EP #24 POST COVID HAIR LOSS – recovering after fever, stress & immune dysregulation

THIS WEEK ON WHAT’S THE JUICE PODCAST…

Earlier this 12 months I used to be thrust into studying about COVID first-hand when my dad and mom’ have been gravely unwell with the virus because it first hit the states. For those who haven’t already listened, you possibly can right here your entire story right here. This pressured me to not solely use my very own conventional herbalism coaching to grasp the sample and energetics as I watched my dad and mom’ signs each pre, throughout, and publish — however it allowed me to attach with so many different practitioners and clinicians who have been additionally interacting with affected people firsthand. I really feel like I’ve discovered extra this 12 months alone than I’ve my total profession within the wellness world, and I’m grateful for the true life expertise that this whirlwind has given me. 

I’ve talked about earlier than that I ended up utilizing what I discovered to assist folks in my neighborhood with each a extra strong immune nourishing prevention plan – though prevention is probably not the precise phrase; it’s extra that you just’re fueling your immune system and supporting your intestine microbiome (the place a lot of your immunity lies) in order that when and when you do are available in contact with the bug, your physique is a little more outfitted to work together with it and mount a wholesome response.

That is the place my immuniTEA recipe began, which is a quite simple kitchen drugs mixture of orange peel, onion, ginger, rosemary, and some other kitchen spices you’ve available (like clove) which might be wealthy in polyphenols and immune supporting plant chemical substances. I’ve a complete spotlight on Instagram displaying you make it with what you’ve in your cupboard and fridge, and might be including a model to my line referred to as “Microbiome Tea” when the autumn hits. 

Now that issues have calmed down a bit right here in New York, I really feel a drive to assist with one other difficulty that’s hitting a lot of my on-line household and neighborhood – one thing that has been referred to as “POST-COVID Syndrome” and the hair loss that may usually come together with it. Keep in mind, I’m an herbalist, not a medical physician, only a lady who loves vegetation, PubMed, combining custom and science, and relaying information from sources that I belief in easy phrases which might be extra comprehensible. My mission is to interrupt down what I learn about post-infection syndrome from my trainer Richard Mandelbaum (who talks about this precise state of affairs in Lyme illness on Episode 17), primary natural and dietary help for extreme shedding, and what I’ve discovered from different professionals who’re at the moment treating post-covid syndrome of their workplaces resembling my physician and on-line educators resembling naturopathic doctor Dr. Paul Anderson.

So, when you or somebody you already know has been experiencing unexplainable hair loss over the previous few months, I’m going to dive RIGHT in to the underlying mechanisms and options that take advantage of sense to me from a mixture of conventional, trendy scientific, and Chinese language drugs viewpoints.

Prepared? Let’s get juicy?

Let’s begin with probably the most common explination that’s extensively accepted within the medical neighborhood: TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM.

Mainly, there are three phases within the hair follicle development cycle: anagen (the expansion phrase), catagen (the resting part) and telogen (the shedding part). Typically talking, about 90% of hairs are within the anagen part at any given time, with 5% in catagen and 5% in shedding in telogen. Most individuals shed between 50 and 100 hairs every day as a result of this fixed cycle.

In Telogen Effluvium, a annoying occasion, excessive fever, or acute an infection causes the proportion of hair follicles within the telogen part will increase considerably, as much as 50%, resulting in mass shedding. There’s typically a 2-Three month lag between the annoying occasion and the onset of hair loss.

For this reason persons are experiencing hair loss now, since a lot of the unique extreme infections occurred months in the past. Hair loss solely comes on weeks to months after signs of COVID resolve, so the hair loss can appear scary and unrelated, however it’s really a mechanism that’s fairly well-known when any excessive fever or acute sickness is skilled.

With some research to be taught extra about TE, I’ve learn that this hair loss can final for as much as  6-9 months. Typically, most circumstances resolve on their very own, until it’s associated to medicine or a dietary deficiency. The dietary deficiency piece sparked my consideration, so I’ll go over some widespread deficiencies that may have an effect on the hair follicles begin to trigger pesky signs like TE after a number of months of low nutrient standing.

What precisely is depleted throughout instances of stress? How can we help the physique from a dietary standpoint to assist the physique cope throughout AND after stress?

In my view, a very powerful are the B VITAMINS

We all know that irritation could cause a rise in your physique’s demand for B9 (Folate), AND improve vitamin B6 degradation — and naturally we all know that COVID entails systemic irritation as a part of your immune system’s response to the various ACE-receptor wealthy tissues which might be focused by the spike protein. Irritation is definitely a great factor within the quick time period; it’s fairly actually the immune system’s innate response to dangerous stimuli, resembling pathogens, broken cells, and poisonous compounds. We all know when your personal physique’s irritation goes TOO excessive in response to this explicit pathogen, it causes what we all know because the “cytokine storm,” which is an elevation of your physique’s inflammatory cytokines resembling IL-6 for instance. We additionally know that people with diabetes, heart problems and different indicated underlying threat elements have already got the next degree of IL-6 to start with at baseline as a result of their power circumstances and intestine microbiome disruption. This implies they’re already dwelling with power irritation, and thus they’re already coming into this sickness with depleted B-Vitamin shops. 

It’s additionally necessary to notice that analysis (together with a 2014 examine out of Australia) revealed that stress depletes ranges of Vitamin B within the physique as nicely. That is kind of interchangeable with what we already talked about; an an infection *is* a stressor, the pandemic normally is a stressor, fever is a stressor, and Telogen Effluvium is understood to be brought on by stressors. B2, biotin, B9, and Vitamin B12 deficiencies have been related to hair loss. In my view, it solely is sensible to up your consumption of Vitamin B-rich meals and take into account supplementing with a nicely absorbed B advanced.

Keep in mind…

B Nutritional vitamins aren’t the one vitamins that get depleted throughout stress & an infection and might result in hair loss circumstances like TE. We all know that vitamins resembling Magnesium and Vitamin C help the center, lungs, and muscle groups, all of which may be affected by COVID, so throughout an infection vitamins might be fairly actually directed to those areas and used up by the physique to guard your tissues. You even have to contemplate  that your Adrenal Glands might be working additional time to supply stress hormones resembling Adrenalin and Cortisol so might be using loads of Vitamin C to ensure that is getting achieved correctly as a part of that inflammatory response to an infection.

There’s a very necessary area of analysis I need you guys to look into referred to as Dietary Immunology. Your physique actually makes use of your micronutrients to CREATE immune cells. There’s a examine referred to as “Food regimen and Immune Perform” that I’ll hyperlink within the present notes that explains how vitamins can straight trigger adjustments the functioning of immune cells because of their impression on the intestine microbiome, the place immunity begins.

I consider we CAN get these vitamins by weight loss plan firstly (and dietary supplements as a secondary line of insurance coverage if wanted), if and provided that we take the time to correctly CONVALESCE.

Convalescence means taking your time to heal. It means not speeding again into common life earlier than you’re prepared, not spending all day in your cellphone and calling that relaxation, and most significantly, fueling your physique with protein, veggies, and SOUPS manufactured from bone broth for a number of weeks publish an infection. This is without doubt one of the issues that was harassed to me MOST in herb faculty – that I may assist folks a lot by merely giving them the permission and tips to convalesce.

Convalescence meals in response to my trainer, Claudia Keel, are listed as: broths, porridge, stews, cooked greens and straightforward to digest meals. Convalescence herbs embrace mineral wealthy oats and oat straw infusions, shatavari, and calendula added to soups as a lymphatic herb to get the final of the an infection out of the lymphatic system in order that it doesn’t linger and develop into power.

Shoutout to Nick’s Intuitive Rooster Soup recipe (you’re gonna adore it):

All in all, I consider an necessary approach to refuel your physique publish an infection and hopefully reduce issues like TE, can be to eat and complement with:

• B advanced nutritional vitamins
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• minerals 
• and Nutritional vitamins A, D & C
• mushrooms for further convalescence energy

MY NEXT STRATEGY: ADAPTOGENIC HERBS

Keep in mind earlier than after I requested, how can we assist the physique cope throughout AND after stress? Particularly as a result of stress and anxiousness play a really vital function in diffuse thinning hair loss and telogen effluvium? And keep in mind how I discussed that irritation and cortisol ranges are a BIG factor whenever you’re coping with an immune response to an invader? I really can’t consider a greater device right here for all of those facets than adaptogenic herbs.

The only approach to take a look at it’s the extra harassed you’re, the extra cortisol rises, particularly throughout an an infection. As cortisol rises, the physique’s androgen receptors develop into extra delicate, and estrogen tends to rise in accordance with cortisol. The obvious step can be to get your cortisol ranges below management, and that is the place numerous adaptogens will help, starting from Holy Basil to Ashwagandha.

So, what’s an adaptogen? For those who’re not acquainted, you possibly can watch my video on adaptogens, right here. Adaptogens help a wholesome sense of resilience and assist us to adapt to the stress in our lives to be able to preserve vitality. In probably the most primary sense, these herbs help the endocrine system, HPA Axis, and thus wholesome immune operate.

To be taught extra concerning the HPA axis and why modulating stress and cortisol ranges in your day by day life is vital to longevity, go all the way in which again to episode 1: The Stress Bible the place I REALLY break this down. For me personally, I rotate between Adrenal Restoration with plain Ashwagandha capsules.

Now, one of the fascinating discoveries I’ve made throughout all my COVID analysis is that publish an infection syndrome is an actual ting. Immune dysregulation and a doable autoimmune response to an infection can wreak havoc on the physique, however may be revered if the immune system is nourished and correctly modulated.

My trainer, Richard Mandelbaum, first taught me about “Publish An infection Inflammatory Syndrome” in herb faculty. He’s my go-to in terms of power an infection AND heightened auto-immune dysregulation.

Publish an infection inflammatory syndrome is when your immune system—for no matter purpose—won’t settle down after being on excessive alert from an an infection. A wholesome immune system must be versatile & calibrated to RAMP UP when a risk is current, then calm again down as soon as it has cleared. Many people, particularly of those that have already got autoimmune tendencies or circumstances as a result of intestine microbiome dysbiosis, can stay within the ramped up state.

As a result of the immune system stays in a dysregulated for therefore many post-viral an infection, this may completely have an effect on not solely your intestine and meals allergy symptoms (for instance I observed I used to be out of the blue delicate to eggs once more after getting COVID), it could possibly additionally have an effect on your hair.

Now, does this imply you’re going to develop an autoimmune illness simply because you’ve hair loss after COVID? Completely NOT! What it *could* imply, nevertheless, is that your immune system should still be in overdrive, and hair loss could merely be an indicator of this; a sign out of your physique. 

Right here’s a time-tested answer that I continually harp on about: medicinal mushrooms. That is Richard’s go-to for any kind of immune dysregulation or autoimmune flare. The aim is to calm and regulate the immune system through the use of focused immune modulators, and mushrooms are EXACTLY that. You may examine my “autoimmune” spotlight on Instagram with the photograph of a mushroom for extra about this and to learn some experiences with this highly effective food-based drugs. Keep in mind how I discussed adaptogens? Guess what, mushrooms are adaptogens too!

You guys know that I’ve a mushroom components referred to as Immune Shroom that I clearly love as a result of I wouldn’t have created it, however I make a degree to by no means point out it with out mentioning the truth that you DON’T want to purchase my components and might merely make your personal immune modulating mushroom broth at house with dried natural mushrooms. There’s nothing extra highly effective than kitchen drugs, and this recipe incorporates complete directions on make an immune-calming broth that may also assist along with your hair.

Backside line: mushrooms, mushrooms, mushrooms! Convalesce with them. Drink them as broth. As tea. Add them to stir-fries. Use this drugs to appease your immune system again into concord, and make the broth on my weblog to your hair!

One remaining perspective from Dr. Paul Anderson (one other practitioner who talks about post-infection syndrome): hormone dysregulation.

“All power or acute infections can throw off your hormonal system and endocrine system in an effective way. You shouldn’t simply display screen for anemia or a primary thyroid panel after an an infection, you really need to take a look at the issues that get thrown off when you’ve infectious inflammatory exercise. If I used to be publish sickness and having lingering signs for greater than 2 or Three weeks, I might additionally begin to ask that the hormonal system be checked out. One lab that’s necessary in a complicated thyroid blood panel can be Reverse T3 (RT3). This may go excessive after an sickness or extended stress, as excessive cortisol and irritation can fairly actually block T3 from going into the cell, inflicting it to go “reverse” in its unusable type.”

Dr. Anderson

Excessive cortisol additionally contributes to hair follicle irritation and hair loss. And, as an herbalist, adaptogens like Ashwagandha mix with stress administration strategies are my go-to right here. We all know that thyroid imbalances could be a enormous driver of hair loss, particularly when T3 isn’t stepping into the cell. And guess what?! Ashwagandha is understood to decrease Reverse T3!

“The subsequent factor to take a look at is the steadiness between estrogen, progesterone, and your androgens. What’s going to occur a variety of the time in males or girls is: throughout irritation and an infection, the estrogen pool could rise for numerous causes, and progesterone could also be suppressed. There could also be good purpose for estrogen to extend within the acute part as we struggle the an infection, however what occurs when it stays there long run is that you would be able to have extra mind irritation, joint irritation, and many others… a variety of issues get infected.”

Dr. Anderson

My physician Dr. Gabrielle Lyon chimed in right here to supply her two cents as a result of she fully agrees with Dr. Anderson’s thyroid and progesterone idea. She stated that in her clinic, she is giving COVID lengthy haulers with mind irritation and longstanding fatigue micronized progesterone, which has good literature backing its mind advantages. She stated there’s not a lot knowledge for males, however she has used it in mind trauma with the troopers that she treats as a result of blast publicity mixed with hyperbaric oxygen remedy. 

Once more, from my herbalist perspective, since we can’t prescribe progesterone, I depend on my HPA axis adaptogens to present a high down normalizing impact on ovarian hormone manufacturing, and I flip to hormone modulators resembling Chaste Tree Berry which might be recognized to enhance progesterone:estrogen ratios. Nevertheless, I believe that working with a useful physician like Dr. Lyon who can pull out the massive weapons like micronized progesterone can be KEY in case you are having extreme signs and might’t get again to regular. She is a genius and has a complete totally different toolbox than I do, so I’ll hyperlink her under as nicely.

ALL IN ALL:

1. Get your nutrient shops again up: day by day B advanced, multivitamin, loads of magnesium, zinc, minerals, Nutritional vitamins A, C, D – attempt to get most of this by meals however discuss to your practitioner about supplementing as nicely in case your hair loss and lengthy haul signs are extreme

1. Convalesce: take a number of weeks to relaxation and cargo up on broth, stewed, and gradual cooked simple to digest meals in case your physique wants the restore time

1. Lean on adaptogens: these are the herbs that improve our resilience to emphasize, normalize our endocrine system, and help our adrenals & thyroid publish an infection

1. Make mushroom broth or discuss to your practitioner a few mushroom complement: to carry the overactive immune response again down in Publish-An infection Inflammatory Syndrome

1. Get a full thyroid and hormone panel achieved when you’re actually struggling: particularly RT3, progesterone, estrogen, and androgens.

EPISODE LINKS

EP. #17 A REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO LYME DISEASE — Richard Mandelbaum’s highly effective philosophy on treating power sickness

Ep. #01 – The Stress Bible & Why You’re Exhausted – optimizing sleep, melatonin, mind detox, and your adrenals

Food regimen and Immune Perform – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6723551/

Decreasing occupational stress with a B-vitamin focussed intervention: a randomized scientific trial: examine protocol – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4290459/#CR16

 A randomized managed trial of zinc supplementation within the remedy of acute respiratory tract an infection in Thai kids – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31214301/

Quicksilver Scientific – https://www.quicksilverscientific.com/restore-maintain-advance/

Continual restraint stress inhibits hair development through substance P mediated by reactive oxygen species in mice – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23637859/

My Adrenal Restoration components – https://www.organicolivia.com/product/adrenal-recovery-formula/ 

Crohn’s ileocolitis presenting as power diffuse hair loss. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1292143/ 

Telogen effluvium as the primary symptom of Crohn’s illness in a toddler – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4188947/ 

Immune-modulating mushroom broth recipe – https://www.organicolivia.com/2018/12/immune-modulating-medicinal-mushroom-broth-winter-survival-recipe/ 

My Immune Shroom components – https://www.organicolivia.com/product/immune-shroom/ 

Janny’s expertise with post-viral syndrome and mushrooms – https://www.jannyorganically.com/weblog/2018/12/8/mushrooms-not-an-epipen 

Dr. Paul Anderson’s Publish-COVID Syndrome Lecture – https://www.fb.com/watch/dwell/?extid=eCKcHJmVjdirR3wU&v=965791057254746&ref=watch_permalink 

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon – https://drgabriellelyon.com/

Dr. Tyna – https://www.instagram.com/drtyna/

David Winston – https://www.herbalist-alchemist.com/shop-products/new-products/b4-adaptogens-herbs-for-strength-stamina