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Microbes and You: An Important Relationship

Throughout our lives we have many different relationships; some are


good and can foster growth, connection and balance, some are bad
and can cause us stress, harsh feelings and imbalance, some we can
choose like our friends and significant others, and some we cant
choose like family. Relationships are all around us whether it be with
living people, with our environment, with pets or even with microbes.
One of the most if not the most important relationships you are
involved in constantly, knowing or unknowingly, is that with the
microbes that are on, in and around your body. The microbes consist of
bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungus/yeast.
This relationship begins when you are first born. Bacteria from your
mother will be passed to you through the birthing process and through
breast milk. As you are exposed to the environment different microbes
will begin to colonize in your digestive tract, on your skin, in your nasal
passages and in your mouth. As we grow older we will continue to be
exposed to more and more microbes, both good and bad.In fact our
body has more bacteria then human cells and has more bacterial
genes present then human genes.
Our body relies on these microbes for protection, digestion, production
of nutrients, and to be in harmony with one another and with our
immune system. We are in a very intimate relationship with these
microbes and as is with any relationship it can bring balance and
connection or imbalance and stress.
Microbe Imbalance: Dysbiosis
A common term utilized for the imbalance of microbes is dysbiosis.
Upon dissecting this term the prefix dys- means bad or unbalanced
and suffix biosis means mode of life, combined to mean unbalanced
life. Dysbiosis is an indication that the microbial population is
unbalanced and therefore can be creating a disruptive relationship, not
only with you the host but within your microbial population.
Dysbiosis can occur when we have bad guys present such as bad
bacteria, yeast, parasite or virus. The microbes, which are meant to
work in concert with one another and promote balance, when disrupted
can promote imbalance and inflammation. This occurs when the
protector of the body, the immune system, is stimulated due to the
presences of bad guys and therefore triggers an inflammatory reaction

geared to eradicate the offending infectious microbe. In some cases


our immune system can handle the attack on its own and in other
cases it may need some assistance from other microbes and/or
medications or supplements. Either way this inflammatory reaction can
contribute to numerous symptoms and disorders.
Immune System Dysfunction
Dysbiosis, unbalanced life, can be due to an infectious microbe but it
can also be do to a dysfunctional immune system. If the immune
system is dysfunctional it can contribute to dysbiosis by mistakingly
attacking the good guys thinking they are bad guys. This dysbiosis
secondary to immune system dysfunction can be a contributing factor
in many different conditions, especially auto-immune conditions,
including psoriasis, eczema, fibromyalgia, diabeties, alzheimers,
rheumatoid or reactive arthritis and more. This is certainly not an all
inclusive list but it is important to note that when the immune system
is not being fueled or properly managed it can mistaken not only our
own tissue as bad (auto-immune disease) but it can also mistaken
good microbes as bad and trigger an inflammatory response.
Dysbiosis can occur because of an imbalance of bad guys to good guys
or it can occur because our protecting system mistakingly attacks the
good guys thinking theyre bad.
Locations
Dysbiosis can occur in many different locations in, on and around your
body. The most discussed and probably the most researched up to this
point has been dysbiosis occurring in the gastrointestinal tract. I want
you the reader to not only understand that this can occur in the GI
tract but also in other areas so I have provided a list below of areas
where dysbiosis can occur and in parenthesis I have supplied some
potential examples of some conditions that dysbiosis may contribute to
based specifically on the location. Dysbiosis can occur along any
mucosal membrane (Numbers 1-5) or in our tissue and environment.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Mouth (Rheumatoid Arthritis)


Sinuses, Respiratory tract (Nasal Polyps)
Gastrointestinal tract (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Genitals, Urinary tract (Reative Arthritis)
Skin (Eczema)
With in tissue or organs (Hepatitis)
Our Environment (Migranes)

Symptoms or conditions that can occur from dysbiosis can be different


from one person to the next. Symptoms are based off of 1) The type of
offending microbe, 2) the location of the dysbiosis and 3) the severity
of immune system dysfunction.
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms, findings and conditions that can be attributed
to dysbiosis include:

Fatigue/Fibromyalgia
Joint Pain
Allergies
Digestive disturbances (bloating, gas, diarrhea,
constipation, heart burn)
Yeast infections/thrush
Mental fogginess
Auto-immune conditions
Eczema, Cystic Acne
Vitamin B Deficiency
Sugar cravings
Depression/anxiety
And More

Two Major Causes of Dysbiosis


1. Antibiotics
The causes of dysbiosis are numerous but some of the best known
include medications such as antibiotics and non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Consumption of antibiotics through
prescription medication and present in our food supply can contribute
to dysbiosis in a few different ways. Antibiotics are not selective only to
good bacteria but they can also damage or kill beneficial bacteria.
When our beneficial bacteria are depleted it allows for other competing
microbes to proliferate the location, most commonly seen in practice
within the GI tract. Yeast/fungus is the most common microbe that can
cause problems for individuals post antibiotic treatment. Bacteria can
build up resistance to the antibiotic and therefore create additional
trouble with eradicating the bad guy bacteria. NSAIDs are another
medication that can contribute to dysbiosis by preventing the growth
of the good guys, along with causing digestive disturbances or even
contribute to the development of leaky gut.
2. Dietary Habits

The majority of the microbes that are present in our body actually
reside in the digestive tract. Therefore anything that we eat, the
microbes eat. By your everyday food choices you either choose to
promote growth of the good guys or the bad guys. A diet high in
sugar, carbohydrates and/or processed foods can be the most
detrimental because it fuels the bad guys such as Candida, a type of
yeast. By choosing foods such as vegetables, fiber, moderate protein,
quality fats and limiting simple carbohydrates, sugar and starchy foods
you can help fuel the growth of beneficial bacteria within the gut.
Testing
To determine if you have dysbiosis there are some different tests
available however the testing is different based on the location of the
potential dysbiosis. I will provide you with some of the types of testing
available for microbes but a knowledgeable practitioner should be
ordering these tests for you depending on your personal history,
presenting signs and symptoms, and diagnosis.
Types of testing for microbes
1. Testing the immune system (antibodies) to see if it has had prior
exposure to the microbe in question.
2. Checking to see if the microbe will grow from a sample taken from
the location of dysbiosis.
3. Genetic testing (PCR Testing) of a sample taken from the body to
search for and identify the presence of microbial DNA.
4. Metabolite testing of specific metabolic markers in the urine that
may be positive if microbial infection is present.
The most commonly order testing for dysbiosis in my office is of the GI
tract which can be completed with a CDSA (Comprehensive Digestive
Stool Analysis). It uses some of the technologies listed above to
determine what microbes are present with in your stool both good and
bad. This test is a great start to looking into your balance or imbalance
of gut microbes.
Treatment/Prevention Considerations
Treatment is two fold. First identify the bad guy(s) and address their
eradication if they are present as well as treat the immune dysfunction.
If bad guys are present then addressing their eradication is step one
of the treatment. This treatment can include antimicrobial medication
or herbs, dietary changes to stop fueling the bad guys and
repopulating the dysbiosis location with good microbes, such as occurs
with the consumption of probiotics.

The understanding that these microbial populations need to live in


harmony not only with one another but also with our immune system is
an important piece to structuring an effective treatment plan. If our
immune system is over or under active due to poor nutrition, poor
gastrointestinal health, stress and/or exposure to environmental toxins
then we must also address the immune system dysfunction. Treatment
goals to immune dysfunction are also two fold:
1. Restore the immune system through nutrition and stress reduction.
2. Develop immune system tolerance: getting the immune system to
be tolerant of the microbial populations so it is not constantly
attacking the good guys.
This can be accomplished through specific nutrient supplementation,
stress modification techniques and dietary changes that include
reducing the consumption of sugars, fruit, processed foods, dried
foods, starchy vegetables and alcohol while increasing the
consumption of quality fats, vegetables, fiber, moderate protein and
water
Dysbiosis or imbalanced life is something that is commonly seen in
practice. If you are experiencing some of the symptoms listed above it
is important to examine the relationship you have with your microbial
family and find out if there are bad guys that contribute to your
symptoms as well as if your defense system is accurate and efficient in
defending your body.
Your Health Detective,
Dr. Rudy Mueller DC
-Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner

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