Are you being bugged by parasites?

And with parasites - Note the high Fe in relation to Cu.

Note the elevation of Fe in relation to Cu.

Note the elevated Fe in relation to Cu.

As we age, things gradually fall into various states of disrepair and dilapidation and we eventually die.  Its a hard fact of life that the most certain thing in life is that we all are going to die.  After all; every person in history died no matter what sort of life they led - be it a "good" or "bad" one.

It seems that "feeling old and decrepit", if that's the right expression, is accepted with sad resignation by many of us as being the norm of "being old".

What fascinates me increasingly about this "getting old" business is figuring out which, in the long list of age-related ailments, is more due to controllable factors than plain old ageing.  What is surprising, when you investigate carefully, is how many ailments that are put down to getting old may, in fact, have very little to do with advancing years and more to do with controllable factors that one has a considerable degree of control over.

When you take your complaints to your doctor, what do you do when you are told :

"There's nothing we can do for you - These things are normal for your age"?

Of course - you will obediently act your age - Be old and put up with it!  If you are dissatisfied with this diagnosis and keep going back, you risk being labelled a head-case and prescribed a mouth-full of anti-depressants and muscle relaxants.

The air of resignation always hangs heavy over those age-related aches, pains and unbearable fatigue.

A tired farmer.  Note the extreme level of Fe in relation to Cu.

It is possible that many age-related ailments are not age-related - Not completely anyway.

Let's explore just one of many examples: PARASITES.  Parasitic infections like worms, protozoa (eg: giardia and toxoplasmosis) and puss-filled abscesses from chronic infections (the most common being dental abscesses and rotten gums).

Of the many people who consult me with chronic fatigue and intractable aches and pains I estimate that from 10-20% have the tell-tale signs of a chronic infection which is often supported by a history that points that way (eg: Tummy aches and loss of weight 20 years ago following back-packing Asia, working with animals or a history of problem teeth).

Examples are shown of cases of suspected or confirmed infections that were picked up with a Trace Nutrients Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) and who had remarkable improvements in health following treatment.

One way that your immune system attempts to combat an invader is it tries to deprive the nasty little critters of life-giving iron (Fe on the charts).  It does this by shifting iron from the circulation and into storage  mainly within the bones and joints.  While this may slow, or halt the advance of invader, it will not get rid of them and there is a cost to the host over the long term who may feel extremely fatigued from "infectious anaemia" and suffer from aching bones and joints and even develop rheumatoid arthritis.

Iron is an antagonist to copper (Cu on the charts), so high iron in the tissues  from a chronic infection will tend to push copper levels down.  You can see this consistent pattern of high iron and low copper in all of these cases of suspected and confirmed infection.

These infections may show up on standard blood tests; but not all the time and maybe never if the infection is at a stalemate with the host immune system.  I liken this to trench warfare - stalemate with neither party going anywhere - they have cancelled each other out; but the host - that's you - are going to lose in the end unless you bring in the B-52 bombers!  More about bombing raids shortly.

Farmers drench their cattle at least annually, pet owners de-worm them.  Parents de-worm their children.  But few think of drenching and deworming themselves.

Should adults de-worm when they de-worm the kids and the family cat?  Should a farmer de-worm regularly?  What about the drain-layer?  Or how about the rugby player who spends his weekends rolling about in the mud that has been well-fertilised the night before by that flock of seagulls that had spent the day feeding at the municipal dump?

The answer is quite obvious isn't it?  Of course they should be deworming.  Call in the B-52 bombing raid!

Parasites are smart little critters which have spent a million years figuring out how to get from your cat's bottom into your mouth.

When considering what action to take, you must consult a suitably qualified health professional who can match signs and symptoms with tests.  High iron on the hair tissue test can be due to things other than an infection and these must be considered.  Even if it turns out that there is something else going on, it is still a good idea to deworm regularly; especially if you have pets, or are in a high-risk occupation like working with animals.

The first bombing raid on those pesky critters can be with some de-worming pills from your local chemist.  Make sure that you do the entire family  at the same time, including the family pets and any other animals you have contact with, so as to minimise the risk of re-infection.  Carefully follow the advice of the chemist as to the dosing protocol.

If your symptoms do not improve within a week or so of the deworming (In most cases there may be no symptoms, other than rather vague ones such as feeling tired, intolerance of some foods, or a grumbling tummy), or you suspect you have something else going on, like the residue of an invasion of giardia from years ago, then you may need to do something more substantial.  The best action is to contact me privately and I'll do my best to help you work through the options.

And don't forget to get your teeth and gums checked and given a thorough cleaning by the dental hygienist.  A dental abscess can seriously pull your health down if left to fester.

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The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.