Showing posts with label tooth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tooth. Show all posts

Thursday, 3 April 2025

Tooth Trouble Again

The nagging cold, a cold that had overtaken me soon after being assailed by the chronic cough of my chess-playing nemisis, has segued into a problem with my leftmost, bottom molar. It has suddenly become sensitive to hot and cold. This is not a welcome development and presages the need for further dental appointments.

It's just another symptom of my body's decline, a decline that is gathering velocity. Teeth trouble and old age form an age-old partnership I suspect. I started writing this post on March 26th and now its April 4th. Nothing much has changed. My molar is still troubling me and the mouth ulcers that troubled some months ago are threatening to return.

After not walking any great distance for some time, I decided to walk around the block on my birthday. The distance seemed much greater than I remember and I certainly felt out of practice. I've been doing my stretch exercises more regularly and feel well enough at the moment except for the molar problem.

Monday, 25 November 2024

Another Tooth Extraction

It was only in June of this year (2024) that I wrote about my tooth troubles and then my tooth extraction. Here we are again. Tooth trouble started around the 23rd November, yes that fateful day, and got progressively worse until I felt compelled to see a dentist yesterday (the 25th November) who put me on antibiotics and scheduled a tooth extraction by another dentist today at 6pm.

The tooth being extracted is the same molar that has bedevilled me for years after it was subjected to a botched root canal in Jakarta. I don't know what bought this current infection on. There's always been a low grade infection at that site but maybe my immune system is weakening and can't keep it under control. 

Saturn ground to a halt in 12ยบ42' of Pisces on November 16th and so it is still in a close semi-sextile with my natal Sun. This planet rules the skeletal system including the teeth so I'm apprehensive about its effect on me when it passes over my Aries planets in the twelfth house. This transit may have precipated the attack.

I'll report back on the aftermath of the tooth extraction.

Thursday, 27 June 2024

Tooth Extraction

The decaying canine on the upper right side of my mouth has gone and only a gaping hole remains. So it goes. I had to wait two hours before entering the dentist's surgery but after that it all went smoothely. I fear that there may be more problems ahead but for the time it's all good. Only a few hours after the extraction, I can eat and drink normally.

I have taken the once-a-day pain killer that was prescribed and the fingers of my right hand are feeling a lot more flexible. Whether this is the result of the medication or not remains to be seen. I'm not in any pain so I won't take the medication again and I'll see if the fingers still remain relatively flexible tomorrow. I hope that's the case (see addendum at the end of this post).

Getting rid of the chronic abscess that lurked above my decaying tooth can only have a positive effect on my overall well-being. I've currently been advised by my psychic healer not to eat fried foods, peanut butter, egg yolks, baked beans and a plethora of other foodstuffs. If my stiffness disappears completely, then I can perhaps indulge in some of these forbidden foods again if the prohibitions can be at least relaxed in the future.

My umbilicus remains sensitive and this inhibits me from doing any exercises that put a strain on that area and my thymoma inhibits me from any exercises that put a strain on the solar plexus area. The stiffness in my hands doesn't help and so overall my upper body is slowly atrophying due to sarcopenia. I need to develop an exercise regime that maintains muscle mass in my upper body without exacerbating my existing sensitivities.

Walking regularly helps to thwart sarcopenia in the leg muscles but additionally I need to return to my squats and other leg exercises. Since my fall, I've noticed that my leg muscles have become noticably weaker. I tend to sleep in two sessions nowadays: two or three hours before midnight and then four or five hours beginning from four, five or six in the morning. Currently I weigh around 71 kilograms.

Of course, having completed my course of antibiotics, I need to rebuild my gut biome. To this end, probiotic foods like Kimchi, a spicy fermented Korean cabbage rich in beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus Kimchi, and Kombucha, a fermented tea drink that may contain probiotic bacteria depending on the brand and brewing process. Choose kombucha with unpasteurized and unfiltered varieties for the most potential probiotic benefit.

ADDENDUM 

My fingers remains flexible and no stiffness has returned. I asked Google's Gemini about the pain killing tablet that I took yesterday. Interestingly, the medication is an anti-inflammatory drug as well as having pain-killing properties. The dosage that I took, 120 mg, is quite strong and I may still be feeling its effects. If the stiffness returns then we'll know that I definitely have some sort of chronic inflammatory condition. If it doesn't then I'll be very much relieved. Clearly it's not a drug you would want to take in over a long period of time. Here was Gemini's response to my query:

Etorvel (Etoricoxib) is a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to manage pain, inflammation, and stiffness caused by various conditions. Here's a breakdown of key information about Etorvel:

Uses:

Treats pain, inflammation, and stiffness associated with:
  • Osteoarthritis (wear and tear of joint cartilage)
  • Rheumatoid arthritis (chronic inflammatory joint disease)
  • Ankylosing spondylitis (inflammation of the spine and large joints)
  • Gout (sudden and severe joint pain caused by excess uric acid)
  • May also be used for short-term relief of moderate pain after dental surgery.

How it Works:

Etoricoxib works by selectively inhibiting an enzyme called cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). COX-2 plays a role in the production of prostaglandins, which contribute to pain, inflammation, and fever. By blocking COX-2, Etoricoxib helps reduce these symptoms.

Dosage and Administration:

Dosage depends on the specific condition being treated, its severity, and the patient's individual needs. Always follow your doctor's instructions for dosage and duration of treatment.

Etorvel is typically available as tablets and is usually taken once daily, with or without food.

Side Effects:

  • Common side effects of Etorvel include:
  • Stomach pain, heartburn, diarrhea, indigestion
  • Headache, dizziness
  • Upper respiratory tract infection
  • Fluid retention

Important Considerations:

Risks: Etoricoxib can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and stomach ulcers, especially with high doses or long-term use. It's crucial to discuss these risks with your doctor before starting the medication.

Contraindications: Etoricoxib is not suitable for everyone. Inform your doctor about any allergies (especially to aspirin or other NSAIDs), a history of stomach ulcers, heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney disease, or liver disease.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Consult your doctor before taking Etoricoxib if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant.

Interactions: Etoricoxib can interact with other medications. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you are taking, including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Wednesday, 29 May 2024

State of Play

I've made an appointment to have my decaying tooth on the right upper side either filled or extracted. It's only going to disintegrate eventually just as the one of my left upper side did some time ago. I felt that perhaps some bacteria was leaking into my bloodstream and exacerbating the autoimmune problems. 

I asked Google's Gemini: 

Is it possible that a decaying tooth could trigger an autoimmune response in the body? 

No, a decaying tooth itself wouldn't directly trigger a full-blown autoimmune response. Here's why:

Autoimmunity: Autoimmune diseases occur when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues.

Decaying Tooth: Tooth decay is caused by bacteria feeding on sugar and starches in your mouth, producing acid that eats away at the tooth enamel.

However, a decaying tooth can indirectly contribute to inflammation and potentially worsen existing autoimmune conditions:

Infection:  The bacteria that cause decay can spread through the tooth and into the gums, leading to an infection. This infection can trigger inflammation, a localized immune response.

Weakened Body:  Chronic inflammation from a dental infection can put stress on the body's immune system, potentially worsening symptoms of existing autoimmune conditions like Sjogren's syndrome (which affects saliva production) or rheumatoid arthritis.

Overall:

Decaying tooth -> bacterial infection -> inflammation (not full autoimmune response)

Inflammation can worsen existing autoimmune conditions.

So the tooth is probably not to blame for my current troubles but it's best to deal with as such decaying tooth can certainly spread bacteria around the body with unpredicable consequences. Meanwhile my autoimmune situation has become chronic and is proving quite debilitating. 

With difficulty, I'm walking around the block everyday just to keep up my mobility but the stiffness and soreness in my hands, feet and right shoulder are a constant. I'm not getting worse but then again I'm not getting better. This afternoon I felt especially bad and took one Ibuprofen and one Paracetamol. This gave me considerable relief and now, hours later, I still feel quite comfortable.

However, once the medication fully wears off, I'll probably be back to where I was. I still can't sleep in my bed and have resorted to spending the night on the sofa in the lounge room. I want to try some visualisation and self healing this evening in an effort to effect a cure.

Different Walking Styles

  Created by Gemini: Global Modalities of Walking: A Biomechanical, Historical, and Physiological Analysis The act of bipedal locomotion is ...