Fungus

Mycosis is fungal infection in humans

Amazingly, even though hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific articles, the Merck Manual , and Mayo Laboratories all document common problems due to systemic mycoses,
many medical practitioners ‘do not believe in them’, will not test for them, and 
will not treat them, while some others treat mycotic(fungal)  infections for too short of
period of time to be effective .

Partially due to this medical disbelief, many natural health professionals see people with a variety of mycotic infections on a regular basis.  Some people who have these infections them have been told that the symptoms are ‘all in their head’ or something just as useful.  Mycotic infections, though not normally fatal, are so underdiagnosed, that an autopsy-based study found that in 22% of cases where the primary diagnosis was incorrect, the deceased had some type of fungal infection.

Furthermore this study stated, “autopsy findings revealed a major diagnosis that, if known before death, might have led to a change in therapy and prolonged survival (class I missed major diagnoses).  The most frequent class I missed major diagnoses were fungal infections.’  In most “immunocompetent patients, systemic mycoses typically have a chronic course”, instead of being life threatening .Most systemic mycoses are from opportunistic fungi.  They are saprocyctes (organisms which live on decaying matter) that are usually innocuous, but become pathogenic when the host becomes abnormally susceptible to infection .   To state it less technically, some yeast are present in the body in small quantities and are considered harmless; it is only when they get out of control and multiply excessively that problems are caused.
During the last several decades there have been alarming increases in Aspergillosis, Candidiasis, Cryptococcosis, Nocardiosis, and Zygomycosis; which to some degree appears to be related to medical treatments such as chemotherapeutic agents, irradiation, immunosuppressive agents,broad spectrum antibiotics, and hyperalimentation as well as conditions such as malignancies, AIDS, malnutrition, metabolic diseases, receipt of
multiple injections, certain surgeries, burns, intravenous hyperalimentation, and certain malignancies .   Heavy metals, like mercury, may contribute to these infections.  Intense periods of stress or incomplete recovery from infection are other causes of yeast overgrowth

Systemic mycoses can cause a tremendous variety of health problems including digestive difficulties(diarrhea, bloating, discomfort, flatulence, constipation, etc.), skin problems (rashes, eczema, psoriasis, dry skin patches,intense itching,hives, open cut-like sores, etc.), bronchopulmonary disorders, asthma, breathing difficulties, fatigue,allergies, weight Loss, fever, chills, malaise, depression, and chronic sinusitis; some of them may be risk factors in developing
autoimmune disorders .  This investigator has also observed that many with irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches, autoimmune disorders, itching, fibromyalgia, alternating constipation and diarrhea, mental cloudiness, certain types of anxiety, inability to lose weight, and even certain forms of arthritis frequently appear to have some type of mycotic overgrowth–another clue is that many report multiple food intolerances (or have been told they have at least a dozen food allergies from an IgG test).  Of course, it needs to be understood that nearly all the symptoms and most of the conditions listed in this paper can be caused by something other than mycotic organisms (and that most people do not have most of the symptoms). The following conditions have also been reported (by one or more medical doctors) to be at least partially caused by fungi:

“malignancies to organs including the esophagus, lung, colon, kidney, breast, uterus, blood, lymph nodes, brain and skin.  Some autoimmune disorders… Scleroderma…diabetes…rheumatoid arthritis…Sjogren’s syndrome…psoriasis…and systemic lupus erythematosis.  Dr. Constantini also listed…Raynaud’s Syndrome… sarcoidosis …Duchene’s muscular dystrophy…and Cushing’s Disease (excess secretion of adrenal hormone)”;
whereas a registered nurse also reported, “Multiple Sclerosis…Fibromyalgia…Chron’s disease …Endometriosis…Infertility…Migraines” .  Many mycoses are polysymptomatic  which means they can cause a variety of different types of problems.It has also been reported that systemic mycoses can predispose one to develop celiac disease .  And while this is apparently true, it is also true that many who think that they may have celiac disease actually have some type of systemic mycotic infection.  Many with Down syndrome or
autism tend to have wheat sensitivities and may be more susceptible to mycotic infections than the general public.A major clinical characteristic of virtually all mycotic infections is their chronic course .  Symptoms often develop slowly, though many are asymptomatic.  Months or years often elapse before medical attention is sought. Medical interventions for systemic mycoses include various medications, surgery, and chemotherapy.  Progress in the diagnosis and medical treatment of many mycoses has been unsatisfactory: “Immunoserologic tests are available for many systemic mycoses, but few provide definitive diagnoses by themselves” .While localized yeast infections are relatively easy to treat, systemic mycoses, including those referred to as Candida Related Complex (CRC), are much more difficult .

YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED LUGOLS IODINE SOLUTION. IODINE IS THE NATURAL IMMUNITY ASSITANT- THERE IS NONE IN THE FOOD SUPPLY ANY MORE.In 1880, a French physician named Jacques Lugol originated a solution which contains 5% of elemental iodine and 10% of potassium iodide, in a solution of distilled water.  This is the standard solution that was established by Jacques Lugol, although weaker solutions are on the market, so when making comparisons, be sure to note the percentage of iodine.

One drop of NaturoDoc’s 5% Lugol’s Iodine solution contains 6.25 mg of elemental iodine.  A 5-drop dose contains 31.25 mg of elemental iodine.  Lugol’s Iodine is a non-prescription item.

Iodine is related to the ability to resist disease.  Iodine is necessary for the thyroid gland to perform its work properly.  The human thyroid gland is located in the front of the lower part of the neck, and all the blood in the body passes through the thyroid gland every 17 minutes.  Because the cells making up this gland have an affinity for iodine, during this 17-minute passage, the gland’s secretion of iodine kills weak germs that may have gained entry into the blood through an injury to the skin, the lining of the nose or throat, or through absorption of food from the digestive tract.  Strong, virulent germs are rendered weaker during their passage through the thyroid gland.  Every 17 minutes, they are made still weaker until finally they are killed if the gland has its normal supply of iodine.  If it does not, it cannot kill harmful germs circulating in the blood as Nature intended it should.

It is well established that the iodine content of the thyroid gland is dependent upon the iodine available in the food and water intake of the individual.  If the iodine intake is low, the gland is deprived of an element it needs to do its work.

This gland performs several other functions besides killing harmful germs in the blood.  The first is the rebuilding of energy with which to do the day’s work.  There is a definite relationship between the amount of energy you have and your iodine intake.  The first question to be asked in the presence of a condition of depleted energy is, Is the soil of the state in which one lives iodine-poor?  Second, is the deficiency being made up by supplementary means?  When energy and endurance run low in relation to doing the day’s work, then consider taking iodine.

A second function of iodine is to calm the body and relieve nervous tension.  When nervous tension runs high, there is irritability and difficulty in sleeping well at night, and the body is continually on a combat basis, organized for fight and flight.  All these points stress a body’s need for iodine to lessen nervous tension, relax, and enable it to organize for peace and quiet by the building and storing of body reserves against time of need.  It is possible to repeatedly change an irritable, impatient, and restless child under ten years of age into a calm, patient individual within two hours by giving one drop of Lugol’s solution of iodine by mouth in a vegetable or fruit juice or in a glass of water made acid in reaction by adding a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.  This is useful for calming a hyperactive child.

A third function of iodine in the human body relates to clear thinking.  The mind simply works better when the body is supplied the iodine it needs.

Then there is the matter of the storing of unwanted fat.  Iodine is one of the best oxidizing catalysts we have.  A catalyst is the match which touches off in the body the fire that burns up the food we take in each day.  If this food is not properly burned off, it may be stored as unwanted fat.

Now while the thyroid gland helpfully stores iodine from the blood passing through it every 17 minutes, the gland may also be made to lose that stored iodine if, for example, the body is exposed to other halogens in the environment.  (Note:  Sea salt is part of the orthoiodal supplementation protocol for eliminating bromide toxicity in the body.)

There is a well-known law of halogen displacement.  The halogen group is made up of the following elements, shown with their Relative Atomic Weights:

• Fluorine:  19.0
• Chlorine:  35.5
• Bromine:  80.0
• Iodine:  127.0

The critical activity of any one of these four halogens is in inverse proportion to its atomic weight.  This means that any one of the four can displace the element with a higher atomic weight, but cannot displace an element with a lower atomic weight.  For example, fluorine can displace chlorine, bromine, and iodine because fluorine has a lower atomic weight than the other three.  Similarly, chlorine can displace bromine and iodine because they both have a higher atomic weight. Likewise, bromine can displace iodine from the body because iodine has a higher atomic weight.  But a reverse order is not possible.  A knowledge of this well-known chemical law brings us to a consideration of the addition of chlorine to our drinking water as a purifying agent.  We secure a drinking water that is harmful to the body not because of its harmful germ content but because the chlorine content now causes the body to lose the much-needed iodine.

Because we may live in an iodine-poor area;  because drinking water may be treated with chlorine;  because we may be sick too often, lack energy and endurance, develop nervous tension, lack the ability of clear thinking, and accumulate unwanted fat, how shall we go about bringing up the iodine content of the body to the point needed?

There are three ways:

• Eating foods which analysis has shown are particularly rich in iodine.  Among these are all food out of the ocean, radishes, asparagus, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, rhubarb, potatoes, peas, strawberries, mushrooms, lettuce, bananas, cabbage, egg yolk, and onions.
• Painting a small area of the body with tincture of iodine.
• Taking preparations known to be rich in iodine.  One of these is cod-liver oil.  Another is Lugol’s solution of iodine.  Still another is kelp.

Dosage:  Add one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water to make the water acid.  Hold the Lugol’s dropper horizontal in order to get a maximum drop, and add one drop of the Lugol’s solution to the mixture.  Stir the contents and sip through the course of a meal.

Because individual needs and environmental conditions are so varied, we strongly recommend that you work with your physicians to accurately assess the iodine and thyroid levels present in your body now.  This information is most affordable and conveniently available by using the Comprehensive Iodine Thyroid Profile.

As with any strong natural medicine or nutrient, begin your supplementation at a very conservative amount and increase gradually until you sense a response.  The body responds better to gradual and gentle change.

Contents:  Lugol’s Iodine 5% Solution in a 1 oz. dropper bottle.  1 oz. equals 576 drops. 1 drop contains approximately 6.25 mg Iodine.

Ingredients:  85% Water, 10% Potassium Iodide, and 5% Iodine.

Note:  DEA restriction

 reported by the Silver Institute (a group which keeps silver investors appraised of all of the new uses for silver in business and industry), the EPA has recently approved the use of a product called Axen30, a liquid spray disinfectant similar to colloidal silver, for use in child day-care centers, preschools, schools, gymnasiums and children’s activity centers.

Axen30 is a dilute formula consisting of 30 ppm silver used as a spray disinfectant. But here’s the interesting part:

The EPA-approved advertising claims for Axen30 include a 30-second kill time and a 24-hour residual kill time on standard indicator bacteria, a two-minute kill time on the resistant bacteria MRSE and VRE, a 10-minute kill time on fungi, a 30-second kill time on HIV Type I, and a 10-minute kill time on other viruses.

Now that’s amazing – a proven 30-second kill time against HIV (i.e., Human Immunodeficiency Virus, aka the AIDS virus), and a ten minute kill time against other viruses!

ES Aspergillosis
“Aspergillus sp are among the most common environmental molds, found frequently in decaying vegetation (compost heaps), on insulating materials (in walls or ceilings around steel girders), in air
conditioning or heating vents, in operating pavilions and patient rooms, on hospital implements, or in airborne dust” .  Aspergilli are the second most common systemic mycoses and account for nearly
30% of fungal infections found at autopsy .  They often appear after antibiotic or antifungal therapy (to which they are usually resistant) ; this is one distressing area of fighting systemic mycoses–sometimes when eliminating one type, anotherbecomes prominent .

“Invasive fungus infections caused by aspergillus spp. occur most frequently in immunocompromised patients. A high infection-associated death rate of up to and over 50% is attributed even today to these fungi. The disease in humans is caused mainly by Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus Flavus and Aspergillus niger”
Regarding diet, as shown above, there is no single diet that helps all the people who have various types of mycotic infections.  Avoiding refined sugar, as a general rule, is good for most people with systemic mycoses (even some published medical research concurs [16]): many with mycotic infections strongly crave sugar–but to submit to those cravings can make elimination more difficult (or can cause set-backs).  The same can often
be said for other refined carbohydrates (white flour, white rice, white pasta, alcohol, etc.).  Although there are some people who need to avoid vinegar, most fruits, or mushrooms, this investigator has found that most can consume them without any apparent adverse affects.  On rare occasions, some people who get severe diarrhea improve when they avoid lettuce as apparently some forms of this vegetable can contain some type of external mold spores.This investigator has also had some success using other naturopathic interventions, such as bioelectrical stimulation,

 “Mold(multi cell) is caused by fungus(single cell) which in turn causes disintegration of organic matter.  Whether it is caused by Candida albicans or any of its related species, fungus causes a weakening of the cellular
structure in which it lives.  This explains why patients afflicted with this type of infection become very ill and are difficult to treat; many of their cells become weak…Fungus is tenacious” (it should be
understood that molds are multi-cellular organisms, whereas true yeasts are single-cell organisms)

These days there are many reports of homes and office buildings having mold problems which require decontamination (such decontamination measures are beyond the scope of this paper).“Yeast, in its many varieties, is a unicellular fungus that reproduces by budding spores” it is the budding process that is one of the reasons that elimination is most difficult.  This ability to froth/bud makes it difficult for mycotic infections to be controlled as the quantity of yeast can go from little to overwhelming in a rather short period of time—under optimal conditions one yeast cell can produce multiple millions of offspring in 24 hours; and 24 hours later each of those can produce multiple millions of offspring.  Elimination of yeast is often an up and down process which makes it difficult for the one fighting it.  Actually, one of the problems when mycotic infections are dealt with medically or naturopathically, is that the sufferer will sometimes feel better before the problem is gone, will skip some interventions (not take supplements, violate dietary restrictions, etc.), do fine, and then ‘suddenly’ notice that symptoms which had left have returned.  Another reason it is difficult to eliminate yeast is because some are dimorphic and many have pleomorphic hyphae .
“The ability to switch between a yeast-like form and filamentous form is an extended characteristic among several fungi.  In pathogenic fungi, this capacity has been correlated with virulence because along the infectious process, dimorphic transitions are often required” –this dimorphic tendency may at least partially explain why changing interventions is often necessary when dealing with mycotic infections.  Pheomorphic hyphae have been found to be affiliated with most types of mycotic yeasts .  These abilities to change shapes (dimorphism and pleomorphic hyphae) make it harder to eliminate mycotic organisms (and is one reason why the same intervention does not always work)—pH (both acid or alkaline) is also a factor.
However, even though most of the symptoms are not life threatening, overgrowths of any of them can make human life miserable.  All yeast produce toxins.  It appears to this investigator that these toxins are responsible for symptoms such as itching, mucus, bowel difficulties, and can trigger an autoimmune reaction.  Triggering of autoimmune response then seems to cause arthritic and some other pain-related symptoms.  If  one can reduce yeast populations, then the amount of toxins will be reduced and ultimately the body will be able to shut-off (or at least seriously reduce) its autoimmune responses.

Die off’ and other adverse reactions sometimes are encountered when interventions are successful –normally these are frustrating as opposed to detrimental.  Some ‘holistic literature’ words it, “When
yeast cells are rapidly killed by the immune system, drug treatment, or dietary intervention, a ‘die-off’ or Herxheimer reaction occurs.  This reaction is caused by the massive release of toxins from dying
candida cells.  Toxic proteins from the dead yeast cross cell membranes, enter the bloodstream, and trigger an intense immune reaction…Die-off reactions may last from a few days to a few weeks but usually less than a week…A die-off reaction is especially pronounced when using powerful antifungal drugs like Nystatin that literally cause yeast cells to burst apart”; whereas medical literature has stated, “For the 3 oral antifungal agents the more common adverse reactions (are)…nausea, gastrointestinal distress, diarrhoea, abdominal pain” and “administration of nystatin became impossible in three patients because of vomiting”.  Tiredness sometimes accompanies ‘die-off’.This phenomenon also occurs when using electro medicine to kill parasites ,viruses fungi and bacteria so you cant go at it too hard. Its human nature to want to  “turn it up to 10″ and damn the Torpedos” but as long as you are causing die off faster than they are reproducing, you will win.