Gut Dysbiosis

Gut Dysbiosis

Recently a new patient came for a functional medicine consultation complaining of frequent colds. Jonathan was a 35 years old singer with history of frequent colds up to 3-4 times per winter season. The nature of his profession demanded faster recovery to perform, therefore he had no time to recover on his own, so he was treated with multiple antibiotics and steroids courses. Jonathan also had multiple complaints related to digestive symptoms (bloating, heartburn and constipation) and recently he developed skin hives after eating certain foods. Jonathan had classical symptoms of food sensitivity as a result of dysbiosis.

Dysbiosis is a condition that involves imbalance of beneficial and harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract. This imbalance can take place anywhere from mouth to the stomach and further down to small and large intestine. In our practice we diagnose and treat dysbiosis of different areas of gastrointestinal tract. As a result, patients’ chronic medical conditions get better.

Multiple environmental factors such as antibacterial and pharmaceutical medications, pesticides and toxins, unbalance diet lacking of vegetables and healthy proteins and fats are some of the factors affecting our gastrointestinal microbiome. When we host unhealthy microbiome we can experience multiple symptoms outside of the digestive system realm. For example, eczema and asthma are strongly connected to imbalance in the gastrointestinal tract.

Back to Jonathan. Based on his history and symptoms we ordered several tests that revealed candida overgrowth. After appropriate treatment involving  4R program (see our previous blog) and specific diet his digestive symptoms improved and he was no longer sick with upper respiratory infections.

Our gastrointestinal tract is a gate keeper to our health. It is always the first place to start treatment if you have any chronic medical conditions. Feel free to call our office if you have any questions or think you may have dysbiosis.

Chronic Yeast Infection – Chronic Candidiasis

I recently had seen a patient, Katelyn, who is 29 years old lady and came asking for help. She is been seeing multiple physicians for the past 2 years who treated her for repetitive infections, mostly sinus and vaginal. The common denominator of those treatments was one factor – multiple antibiotics. Her current complaint was debilitating fatigue. She reported feeling like an old woman and falling asleep at any moment she sat down. That is in spite of good 8-9 hours of sleep every night, though she does not wake up refreshed.

She also complaints of foggy brain and short term memory loss, extreme craving for sweet foods and inability to lose weight,some joint pain and infertility in the past few years, though she had no problems to conceive twice in the past 5-7 years.She was trying to exercise but it did not help her to lose any weight. Her medical history and symptoms made me think of possible diagnosis of Candidiasis.

Candidiasis is a common yeast infection that can affect the skin, mouth, and the gastrointestinal tract. This yeast normally dwells in the digestive tract, but malnutrition, environmental toxins, and the excessive use of antibiotics, can allow the yeast to multiply uncontrollably. In many cases this infection presents itself in the mucous of mouth and genitalia, skin, and internal organs, but it can also affect your weight and metabolism. Yeast overgrowth creates an allergic response and triggers a hormonal imbalance. This can slow down the calorie burning process, inhibiting your body from burning fat, increase sweets craving. Watch the video to better understand the causes and mechanisms behind this debilitating condition.

If your story sounds like Katelyn’s you might be suffering from chronic yeast infection of Candidiasis. Feel free to call our office to schedule a functional medicine consultation.

While systemic yeast is commonly associated with obesity and skin infection, it can be treated naturally by stabilizing the growth of yeast in your body. With functional medicine approach which includes dietary modifications, homeopathic and natural supplements, we can help you to safely and effectively treat the obesity and restore a natural balance to your digestive system. Take the “Yeast Overgrowth” questionnaire by contacting our office at www.DrElenaKlimenko.com or calling 212-696-HEAL(4325).