Bistable Bacteria Balance!

If you count the number of cells the human body has, add a zero and that’s the number of bacteria a person is carrying.  Add another zero and that’s the number of viruses.   The number of each doesn’t matter…. except if a person’s immune system capacity is reduced.  As the number of crimes in a big city isn’t zero but considered a normal amount… same as with bacterial and viral burden.  What we don’t want is a pathogen burden that surpasses the capacity of what your immune system is able to manage.  Some organisms are not in that category – tuberculosis/typhoid are examples.  And some can coexist with the host, but not all of them.

If you have immune suppression as is the case with ongoing stress, allergies, digestive issues, recurring infections, poor sleep, etc., these chronic and ongoing symptoms draw on your immune system to try and resolve them.   This shifts the surveillance of existing bacterial/viral load in your biology toward addressing these ongoing issues.   You may have been carrying a low level of bacterial or viral burden which is ok most times until an event happens – you catch COVID, a cold, stomach flu, surgery, stressful event -  and this additional demand on your biology tips you over and you end up with shingles, cold sores, herpes 2 flare, UTI, sinusitis, asthma flare or even worse, a new autoimmune disease.

Another case that also draws on the immune system is a new immunization, where your immune system is asked to work extra hard to produce antibodies.  I’ve seen cases in my practice where people end up with an autoimmune disease following an immunization or suffer a severe and long-term infection causing serious damage.  In many cases, the immune system was already on the edge of the precipice and any immune demand would have ended up throwing them in the ditch.   Studies have shown that if you have a poor night sleep the night before an immunization, you produce 50% less antibodies.

The importance of addressing chronic ongoing symptoms as we age is crucial in maintaining good health and a strong immune system.  You wouldn’t leave a knocking sound in your car unchecked for very long.  Finding the cause of it is a better approach than increasing the volume on the radio.  As is a holistic approach in finding the cause of your symptoms before it no longer can be reversed.  

Your health history isn’t that of your friend, your neighbour, or what Google says about a topic not taking in consideration your whole health history.  Many times, adding supplements on your own without proper evaluation of what you need may do more harm than good.  Some are meant to reduce inflammation, but they also bring tolerance to infections and may make your allergies and food sensitivities worse.  A thorough evaluation of your history, current symptoms, medications, supplements, diet, sleep, hormone balance and emotional wellness is necessary in developing an individualized plan unique to you.  

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