Introduction
In this part we will explore the condition of Asthma and Chronic cystitis, the opinion of conventional medicine and the actual science behind their cause
Allergic reaction -Asthma
Let us focus our attention on a condition that is very common especially with children and young adults; Asthma. This is an inflammatory condition affecting the bronchial airways within the lungs causing bronchial spasms leading to breathing difficulties, wheezing and coughing. Since Asthma can be triggered by allergens we will explore allergens in another part of the series. What do we all think cause asthma ?. This is what is written on a kidshealth website :
Do Allergies Cause YOUR Asthma?
If you have asthma, it’s a good idea to find out what’s causing it. To figure out what they’re allergic to, sometimes kids will visit a special doctor called an allergist(say: AL-ler-jist).
The allergist might find that you are allergic to certain things. If you are, the best way to prevent allergic reactions (and to help stop asthma symptoms from bugging you) is to avoid being around those allergens. The doctor also may prescribe medicine for your allergies if you can’t completely avoid what’s causing them.’
And this is what is written on another website :
Asthma is Incurable
Asthma is an incurable illness. However, with good treatment and management there is no reason why a person with asthma cannot live a normal and active life.
See Your Doctor
If you suffer from asthma you should see your doctor. He/she will help you find out what triggers your asthma symptoms and how to avoid them. You will also be prescribed medications which will help you manage your asthma.
With experience you will learn to keep away from things that irritate your airways, know when to take your medication, and better control your asthma. Effective asthma control allows you to take part in normal everyday activities.
Ok, so what if you are allergic to the grass or trees, or food, makeup..living..lol. Doctors will try and ease your suffering by giving you medicine to open the bronchial airways and if he’s not around you take an inhaler in your pocket which has the same effect. Did you know that before the second world war Asthma was a very benign condition. Today its life threatening, so if you have a severe attack and you can’t get to those people in white coats fast enough you could die. Wikipedia states :
‘In 2015, 358 million people globally had asthma, up from 183 million in 1990. It caused about 397,100 deaths in 2015 most of which occurred in the developing world. It often begins in childhood. The rates of asthma have increased significantly since the 1960s’.
We know that asthma has been around for centuries. Even as far back as Maimonides (1135–1204), the physician of sultan Saladin ( this was the era of the crusades, and it was Saladin that took back Jerusalem from the crusader armies ) who wrote his Treatise on asthma. In it he recommended rest, to avoid any drugs ( e.g Opium..no not Ventolin inhalers), maintain good hygiene and a particular emphasis on diet. A much more sensible treatment approach then even today. What happened ?, in the space of 25 years the asthma numbers rose from 183 million to 358 million..WHY??. I asked the same question in my article on Alzheimer’s disease where one case found in the early part of the century, to today which has become a world killer. Doesn’t anybody ask any questions today ??, instead of limping along trying to fix everybody with broken medical science, mythical medical fairytales and this constant statement of bewilderment “We don’t know what causes it”, and this fallacious statement based on the medical establishment’s failure to seek answers ( that exist ) “ this condition is INCURABLE”. For pity’s sake FIND OUT…DO THE RESEARCH..The body is not an enigma, it is a living organism that science has gathered a wealth of information on. If our medical establishment was made up of Dr Bergman clones we would have very little ‘incurable’ medical conditions that today are draining government coffers and millions suffering and dying. Dr Bergman FOUND OUT, HE DID THE RESEARCH and now is helping thousands.
The Asthma hypothesis
Science has done extensive research implicating Mast cells and their role in histamine response inducing anaphylaxis with histamine in laboratory rats. Altered Th2 Helper cells, and and an overactive immune system producing excessive Immunoglobulin IgE antibodies was thought to promote Th2 mediated eosinophilic airway inflammation. Eosinophils are immune system cells that are recruited to fight multicellular parasites and work with other immune cells, such as mast cells and basophils, that are all activated in response to allergic and asthmatic responses, causing inflammation and tissue damage that lead to breathing difficulties. Well that’s what medical science tells us, and I don’t doubt this is the case, only because the gut is unhealthy, and the tight junction firewall is open, due to bacterial damage allowing a deluge of toxic substances to pour through. As a result the immune system is in turmoil and acting inappropriately and instead of repair it is adding to the damage. The medical science only see the negative results and immediately implicate the immune cells as the perpetrators, momentarily forgetting that they are behaving irresponsibly, and not asking the question WHY?. What should occur in a healthy gut scenario is the eosinophil, mast cell, basophil team are recruited to eliminate the cause of inflammation which in this case is the excessive toxic load and effect repairs. Their offensive cargo of histamines,cytotoxins and proteases ( granulated Chymase and Tryptase proteins released by mast cells to combat a parasitic invasion) are unleashed, rapidly followed by a synthesis and release of THF-alpha cytokines, prostaglandins and Leukotrienes which is what they are designed to do, to initially quell the invader. Only then will they coordinate the repair process, which in this case is the eosinophilic airway in the bronchia.
The scientific establishment waste their time analysing patterns of occurrence, where for example the British Thoracic society discovered that atopic asthmatics were more likely to die of acute asthma during the months of May/June and September/October, while non-atopic asthmatics were more likely to perish between January to April. Atopic asthmatic condition is defined as extrinsic asthma which is basically allergic asthma. This is what I suffered with as a child and my mother and I went to the Great ormond street hospital in Camden WC1 to have a skin allergy test. Around 100 skin tests later from a variety of potential allergens they concluded that I was allergic to cats, feathers and horses. We had a cat at the time and my mother announced to my sister that the cat will have to go because your brother is allergic, to which she replied, “Why can’t we get rid of my brother”..thanks Sis..I appreciate your vote of confidence. What I know now is that my gut was dysbiotic which I inherited from my mother who also had a dysbiotic gut characterized by her psoriasis, Vitiligo and eventually pernicious anemia..she’s 90 now so she doesn’t want to listen to my medical heresy. Non-Atopic asthma is referred to as Intrinsic asthma caused by ‘substances within the body’ as defined by a Dr Rackemann in 1918 and again in 1947. Today, science claim the causes of intrinsic asthma are chemicals in cigarette and wood smoke, high humidity, cold air, strong smells, viruses and bacteria, in addition to gastrointestinal reflux(GERD), strong emotions (crying and laughing), anxiety, and stress. Well I would agree anything toxic but GERD, Crying and laughing ??.
Sadly, the ignorance continues, spending time, money and effort designing drugs to eliminate natural processes such as antihistamines, anti-prostaglandins, anti-leukotrienes, anti-inflammatories like chromones (cromoglycate and nedocromil sodium ) to reduce airway inflammation by the inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators released by mast cells,and of course the 50 year old Corticosteroids ( Beclomethasone dipropionate introduced into clinical practice in the 70s, now, use is made of fluticasone propionate inhalers and budesonide inhalers, pills or nasal sprays). As we stated above all these drugs inhibit the body to repair (remodel) the damaged airway, and as Dr Natasha Campbell Mcbride describes the function of these drugs as trying to repair a damaged piece of highway without closing it, while vehicles are driving over it. Really who cares what months asthmatics lose their lives, let’s just fix the problem and save them from dying in the first place..
Asthma the true cause
The Gut Epithelium
First of all let us discuss the true and factual reason why asthma occurs. It is necessary to understand the underlying cause which is primarily in the gut, and my early work on the microbiome explains this. It is important to start with the Intestinal epithelium gut barrier ( this arrangement is depicted in the picture above where intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) make up the gut barrier that is attached to the small intestinal wall. The epithelial cells are placed together in ‘Tight Junctions’ referred to as Zonula Occludens. The purpose of the gut wall barrier is to be semi-permeable, allowing water, electrolytes, nutrients IN, and to keep pathogenic microbes,toxins,antigens OUT. Enterocytes that are responsible for nutrient absorption are actually Intestinal epithelial cells ( IEC). Loss of integrity here can ignite so many physiological and Psychological disorders. To protect this gut barrier it is covered with mucus that establish a physical firewall to prevent a breach, by binding to Bacteria to prevent bacterial colonization and repel damaging chemicals such as gastric acid ( stomach hydrochloric acid).
Maintaining Epithelium Integrity
Regulation of smooth muscle within the epithelium is achieved by Prostaglandins (a fatty acid compound) which are synthesized within the mucosa from arachidonic acid ( an omega 6 fatty acid) by an enzyme called Cyclooxygenase providing cytoprotection ( pertaining to chemicals used to protect cells from harmful agents) and to stimulate mucus and bicarbonate secretion. Additional epithelial protection is afforded by Goblet cells scattered along the epithelial gut wall that not only secrete the protective mucus, but also produce Trefoil proteins ( small peptides ) that coat the IEC apical face protecting the epithelium from a range of toxins and drugs, playing a part in IEC repair. Furthermore, Nitric acid also plays a role in mucosal integrity when secreted by IECs in response to ( for example ) a lumen dwelling pathogen Giardia Lamblia. Within the crypts Paneth cells ( epithelial granulocytes- white blood cells containing secretory granules in its cytoplasm ) secrete antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) known as alpha-defensins or Lysozymes and Reg3 gamma (Regenerating islet-derived proteins), both used for pathogenic defense. Secretory immunoglobulin A ( sigA ), secreted by plasma cells located in the lamina propria ((inside the body) and transported into the lumen ( outside of the body) by IECs, that have the property to block epithelial receptors preventing pathogenic attachment.
Symbionic ‘Crosstalk’ between Host and Microbiota II
In terms of the chemical crosstalk between the IECs and the microbiome certain strains of E Coli, a human fecal isolate and probiotic strain, enhances protein expression within the epithelium thus enhancing barrier integrity. Metabolites secreted by Bifidobacterium infantis also provide barrier integrity. Lactobacillus plantarum regulate barrier proteins providing protective effects by preventing and even reversing adverse effects from pathogens. Strains of Bifidobacterium lactis also provide protective effects. These protective effects are in part due to the competition that occurs between probiotic beneficial bacteria and potentially pathogenic commensal bacteria for nutrients required for growth and adhesion. In addition the metabolites secreted by the probiotic bacteria go on to strengthen the Tight junction (TJ) of the epithelium through a cell signaling pathway that must be initiated by the probiotic bacteria before treatment from metabolites secreted from pathogens. One such bacterial strain that achieves this is a metabolite secreted by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ( However this strain itself can also cause pathogenic harm given the right circumstances such as dysbiosis). Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus thermophilus assist infected IECs by treating them with protein inhibition to protect against TJ disruption. Additional protection against barrier dysfunction is also provided by commensal bacteria species Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium Longum.
Epithelium breach – Asthma
So what has all this science of the epithelium to do with Asthma, allergies and all the other autoimmune related diseases ??. If the gut barrier becomes damaged and the tight junction of the IEC’s open then larger molecules such as undigested food, toxins, bacteria that should be blocked begin to flow into the bloodstream and enter the liver (our primary detox organ ). However, it is not long before this flood of substances overwhelm the liver ( since the liver has many other functions to take care of) which dumps this ‘toxic soup’ into the bodies secondary detox organ, the Lungs, and even the kidneys and the skin. In its attempt to eliminate the toxic material the lung can become damaged itself along its bronchial highways. The host begins to show signs of breathing difficulties, while the lung is attempting to expel the material along the mucociliary escalator. From the nose to the end of the bronchi inside the lung the mucociliary escalator is formed by mucus secreting goblet cells and ciliated cells that acts as a major barrier that protects the host from infection. This clever system is like an escalator, since particles that get trapped in the mucus in the nose are shuffled to the throat by the ‘beating’ ciliated cells into the bronchi and trachea and then expelled out causing the host to cough. The early signs of asthma reveal itself, so the child is whisked off to the doctor who immediately prescribes Albuterol or Levalbuterol or some other Ventolin inhaler. This is a temporary comfort to open the bronchial passage, but longer term if the gut is healed and the toxin tsunami is stopped then things will go back to normal. When this occurs and you allow that part of the bronchial highway to be repaired, then the asthma will disappear, but at the right moment you need to dispense with the inhaler because it inhibits the repair process, which incidentally does not take long ( estimated around 15 minutes ).
Chronic cystitis
A toxic environment such as explained above can cause many conditions including autoimmune disease, example of which we will cover in Part VI. Let us examine a very painful condition called Chronic cystitis. The following is what I found on one website :
I’m a woman and I’ve had a chronic bladder infection for four years. My doctor keeps giving me antibiotics, but the infection keeps coming back. What can I do?
And the reply was :
- Kidney or bladder stones
- Bacteria entering the urethra during intercourse
- Changes in estrogen levels during menopause
- An abnormal urinary tract shape or function
- An inherited risk of developing bladder infections (genetic predisposition)
If you’ve had two or more culture-documented bladder infections during a six-month period, consider seeing a urologist — a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating urinary tract diseases.
To figure out what’s causing the repeat infections, your urologist may recommend a:
- Urine culture test of a sample obtained with a catheter
- Visual exam of the bladder and urethra with a lighted scope (cystoscopy)
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan of the urinary tract
And if the cause is not found then the following could help:
If your doctor can’t find a cause, one of these options may help:
- A long-term, low-dose antibiotic for as long as six months to two years
- Intermittent or self-directed antibiotic therapy — for instance, taking an antibiotic after intercourse or starting a course of antibiotics supplied in advance by your doctor at the first sign of a UTI
- Vaginal estrogen therapy — if you don’t already take oral estrogen — for signs or symptoms related to vaginal dryness (atrophic vaginitis) after menopause
What will probably happen that once a urine culture is taken they will find the urine is toxic and they perform a cystoscopy they will also find the rugae mucus lining in the bladder is inflamed and damaged from the acrid urine. As described above an overwhelmed liver will offload its toxic load also to the kidneys which results in acrid urine. Bed wetting is a common occurrence in such circumstances even in adults, nothing to be ashamed of it is simply the bladder trying to expel the urine that is damaging it, and wants to get rid of it fast, so the poor host has no time for a bathroom visit. The root cause is generally a toxic body caused by an imbalanced gut flora, so again fix the dysbiotic gut and the cystitis will clear up. The absolute last thing you want to do is destroy the gut using a long term treatment of antibiotics or any other poisonous drug. Remember also, some of our microbial neighbors especially the pathogenic variety such as Clostridium Tetani is a common soil toxin that finds its way into the human gut. One of its main metabolites is similar to strychnine ( a very poisonous substance ) and is called Tetanospasmin ( or commonly known as Tetanus). This species produces spores that can last for years dormant in the gut and it cannot be destroyed and it munches on antibiotics as if was the first course of its dinner. This is why it is crucial that the beneficial flora are allowed to keep this dangerous species in check which is only possible if the gut is kept in balance. The use of antibiotics is ‘papering over the cracks’ for any condition which is a foolish venture that can only lead to more misery. FORGET THE ANTIBIOTICS…I beg you.
Conclusions
In this part we have described what happens when there is a breach in the epithelium, our gut barrier firewall, allowing substances to leak through into the bloodstream causing a toxic riot that can overload the detox function of the Liver causing it to offload its toxic cargo to the lung. In its desperate attempt to detox the toxic cargo it becomes damaged along its bronchial pathways causing the host to express asthma. This barrage of toxins can also cause chronic cystitis that conventional medicine treat with their gut destroying antibiotic treatment, causing severe microbiota dysfunction that can lead to a myriad of other conditions. In part VI we will explore how epithelium dysfunction can lead to autoimmune disease triggered by ‘molecular mimicry’.
All units south of the stomach,|lookout for illegal organism.
Jones, you want to keep your job?
Wait for backup!
I can get them.
I said stay put.
– Over.|- You heard the chief.
Out of our jurisdiction.
It’s Immunity’s problem.|We should get to the mouth.
– Hey, Jones!|- Chief, you’ll thank me later.
Don’t think about it.|You’re in enough trouble.
Jones!
Movie quote Osmosis Jones 2001
References/Acknowledgments :
-
- Gut and Psychology Syndrome Book 2010 Dr Natasha Campbell Mcbride
- What is asthma ?, what causes asthma ? Medical news today 2017
- Asthma Wikipedia
- Microbiome and Disease 2017 Article Eric Malouin, extremehealthacademy.com
- Do allergies cause asthma Kidshealth
- Chronic bladder infection: Is there a cure ? The Mayo clinic
- Your liver and psoriasis M.Smith Nurse Practioner Dermaharmony
- Movie quote Osmosis Jones 2001 Movie script Springfieldspringfield.co.uk
Author: Eric Malouin