Immune Dysfunction

Our life depends on the proper function of our immune defenses. Besides the elsewhere described processes of autoimmune disease or mast cell activation, our immune system can either simply underperform or inadequately shut itself off. We’ll come back to the inadequate shut off after looking at how it can underperform.

General Underperformance

Wondering if you are really getting more viruses than your neighbors or if you really don’t get well as fast as they do? In many cases, having small children can definitely expose you to more viruses in general or living in pollen heavy areas can mean that your symptoms are allergic inside of infectious. However, some people do have weakened immune systems from toxins, other infections, or nutrient deficiencies which keep them sick more often and longer. In these cases, identifying the obstacles (like mold toxicity) or the missing ingredients (maybe zinc or vitamin A) could lead to a future with fewer and shorter infections.

Specific Underperformance

Post Viral Syndromes including Long Hauler COVID

Never felt the same after some virus months to years ago? While conventional medicine has been forced to acknowledge Post COVID as a real condition, post viral diseases have been around for decades between reactivated EBV (mono) and post GI bug irritable bowel disease. These post viral conditions have options for recovery.

Even before COVID mugged us in 2020, Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) has caused months and years of chronic fatigue for so many. Most of us have a first encounter with this virus before age 30 years, but with the right (or wrong) trigger this virus can escape from its white blood cell hiding place and cause a lot of health problems unless it is diagnosed and treated properly. That is where we come in to help restore health for these individuals.

In terms of Long COVID, the initial acute illness wrecked havoc with our society and caused many severe illnesses for 1 to 3 week episodes.  Then the prolonged illnesses many are experiencing are tormenting lives for months.  While conventional medicine resorts to physical therapy rehab and various specialist visits, we at Sanctuary are going beyond rehab to restoration with a multi-pronged approach derived from our treatment of other biotoxin illnesses.

There is hope for Long Hauler COVID and EBV post viral conditions with a personalized and comprehensive functional medicine approach.  We address not only the virus’ left-over effects, but the inflammation and predispositions which put you at risk for viral infection in the first place.    After lowering inflammation and eradicating spike protein or EBV, we guide you in restoring the body’s natural functions so you can get back to your prior healthier life.

 

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Inflammation – Not Shutting Off Correctly

Stop the Burn: Addressing the True Sources of Inflammation

The immune system targets microbial invaders with chemical flame throwers. Viruses and bacteria get burned and drive away, but surrounding tissue sometimes gets scorched.  In short term infections this damage can heal, but with chronic infections our flame throwers often won’t turn off. When this happens, your body tissues literally overheat.

While you don’t see any flames, you feel the heat.  Joints ache.  Extremities swell.  Skin reddens and itches.  Brains grow sluggish and sometimes hurt.  Guts pitch fits making eating barely tolerable.

Answers

Conventional medicine begins and ends with sending in pharmaceutical firefighters.  Flames are lessened, but without identifying the arsons behind the fires, smoldering hot embers continue low grade damage over time.

Functional medicine begins with more natural firefighters with fewer side effects and seeks to remove sources of the flames. This starts with evaluating dietary contributors to excess inflammation and looking for sources of toxins which throw more fuel on the fire.

From there, work presses into identifying the original fire-starter The arsons beyond infections includes chronic toxicity, poor nutrition, intestinal dysbiosis, or autoimmune processes stirring up trouble.

Methods

Between a comprehensive history and advanced laboratory analysis, we can go beyond labels and provide explanations.

Antibodies may point towards Lyme, mycoplasma, EBV, or other microbes.  Blood or urine tests may indicate metal toxins, synthetic toxins, or natural environmental toxins are fanning the flames.  Stool tests may reveal bacterial or fungal culprits.

Hope

With a clearer picture, a program targeting the arsons and the fire moves past the simple firefighter approach to a more comprehensive root cause long term recovery.  A healthy immune system— absent unnecessary inflammation — promotes our patient’s healthier more abundant life.