What is Methylation? And what are common signs of a patient suffering from a methylation issue?
What Is Methylation?
Methylation is a biochemical process that helps to keep your body healthy and well.
Methylation is necessary to help cells of the body detox, keep the hormones and body in balance. When we are over methylating or under methylating the body struggles with all sorts of health challenges.
“methylation is provided by S-adenosylmethionine or SAMe, called the universal methyl donor. This compound gives methyl groups to substances that need to undergo methylation. So, methylation relies on SAMe, which in turn is reliant on vitamin B and 5-MTHF (the active form of folate called methyl folate)”
Common Methylation Issues
Some of examples of poor methylation ( undermethylation) include allergies, chronic inflammation and chronic pain such as fibromyalgia, fatigue, hormone imbalances, infertility, neurological issues, weight gain, mental health challenges, neurological and memory issues. When the body has a serious methylation issue it will have high levels of folic acid but low levels of other nutrients.
This can lead to a variety of health imbalances; such as lymphatic congestion, chronic infections and chronic inflammation. Serious chronic healing crises to certain types of massage, healingholistic or wellbeing treatments and detox protocols. Such as serious lymph and teeth infections.
7 Common Causes Of Methylation Issues
Diet And Gut Health:
a poor diet such as processed food, manmade and genetically modified food, sugar.
Gut issues are well reputed to be related to methylation dysfunction.
Genetic:
MTHFR is a genetic variant or SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) that can have significant consequences on health
Hormone Issues:
hormone issues can be both a cause and contributor for example certain drugs or herbs that influence the hormones can impact your ability to methylate properly.
Lifestyle:
an unhealthy lifestyle that is unbalanced can contribute to further imbalances in the body.
Lack of sleep:
poor quality sleep can seriously impact the hormones and upset the natural circadian cycles that are an important part of detoxification.
Stress:
stress puts a lot of pressure on our hormones, organs, glands, brain and nervous system.
Toxins:
Toxins such as caffeine, drugs and over medication, heavy metals, toxins, stimulants, sugar increase the risk of methylation difficulties.
Top Tips To Improve Methylation
How to boost the methylation process naturally by supporting methylation pathways in the liver .
Clean Diet:
Eat a clean diet and improve gut health, eliminate sugar, processed foods, fungi and yeast from diet. Add methyl folate-rich foods in your diet such as citrus foods, leafy greens, avocados.
Dry Brushing:
Dry brushing is a technique that involves using bristle brush to improves blood flow and lymphatic flow.
Mould Remove:
Clean any mould from your home or move to a more healthier mould-free environment.
Healthy Exercise:
Regular exercise has been shown to improve methylation ” it has been shown that 6-month of vigorous training including one session of 1 h spinning and two sessions of 1-h aerobics resulted in increased methylation in adipose tissue in response to exercise in sedentary middle-age men (Rönn et al., 2013). ”
Infrared Sauna:
Infrared saunas can helps support methylation and improve immune system in many cases.
Lymphatic Massage:
Lymphatic massage is often more safer for clients with serious methylation issues. As the healing crisis can be overwhelming in other types of massage. Find a fully qualified lymphatic practitioner to support you.
Manage Your Stress:
Remove unnecessary stressors, learn how to manage your anxiety and stress e.g. meditation, mindfulness, relaxation therapy and other stress management techniques.
Vitamins:
Certain supplements and vitamins such as B6 and B12 can often support a methylation issue. But equally using unnecessary or the wrong supplements can lead to further methylation problems so always get tested by a private extensive lab to see what you nutritionally need. Than waste money on supplements you don’t need or those that will cause you more harm.
Stay Hydrated:
It is important to drink plenty of fresh water, to support natural detoxification, harmony and balance in the body.
40 motivational healthy quotes from inspiring health and wellness leaders. Powerful words to help inspire you towards better health and wellbeing in your daily life.
Happiness and Health Quotes
Health and happiness quotes
“Happiness is the highest form of health.” – Dalai Lama
“Health is the greatest of human blessings.” – Hippocrates
Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos – the trees, the clouds, everything. Thich Nhat Hanh
“Our bodies are our gardens – our wills are our gardeners.” – William Shakespeare
“Healthy is an outfit that looks different on everybody.” – Unknown
Healthy Habits, Healthy Mind Quotes
Health quotes that encourage a healthier mind and healthier habits.
“The mind and body are not separate. What affects one, affects the other.” – Unknown
“It’s up to you today to start making healthy choices. Not choices that are just healthy for your body, but healthy for your mind.” – Steve Maraboli
“Just because no one else can heal or do your inner work for you doesn’t mean you can, should, or need to do it alone.” – Lisa Olivera
“In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired” – Unknown
“Create healthy habits, not restrictions.” – Unknown
Food Health Quotes
Food quotes that support healthier eating
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. “- Hippocrates
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” – Unknown
“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.” – Ayurvedic proverb
“Eat to live, not live to eat.” – Unknown
“If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t. ” –Michael Pollan
“The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition. ” – Thomas Edison
“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.” – Bethenny Frankel
“Every time you eat or drink, you are either feeding disease or fighting it.” – Heather Morgan
“You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet.” – Mark Hyman
Wealth Is Health Quotes
Health quotes related to wealth, success and inner richness.
“The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.” – Buddha
“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” – Benjamin Franklin
“The greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.” – Joyce Meyer
“To get rich, never risk your health. For it is the truth that health is the wealth of wealth.” – Richard Baker
“Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.” – Winston S. Churchill
“Time And health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.” – Denis Waitley
“So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.” – A.J. Reb Materi
“Being healthy is a success that many people forget to celebrate.” – Unknown
Energy And Vitality Health Quotes
Health quotes and words that inspire more vitality, energy and passion.
“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book”- Irish proverb
“Laughing decreases blood pressure and increases blood flow.” – Unknown
“The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body, the better you feel, and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results.” – Tony Robbins
“The key to a healthy life is having a healthy mind.” – Richard Davidson
The elimination diet: Remove anger, regret, resentment, guilt, blame, and worry. Then watch your health, and life, improve.” – Charles F. Glassman
Sufficient sleep, exercise, healthy food, friendship, and peace of mind are necessities, not luxuries.” – Mark Halperin
Healthy Spiritual Quotes
Mind body and spirit quotes to inspire a healthy spirit and healthy soul.
“What drains your spirit drains your body. What fuels your spirit fuels your body.” – Carolyn Myss
“The human body is the best picture of the human soul.”- Tony Robbins
“A sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker than a germ.” – John Steinbeck
“Health is a relationship between you and your body.” – Terri Guillemets
“Your body holds deep wisdom. Trust in it. Learn from it. Nourish it. Watch your life transform and be healthy.” – Bella Bleue
“It’s not coincidence that four of the six letter in health are heal.” – Ed Northstrum
Easy health tips for students at college or university. How to bring healthy living into students life.
Health Tips For College Students
living on a budget, students dealing with the anxiety and stress of college and university life. Student life can be exciting, life changing but it also can be demanding and challenging.
Like anything in life the more prepared you are for student life the easier it can be. The more healthier daily choices you make the more physically and mentally resilient you will be to deal with the challenges of student life you will face.
A big part of how to stay healthy is learning some simple healthy hacks. These simple health tips for students should be slowly implemented into your daily and weekly routine.
9 Top Health Tips For Students
Simple health tips for students at college, university or school.
See Your Student Experience As What It Is
Just one part of your life’s journey. Often students put so much pressure on themselves to achieve so much, to experience so much that they burn out, they end up exhausted, run down, anxious, stressed and sadly depressed.
Student life like any other experience and area of your life is just one part of your story. See it for what it is and not what others try to put on to you. Of course you want to do well, but often we do much better when we get in this mentally into proportion.
Eat Healthily
Yes I can’t highlight how much eating more healthily can keep you not just more physically strong but mentally strong. Eating the wrong foods can seriously affect your anxiety and stress levels, stimulants such as coffee, sugar, energy drinks will just increase levels of anxiety, will increase nervousness, worry and stress.
Consuming too much junk food, processed food kills off good gut bacteria. And we know ho much gut health impacts our mood our happy hormones. Simple health tips for students involve having a healthy juice or smoothie each morning and/or a healthy soup or salad each day.
Can help make sure your fuelling your body and feeding your brain for increased concentration and focus. If you have a sweet tooth try these tasty healthy alternatives to sugar. If you are a vegan make sure you are getting plenty protein and fats to fuel your brain.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking enough fresh water each day not only helps you flush natural and un-natural toxins. It encourages natural homeostasis within the body. We are made up of mostly water and when we become dehydrated our bodily functions, our mental functions become more stressed. The average woman should drink approx 2.7 litres of water and the average man should drink approx 3.2 litres of water for optimal health.
Get Enough Sleep
A good night’s sleep not only restores your energy levels and helps repair the body. Deep quality sleep helps us not only increases our stress resilience but helps us boost our mood and leave the worries of yesterday behind.
Too many late nights can easily lead to sleep related issues like insomnia. So make good quality sleep a priority.
Learn To Unplug
Yes you need to learn unplug, switch off your phone, tv and computer. Do you know how much stress your addiction to your phone, to Facebook, to your computer is impacting your health. As a student you will naturally spend a lot of time glued to your computer or mobile device studying, researching but you need to learn how important it is to switch off.
Too much time on these devices affects your concentration, high levels of EMF radiation can affect your central nervous system which increases your anxiety and stress resilience.
Be More Assertive
Peer pressure can be a challenge but the more assertive and healthier boundaries you are with others. The more wiser and healthier choices you will make. Healthy boundaries are an important part of life, they are a necessary part of staying mentally and physically healthy. If this is something you struggle get help, counselling or assertiveness training can help.
Get Organised
Being organised for the important things, lecturers, events, exams will not only reduce your anxiety and stress levels but help you perform much better. Disorganisation causes chaos, confusion and doubt. If you are not that organised team up with another student who is. You will often recognise the student who is more organised. They are the students whose folders are in an organised folders, who always have extra pencils, pens and anything else they need.
Good Time Management
Like above having good time management skills is an other important skill. That will help you plan out your study timetables in a healthy and more organised way. Most colleges and universities give out guides with lots of helpful tips if not check out student time management skills online.
Learn How To Manage Your Stress
Learn how to reduce and manage your stress is one of the most important life skills anyone will ever learn. Meditation is one of the most powerful life skills you can learn. When you learn the right type of meditation, from the right type of teacher.
Meditation is a great tool at slowing down the monkey mind that is at the root of anxiety and depression. There are so many different types of meditation but as a meditation teacher and stress expert for over 20 years, the most popular meditation technique I have taught is my less than 5 minute meditation. See below.
Student Life Doesn’t Need To Be Unhealthy
These easy health tips for students are suitable for most ages but especially for college students and university students. Being a student doesn’t need to be so stressful, with the right approach you can look after your mental, emotional and physical health with more ease.
Health Tips For Vegan Students
Students on a vegan or plant based diet should make sure they are getting enough not just proteins, fats and b vitamins. That they are not relying on processed plant food for convenience.
For more stress reducing health tips for students and vegan students check out the related blogs below.
Chronic Health Conditions – 5 Tips On How To Find The Right Help
Top tips on how to find the right help when you have suffer from complex or chronic health conditions.
Exploring some of the biggest challenges getting the right help or wellbeing support when you have a chronic illness, chronic disabilities or a complex medical history.
One of the biggest problems many people face with chronic health conditions face is the length of time it takes them to get the right diagnosis or the right help.
Without having to waste a lot of time, energy and money or all of their life savings on the wrong type of help, wrong therapists, doctors or wellbeing professionals.
Navigating The Holistic Wellbeing Arena With Chronic Health Conditions
Now more than ever the healthcare system and the holistic wellbeing system can be a bit of a minefield to navigate through.
I know as someone who at 54 years of age, dealt with a complex health history and wide range of rare and chronic health challenges and medical harm from a young age.
I spent over 30 years investing in peoples, courses and programs that were not an ideal fit for a variety of reasons. But often because of over zealous or naive therapists who assumed they were the right fit when they weren’t really.
The last thing anyone needs with a long-term health condition is waste more time, energy and emotions on someone or something that is not a perfect fit for your needs.
5 Things To Consider When Trying To Finding The Right Help With Chronic Health Conditions
No 1 – Identify What Kind Of Support You Want:
It is so important to get clear what kind of support and help you really want or feel you need. If you are not specific enough and very vague just looking for any sort of help, you will often attract a lot of help that is not an exact march for your specific needs.
Think about your biggest challenges or those tricky aspects of your wellbeing you struggle to shift. Particularly the main issues that if you get help with are more likely to help and make a better impact on other areas of your life or health.
Identifying those things that maybe the root of the problem or the things that can make the biggest shifts should always be considered a priority.
One of my best investments was getting tests and nutritional support around gut health, intolerances, and nutritional deficiencies this helped address some very serious issues with my health when my health was dramatically declining. I chose to go with a naturopath and nutritionist who were highly experienced and qualified in the areas I had problems in, they both had many years of experience working with complex issues.
No 2 – Identify What Level Of Support You Need And Can Afford:
Think of what level of support do you need and can afford for support or help with your chronic health conditions. No matter if that is practical support or health and wellbeing education or support.
For example today we have so many online coaching, therapy programs designed to help the masses. But the reality is group programs are not always ideal for those with complex or chronic health challenges.
Sometimes you can have so much going, so many conflicting medical and therapeutic opinions or challenges you don’t know where to start. Unless you invest in a course with someone who is definitely an expert in your problem and has a tried and tested program that demonstrates a high success rate with hundreds of similar clients. It can be difficult to be assured if it will help you.
Sometimes it can better to invest in more one to one support even if it is just initially, if you can afford it. But the problem is most people with chronic health condition have often spend so much time and energy on the wrong things that they can struggle to find the money for the right things. It is one of the reasons why I always think therapists and wellbeing practitioners should always be really honest and realistic with their clients.
No 3 – Are You Asking The Right Questions
It is so important for anyone with a chronic health condition to be able to ask the right questions from anyone they are getting medical, health or wellbeing advice or support from.
Depending on what type of support or help your seeking one of the questions is usually important is checking the health professional does have the right experience and qualification. And if they have enough knowledge or awareness about your condition or other challenges such as sensory processing issues you may have.
And please never assume if someone has a certificate that it actually equates to the right training or right level of expertise. Ask, ask, ask, consider things like how long was their training, who did they train with, is their qualification recognised with and by who.
Never be shy about asking direct questions to the practitioner about their expertise, depth of training, where and when they studied, how many clients they have helped with similar challenges, how many of these clients improved. When it comes to your health and wellbeing you should know.
No 4 – When Will I Start Seeing Serious Health Improvements
Another thing many people suffering from chronic health conditions fail to do is ask how long they should need to wait or invest before seeing results from the help or support they are investing in. This will obviously depend on the type of help or support your investing in.
I spent years in my twenties going to therapists and one homeopathic doctor who encouraged me to keep coming to them for years.
When I wasn’t seeing any results or actually was having constant relapses or chronic healing crises due that didn’t seem to heal anything because of methylation problems. This is so unhealthy and in sometimes it creates co-dependency issues or you just become someone’s cash cow.
On the other hand I went to other practitioners expecting the results to take months and had instant relief or problems permanently solved in one session.
This made me question a lot about so many types of modalities and therapies how they were being sold. And how important it was to value a lot of investments not on the cost of the session but how quickly, deeply and permanently was the result.
No 5 – Look For Testimonials From Other Chronic Health Suffers
Testimonials and reviews especially those that have been submitted on social media are a great way to ensure that testimonials are actually from real live people. And have not been falsified or adapted in anyway. If you can see any evidence on your specific issue.
Sometimes therapists have previous clients who are willing to share their experiences. Of course for many reasons this may all not be appropriate for the therapist, healer, coach or medical professional to ask.
But it doesn’t mean you cannot inquire if there is someone willing to share their experience working with this person, especially if you are investing a lot of money or time into a program or a certain amount of sessions.
Chronic Health Conditions And Self-Responsibility For Your Health
One of the most important thing that anyone with a chronic health condition can do is take as much self-responsibility for their own healing, their own health and wellbeing.
The daily lifestyles choices you make everyday that help reduce or increase those chronic health conditions, your mental and emotional wellbeing. Can make a huge impact in the quality of your life.
Chronic Health Conditions And Stress
Managing your anxiety and stress, creating healthy boundaries, especially saying NO to what isn’t right for you. Is a vital aspect of any wellbeing approach.
I learned early on how important it was for me to manage my anxiety and stress levels, Also the importance of a clean and healthy diet, and to reduce as much toxins from my environment as they were having a considerable impact on my general every day functioning. Especially being someone who had gut issues since infanthood and all sorts of toxicity exposure.
Chronic Health Conditions And Listening To Your Own Body
And began to learn how to listen to my own body and not be bullied by medical and wellbeing practitioners who tried to gaslight or bully me into taking medication or approaches that were more likely to cause me more harm than good.
Why I Choose Therapists Who Really Understand Chronic Health Challenges
It is one of the reasons when I can, I choose therapist, healers and other wellbeing professionals who have had some sort of similar challenge. Who really know what they are talking about, walk the talk, have just not read in a book or magazine some sort of theory or perspective.
Have experienced some of those challenges themself, have tried and tested approaches, have a more wider holistic approach in the way the work, than be too stuck or fixed on one perspective or a few modalities,
Because they often have a higher degree of awareness, insight and experience, as well as greater empathy and compassion. So tend to not to be as quick to make pre-judgements about you or your situation.
Support To Help Reduce Your Anxiety And Stress
If you are struggling with the anxiety and stress of living with complex chronic health conditions and would love access to some powerful anxiety and stress reducing tools that help reduce chronic pain, improve sleep and support general wellbeing.
Check out my Stress Management Program For Sufferers of Chronic Health Conditions as someone who has suffered from fibro, M.E, suspected Late Stage Lyme and a whole list of rare and complex symptoms. And as someone who has studying holistic wellbeing and stress management for over 30 years. I can’t recommend highly enough how much managing your anxiety and stress helps improve your health.
Superfood Snacks that Satisfy Cravings And Energy Slumps and that can be eaten on the go. That will improve health, and well-being, and boost energy to help manage sugar levels and a healthy weight.
Apples
You might not think of apples as a superfood snack but as they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Apples are highly nutritious and packed with antioxidants, flavonoids, pectin, potassium, and polyphenols. Great for supporting good digestion and gut health. They are one of the most easy-to-find superfood snacks to find in most countries around the world.
There are so many different variations of apple but a medium-sized apple with an average weight of about 180 grams is approx 92 kcals.
Avocado
Avocado is one of the most powerful superfood snacks to support Brain, Heart Health, and Body Weight. Which is why it is one of our highly recommended daily superfood healthy snacks. It is packed with goodness of over 20 minerals, vitamins, and essential fatty acids that help manage weight.
“Avocados are rich in monounsaturated (‘good’) fats and are a low GI (glycemic index) food, so they will help you to feel fuller for longer.” Fruitnet.com
“Research has suggested that the high fat and fiber composition of avocados may contribute to weight loss by maintaining satiety and changing gut-microbiota composition” Cambridge University Press
The flesh of an average avocado is about 100 grams which is approximately 190kcal.
Banana
Bananas are great healthy snacks a superfood that can help calm the nervous system and and boost mood. Bananas are low on the glycemic index and are high in the mineral potassium, vitamin B6, fiber, manganese, and vitamin C. The resistant starch in bananas is good for the gut it has a sort of prebiotic effect. These healthy benefits make bananas the perfect healthy snack for lunchtime or after a workout.
The flesh of an average banana is about 102 grams and is less than 85 kcal.
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts contain calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin B1, B6, vitamin E, and Zinc
One Brazil Nut without the shell weighs about 5 grams and is approx 34kcal. The recommended intake of 2 Brazil Nuts a day is said to in fact only 1 ounce of Brazil nuts is said to have 1,000% RDA of selenium a lot higher than most types of nuts. Selenium is a very important mineral required for a healthy nervous system and heart, it’s vital for the conversion of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) and a healthy pregnancy.
Cacao
Raw cacao is extremely high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, especially magnesium. Cacao can easily be added to a smoothie or be used to replace your afternoon or morning coffee as a superfood snack.
Chocolate is roasted and fermented from Cacao, but Cacao is more nutritious and has been used for medicinal properties for years. Cacao boosts mood and happy hormones; phenylethylamine, serotonin, tryptophan, and tyrosine.
Dates
Dates are great for anyone with a sweet tooth or who needs a more natural sugar fix to get through the day and has a low GI ( Glycaemic Index). Dates are regarded as a gift from god. Dates are packed with minerals such as vitamin K, potassium, calcium, and magnesium that are said to support bone health.
One date approx 8 grams is said to provide about 23 calories, 6 g of carbohydrates, 0g of fat, 0.2 of protein.
Symptoms of Lyme, late-stage Lyme disease, and Lyme Co-Infections. What is Lyme Disease? And my own story of undiagnosed Late-Stage Lyme Disease, suffering from Lyme for over 35 years.
What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is a multisystem bacterial infection that can be spread to animals and humans by bites from infected ticks.
In the USA Lyme disease is a manifestation of the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Asia and Europe, Lyme disease is mostly from Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii.
Lyme Disease Co-Infections?
Those infected with Lyme disease are also usually infected by a variety of co-infections; different co-infections are more common in certain countries and parts of the world than others.
In the USA these include “Lyme borreliosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus, and B. miyamotoi infection”
In Europe, these include Babesia, Bartonella, Brucella, Q Fever, and Tick-borne Encephalitis. These co-infections can cause a wide range of devastating impacts on the immune and central nervous system when not treated early enough.
What is Stage 1 Of Lyme Disease?
Stage 1 of Lyme Disease is the transmission of the tick bite. This is where one normally would find a tick and then a bull’s eye rash. Although it is reputed that many people do not see the tick and may never get or see the rash. At this stage it is important to remove the tick. Note not all ticks are infected.
What is Stage 2 Of Lyme Disease?
Stage 2 of Lyme Disease is when the patient begins to feel sick or unwell this tends to occur within weeks or months, and the person experiences flu-type symptoms; chills, fatigue, pain, weakness, rashes, heart problems, facial paralysis, eye problems.
What is Late-Stage Lyme Disease?
Late-stage Lyme disease is unhealed or untreated Lyme disease (late-stage disseminated lyme) it is known as the great imitator as it mimics so many other diseases. Its impact on the central nervous system makes some of the symptoms resemble conditions like A.LS., brain tumours, Guillaine-Barr, M.S., and Parkinson’s Disease.
Untreated late-stage Lyme disease is when someone does not receive treatment within a specific time or does not fully recover from the standard treatment of antibiotics, such as doxycycline or amoxicillin.
Treating late-stage Lyme is often a longer treatment of intravenous antibiotics.
Recovery is said to depend on the amounts years, the co-infections, and the level of late-stage complications. Sadly some untreated symptoms can be life-threatening.
My Own Story Around Untreated Late-Stage Lyme Disease
At the age of 14, I was bitten by something what appeared to be very similar to a bulls-eye rash. I had a lot of swelling in my legs, feet, and ankles which meant I couldn’t wear my shoes and go to school. My GP identified it as some sort of strange insect bite but didn’t know what.
Over the next few years, I would begin suffering from a lot of odd unexplained low-level health challenges, including a lot of bladder and kidney infections, light sensitivity and just a general feeling of being unwell.
I had keratitis and some eye issues, plus a few other rare eye phenomena supposedly related to a rare medical challenge known as parry rombergs disease that I was diagnosed as a child, which appeared to be congenital.
At the age of 19, after being an unfortunate victim of mercury toxicity, where a dentist accidentally put mercury up my root canal instead of my tooth.
My health quickly and seriously declined, initially appearing as a very seriously debilitating flu and a whole host of other rare medical symptoms.
Suspected Late-Stage Lyme Symptom
Over the next 30 years, I would experience bouts of extreme exhaustion, brain fog, muscle weakness, and tremors, suffer chills, fevers, strange rashes, constant sore throats, throat infections, and so many stomach issues and what appeared to be like menopausal flashes (even though I was only 21 years of age) .
Aswell as all sorts of weird eye and neurological issues.
I went from a young fit active 19-year-old who walked several miles a day, had 2 jobs, loved to dance and sing, with many hobbies. Too within a few days hardly was able to lift my head.
Even though I recovered a bit from this initial episode, I struggled to get any stamina back, I would have constant relapses and a low immune system, prone to all sorts of virus, bacteria, and digestive issues.
At 21 I was diagnosed with M.E. and at 22 I got so ill, that I had no choice but to give up college and return home to be looked after by my parents and siblings.
In my late twenties, I was hospitalised after what appeared to be very large welts all over my body and joints, rheumatic fever, and what I was told was rheumatoid arthritis. Even though the symptoms seem to disappear.
One of the doctors at the time suspected I had Lyme Disease because of the amount of unusual symptoms I had that were not associated with M.E. or rheumatic fever, but for some reason, it was never mentioned again until my 40’s.
Eye Complications Of Late-Stage Lyme Disease
I became very much a medical mystery, especially to eye specialists all over the UK who would come to examine me eye in research and clinical studies. My specific case was included in a medical research publication.
A long list of eye complications including dangerously low eye pressure, a hypotonic eye, choroidal folds, retina detachment issues, optic nerve damage, light sensitivity, dilated pupil, keratitis alongside a hole in my eye.
Now although I thought the hole in my eye, seemed to be directly related to the mercury injury I suffered. As it was in line with the very nerve that went down that tooth.
I would later find out that many of the other eye conditions and rare eye symptoms I had not usually seen in someone so young were seen in certain co-infections of Lyme, especially untreated late-stage Lyme disease.
Over 30 years I had so many strange symptoms and other chronic health conditions that didn’t add up, a massive amount of abscesses in the bone cavity above my mouth, cysts, and a benign tumour.
A fatty liver when I hadn’t drunk alcohol since my early twenties, when I didn’t eat meat, rarely ate fatty foods being mostly vegeterian and lactose intolerant.
I developed sorts of weird and wonderful allergies, and sensitivities to all sorts of things from perfumes, household toxins, foods, and alcohol intolerance, and became very unwell if I consumed processed sugar...
In my 40’s began to develop jerking movements, extreme hyperacusis in one ear, a complex movement disorder; myoclonus dystonia, chorea, and so many other symptoms that would be too long to mention.
Doctors and Medical Experts were baffled with my weird and wonderful symptoms and chronic health conditions until in my late 40s while I was on holiday with a friend in the medical profession. Did he seriously begin to question some of the symptoms I had?
He questioned if it could be Lyme Disease. After taking a quiz I was shocked to discover that out of 350 symptoms related to Lyme disease. There were less than a handful of the symptoms I hadn’t suffered from, since I had those bites.
Challenges Around NHS Lyme Testing And Treatment
I would discover that according to worldwide Lyme Experts the NHS Lyme test was not fit for purpose and most likely would not be able to detect Late-Stage Lyme Disease.
I was advised by a variety of health professionals to get tested abroad, which did suggest I had late-stage Lyme and quite a few of the co-infections which very much aligned with many of the symptoms I had been suffering from for years.
Especially the very rare and unusual neurological and eye symptoms and a persistent unexplained cough I had since my teens.
Sadly even though some of the Doctors I saw agreed that it appeared to be highly likely it was Late-Stage Lyme Disease.
Unfortunately due to UK guidelines I was not allowed to be treated by late-stage treatment of intravenous antibiotics and was given no help or hope.
Now at the time, the testing I chose to get was the Elis-spot and the PCR. Interestingly, when I submitted my results to an infectious disease doctor in the NHS I was mocked at the time because I went for a PCR test.
And was told at the time a PCR test would never be used to diagnose any virus or disease in the UK because of its level of inaccuracy. Hmm, extremely interesting when we look at what was used to test a certain virus over the last few years.
Now because of this, I looked into PCR testing at the time, and let’s say what I learned was interesting.
What I Learned Living With Untreated Chronic Health Challenges
On one level I was very disappointed I was not allowed to be given the recommended intravenous antibiotic for late-stage Lyme here in the UK. Even though my GP and a couple of specialists felt it was too late to make any difference.
I was told by neurologists and GPs that I had just to live and accept my symptoms and life situation, by this stage I had become housebound due to the severity of sound sensitivity that was triggering non-epileptic seizures .
Like most of the health challenges I had, I was rarely given any support or help.
Out of this situation I learned young how easy it is to take our health for granted. How quickly and how easily our health can be taken away.
But also how important it is to take as much self-responsibility for our health and well-being as we can. Most people today put their health and well-being at the lower end of their priorities.
Living with any chronic, life-changing, or life-limiting health condition is extremely challenging. But it can also teach us great gifts, and help us value life itself on a level that so many other people cannot.
I spent a large part of my life being gaslighted and judged, by so many medical professionals, healers, and therapists that on some level I became tainted by what was supposed to be healthcare and well-being support.
But I thank god, that I aligned with a holistic approach to life and my health early on. I honestly believe if I hadn’t taken a more natural approach, and started to live a more clean healthy life, I wouldn’t be here today.
Healthy bedtime steps to start achieving better quality sleep, improve your bedtime hygiene. Exploring common sleeping problems that lead to chronic insomnia and other sleep issues.
Importance Of Quality Sleep
Healthy sleep is a vital part of a good healthy lifestyle, a health and wellness program. Poor sleep leads to all sorts of mental, emotional and physiological issues especially our coping abilities, our mental and emotional resilience to stress. It is a vital part of the repair and functioning of our organs, our whole body.
Importance Of Healthy Bedtime Routine
A healthy bedtime helps us get the proper rest, relaxation and repair in the mind, body and emotions to help reset and refuel us for the next day. An unhealthy bedtime routine can lead to not just unhealthy sleep patterns but all sorts of chronic health challenges. And is the main reason good sleep management and sleep therapy is a foundational part of health, wellness and stress management programs.
5 Healthy Bedtime Tips To Beat Insomnia
Simple bedtime tips to help beat insomnia and other sleep issues that are stopping you achieve a deep healthy full night’s sleep.
Go To Bed Same Time Each Evening
Try to go to bed and sleep before 10 pm as studies show sleep before midnight actually help us get the best rest and repair, working with our natural circadian rythm and sleep cycle. A regular bed time routine helps reduce stress by giving us a more regulated structure to our days and week. It helps to support us to get up at the same time each day with more ease.
Eliminate Or Reduce Your Caffeine Intake
This is not just about eliminating caffeine but it is about reducing all types of stimulants from your diet especially later in the day. The later you consume stimulants the more likely you are to have poor quality sleep or struggle to drift off. Stimulants such as alcohol, caffeine, energy drinks, sugar leave us high-wired. These side-effects are more noticeable during stressful time or with other health challenges.
Unplugging from life and technology is such an important aspect of a healthy life and healthy bedtime routine. An unhealthy dependency and addiction to mobile devices and technology for communication and entertainment.
Has created all sorts of social and health issues, especially and unhealthy over load of information and emf stimulation, which plays havoc with our mind and body. In fact research suggests “EMF exposure affects the pineal gland, resulting in a suppression of melatonin production”. Melatonin is a vital hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.
Learn How To Relax Deeply
The ability to relax is so under valued when it is an important aspects of managing stress and achieving deep quality rest and sleep. Babies naturally know how to relax and rest, they have a natural state of being.
In the modern world we can easily lose that ability when we get over distracted and over stimulated by the world around us. Relaxation Techniques are great at helping induce deep relaxation, deep sleep, check out this soothing relaxation technique and guided meditations from Sleep and Stress Expert at Stress Coach Training.
Clean And Tidy Bed And Bedroom
A clean bed and clean bedroom is an important aspect of good sleep hygiene.It helps us psychologically and physiologically feel more calm, relaxed, safe and secure.
Anything that supports our mental and emotional wellbeing helps regulate our nervous system, helps is feel more psychologically supported by our environment, which is an important part of achieving good quality sleep.
Good Quality Sleep Helps Heal And Repair The Mind And Body
It is important to remember good quality sleep is a vital part of healing and repairing or mind, body and emotions. A healthier bedtime routine will help you do that. To remember these top tips and to start feeling more relaxed throughout your day download our free health and wellness bundle before.
If you would like more help with chronic insomnia check out Stress Coach Training’s – Deeply Soothing Guided Meditations For Sleep this also includes a bonus muscle relaxation technique and more, to learn more CLICK HERE
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Some of the best nut sources of protein, amino acids, minerals and nutrients for vegans, vegetarians and clean eaters. Why protein plays such an important part in making and repairing cells in the body.
What is Protein?
Protein is one of the body’s biggest building blocks of the body, every cell in the body contains protein. Protein is a chain of amino acids. We need protein to grow and repair the body, it is especially important for children, teenagers, and during pregnancy.
What Are Amino Acids?
Amino acids are molecules used to make proteins.
20 different amino acids are needed for us to function healthily.
9 amino acids known as essential amino acids cannot be manufactured by the body so must come from the food we eat.
The 9 Amino Acids That Are Essential are tryptophan
Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan and Valine.
Nut Sources Of Protein
The total protein content in nuts is very high which is why nut sources of protein are one of the most common sources of proteins for many vegans, vegetarians, and those on a clean plant-based diet.
7 Best Nut Sources Of Protein
Some of the best nut sources of protein and amino acids easy to source
Almonds
Almonds are reputed to be the best nut source of protein, and high levels of vitamin e, calcium and phosphorus. Almonds contain over 130 antioxidants, help lower HDL levels, low-density lipoprotein and are said to help reduce sugar spikes so a great snack for diabetes sufferers as well as supporting a healthy gut.
Almond provides only 7 of the 9 essential amino acids paired with buckwheat, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, or carrots to get all 9 amino acids.
21 grams of protein in 100 grams of Almonds.
Pistachios
Pistachios are another good source of protein. Pistachios are said to have a high level of amino acids, the highest percentage of branched-chain amino acids compared to many other types of nuts. They are full of nutrients, minerals, vitamins, fibre especially beta carotene, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B1 (thiamine), and Vitamin B6. Pistachios have the greatest phytosterol content among other nuts.
A serving of pistachios is said to have the equivalent of protein that one egg has. Accompany with buckwheat, quinoa or rye to ensure you are getting a complete combination of amino acids in one meal.
Did you know pistachios are one of the oldest nut trees in the world?
20 grams of protein in 100 grams of Pistachios.
Cashews
Cashews are a good quality nut source of protein, copper, and magnesium. As well as calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and zinc. Cashews are also a high source of unsaturated fats.
Did you know over 80% of the world’s cashews are eaten by Americans?
To make sure you are getting a full spectrum of all amino acids in one meal combine cashews with non-GMO soya beans, buckwheat, quinoa, and pita bread.
Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts are a healthy source of protein, vitamin E and calcium, manganese, copper, omega 3, and omega 6. Hazelnuts also have very high levels of antioxidants.
Combine hazelnuts with chia seeds, buckwheat, rye bread, non-GMO soya.
15 grams of protein in 100 grams of Hazelnuts
Walnuts (English or Persian Walnut)
Walnuts have the highest sources of Omega 3’s, other than being a good nut source of protein and calcium they have a higher level of antioxidants than most food.
Not all walnuts are edible, but the common walnut also known as english walnut or persian walnut is grown all over the world and reputed to have many great health benefits which include reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease and great for brain health.
To get a full complete meal of protein using almonds consider combining with for example chick peas, quinoa, rye break.
15 grams of protein in 100 grams of Walnuts.
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts are a good source of protein, selenium, and calcium. They have several antioxidants, including vitamin E and phenols. Known to help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body they are said to be good for heart health, and diabetes and help reduce the risk of cancer.
Brazil nuts should be eaten with baby portobello mushrooms, cauliflower, carrots, cranberry, or watermelon.
14 grams of protein in 100 grams of Brazil Nuts.
Pine Nuts
Pine nuts although viewed as a nut are actually seeds. Pine nuts are high in protein and high unsaturated fats, rich in antioxidants, iron, magnesium, protein and zinc. Reputed as good brain food, also great for the heart and can help reduce risk of diabetes.
Pine nuts contain Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Zinc
Eat with cranberry, carrot, cauliflower or watermelon to get all amino acids.
What Are The Most Common GMO Foods found and hidden on our local supermarket shelves and in our processed food? What does GMO stand for and why is this something we should be very cautious of, even avoid?
What are GMO Foods?
GMO’s are Genetically Modified Organisms that are basically organisms genetically engineered by science in a way that does not occur in nature. GMO Foods are basically foods manipulated from an unnatural state, many would say by scientists trying to play god.
“It is clear that genetic modification is inherently hazardous, as it invariably result in unpredictable and uncontrollable changes in the genome and the epigenome (pattern of gene expression) that impact on safety.” (3) states Science in Society
Many scientists and medical professionals believe there should be far more research on transparency in GMO Foods especially when we look at the organisations pushing GMO Foods and what they don’t want us to know.
As there is quite a lot of research that suggests that many common GMO Foods can cause serious harm to our health and well-being.
One of the alarming aspects of GMO Foods is that manufacturers in some countries are not required by law to declare if their food is genetically modified.
Common GMO Foods
Common Genetically Modified Foods include
Alfafa
Apples
Canola ( USA)
Corn
Cotton
Papaya
Potatoes
Squash ( USA)
Soya
Strawberries
Sugar Beets (A big source of refined sugar)
Sweet Pepper ( mostly China)
GMO Foods Also Include
Enzymes and Microbes which are used in food processing that are not included on food labels
Meat, Milk, and/or where the animals are fed genetically modified crops.
Vegetable Fats and Margarine that are derived from genetically modified foods.
The Main Difference Between Common GMO Foods And Organic Foods
The main difference between genetically modified foods and organic foods is one is the produce from a lab while the other is a produce of nature.
6I believe part of what keeps us healthy in our food is the plant’s natural energy force and natural synergy. Genetically modified foods and crops are unnatural, genetically altered by scientists than something that is natural.
There are many ethical and health concerns around common GMO Foods that the top food manufacturers and corporate farmland owners try to deny. Especially when many of the top food manufacturers around the world use GMO foods to increase phenomenal profits than increase the genuine quality of our health.
Organic foods are free from chemical artificial fertilisers and pesticides while genetic foods are not. One of the reasons many people are growing their own organic gardens and organic remedies at home.
No matter if we like it or not our common GMO Foods are been massively produced for profit and power. Some of the biggest corporate names in the world are behind the push and the production of Genetically Modified Food has shown time and time again to be based on power and control.
We just need to look at the increase in genetically grown meat, meat from a lab another example of people in power and scientists trying to play god as they mess more and more with nature.
Would you like to start to live a more healthy and holistic lifestyle – Check out my 5 Pillars Of Holistic Health and Wellness, the foundations of a totally holistic lifestyle, 👇click the link below 👇
Healthier Lifestyle Tips For A Healthy Morning Routine
How To Create A Healthier Lifestyle In 2023! Ready to start your daily routine the healthier way? By Creating a more healthy morning routine?
Here are 5 Top Tips To Start Creating A Healthier Lifestyle
Simple and easy ways to a healthier daily routine
Start Your Day The Calm Peaceful Way:
A morning meditation ritual is a very powerful way to begin a healthier lifestyle. A Morning Meditation can help us feel more calm, confident, and more relaxed a great way to start the day. It helps increase our focus and concentration and helps us become more intuitive and spiritually guided.
Meditation has many health benefits a UCLA demonstrated that meditators of over 20 years have more grey matter in the brain than those who don’t. Meditation is also shown to support better heart health. And don’t be misled that meditation has to be at least 20 minutes a day, Eileen teaches a highly effective less than 5 Minute Meditation that is loved by all ages, beginner and advanced meditators.
Hydrate Yourself:
Our bodies are made up of to 60% water, when we wake up we are often dehydrated, starting your day with a cup of hot water on its own, or hot water with lemon can have a lot of health benefits as mentioned by Flushington Hospital
The Surprising Benefits Of Hot Water And Lemon Adequate water intake supports our immune system, is necessary to keep our cells, tissue and organs functioning at an optimal level. While dehydration puts stress on our mind and body.
It is said that dehydration is one of the major causes of disease today especially when we consume, ingest or breathe is so many toxins and pollutants that are body needs to flush out for optimal health.
Starting your morning with a super juice or super smoothie is a great way to flood your body with nutrients. I will often make a super juice and then just have a few soft fruits like berries, avocado, or banana and superfood powders like spirulina, maca, or even cacao to make it more of a substantial super smoothie. I can honestly say this helps boost my energy levels and leaves me feeling more sustained throughout the day. Check out our winter super juice or Carrot Pear Juice Recipe.
A simple morning exercise routine even a mini exercise routine can help boost our mood and energy levels. Even if you have a chronic health condition that seriously impacts your ability to move or exercise there are different types of movements, stretches, and exercises out there to suit different abilities.
As someone who has suffered from a variety of mobility issues, I found gentle Qi Gong Exercises very helpful, do as much as your body feels comfortable with. Even a gentle walk, swim, yoga, and gentle stretches can help boost our energy levels and energy flow, not just through your body but your organs and brain.
Morning Tasks:
Focus on the tasks you find easier to do in the morning and leave the rest you find easier to do later in the day. A healthier lifestyle involves helping you create a healthy routine that works for you. When we learn to work around our body and mind’s natural rhythms we get into a much healthier natural flow in our life, work, and relationships. We have less stress, anxiety, and overwhelm, and more energy, and joy. Morning tasks are a lot easier when you have had a good night’s sleep so make sure you have a healthy bedtime routine.
Great Ways To Start A Healthier Lifestyle
The great thing about all of the tips above is they don’t have to take up a lot of your time, especially when you get organised.
For example, Eileen’s 5 Minute Meditation is a great way to start the day and it takes less than 4 minutes. Once you make a batch of super juice or super smoothies you can actually freeze them for the whole week.
The more calm focused, and balanced you feel, the more energy and time you have to do those other things you want to do.
Ready For More Healthier Lifestyle Tips and a Free Meditation mp3?
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Is the most important aspect of the medical oath Do No Harm First a priority in modern medicine today?
The Hippocratic Oath – Do No Harm First used to be the first and most important rule for any Medical Doctor, Nurse Or Health Practitioner. Do No Harm First used to be the foundational principle in healthcare, a promise that doctors and healthcare practitioners will decline from doing harm to their patients. But in the world of modern-day medicine, has this become overlooked, lost, or even forgotten? Especially in today’s world where many medical practitioners are finding themself in incredibly challenging and compromising situations. Where most medical care around the world is seriously underfunded, mismanaged, influenced, and controlled by governmental and pharmaceutical agendas.
The Do No Harm Dilemma Of The Modern Doctor And Nurse
So much so that many millions of caring and compassionate Doctors and Nurses today are feeling seriously ethically and morally comprised. They know they are not always able to give their clients the care and treatment they know their clients deserve.
But how serious are these issues? Is allopathic medicine doing enough to ensure modern medical medicine and interventions do no harm? Or are we giving too much power, authority, and control over our wellbeing to the pharmaceutical and science world?
Many of us know people who have left their mainstream medical profession who felt they weren’t able to do their jobs safely or effectively anymore. So many deeply caring healthcare practitioners at the moment feel seriously compromised, under so much pressure, they want to help heal not harm but are struggling to navigate within a dysfunctional medical system.
In many ways, I believe modern medicine has become more like symptoms management and emergency treatment than anything about actively promoting and empowering patient health and wellbeing. We just need to see the lack of health and wellbeing in many Doctors, Nurses, and other Healthcare Professionals. Or look at the lack of health promotional videos during covid 19.
Modern Medicine And Nutrition
I found it extremely concerning that over the last year there was no major NHS campaign focusing on ways to boost and support the immune system. Absolutely nothing encouraging adequate nutrition and healthy eating. In fact, I saw one shocking BBC program that said eating healthy would not help when basic science an unhealthy diet, an unhealthy body is more likely to have an unhealthy immune system and an issue fighting off a virus or other complications. Or am I wrong??
There was no mention of Vitamin D, Zinc, and Vitamin C in 1st world countries while some 2nd and 3rd world countries were encouraging their people to do what they could to boost their wellbeing. But is this just more proof that mainstream medicine has moved so far into drugs and policies that the basics of health and wellbeing such as good nutrition got lost?
Lets’s look at holistic Nutritionists who spend 3 – 4 years studying Nutrition, they are rarely taken seriously by many Doctors and Nurses who themself as one medical student claims to spend only between 10- 24 hours of study in nutrition over 5- 6 years. As someone with very rare medical challenges and one serious health issue that included threatened eye loss.
My greatest health issues were NEVER improved by mainstream medicine, except in a life-threatening issue but that very issue was caused by medical harm and neglect. On so many occasions a suitably qualified Nutritionist and testing helped me get some of my health back when modern medicine told me there was nothing they could do. I had at one time an eye pressure of only 2 and managed to get it up to 10 with nutritional advice.
So how much has modern medicine become more like emergency medicine or symptom management? Than about true health care, health promotion, health advice, and wellbeing?
The Extreme Mental Pressure Of Medical Practitioners
As someone who has seen hundreds of Doctors and Medical Experts, who has been a participant in different types of medical research and medical studies I do see strands of the broken system. I also found it interesting and refreshing when I speak to maturer Dr’s who have less to prove, they tend to be more objective, more honest, and more focused on Doing No Harm First.
Of course, there are many amazing Doctors, Nurses, Healthcare Providers who always put their patients first. There are amazing medical and scientific breakthroughs that only modern medicine can provide. But we cannot deny the mental, physical, and emotional health state of many Doctors and Nurses, especially at the moment.
A reason why so many nurses and doctors are moving out of modern medicine and moving into other careers some more holistic roles, or health coaching roles. Because the mental and physical demands of these roles were impacting their ability to make the right choices or their confidence in challenging the status quo.
The Importance Of Research And Evaluation
One medical friend of mine whose mum has had medical harm due to the recent jab has been completely shocked recently by the naivety of many fellow medical practitioners. How many Doctors, Nurses, and Pharmacists are prescribing or promoting the latest pandemic vaccine to patients but actually have done no proper research on any of its clinical studies, possible and documented side effects.
Promoting and giving out something they have not personally looked into. Even more, concerning was that more than a few medical professionals had no idea that this medical intervention was still in the experimental stages and that in phases 1 & 2 many people with certain medical conditions were excluded from the study.
On the other side of that, unfortunately, we are seeing more and more nurses, doctors, and pharmaceuticals who are trying to speak up or question things due to some of the things they are seeing. I have witnessed some heart-breaking stories of nurses, doctors, and scientists who have walked out of their profession because of the pressure and compromise.
One paramedic walked out because he was sick of watching patients’ freedom of choice, freedom of body autonomy being abused. Others sick and tired of being told to not ask questions during suspect harmful vaccine side-effects.
As someone myself who has had more than my fair share of medical negligence, medical harm from procedures, investigations, and treatments within modern medicine. I have to say I find it deeply disturbing how much freedom of choice and body autonomy has been taken away in many countries around the world in relation to healthcare and medical interventions.
And even more worrying when they have put such a tremendous amount of energy, money into psychological campaigning and into the silencing of world-renowned Immunologists, Virologists, Vaccine Development.
We All Have The Right To Safe Effective Healthcare
I believe we all have the right to medical interventions and treatments that are primarily focused on safety first. And that everyone should have choice, and within that choice access to information and transparency around those medical interventions. I personally wish I knew how potentially damaging some of the medical interventions that I had that I was led to believe were safe which caused me devastating health issues.
And wish I knew 30 years ago what I know about health and wellbeing. Especially about so many of the things we can do to help ourselves and to help others. Don’t get me wrong I totally realise the present dilemma is a difficult one. But the fact we are seeing so many different opinions from all over the world on so many aspects of the current health crisis, especially around the efficacy of certain testing and safety of certain treatments, again is another reason that I believe we should highlight the importance of choice.
One of the things that I struggle to get my head around in relation to PCR testing is being used to test for such a serious thing, when in fact I was told by more than a few Infectious Disease Drs and others in the NHS over 5 years ago, that this type of testing was inadequate and couldn’t ever diagnose as it could pick up any virus or bacteria. So what is the truth who knows?
All I know is that healthcare surely is supposed to be about doing no harm, your medical doctor or nurse should be doing their own research, shouldn’t be scared of using the yellow card scheme or reporting an issue. I nearly lost my own life in ICU due to an additional issue of Doctors not putting down properly in my medical notes the reactions I had to certain medicines and anasthetics.
On the other hand, we have so many Doctors today who feel they are not being respected, not valued, not listened to by their patients. Surely these issues create a greater divide and can lead to compassion fatigue, burnout, and frustration. As a society, is it our duty to change the culture of healthcare? Is it our duty to put pressure on our government and healthcare providers? To back up the healthcare providers who want more transparency, who want a much safer and positive health experience for their patients?
I personally believe that for example, a big problem in the UK is that in some ways we have created a nanny state that in some ways discourages self-responsibility for our health. I know through the years many of the Doctors I have met have been shocked at how many things I have done to support my health and how much of my income I invested in my health even when in severe poverty. But no matter what, no matter what country you live in, what you believe about health, you have the right to choose your health and wellbeing choices, especially those that Do No Harm.
The Challenges Of Living With Hyperacusis ( Noise Sensitivity)
The Challenges Of Living With Hyperacusis. What is Hyperacusis? And why is hyperacusis such a misunderstood and extremely challenging condition?
So What Is Hyperacusis?
Hyperacusis is an abnormal sensitivity to sound. For those suffering from severe hyperacusis, especially very painful hypersensitivity, it can be an extremely debilitating hearing condition that doesn’t just cause discomfort but for someone like myself at times horrendous pain.
Now sadly even medical professionals confuse Hyperacusis with Misophonia which is a dislike to particular sounds. There is also a perception that the person is experiencing just sensitivity and uncomfortableness but for some of us the pain can be literally so painful it can feel like someone is stabbing you in the ear.
My Own Story Living With Hyperacusis
I was always slightly more aware of sounds than my siblings I would wake up with noises that other people would sleep through. But noise sensitivity only started to become a life-changing condition over 8 years ago after I ended up in ICU with sepsis. Caused by a dental complication that led me to have nerve damage, lockjaw, and osteomyelitis.
Now I had previous weakness in this area, previous nerve damage and trauma from an injury, a previous dental issue and a rare medical condition that left me quite vulnerable to temporomandibular issues.
But after recovering from sepsis, I was left with a lot of weakness, and nerve damage down the right side of my face, neck, and body. I developed a lot of problems with certain levels, and types of vibrations and sounds to my right side that would literally cause me to lose my balance.
I also had developed a complex movement disorder and what is regarded as non-epileptic seizures which all seem to be seriously triggered by vibration and noise. And all sorts of co-ordination and motor skill issues.
Now the level of noise sensitivity and pain in my right ear became so unbearably painful that I couldn’t handle so many everyday sounds.
My ear and jaw would become very warm and at times the muscles in my jaw would twitch. The horrendous pain was one thing the effect on my conscious and my functioning was something else. It would be like this weird surge of electrical energy in my bring that would like short circuit. I would end up in pain for days. But despite this level of disability, no Doctor would send me to get my ear checked or tested.
Now initially there was more focus on the cause of other issues, I had the complex movement disorder, non-epileptic seizures, and other neurological issues I had, fine motor skill issues I had. But no one could give me any answers.
I was simply told there was nothing we can do for you. Issues which made me housebound because I would have no control over my body. My body would go into constant violent jerking and spasms so I wouldn’t be able to walk outside etc.
And the pain in my ear would be so painful as Tom Maholchic in the video Hyperacusis with Pain describes the sound “explodes in my head” and as another person says in this video is “like an ice pick in my ear”
My Diagnosis Of Hyperacusis
Now to get a proper diagnosis of hyperacusis one of the tests you need to get is a ULL uncomfortable loudness level test. But in many areas sadly this is not readily available from the NHS and well even more challenging is that many doctors don’t even realise that Hyperacusis is an actual real condition, my G.P. didn’t.
So despite noise sensitivity for years, increasing levels of pain, and seizures, and doing everything I possibly could to help myself I still hadn’t been seen by an audiologist.
It was only when I discovered I could get a private hearing testing at home which would include a ULL test that things changed. The audiologist was very surprised at what the ULL test showed in relation even to the decibels that correlate with normal speech.
For this reason, the audiologist sent a letter to my GP recommending further testing. But even when I finally saw an ENT specialist and the audiologist couldn’t complete the test because of the harm it was having on me. The Dr had no interest in trying to help me, he was extremely dismissive.
I was then sent to a Tinnitus Clinic, given information sheets and recommendations to treat tinnitus, with only a tiny paragraph that mentioned a bit about hyperacusis. At least in this clinic the practitioner actually asked me a lot of questions especially around my underlying medical conditions, the injury I had, and she was also very interested in the research that I had done.
She was honest that the clinic didn’t really treat hyperacusis, she commented they knew nothing about Lyme Disease which is known to cause hyperacusis and other neurological issues and my particular issues were very rare. So I had to find my own solutions in how to live with hyperacusis, how to reduce and treat my sound sensitivity.
The Difficulties Of Living With Hyperacusis
The biggest problem I believe living with hyperacusis for many is that firstly many Doctors and medical professionals don’t actually realise that is a real condition one that can be extremely disabling. A seriously under-researched condition, and as MD Timothy Hain suggests one most in audiology appears to have very outdated views.
Many sufferers living with Hyperacusis are neglected and discriminated against because of myths around sound sensitivity. Some people might find some noises annoying, uncomfortable while others suffer tremendous pain like me.
Those few hyperacusis with pain rarely get any help, support, or treatment. Although there is a lot more types of treatment available in the United States.
The facts are sound sensitivity is not something that is well researched or something that many neurologists or audiologists actually study.
And then even worse some confuse hyperacusis with misophonia ( fear of loud sounds). Now I also have Parry Romberg’s Disease and I have also have had more than a few diagnoses of different conditions including mercury poisoning, lyme disease and some others in my list of different causes of hyperacusis.
Different Causes Of Hyperacusis
According to Timothy Hain MD, it is considered Hyperacusis may be associated with damage to the inner ear but there is a lot of debate around that.
We do know there are many different conditions and causes linked to hyperacusis these include
Autism Spectrum Disorders, Aspergers
Chronic Noise Exposure, such as a noisy working environment
Central Nervous System Disorders, Brain stem issues
Medication – Certain medications for example the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, psychoactive drugs LSD, methaqualone, phencyclidine (angel-dust) have been associated with hyperacusis.
Williams Syndrome, a genetic disorder where hyperacusisis a symptom.
Toxicity, Oxotoxicity one reason why you should avoid the overuse of ear drops, get the right medical treatment for ear infections, and ear wax removal.
The reality is according to Haines it is time the audiology community starts realising that living with hyperacusis is extremely debilitating, that hyperacusis sufferers are not the cause of their disease.
For a long time, Hyperacusis was viewed by some as psychologically when it is simply an area of medical science that we don’t know enough about.
Different Treatments For Recovering From And Living With Hyperacusis
Although presently there is no technical standard treatment for Hyperacusis especially for those of us with severe pain. There are many who have sound sensitivity that benefit from de-sensitization programs or relaxation therapy. I personally tried de-sensitization the first few years it made things worse.
In fact for me the more I removed myself from the pain, the less pain and other complications I aid. I actually have been a stress management trainer, meditation teacher, and coach for many years, and I actually teach relaxation therapy.
The Doctor who appeared to have no interest in helping, initially told me to stop using earphones or earbuds. But this was completely impractical as exposing myself to even everyday sounds caused me to lose my balance, fall, lose control of my body, have seizures, and be in horrendous pain for days. I
couldn’t even walk out the door myself. I could only expose myself to certain sounds for small periods in a healthy way when the inflammation and pain in my jaw, nerves, and ear were reduced.
Now although when writing this, I am still predominately housebound, I am getting better slowly. I can now listen to the TV if it’s down very low. I can handle normal speech if it’s not at a high pitch, without jerking about or feeling is if I am being stabbed in my ear.
Luckily for me, I have found a combination of things that have helped me reduce the constant high levels of pain. I still can’t go out on my own and certain sounds and pitches cause me to have all sorts of issues but I am getting there.
Helpful Living With Hyperacusis
These are a few of the things that I found helpful living with hyperacusis.
Dub Earbuds which reduce the decibel of sound in your ear/ears – Invaluable at the initial stages helped me be able to talk on the phone and work online.
Herbal Treatment For Bacterial Co-Infections Associated With Lyme Disease
Better Denture – I have a lot of TMJ and rare teeth issues, the better the denture the better support for your mouth
Mouth Guard – A well-fitting mouthguard really helped to reduce pain in the jaw and nerves
Craniosacral Therapy – I found craniosacral helpful at releasing a lot of cranial pressure, nerve issues
Muscle Therapy, Physiotherapy exercises to support the neck and head muscles.
Meditation – Thank goodness I learned meditation many years ago, a life safer to cope with extremely challenging situations and of course reduces anxiety and stress.
Relaxation Therapy – Helps to relax the muscles, nerves as much as I can luckily this has been one of my areas of expertise for many years and has helped me cope
Visit a Chiropractor to help solve any alignment and trauma injury to the body, this can make a huge difference to many people.
Motor Imagery and L/R Discrimination Techniques.
Common Recommendations For Recovering From Hyperacusis
Proper Ear Wax Removal- – Don’t ever use cotton buds.
Meditation – I am lucky to have been a meditation teacher for many years and thankfully this helped me keep sane.
Relaxation Therapy – I have taught Relaxation Therapy for many years and for most people with stress-induced hypersensitivity relaxation techniques can be very helpful.
Stress Management – Stress will increase symptoms of hyperacusis so it is important to manage your stress.
Trauma Therapy – There is a wide range of trauma therapies available that can be helpful to some types of noise sensitivity or sound intolerances.
Also, it should be a must that if you have any sort of ear pain that you do get it checked, that you get treated for an ear infection and that you always get ear wax removed by a professional.
