Cycle for Survival NYC – March 2014

Thanks to all of you who supported my ride.  This team raised over $30,000 and the event raised over $20million – all of which goes directly to curing “rare” cancers through clinical research and support.  It was my privilege to be a small part of this event.

Today’s popular media as well as healthcare journals are dedicating a lot of attention to the topic of inflammation in the body.  This process is a normal and necessary function of the immune system in defending ourselves from infection and also policing and ridding our bodies of cells which could be cancer-causing mutations.  The immune system is an elegant process whose balance – not too much, no too little – is critical to daily life.  When inflammation is not in optimal balance diseases can result.  The attention given to the role of inflammation in causing or even just helping along diseases and the risk it poses in getting such a disease grows by the day.  Alzheimer’s, pancreatic cancer (along many other types of cancers), heart disease, pre-term babies and the list goes on and on.  What role inflammation plays in each disease entity is hard to quantify but the theme is becoming clear – too much inflammation, especially for prolonged periods, is a bad thing.  Whether it causes disease or simply facilitates it, a common goal is to return it to normal levels.  But how? One easily implemented strategy is to make sure your gums are healthy.  What does that have to do with anything?  Bleeding when you brush or floss and red or puffy gums are some symptoms inflammation and even though it’s in the mouth, that region of the body is served by a rich blood supply that circulates throughout the entire body. Some people walk around with gingivitis (gum inflammation) or periodontitis (this is gingivitis along with loss of the jaw bone that surrounds the teeth) for years.  Many people ask how that’s even possible.  It is very possible and common because it’s often a painless process and people hope it will just go away on its own.  In fact, some of the same bacteria that are present in the mouth that are associated with gum disease have been found in the plaques that block the heart’s arteries.  Whether this is just simply a finding or a part of the cause, the verdict is out until more studies are done on this disease and others where oral bacteria and inflammation are suspicious. However, reducing gum inflammation is very simple reality.  It begins with you doing simple home care which typically includes proper toothbrushing technique and use of dental floss or some other gadget that lets you clean between your teeth.  Instruction on how to best care for your teeth is something that your dental professional should do since each person has individualized needs.   The second part of this strategy involves seeing a periodontist or dentist to examine your mouth and decide if something as simple as a routine cleaning is sufficient or other options are indicated.