Treating infectious diseases

Treating infectious diseases

Diagnosing any infectious disease involves identifying or ruling out possible co-infections. Some diseases, especially Lyme disease, usually present themselves with multiple infections, but knowing which ones are present is crucial for treatment.

by Dr. Paul Stallone — 

One of the biggest hurdles a person with an infectious disease will face is the diagnosis. Many of the diseases will be subclinical, meaning the person will have mild symptoms but nothing that will trigger alarm. This can result in the patient carrying the disease for years, if not decades. When the disease finally advances, it may have caused severe but unnoticed damage.

Treating a well-established infectious disease can lengthen the treatment time and/or require more aggressive therapies. This reason alone is a great reminder to always visit your health care provider for any persistent symptom, even a mild one.

Diagnosing any infectious disease involves identifying or ruling out possible co-infections. Some diseases, especially Lyme disease, usually present themselves with multiple infections, but knowing which ones are present is crucial for treatment. Many doctors may not suspect co-infections, as several symptoms can be similar.

It is invaluable information for the doctor when a patient tracks their symptoms. Knowing as much as possible about a patient’s symptom history will guide a physician to the correct treatment plan.

Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is another complicated infectious disease to diagnose. The symptoms can be nondescript, like a low-grade fever or headaches; however, when EBV progresses, the symptoms can be severe. Chronic fatigue syndrome, swollen lymph nodes, painful joints and cognitive impairment are just a few characteristics commonly seen in advanced EBV.

Research is showing just how serious EBV can be. Experts are presenting a correlation between EBV and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). More research is still needed, but many in the field believe that people with EBV can be at a higher risk for developing HPV.

The standard treatment for infectious disease is antibiotics. While antibiotics can be helpful, they can also cause health concerns down the road. Prescribing the appropriate treatment can be difficult if the correct diagnosis has not been determined. Many infectious diseases are caused by viruses, which do not respond to antibiotics. The same rule applies to bacteria-caused diseases, which do not respond to antiviral medication.

A prescription is not the only choice for those with an infectious disease. Combining conventional and alternative treatments can achieve great results by taking advantage of both worlds. If caught early enough, prescription medication is usually the fastest way to address an infectious disease.

To help minimize the time spent on a medication or reduce the number of rounds, administering intravenous therapies should be explored. Each patient will require a specific plan but, in general, major autohemotherapy (intravenous ozone therapy) and high dose vitamin C therapy have been shown to be amazing disease fighters.

Alternative medicine may also help address damage caused by an antibiotic or antiviral. Unlike the possibility of creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria, pathogens have not shown to develop any resistance to nutrient therapy used by many naturopaths. In fact, one expert has stated, “To date, not a single virus has been tested that is not inactivated (killed) by a large enough dose of vitamin C (ascorbic acid).”

Any disease or condition should be evaluated by a physician experienced in both conventional and alternative medicine. This will provide the patient with an all-encompassing treatment plan to accelerate healing and recovery.

Paul Stallone, N.M.D., founded the Arizona Integrative Medical Center, located in Scottsdale, Ariz. He combines natural, alternative and conventional treatments to best fit each patient’s needs. drstallone.com or 480-214-3922.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 34, Number 3, June/July 2015.