Many patients who come for treatment suffer from chronic conditions that have not responded well to conventional medicine.

The following are examples of chronic conditions that frequnetly respond well to NAET allergy elimination and Chinese medicine:

• Digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut syndrome, intestinal dysbiosis, candida;
• Respiratory diseases such as asthma, hayfever, sinusitis, chronic cough or sore throat, frequent colds and flu;
• Autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's disease
• Viral and bacterial infections, e.g. glandular fever, frequent cold and flus
• Tiredness and fatigue associated with allergies, glandular fever, ME or post-viral syndrome

Many of these are problems that relate to immune dysfunction of one sort or another. Generally
immune-related conditions manifest as:

• Immune suppression - the individual becomes more susceptible to infection and pathogens are able to reproduce actively and create a fertile environment for the accumulation of other infections. If the body cannot destroy these invaders they will eventually destroy the body
• Autoimmune response - the ability of the body to distinguish between pathogens and its own cells becomes impaired and the immune system attacks its own cells and tissues

CHINESE MEDICINE AND IMMUNITY

When a person contracts an infection the progression of the disease depends on the person's immunity, which is expressed in Chinese medicine by Protective Qi (wei qi). If protective Qi is strong, diseases are 
warded off or manifest at an exterior level; if a person  is depleted the disease may penetrate to interior levels, more profoundly affecting the functioning of interior organs. The strength of protective Qi plays an 
important role in conditions where immunity is suppressed 

The Stomach and the Spleen (the digestive system) also play a crucial part in the mechanism of immune function. When the Spleen does not function properly it is unable to effectively transform food and drink 
into Qi, Blood and Fluids. This can lead to the formation of pathogenic Dampness and to a dampening of theimmune system.

A modern lifestyle can deplete the Spleen and set up a responses where not only the Spleen but other organs of the body are affected. This is called Yin Fire and is based on the theories of a Chinese physician Li Dong-yuan in the 13th Century. This theory is able to explain the mechanism of conditions such as chronic fatigue, candida and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis,lupus, multiple sclerosis and hypothyroidism.

Factors which generate Yin Fire include:

• diet - eating too many "Damp-forming" foods (sugar, dairy, wheat, peanuts etc.), overeating, malnutrition (with the proliferation of fast foods this is a reality)
• excesses of lifestyle - stress, excessive emotions (overthinking, anger, fear), lack of exercise, overwork, too much sexual activity and generally "burning the candle at both ends"
• environmental factors - the existence of large number of toxins such as pesticide residues in our food, heavy metal contamination, overuse of some medications such as antibiotics.

CANDIDA AND IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION

In the last generation allergies, degenerative diseases and other signs of poor immunity have reached epidemic proportions. Contributing to these conditions is candida albicans or candidiasis.

This is the overgrowth of candida yeast-like fungi in the body. Candida and other fungi proliferate in people's bodies in the presence of digestive and other metabolic imbalances.
 
Various factors have been associated with the overgrowth of candida, including:

• massive and/or repeated use of antibiotics which kill off microorganisms in the digestive tract and prepare a fertile ground for the growth of yeasts and fungi
• the contraceptive pill - women who use the pill are shown to be at greater than average risk of developing candidiasis
• a diet high in Damp-forming foods such as sugar, yeast, wheat and dairy
• anxiety and worry that contribute to damp excesses such as yeast overgrowth

Symptoms of candida can vary, but include:

• chronic tiredness
• mental sluggishness or "brain fog"
• depression
• chronic thrush or prostatitis
• anal itching
• abdominal bloating and digestive problems
• allergies to food and environmental substances
• extreme sensitivity to smoke and chemical fumes
• cravings for sweets and yeasted breads
• recurrent fungal infections such as athlete's foot
• frequent colds and low immunity in general

Although candida originates in the colon it can penetrate the gut wall and migrate to other parts of the body. When it migrates to the blood stream and other body tissues it becomes systemic and can lead to serious conditions such as allergies and autoimmune diseases and can be life-threatening.

Toxins released by candida can lead to the formation of antibodies which may tax the immune system to the point it cannot respond to invading viruses and bacteria, leading to immune suppression and can contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases through the formation of circulating immune complexes (CICs) which lead to immune system's attacking healthy tissue.

For more information see my article on candida

TREATMENT OF IMMUNE-RELATED CONDITIONS

Candida and other immune-related conditions respond well to NAET and Chinese medicine, However, often these conditions will need additional methods.

Treatment of degenerative and immune-related diseases in this clinic consists of various 
methods:

• Treatment of allergies. Almost invariably there are food allergies and allergies to basic nutrients as well as environmental allergies ( to pollen, dust mites as well as to environmental toxins and disease agents (such as pesticides, toxic chemicals, viruses, bacteria, parasites etc). These allergies can be effectively cleared by NAET
• Herbal and nutritional supplementation- these are needed to support the healing process, to treat the root of the problem and alleviate symptoms. These may include
• Traditional Chinese Medicine - Treatment of the root condition through acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.
• Change of lifestyle and diet - it may be necessary to look at lifestyle factors that are contributing to ill health such as diet, exercise, stress etc.
• Detoxification programmes to remove any pathogenic yeasts and bacteria in the gut, and to cleanse the liver

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