Do B12 Injections Help Stroke Recovery?
A friend, who thinks I’ve made a good recovery from a stroke, asked me if there is anything I could recommend, for another of his friends, who has just had a stroke.
As a coeliac, am I in a group with a higher risk of a stroke?
So, I asked Google AI, the question, if this were true and received this answer.
- Initial Higher Risk: Some studies suggest a slightly increased risk of stroke (roughly a 10-15% increased likelihood). This risk is highest in the first year after diagnosis.
- Effect of Gluten-Free Diet: After 5 years on a strict, gluten-free diet, the risk of stroke for people with coeliac disease is virtually the same as that of the general population.
- Overall Risk: While some studies have suggested a link, others, including a 2023 UK Biobank study, found no clear evidence of an association between coeliac disease and stroke, although they did find an overall increased risk of cardiovascular disease (27% higher).
- Mechanism: The potential for a higher risk is likely due to the chronic inflammation associated with untreated coeliac disease, rather than traditional risk factors like high blood pressure or smoking.
- Children: A 2023 study found that coeliac disease plays a minimal role in the risk of stroke in children, but recommended that doctors consider it a potential factor in cases of stroke with unknown causes.
Conclusion:
While untreated coeliac disease may slightly increase the risk of stroke due to chronic inflammation, adhering to a gluten-free diet helps manage this risk.
This study by coeliacUK and Oxford University, was the source of the findings by Google AI.
Do B12 Injections Help Stroke Recovery?
For nearly thirty years, ever since I was diagnosed as coeliac, I have had regular three-monthly B12 injections. So ever since my stroke in 2011, I have had B12 injections.
So now AI is available, I felt I should ask Google AI to see if it says anything useful.
This is the answer I received.
- Nerve Repair & Axonal Growth: B12 aids in repairing damaged nerve fibers (axons) and regenerating nerve cells, vital for restoring lost function after a stroke.
- Reduces Inflammation: It helps calm the harmful inflammatory response (neuroinflammation) in the brain after an ischemic stroke, notes this ScienceDirect article.
- Improves Brain Communication: B12 supports neurotransmitter production, allowing brain cells to communicate more effectively and speeding up healing, according to this Flint Rehab article.
- Lowers Stroke Risk: By reducing homocysteine levels, an amino acid linked to stroke, B12 can help prevent recurrent strokes, reports this Flint Rehab article and this NIH article.
- Supports Microglia Function: It helps functionalize microglia (brain immune cells) to reduce injury and promote recovery, states this ScienceDirect article.
- To Boost Recovery: For those with moderate deficiencies, injections or supplementation can improve neurological function, notes this NIH article.
Conclusion
B12 injections seem to have done me no harm.
I also have them on the NHS, at no cost to myself.
If the NHS said I couldn’t have them, I’d pay for them.
What Are Gail’s Like For Gluten-Free Food
As a coeliac, I just had to ask this question of Google AI and I choose Gail’s as my first test.
This was the answer.
Gail’s offers a standout, award-winning Gluten-Free Sourdough, made in a separate facility for purity, but for other items, cross-contamination is a risk, as they use shared equipment and ingredients. While they have gluten-free salads, flourless cakes, and sometimes other specials, customer experiences vary widely, with some finding staff knowledgeable and careful, while others report poor communication and lack of safe options for severe allergies like Coeliac disease, so always check ingredients and ask staff about specific items.
I think I’ll stay clear.
Are There People, Who Have Very Leaky Skin And Consequently Lose A lot Of Fluids And Have To Drink A Lot. Do Some Become Alcoholics?
I’m actually asking this question for my paternal grandfather, who died on the 25 Jun 1929.
- I obviously never met him.
- My father told me he was a chronic alcoholic.
- My father was upset about his father’s drinking and did his utmost to ensure I didn’t follow his father’s example.
- At no time in my life, have I been drunk day after day, like my paternal grandfather.
- My father set me an excellent example on drinking and I tried to follow his lead.
The question in the title of this post, is based on a composite person of myself and my paternal grandfather.
- In My Strange Skin, I describe the unusual properties of my skin, which often causes medical staff to have a good laugh.
- My previous excellent GP would always take my blood and, never needed a plaster and always had a big smile on his face afterwards.
- I am coeliac and I am fairly certain my father was, but was my paternal grandfather?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this AI Overview.
While people generally lose some fluid through normal sweating, there are specific medical conditions that cause excessive fluid loss through the skin, primarily genetic disorders affecting the skin’s barrier function.
One prominent example is Netherton Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that results in a defective skin barrier . People with this condition experience:
- Excessive Trans-Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL): Their skin loses moisture much faster than a healthy person’s skin.
- Dehydration Risk: This requires them to constantly monitor hydration levels and drink plenty of fluids to compensate for the continuous loss.
- Another condition is epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a group of genetic diseases that make the skin very fragile and blister easily. The open wounds and blisters also lead to significant fluid loss, increasing the risk of dehydration and infection.
Note that my skin doesn’t have open wounds and blisters and generally heals well and quickly if I cut myself. My late wife would compliment me on my skin and say it was very much like that of our son, who died of pancreatic cancer.
The second part of the question—whether these individuals become alcoholics as a consequence of their condition—is more complex. There is no evidence in medical literature or research to suggest a direct causal link between having a “leaky skin” condition (which necessitates high fluid intake) and the development of alcoholism.
- Fluid management vs. alcohol consumption: Individuals with these conditions need to consume water, milk, or specific electrolyte-balancing fluids.Alcohol has a diuretic effect, meaning it would actually worsen dehydration and be counterproductive to their necessary fluid management.
- Risk factors for alcoholism: Alcoholism is a complex condition influenced by a combination of genetic, psychological, social, and environmental factors, not by the physiological need to consume large volumes of non-alcoholic fluids.
In summary, certain conditions do cause significant fluid loss through the skin requiring high fluid intake, but this physiological need is managed with appropriate hydration (water, electrolytes), and does not lead to alcoholism.
I will now use, what intelligence I have and my observations of my own body to build on these results.
I Have Very Dry Eyes
I had my first eye test in a shed in a friend’s back garden. But the guy who did it, had been the Senior Eye Surgeon in Ipswich Hospital, so he had practiced at a high level and had a lot of experience.
- During the tests, he remarked to me, that I had the driest eyes he’d ever encountered.
- Afterwards, I got bought the glasses from Boots in Ipswich.
- They were fine and served me well for a number of years.
- A few years later, I was involved in a research project at Moorfields Eye Hospital, where members of the public gave their opinion on new eye testing machines that the NHS might use.
- Moorfields said my eyes were indeed very dry.
- The last professional to comment on my eyes was an opthalmist in Vision Express, who suggested that I bathe my eyes in clean, hot water every morning.
- A couple of days later I saw my GP on another matter and he gave the same advice.
My eyes have been a lot more comfortable since.I also have not had to go to a hospital to have a wayward fly taken out of my eyes, which must have happened perhaps four or five times before.
Are Very Dry Eyes A Sign Of Netherton Syndrome?
I asked Google AI, this question and received this answer.
Yes, very dry eyes can be an associated sign or complication of Netherton Syndrome (NS) and other forms of ichthyosis. The underlying skin barrier defect in NS can lead to various eye problems.
- Ectropion: In some cases, the chronic skin inflammation and tightness can cause ectropion, where the eyelids evert (turn outwards) and do not close properly. This prevents the eyelids from adequately covering and protecting the eyeballs, leading to severe exposure and dryness.
- Ichthyosis and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: Netherton syndrome is a type of ichthyosis, which is characterized by dry, scaly skin. Patients with ichthyosis often have meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), where the glands that produce the oily layer of the tear film don’t function correctly. This results in the tear film evaporating too quickly, causing evaporative dry eye.
- Corneal Complications: Chronic dry eye can lead to more severe issues like keratitis (inflammation of the cornea) or punctate epithelial erosions, which are painful and can affect eyesight.
It looks like Google AI is thinking in the right direction.
Are Very Dry Eyes A Sign Of Excessive Trans-Epidermal Water Loss?
I asked Google AI, this question and received this answer.
Yes, very dry eyes are associated with increased trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) from the ocular surface. Studies have shown that individuals with dry eye disease (DED) have significantly higher ocular TEWL values compared to healthy individuals.
- Tear Evaporation: TEWL from the ocular area is used as a measure of tear evaporation. Excessive tear evaporation is one of the two main causes of DED and leads to a condition called evaporative dry eye (EDE).
- Compromised Barrier: The tear film has a protective lipid (oil) layer that acts as a barrier to prevent excessive evaporation of the aqueous (water) layer of the tear film. A compromised or deficient lipid layer, often caused by meibomian gland dysfunction, results in increased tear evaporation/TEWL.
- Aqueous-Deficient Dry Eye: Even in cases of aqueous-deficient dry eye (ADDE), where the primary problem is low tear production, patients can still experience increased tear evaporation and higher TEWL, indicating a complex overlap between the two main types of DED.
- Ocular Surface Inflammation: Excessive tear evaporation leads to tear hyperosmolarity (increased salt concentration), which is a key factor in causing inflammation and damage to the ocular surface, contributing to the symptoms of very dry eyes.
Are Very Dry Eyes A Sign Of Epidermolysis Bullosa
I didn’t ask Google AI, as it was obvious, when I looked at the pictures on the Internet, that I hadn’t got epidermolysis bullosa.
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
Looking at the pictures of the various causes of dry eye, I came to the conclusion meibomian gland dysfunction could be the cause of my very dry eyes.
Can Meibomian Gland Dysfunction Cause Very Dry Eyes?
I asked Google AI, this question and received this answer.
- Tear Film Breakdown: When glands are blocked (MGD), they produce poor quality or insufficient oil, causing the tear film to break down rapidly.
- Evaporation: Without enough oil, tears evaporate too fast, leaving the eye’s surface exposed, dry, and irritated.
- Gritty, itchy, or burning sensation
- Redness and inflammation
- Watery eyes (paradoxically, due to instability)
- Sticky eyelids or discharge, especially in the morning
- Blurred vision, particularly at the end of the day
The BYD Buses On Route 141 Appear To Be Dehydrating Me
I took these pictures on one of the new BYD electric buses on route 141 these morning, as it ran between the Moorfields Hospital and the Balls Pond Road stops.
Note.
- There appears to be something wrong with the display, which says “Bus Terminates Here. Please Take Your Belongings With You”
- But it didn’t terminate.
- I’ve noticed these displays have got stuck like this before on BYD buses.
- The display didn’t move during the whole journey.
- Although, the clock seemed to keep almost accurate time.
- I just wonder if the bus is running out of electricity, so the driver or the computer has switched off things like the air-conditioning and the display.
And then after I’d been home for about ten-fifteen minutes, I started to get terrible pins and needles in my right arm.
It was so bad, that I called 111. Luckily it looked like it was nothing serious.
I do have a very leaky skin and I felt I might be dehydrated.
So I asked Google AI if “dehydration causes pins and needles” and received this answer.
Yes, dehydration can cause pins and needles (tingling sensations) because it disrupts the body’s electrolyte balance (like sodium, potassium, calcium), which are crucial for proper nerve and muscle function, leading to impaired nerve signals and tingling, often in hands and feet, especially after weating or intense activity.
As a precaution, I drunk three bottles of low-alcohol Ghost Ship beer and felt a lot better.
I am certain in future, I will only go in a Chinese electric bus, if I’m sure is been fully charged.
Are Sprouts Good For Uncomplicated Pancolonic Diverticular Disease?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and got this answer.
Yes, sprouts are considered beneficial for managing uncomplicated pancolonic diverticular disease as part of a high-fiber diet. They are a good source of dietary fiber, which is recommended to help prevent constipation and reduce pressure in the colon, thereby lowering the risk of symptom flare-ups.
That sounds that they are.
This lunchtime, I seemed to avoid the dreaded fartrigen, despite eating a lot of brussels sprouts.
Can Toddlers Get Uncomplicated Pancolonic Diverticular Disease?
I am asking this question, as I do wonder, if I’ve had the disease for many years, as I don’t feel any different now, to how I felt at 18, 30 or 50.
In my first couple of years of life, I was also a bad bed-wetter.
My mother cured me of this, by putting me in a small bed next to her’s and then getting me out of bed every time I woke. In the end her persistence paid off.
Since I’ve been diagnosed with uncomplicated pancolonic diverticular disease, I am certainly drinking a lot of fluids and gooing to the toilet a lot.
Although thankfully, I am not wetting the bed.
But, I do always sleep close to a toilet.
So I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this answer in the form of this peer-reviewed paper, which was entitled Congenital Cecal Diverticulitis In A Pediatric Patient.
This is the abstract.
Diverticulitis in the pediatric population is a very rare cause of abdominal pain. When present in the cecum or ascending colon, it is often incorrectly diagnosed preoperatively as acute appendicitis. This is especially true in Western countries where right-sided diverticulitis is less common. Here we detail a case of a pediatric patient with complicated congenital cecal diverticulitis and review the literature on pertinent management. An extensive work up with imaging and endoscopy was completed and definitive surgical treatment with diverticulectomy an appendectomy was performed. As the incidence of diverticular disease in younger individuals increases, right sided diverticulitis is worthy of consideration on the differential diagnosis.
Note.
- I don’t remember being in any pain, but I was less than three, as this happened before my sister was born, when I was only 21 months old.
- I remember picking my sister up from hospital in my father’s Y-Type MG.
- My eldest son had appendicitis diagnosed at ten, but they didn’t operate. So was it diverticulitis?
- He wasn’t X-rayed or scanned.
- Doctors always believed I had a disease, they couldn’t identify.
- When I was identified as a coeliac at 50, I thought that was the problem.
But then as my now-retired GP said. “Whatever, I’ve got, doesn’t seem serious!”
John Baxendale’s Thermometer
Over the years, I’ve been involved with lots of innovative ideas.
When I worked at ICI Mond Division in Runcorn, one of the guys, that I worked with was John Baxendale, who was a fairly local lad, with unusually for the late 1960s, a very keen interest in surfing. John would often drive up to the North of Scotland in his green Morris Minor Traveller for a few day’s surfing.
Workwise, I remember John most for an electronic thermometer he built, that measured the temperature of a body by its black-body radiation, which is described in this Wikipedia entry.
He developed the thermometer to measure the temperature of remote objects and used to calibrate it on a handy ear, which is a very convenient black-body at 36.9 degrees C.
Life-Saving Baby Incubators Uused In Ukraine Pass The NHS Test
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article from The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
The devices made by Mom Incubators weigh a fraction of existing models, making them highly mobile and perfect to use on maternity wards.
The incubator was developed as a final year student project.
- James Roberts founded Mom Incubators in 2014.
- Backers include Sir James Dyson and Holly Branson.
- The incubators have been used in England, Haiti, India, Kenya, the Philippines, Scotland, Uganda, Ukraine, US and Tanzania.
- This is a really wonderful story, which shows the value of good design and keeping the weight down.
James Roberts intends to repeat the excercise with other medical devices.
Did This Get Lost In The Covids?
In October 2019, I wrote Asthma Carbon Footprint ‘As Big As Eating Meat’ and it made me think, when I just read it.
I would normally follow up a post like this, but I don’t remember doing anything like that.
The Wikipedia entry for the COVID-19 pandemic in England, starts with this paragraph.
The COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed to have spread to England with two cases among Chinese nationals staying in a hotel in York on 31 January 2020.
It looks to me, that like everybody else in England, I had the Covids on my mind.
Is Respimat A Zero-Carbon Inhaler?
Just to be sure, I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
The Respimat soft mist inhaler is considered to have virtually no associated carbon emissions from its operation because it does not contain the high global warming potential (GWP) hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) propellants found in metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs).
While it has a substantially lower carbon footprint than traditional pMDIs, it is not strictly “zero-carbon” when considering its entire life cycle, which includes manufacturing, materials (stainless steel, aluminium, polymers), and end-of-life disposal. These factors contribute a small product carbon footprint (PCF).
According to Google AI, a reusable version is available.
A reusable Respimat device has been introduced, which further reduces the carbon footprint by up to 71% over six months compared to the disposable version because the device itself is kept longer, reducing manufacturing impacts.
Google AI says this about NHS guidance.
Health bodies like the NHS encourage the use of lower-carbon inhalers like the Respimat or dry powder inhalers (DPIs) as part of their net-zero targets, provided they are clinically appropriate for the patient.
But it does seem that Respimat devices are helping to cut global warming.
What Is The Patient Experience Of Respimat?
Google AI gave this answer to my question.
Patient experience with the Respimat inhaler is generally very positive, with high satisfaction for its ease of use, handling, and the “soft mist” it produces, leading to high continuation rates in studies; patients find it easier than many older devices and report good effectiveness, though common side effects like dry mouth, cough, and sore throat can occur.
Key Aspects of Patient Experience
- High Satisfaction: Over 85-90% of patients report being satisfied or very satisfied with the Respimat’s handling and the ease of inhaling the mist.
- Preference Over Other Devices: Many patients prefer Respimat over traditional metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) or dry powder inhalers (DPIs), finding it easier to use and more effective.
- Soft Mist Technology: Patients appreciate the gentle, slow-moving mist, which helps deliver medication effectively and feels different from a typical puff.
- Good Adherence: High satisfaction often translates to continued use, with physicians reporting high patient adherence and continuation rates after studies end.
- Improved Technique: While initial use might need guidance, pharmacist-led interventions show significant improvements in patients’ inhalation technique over time.
That doesn’t look bad to me!
Could Immunotherapy Drugs Be Delivered By An Inhaler?
We always felt the device could deliver other drugs.
Google AI gave this answer to my question.
Yes, immunotherapy drugs could potentially be delivered by an inhaler, and this approach is a promising area of active research and development, particularly for treating lung cancer and respiratory diseases like asthma.
Rationale and Research
- Targeted Treatment: Inhaled delivery allows for high concentrations of the drug to be delivered directly to the lungs, which is particularly beneficial for treating lung-specific conditions like lung cancer or severe asthma. This localized approach aims to maximize the therapeutic effect where needed.
- Reduced Side Effects: By concentrating the medication in the lungs and minimizing its systemic absorption into the bloodstream, researchers hope to significantly reduce the severe side effects (e.g., systemic toxicity, autoimmune reactions) commonly associated with traditional intravenous or oral administration of some immunotherapies and chemotherapies.
- Patient Convenience: Inhalation is a non-invasive administration route, which is more convenient and comfortable for patients compared to injections or intravenous infusions, potentially allowing for self-administration and improving patient compliance.
The Soft Mist Technology could surely be a help!
Was Osborne Reynolds The Greatest Fluid Dynamicist?
I have to ask Google AI this question, as some of the discussions that led to creation of Respimat, took place in my house at Debach, where Osborne Reynolds had lived.
Google AI gave this answer to my question.
Osborne Reynolds is considered one of the most influential and foundational contributors to the field of fluid dynamics, though naming a single person the “greatest” is subjective. His work fundamentally shaped modern engineering and physics and remains central to the study of fluid flow today.
Key Contributions to Fluid Dynamics
Reynolds’ most significant achievements include:
- The Reynolds Number: He identified a crucial dimensionless parameter (now named the Reynolds number) that determines whether fluid flow is laminar (smooth and orderly) or turbulent (chaotic and eddying). This number is a foundational concept used across all engineering and physical sciences.
- The Theory of Turbulence: In an 1895 paper, he established the standard mathematical framework used in the study of turbulence, introducing what is known as the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations.
- Experimental Validation: His elegant, yet simple, dye experiments visually demonstrated the transition between flow regimes, providing clear empirical evidence for his theories.
- Theory of Lubrication: He developed the Reynolds equation in 1886, which still underpins the analysis of hydrodynamic lubrication in modern bearings.
- Heat Transfer and Similitude: His research into heat transfer between solids and fluids led to significant improvements in boiler and condenser designs, and his work on hydraulic similitude enables engineers to use scaled-down models (e.g., in wind tunnels for aircraft design) to predict the performance of full-scale machines.
How Many Good Ideas Did The Covids Delay?
It could be that the roll-out of Respimat for was delayed by the Covids!
But it wouldn’t have been the only idea to have been delayed in that way!
Do Coeliacs Have More Varicose Viens?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and I received this answer.
Yes, studies suggest that people with celiac disease (CD) may have an increased risk of developing certain vein-related conditions, including a potential predisposition to varicose veins.
My mother had the worst varicose viens I’ve ever seen.
She was operated on in the 1950s, by an Indian lady surgeon, who performed her ward rounds in a sari, who my father told me, she was one of the most beautiful women, that he’d ever seen.
Although, my father was married twice, he didn’t seem to be a ladies’ man, although he had great loyalty from the ladies he employed, in his printing business. He also got on very well with my wife ; C, although they didn’t meet many times.
The Anonymous Widower 