The season for witches, ghosts and monsters may be over, but there are creatures still haunting unsuspecting humans – and you may have one of them. These creatures have names like Blastocystis, Ascaris, Taenia and Necator. Want to guess what I’m talking about? I’ll give you a hint: these creatures are afraid of garlic and some of them have a taste for blood. Nope, these are not the names of vampires from an ancient civilization. The creatures I am talking about certainly are ancient, but they are not extinct. These critters are more commonly known by the names roundworm, hookworm and whipworm. Collectively, these are parasites and one may be calling your body home! MUAHAHAHA!
You probably have one of two perspectives on parasites; either you think they are extremely rare and the only people who have them end up on the discovery channel or you subscribe to health based newsletters and are convinced that absolutely everyone has them. Not surprisingly, the truth is somewhere in between.
If you have chronic symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal pain or cramping, fatigue, nausea, itching of the anus or tenesmus (a feeling of incomplete evacuation), or if you have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease or an autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, you MUST do a stool test ASAP.
All stool tests are not created equal! I use the Metametrix laboratory to determine the presence of parasites, amoeba, fungus and pathogenic bacteria. The Metametrix “GI-fx” technology is 5,000 times more sensitive than other laboratory’s stool tests. Many patients who have a consultation with me have already been to other doctors, but all too often the testing was incomplete and the treatment was not comprehensive. The gastro-intestinal system is the central pillar of health and a chronic infection can contribute to inflammation and disease throughout the entire body.
You may be thinking, “can’t I just take one of those parasite cleanses from the health food store?” Sure, you can. If you have few to no symptoms and you want to stay healthy, then doing a parasite cleanse once every year or so is good health maintenance. However, if you have a significant amount of gastro-intestinal symptoms you need to have proper identification of the situation and proper treatment. These parasites can do horrible damage to the intestinal tract. I treated a patient that was misdiagnosed as having Chron’s disease, one of the most serious and life threatening gastro-intestinal health conditions. Equally as important as correctly identifying the pathogen is proper treatment. These bugs need real drugs! They will laugh at clove and wormwood. I am all about natural medicine, but you must use the appropriate treatment at the appropriate time. These critters are not to be taken lightly.
Eradicating the parasite may call for a potent anti-parasitical prescription, unfortunately the treatment can further damage the gastro-intestinal tract. The next and most important step is repairing and rebuilding the digestive system. For this I use a special “Smoothie” that decreases inflammation and rebuilds the sensitive lining of the gastro-intestinal tract. Your program is then customized with digestive aids, probiotics, fiber and anything else that you need to heal completely.
Last but not least, I have seen many patients who are told their symptoms are “all in their head”. Are you kidding me?!? Doctors are still using this one!?! It is true that stress effects the digestive system negatively and there are stress related gastro-intestinal diseases, but all too often this is used as a cop-out for difficult situations that need a comprehensive laboratory work-up and thorough treatment.
Get on the road to health by having a Metametrix GI-fx stool kit sent to you immediately. Just email me your name and address to timwalshlac@gmail.com
Not sure if your health warrants the test? Looking for a simpler answer? Fill out my Medical Assessment Questionnaire and find out.
Peace and Health,
Tim Walsh, BS, MS, LAc
Acupuncture
Detoxification
Integrative Medicine
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