Plain-language explanations of the conditions, therapies and tests we work with most, written by this practice rather than syndicated from a stock library. 107 topics across 14 areas, each linking through to the page that covers it in full.
This is general information and not medical advice. Nothing here diagnoses anything, and none of it replaces the care of your own doctor. If something matches what you are living with, that is a reason to have a conversation rather than to self-treat. Call (770) 674-6311 or request an appointment.
Reflux is often treated as an acid excess when the pattern points elsewhere, including meal timing, weight, alcohol, and how well the valve at the top of the stomach closes. Long-term acid suppression has its own trade-offs worth understanding.
The intestinal lining is meant to be selective. When that barrier loosens, particles cross that normally would not, which is one proposed route from gut trouble to symptoms elsewhere. The concept is better established in research than in routine practice.
IBS is a diagnosis of pattern rather than pathology, which is why two people with the same label can need opposite things. Food triggers, stress load, motility and the gut microbiome all pull on it.
Bacteria that belong further down the digestive tract set up in the small intestine, where they ferment food early and produce gas. Bloating that arrives soon after eating is the classic complaint.
Candida is a normal resident that can overgrow when the conditions favour it, such as after antibiotics. It is also one of the most over-diagnosed things in natural medicine, so testing matters more here than usual.
A bacterium that colonises the stomach lining and is a well-established cause of ulcers and chronic gastritis. Unlike much in this section, it is testable and its treatment is conventional and effective.
Frequency matters less than effort, completeness and change from your own normal. Fibre, hydration, movement, thyroid function and magnesium status all feed into it.
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are autoimmune conditions that need gastroenterology care. Nutrition and nutrient status matter alongside that care, not instead of it.
Enzymes break food into pieces small enough to absorb. When output falls, symptoms show up as bloating, fullness and undigested food, and nutrient status can slip even on a good diet.
Probiotics are live organisms studied for specific strains and specific uses. The evidence is strain-specific, which is why "take a probiotic" is less useful advice than it sounds.
An underactive thyroid slows the body down: fatigue, cold intolerance, weight that will not move, dry skin, low mood. Symptoms often arrive well before the standard test flags anything.
An overactive thyroid does the reverse, producing a racing heart, heat intolerance, anxiety and unintended weight loss. It needs medical assessment rather than a supplement.
The most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States, and an autoimmune condition rather than a simple gland failure. That distinction changes what is worth looking at.
The autoimmune form of an overactive thyroid. It requires conventional endocrine management, with nutrition and stress load as supporting considerations.
TSH is a pituitary signal, not a direct measure of thyroid hormone. A fuller panel including free T3, free T4 and antibodies sometimes explains what a single number cannot.
A widely used label for the exhaustion pattern that follows prolonged stress. It is not a recognised medical diagnosis, and we would rather say so plainly than pretend otherwise. The symptoms are real and worth investigating.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is the loop that governs cortisol. Sustained pressure changes its rhythm, which is a more accurate frame than the idea of glands wearing out.
Persistent exhaustion that rest does not fix has many possible drivers: thyroid, iron, B12, sleep quality, blood sugar, infection and mood among them. It deserves a full workup rather than a label.
Irregular cycles, stubborn weight, low mood, poor sleep, thinning hair and low drive can all point at hormones. They can also point at thyroid, iron or stress, which is why the pattern matters more than any one symptom.
Cycle changes are information. Thyroid function, insulin, body composition, stress and nutrient status all influence them, and the useful question is which one is driving yours.
A transition rather than an event, often running several years. Sleep, temperature regulation, mood and body composition shift together, and lifestyle levers work better earlier than later.
Common around hormonal transitions, but also produced by blood sugar swings, alcohol, thyroid overactivity, medication and infection. Worth ruling the others out.
A cluster rather than a disease: central weight, raised blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL and rising blood sugar. Each one worsens the others, and the cluster is largely responsive to diet and movement.
Cells respond less to insulin, so the body makes more of it. This runs quietly for years before glucose readings change, which is why it is often missed early.
Diabetes is managed by your physician. Nutrition, movement, weight and sleep meaningfully affect how that management goes, and that is where naturopathic support belongs.
Nerve damage from long-running high blood sugar, usually felt first in the feet. Blood sugar control is the foundation; nutrient status and circulation are worth attention alongside it.
It means the hormone is structurally identical to the one your body makes, as opposed to a modified molecule. That is a statement about chemistry, not about safety, and the two get conflated constantly in advertising.
Bioidentical hormones come both ways. Several are FDA-approved, including estradiol and micronized progesterone. Compounded preparations are made to order by a pharmacy and are not FDA-approved, which is a real distinction worth knowing before you start.
In 2020 the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine reviewed compounded bioidentical hormone therapy for the FDA and found the supporting evidence largely came from anecdote, patient report and prescriber testimony rather than controlled trials. They recommended reserving compounded preparations for people who cannot use an approved product or who need a dose or form that is not commercially made. We think you should know that before deciding.
Compounded hormones are frequently marketed as safer than approved ones because they are natural or plant-derived. There is no good evidence for that, and the known risks of hormone therapy apply either way. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling.
Hormones follow daily and monthly rhythms, so when a sample is taken matters as much as what it shows. We test before prescribing, and retest to see what actually changed, rather than adjusting on symptoms alone.
Creams, gels, patches, troches, capsules and pellets all behave differently in absorption, steadiness of level and how easily a dose can be stopped or changed. Pellets in particular cannot be removed once inserted, which is worth weighing in advance.
Usually paired with estrogen in anyone who still has a uterus, because unopposed estrogen carries endometrial risk. Micronized progesterone is available as an FDA-approved product.
Effective for the vasomotor symptoms of menopause. Timing relative to menopause, personal and family history, and route of delivery all shape whether it suits you, which is a conversation rather than a formula.
Different from sex hormone therapy and managed differently. Dose is guided by testing and by how you actually feel, and both matter.
Precursor hormones the body converts into others, which is precisely why supplementing them has knock-on effects that are not always predictable. Worth testing rather than assuming.
If poor sleep, chronic stress, blood sugar swings or nutrient deficiency are driving your symptoms, hormones prescribed on top of that tend to disappoint. We look underneath first. That is the naturopathic part, and it is not a delay tactic.
Fatigue, low drive, mood change, lost muscle and poor concentration can all point here, and can all point elsewhere. Testosterone follows a daily rhythm, so morning testing on more than one occasion is the standard approach.
This is the part most articles skip. Erectile function depends on small blood vessels, and problems there often precede cardiovascular disease by several years. It is a reason for a cardiovascular workup, not just a prescription.
It can help men with genuinely low levels and symptoms to match. It also suppresses fertility, needs monitoring of blood count and prostate markers, and is not a general-purpose tonic. Levels alone do not justify treatment.
Untreated sleep apnoea lowers testosterone, raises cardiovascular risk and produces the same fatigue and low mood people attribute to hormones. Treating the apnoea sometimes resolves the rest.
Urinary changes are common with age and are not automatically serious, but they should be assessed rather than assumed. Screening decisions belong with your physician.
Central weight, insulin resistance and low testosterone reinforce each other in a loop. Breaking it usually starts with the metabolic side rather than the hormonal one.
Supportive care given alongside oncology treatment, aimed at quality of life: nutritional status, managing side effects, sleep, stress and function. It does not target the cancer, and it does not replace any part of your oncology plan.
It is not a cancer treatment, an alternative protocol, or a reason to postpone surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy. Any provider offering a natural therapy as a substitute for oncology care is one to walk away from.
Treatment affects appetite, taste, swallowing and digestion, and weight loss during treatment is associated with worse tolerance of it. Keeping nutrition adequate is one of the more useful things supportive care does.
This is the most important thing on this page. Some supplements and herbs interfere with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone-blocking drugs, including common antioxidants. Nothing should be taken during treatment without your oncology team knowing.
Cancer-related fatigue is not ordinary tiredness and does not resolve with rest alone. Graded activity, sleep structure and correcting anaemia or nutrient deficiency where present all contribute.
Finishing treatment is its own transition, and support often falls away exactly when people need it. Rebuilding strength, nutritional status and sleep is real work, and follow-up with your oncology team continues.
Recommended screening is one of the more evidence-backed things in medicine. We support it and we do not offer anything as a replacement for it. Thermography in particular is not a substitute for mammography.
Pollen-driven symptoms that arrive on a schedule. Knowing which pollen and when lets you get ahead of the season rather than react to it.
Dust mites, mould and animal dander produce year-round symptoms that are easy to normalise. Environment often does more than anything taken by mouth.
A true food allergy is an immediate immune reaction and can be dangerous. Sensitivity describes slower, subtler reactions. The two are not the same thing and are not tested the same way.
Inflamed sinuses following infection, allergy or structural narrowing. Recurrent sinusitis is worth investigating rather than repeatedly treating.
The immune system misidentifies the body as a threat. The specific condition varies enormously, but triggers, nutrient status and inflammation are shared considerations across them.
A systemic autoimmune condition needing rheumatology care. Supporting nutrition, sleep and stress load sits alongside that care rather than replacing it.
Sleep, protein and micronutrient status, movement, and stress do more for immune function than any single supplement. Unglamorous, and consistently the thing that works.
Mostly self-limiting, and mostly a question of supporting recovery and knowing when something has stopped being ordinary. Antibiotics do nothing for a virus.
Depression is a medical condition that deserves proper treatment. Thyroid function, vitamin D, B12, iron, sleep and blood sugar can all contribute, and are worth checking alongside that treatment rather than instead of it.
Persistent anxiety has physiological contributors, among them blood sugar swings, caffeine, thyroid overactivity, poor sleep and nutrient status. Addressing those does not replace therapy or medication where they are needed.
Intense, short-lived episodes with strong physical symptoms that can mimic a cardiac event. New chest symptoms should always be assessed medically first.
Trouble falling asleep and trouble staying asleep usually have different causes. Light exposure, evening blood sugar, alcohol, cortisol rhythm and sleep apnoea are the usual suspects.
Low mood that tracks the calendar, tied to reduced daylight. Light exposure timing and vitamin D status are the first things worth examining.
Difficulty concentrating and word-finding trouble are common and rarely have one cause. Sleep, thyroid, B12, blood sugar, medication and stress all contribute.
Sustained stress is not just a feeling. It changes cortisol rhythm, sleep, appetite, blood pressure and immune function, and those changes are measurable.
An 8-hour course teaching how to recognise and respond to a mental health or substance use crisis. Dr. Ravello is a certified instructor and teaches it here.
Usually symptomless until it is not, which is why it gets called the silent one. Sodium, weight, alcohol, sleep apnoea, stress and movement all move the number.
Total cholesterol on its own tells you very little. Particle number, triglyceride to HDL ratio and inflammatory markers say considerably more about risk.
Plaque develops in arteries through a process that is as much inflammatory as it is about fat. That is why markers beyond cholesterol are worth measuring.
Persistently cold hands and feet can reflect circulation, thyroid function, iron status or nervous system tone. Sudden or one-sided changes need prompt medical assessment.
Plateaus are normal and rarely mean failure. Metabolic adaptation, muscle loss, sleep debt, under-eating protein and untreated thyroid problems are the usual explanations.
Body weight is regulated by hormones, not willpower alone. Treating it as a character question is both unkind and ineffective.
Losing weight without trying is a symptom that needs investigating, not celebrating. Thyroid, digestion, blood sugar and other conditions all belong on the list.
Muscle is metabolically active tissue and it protects function as you age. Adequate protein and resistance training are the two things that reliably maintain it.
Fat is not one thing. The balance of omega-3 to omega-6, and the amount of processed industrial fat, matter more than total fat intake.
Most people do better with structure than with arithmetic. Protein first, plants by volume, and consistent meal timing beats tracking for the majority.
Vitamin D, B12, iron, magnesium and zinc are the ones we see most. Deficiency symptoms are vague and easily attributed to something else.
Involved in immune function, mood and bone health. Status varies enormously with latitude, skin tone, season and time spent outdoors, and it is straightforward to measure.
Fat accumulating in the liver, now common and strongly tied to insulin resistance. It is one of the more reversible things on this page when addressed early.
Most back pain improves without imaging or intervention, and staying active beats resting. Pain with numbness, weakness or bladder changes needs urgent assessment.
Often postural and load-related rather than structural. Desk setup, sleep position and stress-driven muscle guarding are common contributors.
Wear-related and inflammatory arthritis behave differently and are managed differently. Movement helps both, which surprises people.
Widespread pain with fatigue and disturbed sleep, involving how pain signals are processed rather than damage in the tissue itself. Sleep quality is one of the more useful levers.
Triggers are individual and often cumulative rather than single. Sleep, hydration, blood sugar, hormonal timing and specific foods are worth tracking before anything else.
Persistent pelvic pain has gynaecological, digestive, urinary and musculoskeletal causes that overlap. It is under-investigated and worth taking seriously.
Your liver, kidneys, gut, lungs and skin clear compounds continuously. Supporting that machinery is real; the idea that a juice fast flushes toxins is not.
Lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic accumulate from environment, diet and occupation. Testing should be done properly, and we do not use provoked urine testing, which the American College of Medical Toxicology advises against.
Damp buildings can produce genuine respiratory and neurological symptoms. This is also an area with a great deal of overreach, so evidence matters.
Plastics, pesticide residue, solvents and personal care products make up a background load. Reducing exposure is more practical than trying to clear it afterwards.
Warm filtered water is used to flush the colon. It attracts strong opinions in both directions, and it is one tool among several rather than a cure for anything.
Panels that look at how systems are performing rather than only whether disease is present. Useful for pattern-finding, and not a substitute for conventional diagnostic testing.
A standard panel covers a lot of ground if read properly. Reference ranges describe a population, not your personal optimum, and trends over time say more than a single reading.
Different methods answer different questions, and none of them replaces a careful history and a structured elimination trial.
Assesses digestion, absorption, the microbiome and markers of inflammation, and can identify specific organisms such as H. pylori and parasites.
Timing matters as much as the result, because these hormones follow daily and monthly rhythms. A single random draw can easily mislead.
Digital infrared imaging that maps surface temperature patterns. The FDA advises it is not a substitute for mammography and should not be used in place of it for breast-cancer screening. It may be used as an adjunct. It does not diagnose disease.
A whole-person approach built on six principles agreed in 1989, starting with the least invasive option that could reasonably work and aiming at causes rather than symptoms.
Conventional and complementary care used together and coordinated, rather than one chosen over the other.
A traditional system using highly diluted, individually selected remedies. It is used here to complement appropriate medical care, not to replace it.
Plant-based preparations with real pharmacological activity, which is exactly why they can interact with prescription medication. Natural does not mean inert.
Device-delivered massage to ease tension and support circulation and relaxation. A comfort therapy, and not a treatment for any disease.
Very light manual contact applied to the head, spine and pelvis. Gentle, well tolerated, and best understood as a relaxation and comfort therapy.
Manual pressure applied at defined points, drawn from the same map as acupuncture but without needles.
Infrared wavelengths warm you directly rather than heating the air, so the cabin runs cooler than a traditional sauna and is easier to sit in. A comfort therapy. The evidence for chronic pain is small and promising rather than settled, and the depth-of-penetration claims you will see vary enormously.
Breathing oxygen under increased pressure so more dissolves into the blood. Cleared for a specific list of conditions, and widely promoted for many it is not cleared for. Chamber pressure matters.
Supportive care during and after oncology treatment: nutrition, symptom comfort and quality of life. It is not cancer treatment and does not replace your oncology team.
The work that happens before there is anything to treat. Nutrition, movement, sleep, stress and catching changes while they are still small.
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