At Bloor Integrative Health, a downtown Toronto naturopathic clinic, our doctors help patients address health concerns related to the immune system. Our Naturopaths often see patients with chronic, recurrent and persistent infections as well as allergies.
There are numerous infectious organisms that may be present in our bodies that cannot be easily identified by conventional medical testing methods. In some cases these microbes produce mild, pervasive symptoms that are not enough to warrant standard medical treatment but wreak havoc nonetheless.
How can a naturopathic doctor provide help with infections?
Naturopathic doctors are skilled at identifying symptom pictures with a microbial cause (bacterial, fungal, viral, parasitic) and offer functional medicine testing tools that are comprehensive and sensitive to identifying these pathogens. Naturopaths will work with your medical doctor to carry out some of the testing and will work with private labs for additional testing that may not be accessible through OHIP.
Fungal Infections
Fungal infections such as candida, which is a yeast that normally resides in the throat, mouth, intestinal tract, vagina and on the skin does not typically cause problems unless its levels begin to overwhelm the surrounding flora. This sets off a microbial imbalance in the corresponding area that leads to symptoms. Candida can be tested by taking a blood sample or stool sample.
Bacterial Infections
Our microbiome or flora is made up of trillions of bacteria that maintain our overall immune health. Strep is a great example of a type of bacteria that resides in our throat microbiome. Strep only becomes a problem when its levels rise relative to the surrounding bacterial counts and symptoms arise as a result.
Standard testing methods will identify strep and corresponding antibody levels. Recurrent infections are a common reason for many patients to seek out Naturopathic care. Naturopathic medicine offers treatment options to decrease the frequency of strep complaints and many other types of recurrent infections including bladder, ear, and sinus infections.
Lyme Disease
In some cases, bacteria can be vector-borne and result in chronic, persistent and debilitating conditions such as Lyme Disease.
Lyme disease is the result of being bitten by an infected tick that contains a bacteria known as borrelia burgdorferi. Many of these patients will also suffer from co-infections involving other bacteria such as babesia, bartonella, mycoplasma, ehrlichia, and anaplasma.
Our naturopathic doctors offer functional medicine testing through private labs that specialize in identifying these microbes when standard testing is inconclusive.
Viral and Parasitic Infections
Recurrent viral (herpes, HPV, Epstein Barr, CMV etc.) and stubborn parasitic infections are also fairly common in Naturopathic practice. Parasites can be tested using comprehensive stool testing.
Allergies
Allergies are a sign of a poorly balanced immune system. The goal is to restore immune balance. In order to do so it is important to identify any allergic triggers. Common triggers include foods and environmental allergens. These are typically identified by a medical specialist or allergist.
Naturopathic doctors work towards managing immune reactions to a variety of allergens and improving overall immune equilibrium. In order to have a healthy and balanced immune system, we take a closer look at the gut and the microbiome, both foundational components of immune regulation in the body. Additionally, we use many natural herbs, foods and supplements that can stabilize histamine reactions in the body.