Digging Into the Cause of Inflammation
In our previous article about inflammation, we discussed at length what inflammation is, how it can present, and the cascade of issues that can arise throughout the body when inflammation is prolonged and is left untreated. Now, let’s look at how we can determine what caused the inflammation and the ways we can detect its origin.
With every patient that I treat, the first order of business is to obtain a very detailed environmental and medical history. I prefer doing this on a timeline, beginning even before birth, if possible, because a mom’s health and nutrition, as well as any complications during her pregnancy, influence the future health of her baby. Many people do not realize that their personal toxic or body load actually began accumulating BEFORE birth while they were in the womb. The timeline approach helps to divide the patient’s health history by decade, giving us a good organizational starting point. I ask my patients to include every place lived, illnesses, surgeries, major stressors, medications, and more. By mapping out the details, we can often detect a causal relationship between some of these factors and a change in the patient’s health. One of my mentors in Environmental Medicine told me, “Every patient has a story. If you ask enough of the right questions, they will tell you what is wrong with them.” I have found this statement to be amazingly true.
Testing for Inflammation
Once we have the history down, then we look at testing. There are blood tests for inflammatory markers relating to previous or current infections. These infections may be viral, fungal, or bacterial. These may include an Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), Antistreptolysin O Titer (ASO), and Transforming Growth Factor Beta-1 (TGF Beta-1), to name a few. I will briefly break each test down to give you a simplistic idea of what these tests are measuring and looking for. Remember, though, this list is not complete and is just an overview. To read more, click this link.
Inflammation Part 1: The Basis of Illness
Inflammation is a term we hear applied to almost everybody part when function, performance, or overall wellbeing is impacted in a non-positive way. It has almost become a buzzword these days for the cause of all sickness and medical problems. For more information, follow this link.
Mustering Up Yuletide Energy and Enthusiasm
It is THAT TIME OF YEAR. A time of year when everyone is supposed to be full of good cheer and enjoying parties, friends, and family, and the winter wonderland around us. To be honest, I feel like those holiday sentiments are meant for everyone but me. Click the link to learn more.
The Candida Connection
In previous articles, we have mentioned quite a bit about “candida”, its symptoms and the impact that yeast overgrowth can have on all of the body’s systems. When Candida comes up with my patients, I am asked questions like, “Is all yeast bad?” Follow this link to learn more.
