Category: Heal your Hurts

Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, March 21, 2018

by Ralph Campbell, MD

Sore throat is a very common ailment with a wide range of severity. Let’s start with the worst first. When we say Strep infection, we usually are speaking of an infection caused by the group A beta hemolytic strain of streptococci or streptococcus pyogenes. Pharyngotonsillitis, or just plain tonsillitis, is usually referred to as being a group A or (GABH) strep infection. This infection typically causes striking signs and symptoms. A young child doesn’t have to tell you they have a sore throat; a parent can see (or sometimes even smell) why. A victim usually is sick: either listless or irritable, has a substantial fever, has swollen, tender lymph nodes in the neck and white streaking (a form of pus) on the tonsils. Often with this infection, the entire ring of lymphoid tissues, from the tonsils to the bumps on the base of the tongue, with the adenoid in between, is inflamed and swollen, as are the local lymph nodes on the outside. This can lead to the spoken voice sounding as if the mouth is full of marbles with a lack of resonance – similar to the effect of stuffing a violin with Kleenex.

The most frequent problems from streptococcus bacteria, if not treated, are purulent (pus producing) complications: Otitis media, sinusitis, peritonsillar abscesses and cervical adenitis. Sequelae include rheumatic fever glomerulonephritis and scarlet fever, with its “sandpaper-like” rash, which may occur independent of a throat infection but should be treated the same way. This is also true with impetigo (a skin infection with itching and scabbing over). Children under 3 are not very susceptible to this type of infection, and adults are less susceptible than school-aged children. The streptococcus bacterium can’t invade intact skin, but chicken pox can pave the way. Other, more severe, infections can result indicating, again, the need to treat those in the susceptible age group. There are several “quick” tests and the old reliable one of swabbing the tonsils and inoculating a blood-agar culture plate. Since a tonsil swab must contain purulent material from the tonsils in order to catch the infection, the test is difficult to perform in young children. So if the child has a sudden onset of fever, pain on swallowing, abdominal discomfort, headache and especially enlarged and tender cervical lymph nodes, he/she might be considered for treatment, forgoing the testing. Even when a child is fortunate enough to have a very mild infection, if it lasts for two or three days he should be checked, because of rare but very serious complications of an untreated Strep A infection.

Rheumatic fever

There may be a slight genetic predisposition to rheumatic fever (RF), but a sub-par immune system is more of a factor in susceptibility. The group A strep bacterium can confuse the immune system by causing some or all of the immune system’s antibodies to attack normal tissues, which some call molecular mimicry and others, auto-immune disease. In the case of RF, it can attack heart valves or heart muscle itself, joints, or even the brain. The signs and symptoms of RF arrive 2-4 weeks after infection.

The most dramatic secondary problem is when arthritis develops. A joint can be so severely affected that it is swollen, hot to the touch and so painful that just the weight of a light blanket is nearly unbearable. The problem can move from one joint to another. Heart valves, or the heart muscle itself, may be hit, producing effects that might be detected fairly soon after RF begins, with the aid of tests such as an EKG (electrocardiogram) or an ECHO cardiogram. Strange symptoms of the nervous system, labeled as Sydenham’s chorea (formerly known as St. Vitus’ dance) can include uncontrollable jerky movements, facial muscle twitching, bursts of crying or inappropriate laughing, difficulty concentrating, or not being able to perform the mechanical part of writing.

We also must remember that this same nasty strep bacterium can cause glomerulonephritis, a very serious kidney disease that can eventually lead to kidney failure. Like RF, it is an autoimmune disease that develops a few weeks after a Group A strep infection in either the throat or from impetigo. One more incentive to nip the infection in the bud.

Testing and treatment for Strep infections

Anytime Strep A infection is identified in this susceptible age group, it should be treated with an appropriate antibiotic. Amazingly, in spite of the development of antibiotic superbugs, penicillin, in one form or the other, is still the drug of choice. When penicillin first came on the scene, incidence of RF dropped dramatically, and has remained so with incidence figures in the U.S. and other developed countries currently as low as 2/100,000. Prevalence in school-age children probably is due to confining them in close quarters, similar to the problem in military bases in which diseases like meningitis spread rapidly. A recent surge in strep infections and associated complications is believed to be due to more people being medically underserved in poorer communities. A group A strep infection is normally first confirmed either with a blood test or by swabbing an infected tonsil and inoculating a blood-agar plate with the swab. Since it is difficult to get a swab replete with exudate from the tonsils of a very young child, the doctor might very well abandon the swab test for the blood test. Having a test for confirmation is most desirable, but if a test is “iffy,” the doctor might go on clinical experience when there are clear signs and symptoms of strep disease. If the patient is allergic to penicillin, then another effective antibiotic is chosen.

For acute arthritis, aspirin for many decades has proven effective for reducing the inflammation and associated pain. With the later development of other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Alleve), aspirin has generally been replaced. If these drugs do not provide sufficient relief, a corticosteroid might be prescribed, but this treatment has been given mixed reviews in which some feel it doesn’t do much more than the simpler treatment and is fraught with more severe side effects. Long term use of NSAIDs can cause kidney damage that must be considered when they are prescribed.

Other sore throats

The virus that causes the common cold and many other viruses bring about much milder involvement of lymphoid tissue than Strep A infections. Tonsils and that bumpy area of lymphoid tissue at the base of the tongue are often involved. One can detect that the tissue at the base of the tongue is involved when there is a feeling that food particles are stuck there and need to be brushed off. Lymph nodes other than those next to the “Adam’s apple” may be palpable, such as posterior cervical (a string of them on the back of the big neck muscle) and, with an infant with roseola infantum, nodes in the back of the neck where the neck muscle joins the skull (the occipital ridge). Having swollen nodes in strange places often indicates a viral infection. Many virus infections cause post-nasal drip that results in the throat needing frequent clearing – an annoyance but hardly worthy of the word “sore.”

Prevention and treatment with nutrition

An excellent treatment for an existing sore throat or to prevent an infection from taking hold is megadoses of vitamin C. Taking vitamin supplements and other essential nutrients is a very effective standard approach to fighting illness that comes under the category of Orthomolecular Medicine. Huge doses of vitamin C given orally (or in the care of a doctor, through IV injection) can knock down a viral or bacterial infection by neutralizing toxins produced by the infection and by souping up the immune system for a more powerful fight against the bacteria and or viruses. [1] Oral doses of vitamin C can be guided by its tendency to cause a laxative effect. The daily dose should be proportional to body weight; 15-50 mg/pound/day, or for infants and children, 500 mg for every year of their age, in divided doses: 1 year, 500 mg/day, 130 mg/meal , or smaller doses taken more often. When this causes loose stool, reduce the dose by 30-50%.

A good start for children is to mix powdered 500 mg vitamin C (1/8 level tsp) in juice, for example orange, pineapple, or grapefruit juice. Or give children 500 mg citrus-flavored vitamin C gummies. You can break or cut tasty chewable tablets in half or quarters to divide the doses. Crushing a hard tablet between two teaspoons gives you a fine powder to feed on a moistened fingertip, or in food or liquid. To reduce acidity you can purchase buffered vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), which some children prefer the taste of.

For a severe infection, you can increase the dose by 2- to 10-fold, as the body needs more vitamin C when stressed with illness and absorbs more from the gut.[2] Vitamin C is essential for many important biochemical pathways, including the synthesis of collagen, an important protein in skin and mucus membranes inside the mouth, tonsils and throat. An adequate level of vitamin C helps the tissues lining the mucus membranes recover from an infection. [1,2] Vitamin C is very effective in addition to penicillin treatment in strep infections, and all virus-caused sore throats.

Vitamin D, especially when taken during the winter months, can help prevent infections if taken at adequate doses. [3-5] To make sure that by winter a child’s vitamin D levels are high and fully protective, it is helpful to give supplements of vitamin D (start with 100 IU/pound/day for 2 weeks, then continue with 35-50 IU/pound/day) in the fall and winter months. Magnesium (1-3 mg/pound/day) can help increase the efficacy of vitamin D. The best absorbed form is magnesium chloride which is available in liquid form for mixing with water or juice. [6] In addition, a soothing licorice-based cough drop can help reduce irritation from a virus-caused sore throat. If the throat is uncomfortable due to postnasal drip, using a nasal spray followed by forceful clearing may help.

It’s important that the reader learn how to get the immune system to function at maximum strength in preparation for the next bout of infection. Taking a daily multivitamin along with vitamin C, D, and magnesium, is a good way to start. But for best immune system function, serve excellent meals consisting of lots of vegetables and fruits, including colorful peppers, squash, carrots, beans, as well as a generous serving of dark green leafy vegetables (collards, kale, spinach). Additionally, moderate quantities of eggs, fish and meat may be included. Pasta, rice, crackers, and cookies should be a small part of the meal, and they should be unprocessed. Examples include whole wheat pasta, brown rice, crackers and cookies made from whole grain flour or the equivalent unprocessed gluten-free flour.

Drug side effects

Any drug has undesirable side effects; so thought should be given to this when taking a NSAID, Long term use can lead to kidney failure. These drugs should be used more for their immediate anti-inflammatory effect than their pain relief ability. “Sore,” being a variation of “pain,” is a very subjective thing. A patient (or the parent) should ask if this sore throat is merely a discomfort and is not really bad enough to justify taking a pain killer. The older child might find comfort in sipping a warm drink, such as a thin soup or tea. Buffered vitamin C crystals are effective mixed in with water, juice, or warm liquids.

Tonsillitis

The history of how tonsillitis has been dealt with is interesting. In the 1930s of my childhood, if a parent had the financial means, the thing to do was to have your child undergo a tonsillo-adenoidectomy as soon as he was old enough to withstand the procedure. There apparently were no questions asked about why these clumps of lymphoid tissue were there in the first place. More thought was applied by the 1950s when there was an attempt to let children keep their tonsils until they suffered more than three bouts of tonsillitis per season. Realizing that those large pieces of lymph tissue were the first line defense against invading bacteria by providing a home for blood cells that fight bacteria, some forward-looking ENT surgeons suggested to parents that their children keep their tonsils as long as possible. If frequent middle ear infections were a problem, an adenoidectomy (removing the almond-shaped tissue that is blocking the ear tubes) could be considered, while sparing the tonsils.

Conclusion

If one has been following principles of orthomolecular medicine for their children, it is unlikely, with only a 2/100,000 chance of serious consequences, that a child without antibiotic treatment will be in trouble; so no need to worry. Vitamin C is non-toxic even in huge doses, and if given in adequate doses early in an infection at the first sign of a sore throat, can prevent a serious worsening infection. But then, might the child be one of the 2/100,000? Unfortunately, there are no studies, and never could be, of those little ones who are exposed to strep A but do not suffer serious sequelae. The decision about treatment with antibiotics needs a knowledgeable health care advisor who understands nutritional principles as well as pharmacology. [1,2,6-8]

(Pediatrician Ralph Campbell, MD, is Contributing Editor for the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service. He is the author of The Vitamin Cure for Children’s Health Problems and also The Vitamin Cure for Infant and Toddler Health Problems.)

References:

1. Levy TE. Curing the Incurable: Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, and Toxins, 3rd Edition (2011) Medfox Pub (2011) ISBN-13: 978-0977952021

2. Case HS. Vitamins & Pregnancy: The Real Story: Your Orthomolecular Guide for Healthy Babies & Happy Moms. Basic Health Pub. (2016) ISBN-13: 978-1591203131

3. Mamani M, Muceli N, Ghasemi Basir HR, et al. Association between serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and community-acquired pneumonia: a case-control study. Int J Gen Med. 2017, 10:423-429. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29180888

4. Martineau AR, Jolliffe DA, Hooper RL, et al. Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data. BMJ. 2017, 356:i6583. http://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6583.long

5. Urashima M, Segawa T, Okazaki M, et al. Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010, 91:1255-60. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20219962

6. Dean C. The Magnesium Miracle. Ballantine Books. 2017. ISBN 9780399594441.

7. Hoffer A, Saul AW. (2008) Orthomolecular Medicine For Everyone: Megavitamin Therapeutics for Families and Physicians. (Paperback) ISBN-13: 9781591202264

8. Gaby A. Nutritional Medicine (2nd Ed) Fritz Perlberg Pub. (2017) ISBN-13: 978-1532322099

Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine

Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information: http://www.orthomolecular.org

 

The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource.

 

 

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Self-Esteem: The Very Beginning

Have you ever considered where or when self-esteem starts? It can start in utero.  Energetic and physiological states of the mother can imprint onto the fetus in the womb. For me, given that my biological mother’s pregnancy was unplanned and I was subsequently adopted, this entire process may have affected me. Essentially, it wired me a certain way: to be insecure, feel like I am not wanted or loved. Despite my adoptive parents’ best efforts to ensure I felt loved, I possessed a deeply profound sense of displacement that stemmed from within.

This commentary is in no way meant to criticize the process of adoption or those who choose it. This is, simply, my attempt to gain understanding about why I have the thoughts I have, the mental health challenges I have faced and where my lack of self-esteem might have originated.

Maternal Stress in Pregnancy

I open my book, Beyond the Label; 10 Steps to Improve your Mental Health with Naturopathic Medicine with research from Dr. Gabor Maté. He writes:

“The important point to explore here is how stresses during pregnancy can already begin to ‘program’ a predisposition to addiction in the developing human being. Such information places the whole issue of prenatal care in a new light and helps explain the well-known fact that adopted children are at greater risk for all kinds of problems that predispose to addictions.

 Dr. Gabor Maté continues, “Numerous studies in both animals and human beings have found that maternal stress or anxiety during pregnancy can lead to a broad range of problems in the offspring, from infantile colic to later learning difficulties and the establishment of behavioural and emotional patterns that increase a person’s predilection for addiction. Stress on the mother would result in higher levels of cortisol reaching the baby. Elevated cortisol is harmful to important brain structures, especially during periods of rapid brain development.”

Another comment from Dr. Maté states, “Any woman who has to give up her baby for adoption is, by definition, a stressed woman. She is stressed not just because she knows she’ll be separated from her baby, but primarily because if she wasn’t stressed in the first place, she would never have had to consider giving up her child: the pregnancy was unwanted, or the mother was poor, single or in a bad relationship, or she conceived involuntarily, or was a drug user or was raped or confronted by some other adversity.”

“Any of these situations would be enough to impose tremendous stress on any person, and for many months, the developing fetus would be exposed to high cortisol levels through the placenta. A proclivity for addiction is one possible consequence.”

Adoption and My Self- Esteem

In my case, my biological mother became pregnant with me when she was very young, She was moved to the other side of the country where she lived with her older sister until she gave birth. It is likely that the stress my biological mother was under exposed me to cortisol, the stress hormone, at higher levels than would be experienced in planned pregnancies.

This exposure may have set me up to be highly reactive and emotionally insecure – two sensitivities I have struggled with. Back in my late teens and early 20’s, I would test people to see if they would stay. I lacked communication skills and had a hard time expressing my feelings mostly because I didn’t understand the emotional turmoil swirling inside me. Part of me speculates that the manifestation of my bipolar disorder was because I couldn’t express what was going on.  Which then, turned into an energetic emotional volcano that had to erupt at some point.

The Good News: Changing Your Wiring

Why does all this research on pregnancy and stress-states matter? It’s important because if I didn’t know the mechanism, I wouldn’t know how to work with it and to change it. The good news is I have been able to rewire my brain thanks to the concepts of neuroplasticity and psychoneuroimmunology. The bad news is that it took me over thirty years to do so because this research was only just being developed. My hope is that you can learn from my experience and I can lend positive guidance to you in your journey to mental wellness.

Essentially, neuroplasticity means that your brain has a plastic or bendy quality to it and can change. You can create new neural pathways in your brain, essentially rewiring it to think in a new way. Psychoneuroimmunology shows us that thoughts, in turn, have a downstream effect on physiology via molecules called neuropeptides. These molecules can directly impact a variety of brain and body functions, including pain management, reward, food intake, immune function, metabolism, reproduction, social behaviours, learning, and more.

These concepts, along with other psychotherapeutic and naturopathic interventions, offer the prospect of emotional healing from our developmental traumas. It has been said that “adoption is the only trauma in which the adoptee is expected to be grateful”. For me, the majority of my emotional healing work revolves around getting over my fear of abandonment, rejection, and worthlessness. I have learned how to love, to let others in, and to accept a helping hand when it is offered.

Reach Out to Someone in Need

If you know someone that is struggling with bipolar disorder or their mental health in general, please share this blog with them. Think of it as a helping hand or hug that you are extending to them. I have made it my life’s work to help those that might be suffering. I have created many resources that can help. By sharing my personal journey, I hope to extend hope to others that they too can regain their mental health.

Sending you healing thoughts,

Dr. Chris

Reference:

Maté, G. (2008). In the realm of hungry ghosts: close encounters with addiction. Toronto, ON: Knopf Canada

Ozone therapy is a therapeutic treatment used to treat and prevent a wide range of conditions. Ozone (O₃) is a gas made up of three oxygen molecules and is chemically similar to the oxygen we breath (O₂). Because of its extra oxygen molecule, ozone is able to react with free radicals in the body, neutralizing them and leaving behind beneficial oxygen (O₂). The oxygen stimulates the immune system, increases the amount of energy our cells produce and promotes circulation.

To find out more about ozone therapy, we interviewed Dr. Mason-Wood, the ozone master of Natural Terrain.

What is ozone therapy used for? 

Ozone therapy can be used to both prevent and treat a number of different diseases including,

• Chronic fungal conditions – Candida, Sarcoidosis, Chronic sinusitis (fungal)
• Chronic viral conditions – Cold sores (HSV1), Genital herpes (HSV2), Chronic fatigue syndrome (HSV6), Shingles, Mononucleosis, HIV, Hepatitis, etc.
• Bacterial infections – Acute colds, MRSA, Chronic sinusitis (bacterial), ear infections
• Chelation adjunct – Chelozone
• Preconditioning – prior to surgery, ozone therapy helps to reduce recovery time and the need for pain medications
• Dental infections- treat / prevent infections leading to root canals

What does a typical ozone therapy session involve?

• I have an oxygen tank hooked up to an ozone generator which splits one O2 and combines that ½ with another O2 to make the O3.
• Usual administration is called MAH (Major AutoHemotherapy), an IV treatment that typically takes from 30min to 40min.
• Other common routes to administer are Ear insufflation, IntraArticular for joints (prolozone), topical Ozonated olive oil, limb bagging for topical infections
• Sessions typically involve 1 treatment a week for 10 weeks, but this can vary. Some acute cases only need one treatment and others need 3-5 treatments.

What effects should I expect to see using ozone therapy?

• Kills bacteria, viruses, fungi/yeast and parasites
• Stimulates the immune system to help speed healing
• Improves circulation – stimulated microcirculation
• Normalized hormone and enzyme production
• Anti-inflammatory and helps reduce pain
• Decreases stroke damage
• Improves brain function and memory

What are the potential risks?

As with any treatment, there are risks. Listed below are some potential side effects of ozone therapy. However, with proper technique and an experienced practitioner as myself, these risks are very minimal. I have completed a lot of treatments and I have never had any of these side effects occur in patients.

• Shortness of breath and other respiratory problems
• Enzyme inactivation
• Swelling of blood vessels
• Poor circulation
• Heart problems
• Increased risk of stroke
• Damage to eardrum via insufflation of the ear
• Rupture of the bowels due to insufflation of the rectum
• Risk of pulmonary embolism and death when given intravenously

To learn more about ozone therapy, visit our page. Talk to your Naturopathic Doctor to see if ozone therapy is right for you. Book your appointment today!