Holistic practitioners are often sought to evaluate and treat various infectious diseases. These include chronic Lyme, Candida/yeast, SIBO (Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth), Epstein Barr virus and parasites, such as Blastocystis.  Cycles of improvement and illness support the hypothesis that there is an organism lurking somewhere in the gut, sinuses, brain, gallbladder, sexual organs, skin, thyroid gland, or virtually any place in the body.

Sometimes all symptoms and experi-ences are explained by this, a single critter. Depending upon the experience of the practitioner and the patient, the belief in a single organism takes on the fervor of a religion or political party.  However, usually there is a complex relationship between our ecology, our gut and our immune system. 

“Infection”, by definition, means that there is an alteration of physiology for the worse.  

Ultimately, infections are not caused by an organism, because if that was true we all would be infected all the time.  Therefore, what an infection actually represents is a faltering of the immune system.Which organism is able to penetrate our defense is dependent upon numerous factors. In fact, when a particular critter is found, let’s say in a bladder or sinus infection, what is not seen is the team of other players that have enabled that one to get over the wall of defense. Eradicating or weakening that winner with medications or other agents might give the immune system a chance to mount its defense. However, sometimes the ensuing ecological imbalance is setting the stage for the next invasion by the same or different creature.

Certain organisms, such as Lyme, can change their shape, or shed their outer coat (“cell wall deficient”), rendering them invisible to the immune system. Such “stealth” infections can still wreak havoc. When a single organism is coming over the wall, what we don’t see is that it’s standing on the shoulders of others. This cooperation between organisms can explain some chronic and recurrent infections and related inflammatory conditions.

This is, in part, why it is common to get a bacterial infection following a virus, or a yeast infection following bacteria, especially if certain antibiotics are used. Lyme is notorious for “co-infections” with other organisms.

All cells export molecules into their environment. These molecules are used for certain functions, such as communication and defense. Some of these molecules are designed to inactivate the immune system, or act as a decoy.

Certain molecules, when detected by other cells of the same or other species, can signal a “quorum” or “critical mass” of soldiers. In response, these organisms, working in a community, build a “biofilm”, a structure similar to a coral reef, multi-layered blanket, or shopping mall. This structure defends and supports its inhabitants.

  Biofilms can make an organism such as Candida up to 1000 times more resistant to an antibiotic or the immune system. On the other hand, combining antibiotics with anti-biofilm agents can greatly increase the potency of such remedies. Biofilms exist on teeth, in the stomach lining, in the gut, bladder, sexual organs, sinuses, and other places. They often occur when there is an interface of two surfaces, including those caused by the growing list of implants.

Organisms such as yeasts and parasites are as large as, or larger than, our human cells, so they remain outside our cells. Other agents, such as viruses, are smaller than our cell’s smallest parts, and work by invading the cell, interlacing their biologic molecules into the cell, disarming the cell’s defense.  They then use the cell’s own machinery to replicate and then spread to other cells. It is likely that there is coordination between the external and internal invasions, as we see when Shingles activates after an infection or other stressor. 

 The totality of organisms living in us and on us is called the “microbiome”. Bacteria, viruses, yeasts and even parasites are all part of this community. While we are made of approximately 10 trillion cells, we host 100 trillion. In other words, on a cellular basis, we are only 10%! Up to 20% of the protein of non-human origin in our blood is from viral origins. Up to 60% of our immune system resides in our intestines, where we maintain a battalion or farm of organisms that teach and support our immune system when working well. When the ecology is imbalanced, called “dysbiosis”, this damages our gut lining, called “leaky gut syndrome”, which then confuses and suppresses the immune system.  

When an “infection” manifests, it is not a beginning, it is the last straw in a series of events involving our immune system that can go back days, weeks, years, decades, or even precede our conception. Therefore, the illusion that we can accurately evaluate our ecology when faced with a chronic illness is unlikely. Our technology can only detect two things—the organisms themselves, or our body’s response to those organisms. However, if they can go stealth and/or suppress the immune system, such testing will result in a “false negative”. This is when holistic practitioners are sought. An ecological approach requires re-balancing of a dysfunctional biome community, usually with indirect means, such as diet, supplements, reductions or eliminations of certain toxic substances including foods and electromagnetic radiation, use of probiotics,  pre-biotics, and basic lifestyle factors such as good sleep, movement, love and stress reduction.

1.This educational material may not be used to influence medical care without supervision by a licensed practitioner.

2.These contents are ©2016 by Michael Cheikin MD and may not be reproduced in any form without express written permission.

3.Dr. Cheikin’s website has related articles such as “Infectious Organized Crime,” Leaky Gut Syndrome,” “Stealth Infections” and others.

Michael Cheikin MD is a holistic physician, Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (“Physiatry”), Pain Management, Spinal Cord Medicine and Electrodiagnostic Medicine and licensed in Medical Acupuncture. Dr. Cheikin has extensively studied yoga, diet and metabolism, Ayurvedic, Chinese and energy medicine and other alternative modalities for over 30 years. He specializes in obscure, chronic and severe problems that have not responded satisfactorily to other methods of healing. www.cheikin.com