocate I know personally (she was a long time customer of mine, and we became friends over the years being she got to see so much of me in the hospital) and handed this idiot the phone……..I could hear her screaming at this punk, and he couldn’t apologize enough afterwards. He asked if I was serious when I told him I’d literally “KNOCK THE IDEA OF ME BEING A DRUG SEEKER OUT OF MY HEAD” and I told him about what I did to a colleague of hs years earlier. He thought he was cute and asked me what I’d do about the 3 security guards…and I told him they wouldn’t matter to me once I got him on the ground (remember, I wrestled for years and coached for many more on top of that) that they could d what they felt, but he’d bleed, I’d guarantee it!It got to the point with the ER Dr’s being so bombarded with literal drug seekers that they unfairly treat anyone who knows what works for them is “seeking a high”…..but that’s not my fault, nor my problem….what it did cause me is many nights of agony as I will no longer go to any ER unless my PCP calls ahead and explains my background & situation….otherwise, one of these times when I am in agony, ready to literally drive my head through a block wall (I tried that before in a failed attempt to knock myself out the pain was so ******* bad!!!,more than once!) that one of these assholes in a bad mood is going to get in my face and say the magic two words and I’m going to try to beat the shit out of him until someone stops me or my own body stops me.I know those of us who TRULY deal with TRUE CHRONIC PAIN are all being looked down upon by almost everyone these days…..but I have this as a response; GIVE ME BACK MY HEALTH AND I’LL NEVER TOUCH ANOTHER NARCOTIC PAIN MED AGAIN!!!!I’ll be THRILLED to be able to trade my very beat up body for one of “equal value” but in good health in a heartbeat, and give you all of the pain meds I have and I’ll even pay for your 1st refill (I’d offer to pay more, but being disabled for almost 15 years left me struggling to survive!)……If you can give me a medication or medications THAT WORK AS WELL OR BETTER than the narcotic pain meds I need just to be able to live a “semblance” of a normale life I’ll give up all of the narcotics in a heartbeat!Jesus, I seriously PRAY, OFTEN, that more Dr’s would LISTEN to those of us who LIVE WITH INDESCRIBABLE PAIN 24/7/365 and AT THE VERY LEAST give us the benefit of the doubt when you come across us! Hell, my medical records (I have my own copy of every single record since this began for me in January of 2004 current to June 2016, and there are at least 4–5000 pages of records, countless MRI/MRA/CT/X-Rays etc etc etc in there…..PLEASE, just look at our records before assuming we’re “drug seekers”!I’ve seen firsthand what drug addiction has done to many of the guys I grew up with….many are dead, the rest all live better than me now as they get everything for free! I made too much money when I worked and now because of that hard work I’m being punished because my SSDI (which by rights should be a full military disability,. but no lawyer will touch it as there’s no money in it for them!)puts me just over, by the skin of my teeth, the maximum one can make to qualify for “assistance”……….this is wrong on oh so many F****** levels it is making my headache worse thinking about it…I have to sign off on this now!

The overwhelming, number one reason that hemorrhoids appear is due to strain during the process of having a bowel movement. This strain may be due to constipation or diarrhea. Additional contributors to the formation of internal and bleeding and externally present hemorrhoids are:Prolonged sitting, including on the toiletlack of exerciselow fiber dietobesitypregnancycolon cancersliver diseaseinflammatory bowel diseaseanal intercoursespinal cord injuryThankfully, there are many ways to address constipation and diarrhea, along with most of the other contributors to the presence of hemorrhoids, that are natural cures.Changes to the diet that increase fiber along with fruits and vegetables will go a long way toward creating a healthy gut.[1] But rethinking the overall environment of a gut that promotes a healthy intestinal wall free of leaks and small cracks, where abundant colonies of the estimated 100 trillion bacteria that make up a healthy microbiome is formed by many, many different types of bacteria all residing there, plus plenty of additional beneficial species of bacteria that transit through the intestine along with transiting and digesting food. Once a new lattice of the microbiome is achieved, a real transformation takes place that should allow for those hemorrhoids to become a distant memory. Once the transformation of the gut begins to happen it, the healthy environment is predisposed to experience: proper nutritional absorption while decreasing the uptake of toxins, improved immune function, balance within the digestion process, discouraged cancer and immune-triggered inflammation are all possible when a committed effort is made to clear up those hemorrhoids in a fully natural fashion.[2]Whenever human beings have been on antibiotic treatment possibly a number of times as a child, or just a few times during adult life, or if someone has HIV, the likelihood of that person to also have a healthy and flourishing digestive tract is pretty much non-existent. The microbiota that exist in the human gut are not invincible and antibiotic intake will lay ruin to structure in place. I’m a person that fits those three conditions listed above, plus I have a congenital condition which resulted in nerve damage from an improperly formed neural tube during gestation that occurred during around the 28–30 day of my mother’s pregnancy (women of childbearing age should heed the warnings about B Vitamins and pregnancy). And then, living life compounded my troubles. I coped with life’s stressors by binging on processed sugar since childhood, along with alcohol as a young adulthood and into my late 30’s. While all of that is true in the list of definite troublemakers for the gut, I’ve saved the best for last. My most favorite beverage of all recorded time; caffe latte or in a pinch coffee. More precisely, the problem created by over-consumption of caffeine products. Even with all of the possible detractors in place, like those in my gut, and the environment that I subjected upon my intestinal tract, it is possible to turn it around and it doesn’t take too much work at all. Focusing attention to the most natural balance of probiotic flora brings about a positive and lasting change that is definitely nature, absoultely and effective cure over hemorrhoid expression.[3]First, grab a drink and kick back. Start with Kombucha. “huh?” Indeed, I heard that sound directly follow the muttering that went on as most everyone struggled to pronounce the name of this drink. It’s pretty easily pronounced: ‘kahm-boo-cha’. Kombucha is taking the US by storm. It is a fermented, lightly effervescent, lightly sweetened black or green tea drink. It is can look nearly identical to “sun tea” that’s made by placing tea bags in a jar of water to be left out in the daylight to brew. In the supermarket, while traveling up and down the aisles, start checking out the smaller sized refrigerated section or refrigerated cases that have popped up at the end of the aisles. There are many, many different flavor concoctions of the tea that is Kombucha. In the 80’s and 90’s there were all those fizzy waters with flavors. Popular with the “Yuppies” and the recovering alcoholic who had the need to be out, to be with others and to hang in one of the neighborhood ow we have tea fermented, lightly fizzy and flavored with fruits like orange or mango or cranberry, pomegranate, lemonade or peach and then maybe ginger root or vanilla. Or, it can be pretty much unadulterated by the fruit and the taste is more earthy. Think, a slightly fizzy iced tea without so much sweetener. This beverage is full of beneficial bacteria that will be really excited for a new home in someone’s body.[4] But first, it will jazz-up that liver.[5] Here’s the warning for everyone new to the ‘detox’ craze. ‘Detox’ is basically a word used in public places that’s conveying information to the listener instead of coming out with it, as I would by saying:“My liver was so excited and producing a crazy amount of bile and making such a ruckus. There is nothing left clinging to the inside of my small intestine or my large intestine or the various component parts of my colon. Clean as a whistle. Wow, do I feel lighter now.”So go easy on the Kombucha during the first week or maybe even two weeks. Drink about 8oz on the first day. Then Wait. I said, “Wait” you will be glad that you listened to me. Then, after probably two days pass, on day number three, drink another 8oz. And Wait again. One full day passes, and then on the second day, drink another 8oz. And Wait again. One full day passes, and now it is probably fine to drink the whole bottle. Use of Kombucha is not a recommend therapeutic treatment and there have been some reported cases of possible liver damage, but these concerns did not stop me.[6] Regardless of the detractors, I still don’t think I would consume large quantities over 8oz. per day nor on back to back days without giving the body enought time for the digestive tract to send out those ‘all clear down here’ signals.Speaking of signals, just a few moments about inflammation. Most of us think about inflammation from the aspect of a skin condition that is swollen like a pimple and red and angry or when an ankle is twisted or finger jammed and the thing is the size of a grapefruit. These are definitely inflammation and the swollen and fiery appearance is the signal caused by the inflammation. Without the presence of inflammation, we would miss the fact that something is out of bounds and not the way it is supposed to be. It may also be true that in addition to the appearance, we won’t be able to stand on that swollen ankle or hold a pen in our hand with the jammed finger that won’t bend. Because of the massive size, and tender sensations that are signaling to us that this thing is inflamed. The point here is that “inflammation”, although does have some very important biological functions for assisting our body, it is basically a signal to tell other parts of our body that there is somethin’ goin’ on down here.When the physicians, scientists and researchers in medicine speak about inflammation, they are more interested in the sequence of events that occur, than they are in the results of those events. To these people in the medical profession, inflammation is all about the signals. They have figured out that a cell in distress or danger or peril, sends out a chemical signal to it’s neighbor cell. And also when in distress or danger or peril, one of the chemicals emitted by that cell is histamine. Everyone with any type of rhinitis or upper respiratory allergy knows about histamine. When we come in contact with that animal or dusty box from storage or the freshly cut fields of Kentucky Blue Grass, histamine is the thing that causes our eyes to water and itch, our sinuses to plug up, our throat to feel all scratchy and a typical set of signals to inform our brain that we are in distress and we need to remove ourselves from that environment.Now frankly, we aren’t really in distress if it weren’t for the response that came about to the environmental condition. When did cut grass ever put your body into physical danger? Food and drug allergies are more severe in the response they illicit, but the same cellular conditions and signals to release a set of chemicals is at the heart of all of these allergic reactions. It is an excessive response to something that isn’t going to harm us one iota, if it weren’t for the physical changes that occur because those chemicals are present.It is the body’s reaction to chemicals released by different cells that cause physical changes. This is their function; to signal to other cells the presence of their specific allergen. Those chemicals by the way include a whole big laundry list of different things that their very presence is dependent upon what compound/s the cells are subjected to. Some cells such as lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, can release a large number of cytokines. Specifically, two of these lymphokines (cytokines that are made by lymphocytes); interleukin-2 and interferon-gamma, effect cellular immunity by stimulating the activity of monocytes and macrophages. These lymphokines are signal chemicals and simply because of their presence, they are passing information along to specific cells immune system cells that are components within the immune response. Those immune cells are the troops being called into action, to go rushing toward the trouble area. The lymphokines call out for specific types of troops, monocytes and macrophages, and tell those cells where to go to fight the problem.With this understanding, we can all imagine two scenarios that are the chain of events that occur when a B-lymphocyte is floating around the body’s lymphatic system and comes in contact with a particular antigen, or antagonist, like a viral pathogen that can produce disease. That B-lymphocyte’s function is to recognize the presence of a disease-causing invader, study that invader and create a unique protein package that the B-lymphocyte begins manufacturing and releasing into the body. The protein package is called an antibody and it has the sole purpose of bonding to more of these same pathogens. In the first scenario, our B-lymphocyte crosses paths with bacteria that when it is lodged in the lung, causes pneumonia. The B-lymphocyte recognizes the this as an invader and a pathogen and begins to study the surface of the bacteria to locate unique patterns. Those patterns are how antibodies of the future will recognize this pneumonia causing bacteria as their unique pathogen and will lie in wait inside the memory of a B-lymphocyte memory cell. It will be there for the pathogen’s next appearance. Other B-lymphocytes with change into plasma cells and begin the process of creating the antibody proteins that can bind to the pathogen. It takes about two weeks or more before a sufficient number of antibodies are circulating within the body and the body has the ability to mount a response to those pathogens. When that antibody performs it’s job and sticks it’s signal flag onto the pathogen, that pathogen becomes recognizable by other lymphocytes that will kill it, or engulf it, so it may now be collected for removal. Collection occurs through filtration of the lymphatic fluid which is performed by lymph nodes that are located extensively throughout the human body. These nodes are the trash collectors filtering out waste materials of all types of deceased pathogens, dead cells, cancerous cells and cellular waste all separated from the lymph which is then returned to the blood to travel again through the process. While the lymph node is collecting these different components as waste, it will stretch larger in size and becomes inflamed. Inflammation is recognized by the enlarged size and indicates they are working overtime to get the trash sent out.In scenario two, the B-lymphocyte makes a mistake. Instead of recognizing the presence of a new pathogen, the lymphocyte studies the surface of a Penicillium fungi that it encounters and identifies as pathogenic. With more than three hundred Penicillium fungal species living in in our environment, most are harmless to the functions of a human body. Some are used to make the penicillin antibiotic, some are used to make cheese such as Penicillium candidum. But the lymphocyte has changed into both memory cells for later identification and antibody creation and plasma cells who immediately begin making antibodies that are going to recognize the Penicillium fungi that is present within the human body for this first immune response. Over roughly two weeks time, there are enough of the circulating protein antibodies generated and loose to where the initial acute immune response occurs. This is when the flagging of Penicillium fungi for removal is in full swing. In short order all of the Penicillium candidum have been tagged and are nearly all filtered from the lymph. Any amount of time may have passed since the wasted effort was mounted against Penicillium candidum and then the day occurs where a streptococcal pharyngitis bacteria is swallowed and lodges itself in the tissues of the throat. This host is naive of prior encounter with this pathogen, it is not recognized by the B-lymphocytes which then begin mapping and studying the pathogen before changing into memory cells lying in wait for when the antigen appears in the future and others become plasma cells that manufacture antibodies to mount the initial acute immune response. That two weeks time passes while the infection of streptococcal pharyngitis flourishes in this new environment before the immune response would be enough to rid the host of this infection. Before that occurs, the host recognizes illness with a throat infection and seeks assistance from a doctor. The physician accurately prescribes a 10 day course of penicillin antibiotic. But one glitch. Those B-lymphocytes that became memory cells to recognize Penicillium candidum inaccurately identify the penicillin antibiotic as an invading pathogen and trigger the release of Penicillium candidum-indentifying antibodies. This is a problem and the host of these cells and the streptococcal pharyngitis will experience an allergic reaction to the penicillin antibiotic. Sometimes these types of reactions can be fatal when medical care can not begin immediately. Now the host has B-lymphocyte memory cells that react to a fungii that is harmless, and they also react to an antibiotic medication. This medication is necessary to fight an advancing streptococcal pharyngitis infection and support the quality of life for the host. The lymph nodes will be working to filter the dead cells and waste products for removal from the body. The host’s immune system was tricked into mounting this effort and a negative return on investment of immune response is realized through the continued inflammation of the lymph nodes. Nodes that simply do not have capacity. There are wastes from the streptococcal pharyngitis to be properly filtered plus the byproducts from an allergic reaction to penicillin and any other normal levels of waste removal occurring from the process of life that are cleared by the lymph. When added together, this causes this lymphatic system to work overtime and weary from removing unnecessary filtered wastes, by products and dead cells.Science believes that there is another repercussion brought about from inflammation. And having just read about unnecessary inflammation which is beyond human control, we understand that there will be repercussions in response to a losing effort, as well as repercussion attributed to the positive efforts that restore balance to the host systems.The gut is a very special part of all animals and in the case of human beings, science is telling us that the gut is residential housing for 70 - 80% of the immune system cellular function, while protecting the body from the intrusion of harmful entities such as toxins and bacteria that may enter the digestive system with food. [7] If the lining of the intestine is not robust and in healthy condition, thereby allowing the intrusion of toxins and bacteria, persistent autoimmune or auto-inflammatory diseases may occur.Gut microbiota interacts with innate and adaptive immune system, playing a pivotal role in maintenance and disruption of gut immune quiescence. A cross talk between the mucosal immune system and endogenous microflora favors a mutual growth, survival and inflammatory control of the intestinal ecosystem. Based on these evidences, probiotics can be used as an ecological therapy in the treatment of immune diseases.[8]Thus far, and I realize that there has been a lot of information on how the immune system functionality occurs, we began with a little bit of detoxification to the liver and digestive tract . Now let’s talk about what needs to be done to rebuild it a good amount of healthy flora lining the epithelial layer of the intestinal tract which will insulate from infiltration of toxins and bacteria that will negatively impact the immune system.It is important, probably the most important and most overlooked of all the possibilities; water. Human bodies need a MINIMUM of 64 oz. of water intake every day. Try to give youself even more if possible.Study shows that Saccharomyces boulardii and, to a lesser degree Saccharomyces cerevisiae,a probiotic medicinal yeast is able to create a favorable growth environment for the beneficial intestinal microbiota, while constituting extra protection to the host mucus layer and mucosa…..Several human studies as well as animal models demonstrate that treatment with Saccharomyces boulardii in dysbiosis leads to the faster re-establishment of a healthy microbiome.[9]Dysbiosis is the hypothetical state in which there exists an overgrowth of the more troublesome strains of bacteria living on the lining of the intestinal tract. A negative impact of intestinal gut health is a result of numerous factors that may be present alone, or in combination. They are: Antibiotic use, modern diet, peristalsis dysfunction, physical stress, radiation.These yeasts and bacteria of the microbiome are living organisms that require a source of nutrients that fits their needs. Normal human dietary intake is lacking the non-digestible foods that are key to confer positive microflora changes and the health aspects that they may accrue. There are three dietary carbohydrates known to support the microflora: fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), galacto-oligosaccharides , lactulose. More recently introduced into the supplement market is (Malto) Mannan Oligosaccharide. FOS is inexpensive and readily available and promotes bifidobacteria to become numerically dominant in feces.[10] Frequently found as an additive to probiotic bacterial capsule supplements, and sold as a stand alone supplement. FOS is available over the counter pretty much anyywhere you find vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids on the shelf for retail sale. There are also high quality products available online. It is a good idea to get into the habit of ingesting FOS at the same interval as the probiotic bacterial strains and the Saccharomyces boulardii yeastAt the beginning of this essay we went back a few steps to the beginning state by instigating a clean/fresh start, that was followed with an understanding of immunity and how our leaky gut will confer inflammation. While there we discovered a method that allows us to plug the minor cracks in the intestinal wall and reconstruct the a dense and epithelium, while establishing a bed of beneficial yeast for a healthy microbiome to flourish. By augmenting the Saccharomyces boulardii that will already be living in the mucosa and layers on the epithelial cells that have a large number of signal molecules ready at their disposal to release in the case of different types of attack.The final building block to this healthy gut is the addition of healthy probiotic strains. This is a massive building block because the estimates are that we have, don’t faint, between 20,000 and 30,000 different strains, or variations, of microbes that make up the gut. Ideally they also need to colonize the epithelial layer of the intestinal wall and we need to continually supplement for adequate supplies of the different strains of microbiota that follow along with the transit of food through the digestive process. Since this rebuilding of the gut process is like starting from scratch, using a clean slate, it made sense to first go to the strains of bacteria that an infant would need to process mother’s breast milk. The most basic of basic probiotics are those that make up the FlorAid® proprietary blend: Lactocacillus fermentum, Lactobicillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium infantis. These should be consumed daily, according the instructions listed on the packaging, and do so for at least 90 days. I use an infant formula that is a powder and was manufactured by Swanson Vitamins. One scoop shaken into a glass of orange juice every morning before breakfast.Regulary consume yogurts which have Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus both types of bacteria will fully transit through to feces [11] and also look into adding a dairy based kefirs that has Lactobacilus plantarum [12] . These two dairy products contain the transient microflora that we need all the time and requires replenishing. I try to consume a yogurt or a 6–8oz glass of kefir every day.After the first month of the FlorAid® proprietary blend, begin to add on some more the lesser known microbiota. There are a number of 8-strain and 10-strain proprietary blends on the market that include: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus salivarious, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium longum, Streptococcus thermophilus and FOS, all in one capsule.I’ve moved all the way up to using a 25-strain variety with 30billion organisms per capsule. That is in addition to the FlorAid® blend and the Saccharomyces boulardii-MOS and also added FOS.If you continue to have slow transit that can be attributed to “Chronic Idiopathic Constipation” (constipation at least 25% of the time) and is similar to symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-C), there may be physiological barriers that are worth exploring with a gastroenterologist. This is also true when Opioids are used in pain management, this particular type of constipation is called “Chronic Opioid-Induced Constipation” where the intestine function is reduced from that of a normal gut. We get this reaction to the Oxycodone or Fentanyl patch or as in my case a contributing factor is the opioid bonding to the mu-receptors that are present in the intestinal tract. There are a number of pharmaceutical products on the market and I didn’t care for those very much. But I have been taking a pharmaceutical to increase the amount of fluid in the gut and that has helped some.. But there is a more natural approach to stimulating transit and there is mobility in the horizontal portion. First, start with a eating a handful of raw almonds every day. They are really delicious and healthy. They add oil and fiber, protein and bulk. They help me, they may also help you. Try them for 2 weeks and see if that is any assistance. If all of those things have delivered, then stick with what works for you. And, if you’re continuing It might be time to start using the tried and true ‘old folks’ laxative, Senna. Made directly from a plant, all natural Senna is a fairly gentle way a person can stimulate the vagus nerve, and can have an effect on the parasympathetic control of the digestive tract.Good luck in your effort to put an end to the hemorrhoid trouble and Cheers to achieving the healthy microflora you need for a that chronically difficult digestive tract. Yes, this is a lengthy essay about a long standing and difficult “life changing” process. You can do it. It only takes persistence. All the tools are just as close as the local supermarket, drugstore or health food shop. Plus, online there are great deals to be had on superior products over the grocery and drugstore brands. There is no law regarding efficacy or purity that applies to herbal and dietary supplements in the U.S. Take your time in choosing reputable and long established vendors to insure your success. If you need a recommendation for where to go online or some brands to look for, drop me a note and I’ll do my best to find what you’re looking for.Be Well and Go Gently,BRFFootnotes[1] Guidelines for the treatment of hemorrhoids (short report).[2] Irritable bowel syndrome and chronic gastritis, hemorrhoid, urolithiasis.[3] Related Articles by Review for PubMed (Select 25380801)[4] Current evidence on physiological activity and expected health effects of kombucha fermented beverage.[5] Hepatoprotective effects of kombucha tea: identification of functional strains and quantification of functional components.[6] Kombucha: a systematic review of the clinical evidence.[7] Nutrient tasting and signaling mechanisms in the gut. II. The intestine as a sensory organ: neural, endocrine, and immune responses.[8] The role of intestinal microbiota and the immune system.[9] Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 supports regeneration of the intestinal microbiota after diarrheic dysbiosis - a review.[10] Dietary modulation of the human gut microflora using prebiotics.[11] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1489325/[12] Microbiological, technological and therapeutic properties of kefir: a natural probiotic beverage.

Relaxation can calm your mind, but new research has shown that relaxation reduces inflammation as well.This article is based on a research paper in Frontiers in Immunology in June of 2017.It concentrated on the calming effect of meditation on the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), which causes inflammation. We know that overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system activates the inflammatory pathway by expressing the genes responsible for NF-κB. These authors showed that the reverse is true also, namely that meditation suppresses inflammation.This metaanalysis of 18 research papers included 846 participants.Here are brief summary findings of these 18 studies. Note that diverse relaxation methods had very similar results on the genes expressing inflammatory markers.1. Qigong practitionersFirst of all, a group of Qigong practitioners had 132 downregulated genes and 118 upregulated genes when compared to non-meditating controls. Meditation strengthens the immune system and delays cell death.2. Sudarshan Kriya yogaAlso, one form of yoga breathing is Sudarshan Kriya yoga. Subjects who practiced this form of breathing yoga for 1 hour per day did not have the stress-related response on white blood cells. In contrast, the controls who did not meditate this way showed no change in the white blood cell response to stress. Those practicing yoga had a strengthened immune system. The meditators also showed strengthening of genes that inhibit cell death.3. Chronic lymphocytic leukemiaFurthermore, eight patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia were practicing the “seven yoga breathing patterns”; the popular Indian yoga teacher, Swami Ramdev, developed these. Those patients practicing the breathing yoga technique activated 4,428 genes compared to controls. They showed an up to twofold upregulation, which strengthened their immune system.4. Loneliness in older peopleAnother study noted that loneliness in older people causes inflammation, morbidity and mortality. 55-85 year old volunteers were taking a course of mindfulness-based stress reduction. The researchers wanted to find out whether it was due to increased inflammation that older people were more susceptible to disease. The physicians tested blood mononuclear cells for genome-wide transcriptional profiling. Those older persons who had reported loneliness had more transcription factors for nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) than controls without feelings of loneliness. After an 8-week course those who no longer felt loneliness had a reversal of proinflammatory gene expression. The genes that had changed expression were located on monocytes and B-lymphocytes; these are cells of the immune system.5. Care workers for patients with mental health problemsCare workers who looked after patients with mental health problems or chronic physical problems often have stress-induced chronic inflammation markers in their blood. A study involving 23 caregivers used a practice of Kirtan Kriya Meditation (KKM) assisted by an audio recording every day for 8 weeks. The subjects filled in questionnaires for depression and mental health before and after the 8-week trial. Physicians also took blood samples for transcriptional profiling before and after the KKM trial.Meditation effects genes and reduces inflammationThe KKM meditation group had significantly less depressive symptoms and showed improvements in mental health. There were down-regulations in 49 genes and up-regulations in 19 genes compared to the controls. The pro-inflammatory NF-κB expression showed a decrease; the anti-viral gene expression showed an increase. This was measured using the IRF-1 gene. This gene controls the expression of the interferon-regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1 gene), which controls the immune response to viral infections. The interesting observation here was that a time of only 8 weeks of meditation was able to reduce inflammatory substances in the blood and could activate the immune system to fight viruses better. Further tests showed that it was meditation that stimulated the B cells and the dendritic cells.6. Younger breast cancer patientsYounger breast cancer patients taking a mindfulness meditation course: Another study involved younger stable breast cancer patients after treatment that also had insomnia. Patients with both breast cancer and insomnia often have a lot of inflammatory markers in the blood. In a study with 80 patients 40 underwent treatment with Tai-Chi exercises, the other group of 40 with cognitive-behavioral therapy. Tai-Chi exercises reduced IL-6 marginally and TNF (tumor necrosis factor) significantly. There was a 9% reduction with regard to the expression of 19 genes that were pro-inflammatory; there was also a 3.4% increase with regard to 34 genes involved in regulating the antiviral and anti-tumor activity in the Tai-Chi group when compared to the cognitive-behavioral therapy group.Measurable results of mindfulness meditation courseWhile cognitive therapy has its benefits, the winner was the Tai-Chi group where there was down-regulation of 68 genes and up-regulation of 19 genes. As in the prior study there was a decrease of the pro-inflammatory NF-κB expression, which reduced the inflammatory response.7. Study with fatigued breast cancer patientsIn another breast cancer study with fatigued breast cancer patients the patients practiced 3 months of Iyengar yoga. After 3 months of yoga 282 genes showed up-regulation and 153 genes showed down-regulation. There was significant lowering of the expression of NF-κB. This suggests a lowering of inflammation. At the same time questionnaires showed that the fatigue factors experienced a reduction 3 months after initiating yoga exercises.8. Mindful meditation used in younger breast cancer patientsA group of 39 breast cancer patients diagnosed before the age of 50 received six weekly 2-hour sessions of mindful awareness practices (MAP). This program is very suitable for cancer survivors. In addition to the group sessions the patients also did daily exercises of between 5 minutes and 20 minutes by themselves. The control group consisted of patients on a wait list. The investigators used several psychological measure (depression and stress) and physical measures (fatigue, hot flashes and pain) to assess their progress. Gene expression in the genome and inflammatory proteins were measured at baseline and after the intervention.Effects of mindful awareness practicesMindful practices showed clear benefits: they reduced stress, and sleep disturbances, hot flashes and fatigue showed improvement. Depression also shoed a marginal reduction. There were 19 pro-inflammatory genes that were mad ineffective, but not in the control group that did not do mindful practices. Gene tests revealed that transcription factor NF-κB had significant down-regulation. Conversely the anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid receptor and the interferon regulatory factors showed higher values. Genes with down-regulation came from monocytes and dendritic cells while genes with up-regulation came from B lymphocytes.9. Telomerase gene expressionLifestyle modification changes telomerase gene expression: 48 patients with high blood pressure enrolled in an extensive lifestyle program teaching them about losing weight, eating less sodium, exercising, adopting a healthy diet and drinking less alcohol. The other choice was to use transcendental meditation (TM) combined with health education with weekly sessions for 4 months. It turned out that both programs led to an increased expression of telomerase genes. Both groups did not show telomerase changes, but the authors stated that the observation time was too short for that to occur. The extensive health education program turned out to be better for patients with high blood pressure as it decreased the diastolic blood pressure more and resulted in healthier lifestyles.10. Older patients with insomniaMind-body interventions for older patients with insomnia: Examiners divided a sample of 120 older adults with insomnia into two groups. They treated one group with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), the other group with Tai Chi. The control group consisted of a group of people participating in a sleep seminar. 4 months after the intervention the CBT group had a significantly reduced C-reactive protein (CRP). The pro-inflammatory markers were lower in both groups after 2 months and in the Tai Chi group this remained low until 16 months. Gene expression profiling showed that CBT downregulated 347 genes and upregulated 191 genes; the Tai Chi group had downregulated 202 genes and upregulated 52 genes. The downregulated genes were mostly inflammatory genes while the upregulated genes controlled mostly interferon and antibody responses.11. Patients with bowel disease19 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and 29 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were treated with a relaxation response-based mind-body intervention. This consisted of 9 weekly meetings, each lasting 1.5 hours and practices a home for 15-20 minutes. The participants were taught breathing exercises and cognitive skills designed to help manage stress. At the end of the mind-body intervention and at a follow-up visit 3 weeks later participants of both the IBS and IBD groups scored higher in quality of life and lower in the level of anxiety they had before. They had reduced symptoms of their conditions.Results of relaxation response-based mind-body intervention on IBS patientsThe IBS group showed an improvement in 1059 genes. These were mostly improvements in inflammatory responses, in cell growth, regarding proliferation, and also improvements in oxidative stress-related pathways. The IBD group showed improvements in 119 genes that were related to cell cycle regulation and DNA damages. Other genetic tests showed that NF-κB was a key molecule for both IBS and IBD. The main finding was that relaxation response-based mind-body intervention was able to down regulate inflammation in both IBD and IBS.12. Caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients receiving a course of MBSR25 caregivers participated in a course of mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR). Using 194 differently expressed genes the investigators could predict who would be a poor, moderate or good responder to the MBSR intervention. These genes related to inflammation, depression and stress response. 91 genes could identify with an accuracy of 94.7% at baseline whether the person would receive psychological benefits from the MBSR program.13. Higher state of consciousness in two experienced Buddha meditatorsGenetic tests showed, similar to the description of other cases that genes affecting the immune system, cell death and the stress response experienced stimulation. EEG studies in both individuals during deep meditation were almost identical with an increase of theta and alpha frequency ranges.14. Rapid gene expression in immune cells (lymphocytes) in the bloodOne study used gentle yoga postures, meditation and breathing exercises. 10 participants recruited at a yoga camp had yoga experience between 1.5 months and 5 years. Their response resulted in 3-fold more gene changes than that of controls. Otherwise the findings were very similar to the other studies.15. Genomic changes with the relaxation responseThe relaxation response (RR) is the opposite of the stress response. One study examined how various modes of entering into the relaxation response like yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and repetitive prayer would lead to beneficial gene effects. As in other studies inflammation was reduced and the immune system was stimulated from the relaxation response. This was verified with detailed gene studies. The authors noted that different genes were activated in people who had done long-term RR practice versus people who practiced RR only for a shorter time. There were distinctly different gene expressions.16. Energy metabolism and inflammation controlRelaxation responses beneficial for energy metabolism and inflammation control: Experts with experience in RR were compared with a group of novice RR practitioners. Experts and short-term practitioners expressed their genes differently at baseline. But after relaxation both experts and novices had gene changes in the area of energy metabolism, electron transport within the mitochondria, insulin secretion and cell aging. The upregulated genes are responsible for ATP synthase and insulin production. ATP synthase is responsible for energy production in the mitochondria and down regulates NF-κB pathway genes. Inflammation was reduced by these changes. All these beneficial gene changes were more prominent in expert RR practitioners. Other beneficial changes noted were telomere maintenance and nitric oxide production in both expert and novice RR practitioners.17. Relaxation changes stress recovery and silences two inflammatory genesMindfulness meditation changes stress recovery and silences two inflammatory genes: Experienced meditators were tested after an intensive 8-h mindfulness meditation retreat workshop. Two inflammatory genes were silenced by mindfulness meditation compared to controls. Other genes that are involved in gene regulation were found to be downregulated as well. These experienced meditators had a faster cortisol recovery to social stress compared to controls.18. Vacation and meditation effect on healing from diseaseThis last study investigated the effect of a 6-day holiday retreat. One group was offered a 4-day meditation course, one group was the control group just holidaying and the third group was an experienced meditation group who also took the retreat meditation course. Depression, stress, vitality, and mindfulness were measured with questionnaires. All groups were positively changed after the holiday and remained this way at 1 month after the retreat. 10 months after the retreat novice meditators were less depressed than the vacation control group. At the center of the experiment was the gene expression study.Effects of holiday and meditation390 genes had changed in all of the groups. The authors assumed that this was due to the relaxation experience of the retreat. The genes involved related to the stress response, wound healing, and injury. Other genes measured inflammation (control of tumor necrosis factor alpha). Another set of genes measured the control of protein synthesis of amyloid beta (Aβ) metabolism, which causes Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. All groups had markers that indicated less risk of dementia, depression and mortality, which was likely due to the relaxation from the retreat.Relaxation Reduces InflammationConclusionThis study is a meta-analysis of 18 research papers. The authors found that very different approaches to relax the mind have fairly consistent universal effects on reducing inflammation. Most of this work was done with genetic markers. No matter what type of relaxation method you use, you will have beneficial effects from it. But the beneficial effect is not only strengthening the immune system, it also improves sleep, depression, anxiety and blood pressure. In addition it is improving your stress response, wound healing, risk of dementia and it reduces mortality. We don’t quite understand all of the details yet.What is definitely documented is the effect of the mind-body interaction. It also points clearly to the relaxation response from meditation and similar relaxation methods. This has been proven beyond any doubt through genetic tests.Answer to your question:What are the physiological benefits of meditation? As reviewed above, it does not matter that much what relaxation method you pursue. The end result is always the same. Your immune system gets strengthened. Your telomeres get elongated resulting in longevity. Any inflammation that has been present in your system will be toned down. This results in less heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease. It is well worth to engage in some form of relaxation activity!This was published first here: relaxation reduces inflammation