Fungal Toxicty & Allergy

Mushrooms, yeast, molds and mildews are all part of this large group of living things: the kingdom of fungi. Fungi (singular is fungus) are everywhere; including in your body, and you may not even know it!  Fungi don’t seem to get enough medical and media attention—bacteria and viruses share all the limelight. However, the presence of fungi in our bodies is nothing to take lightly. Medical research has long proven that fungal problems are responsible for a significant amount of human suffering. Various health problems may have fungi as one of their underlying causes, from skin conditions to cancer!    

If this is true, why isn’t it a large focus of pharmaceutical research? 

The answer seems to lie in the fact that anti-fungal drugs have been found to be very risky; they can have serious and even deadly side effects. Is possible that without an obvious pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for pharmaceutical companies, that fungal diagnosis has been pushed to the back burner of medicine? Think about it—when is the last time you heard about medical treatment for fungal infections other than athletes foot, ringworm or maybe Candida (yeast infection)? In my opinion, the general public is woefully lacking education about fungi and their affect on human health.    

Have you heard of Penicillin? It sure has saved many lives. But did you know that Penicillin is a fungus? In fact many antibiotics are made from fungi. If you like to eat bread and cheese—you’re a fan of fungi, which are necessary for fermentation. Wine production requires fungi too. However, there’s way more to the fungus story.  

Fungal Infections

Many fungi are GERMS… often very silent germs. Fungal disease can be causing problems in your body. Some fungi can even be deadly. They can infect your skin, nails or hair (dermatomycosis). An example is Tinea or ringworm. It gets its name because it looks like worms under the skin (but it’s actually a fungus!). Athlete’s foot and Jock Itch are also examples. Fortunately, these surface infections can usually be treated effectively by medication, and it doesn’t often spread to internal organs. Other fungal problems are more troublesome.

Candida is caused by a fungus that grows in soft and moist areas of the body. Candida, like other fungal infections may even be caused by antibiotic treatment. This can happen because the medicine that kills the harmful bacteria also kills off the useful bacteria. The helpful bacteria would normally compete with the yeast, but when killed off, enables the yeast free to grow too much. This results in a yeast infection. 

Fungi can also affect your internal organs and your nervous system. Your lungs can certainly be affected by fungi. Most fungal infections develop much more slowly, compared to those caused by bacteria. A fungal infection (called a mycosis) also tends to come back more often. In addition, your body does not develop lasting immunity to fungal infections as it can for bacterial. More serious fungal infections can affect your entire body (systemic mycosis) 

Fungal spores (the reproductive seeds) can get into your body through openings in your skin. Soil can be infected with a spreadable fungus. Fungal spores can also get breathed in through the air. That’s why fungi can cause various respiratory diseases. 

Coccidiomycosis is a fungal infection caused by a form of yeast that attaches to dust, which is breathed in.  Such a fungal infection can cause symptoms that seem identical to flu.   

Mycotoxins    

Poisonous substances that are produced by fungi are called mycotoxins. They can commonly be found in contaminated fruits, vegetables, cereals, and nuts. Asperigillus is an example of a fungus that produces mycotoxins, which can be spread to people.  Farm animals that eat fungus contaminated grain can transmit mycotoxins to people through their meat or milk. This Asperigillus-produced poison, called Aflatoxin, is a powerful cancer-causing agent.  There are many other fungi that produce mycotoxins.  They can damage your lymphatic system, including your bone marrow.         

Can you see why it is so important to be aware of fungi?  Scientists are now confirming what many enlightened doctors (in the complementary and alternative medicine field) have been saying for years—that way more problems are caused by fungi than ever considered.  Here are a couple of shocking examples:  

A study from Johns Hopkins University revealed that fungi can actually be the cause of many cases of bronchial asthma!    A Mayo Clinic study revealed that FUNGI were the cause of MOST chronic sinus infections!  

Tens of millions of Americans suffer from chronic sinusitis.  The Mayo Clinic noted that fungus allergy was thought to be the cause of fewer than ten percent of cases… but their studies showed that FUNGI are likely the cause of nearly all of these problems.  They concluded that it’s not an allergic reaction, but rather an immune reaction.     

Unfortunately, conventional pharmaceutical medicine has not been able to address fungal problems very effectively. Pharmaceutical companies have not yet been able to create safe enough medicines, as they have for bacterial infections (antibiotics). In their defense, there is a good reason for this: cells of fungi are nothing like bacteria cells.  In fact, fungal cells are similar to human cells on the molecular level. As a result of the similarities in biochemistry, antifungal drugs can harm human cells too. This makes such medications high risk for very serious and possibly deadly side effects.  

Antifungal drugs pose the risks of liver damage, allergic reactions, or hormone imbalance. How can fungal problems be helped if we can’t use prescription drugs?    

Doctors who practice natural and holistic medicine have been desperately trying to get the medical establishment and the general public to understand the value of safe and natural treatments. There are various approaches used worldwide, which can support the body’s natural ability to fight off germs, including fungi. Homeopathic medicine, nutritional support, acupuncture, and other methods can work together with traditional medical treatment to fight some infection. Improving structural balance, nervous system and energy function can help your immune system. This in turn can help your body eliminate fungal toxins (mycotoxins).    

In the case of fungal infections, countless patients never get diagnosed by their medical physician. Sadly, many physicians don’t accept the findings and treatment of the holistic specialists. Remember that very few drugs have been created to treat fungal infections because of the risks of side effects. This makes natural approaches critical. Holistic physicians around the world have reported that homeopathic medicines are particularly helpful in supporting the body’s ability to fight fungal infection. I agree based on personal experience, using principles of homeopathic medicine (bio-energetic support) for my patients, my family and myself. I am NOT making any specific medical claims—I have clearly stated that I do not directly treat infections; treat people. Some people have as part of their overall health problems, some fungi lurking about their bodies.

Although I do not provide direct treatment for Infectious diseases (that is not within the scope of my practice), I can provide specialized Bio-energetic evaluation. It is a critical part of evaluating and treating the whole person. I utilize bio-energetic supplements (similar to homeopathy) as part of treatment. 

If I suspect infection of any kind, I refer my patient for conventional medical evaluation and laboratory tests as well. 

Complementary and Integrative medicine is the way to ensure you receive the best care possible. Bio-energetic testing often reveals the suggestion that many patients with chronic pain (my specialty) have underlying problems with chronic fungal overgrowth, or chronic bacterial infections such as Lyme disease.        

In my practice, my goal is to address all possible causes of your chronic problems. If your body has any toxins, nutritional deficiencies, metabolic imbalances, or infections (that are not showing up clinically)… I will provide natural and holistic treatments to support function in your nervous and immune systems. 

I must also work towards restoring stability to your energetic systems. I correlate the findings of bio-energetic evaluation with clinical symptoms and Western medical findings. Utilizing bio-energetic testing for the suggestion of fungal toxins (and other toxins) is an important part of holistic health evaluation. 

If you have ALLERGIES to molds and mildews, as many folks do, the Soliman Auricular Allergy Treatment (SAAT) could make a huge difference. I have been practicing it since 2013. 

I recommend that everyone ask their family medical doctors about the possibility of the presence of fungi. Health care is a TEAM effort. When different types of doctors cooperate with each other, and respect the knowledge, skills and philosophies of their colleagues, a better health care system will be the result.  ​