Avoiding toxic metals is impossible in our society. They are in air, water, dirt, and products we use daily.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administrations define toxic metals as positively charged metals that negatively affect a person’s health. Examples include arsenic, cadmium, lead, hexavalent chromium, aluminum, iron, and mercury. A small number of heavy metal toxins are not harmful, and we need some of them for nutritional purposes. But if you have too many, they could be poisonous.
Heavy Metal Poisoning
Initial symptoms of heavy metal poisoning may seem like other conditions at first. You may feel sick on your stomach or experience vomiting. You may also have diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dehydration. Even if you seek medical help, your doctor will likely associate your symptoms with a virus going around and tell you to wait it out. Or, you may get an antibiotic.
The longer the heavy metals remain in your body, the more chronic the symptoms become, and you may start to see additional physical changes. Examples include anemia, kidney or liver damage, memory problems, reproductive issues, and weakened bones.
If you have Lyme disease, heavy metal toxicity can be a significant problem.
Toxic Metals and Lyme Disease
Toxic metals have a dangerous impact on those with Lyme disease. One reason is that the symptoms of heavy metal poisoning are similar to those of Lyme disease. This makes it hard for doctors to provide an accurate diagnosis, which leads to delayed or untreated symptoms.
Another reason is that toxic metals interfere with other medical treatments, even those for Lyme disease. When heavy metals do not exit your body, they start to build up. Not only does this buildup interfere with metabolic functions, but it also provides a barrier that protects Lyme bacteria.
In addition, heavy metals can cause inflammation, comprising your immune system and preventing full recovery from any ailment.
Finally, if you have heavy toxin overload and Lyme disease, you deal with a double dose of the same symptoms. Feeling tired, sick, and unable to function become daily issues.
Lyme Literate Medical Doctors
The first and most crucial step in learning if you have Lyme disease, heavy metal poisoning, or coexisting conditions, you must find a Lyme literate medical doctor. Like some doctors specialize in psychiatry, obstetrics, or neurology, some doctors specialize in Lyme disease.
Some of the best Lyme literate doctors practice outside the United States but welcome American patients. In your search, find the best doctor, not the closest or cheapest. It is worth a trip to a place like Lyme, Mexico, to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan the first time, rather than jump from doctor to doctor in the states hoping one of them can find out what is making you feel so bad.
Lyme-literate doctors are experts on the disease, coinfections, and effective treatments for healing. They have modern equipment that allows them to treat you on an outpatient basis in their clinic so you can feel relief fast.
One of the best treatments for eliminating heavy metals in those with Lyme disease is called chelation therapy.
Chelation Therapy
Chelation means to grab or bind to something else. Chelation therapy is the process of injecting a chemical into your bloodstream that binds to and captures the positively charged heavy metals. Once attached, they can be flushed from the system through urination.
Chelation therapy is a form of integrative medicine, meaning it can be combined with other detoxification treatments to give you the best chance of eliminating both toxins and Lyme disease.
The American College for Advancement in Medicine says all Americans should know about chelation therapy. They claim it not only removes toxins but can also remove plaque and calcifications in arteries, capillaries, and veins. This implies chelation therapy could prevent the advancement of heart-related events or diseases.
Diseases associated with heavy metals include aluminum and Alzheimer’s, lead and cardiovascular, mercury, and inflammatory diseases, like Lyme disease.
There are several complementary treatments to enhance chelation therapy.
Detox Therapy Protocols
Combining detox therapies with chelation therapy provides optimal benefits. Infusions, vitamins, minerals, and cleanses are treatments for ridding the system of parasites, toxins, and bacteria. Below are examples of detox therapies for removing toxins in those with Lyme disease.
- Body Purification
Doesn’t that sound wonderful to have a purified body? There are simple techniques your Lyme literate doctor can recommend to help clean your system. Treatments include:
- Nettle & Cold Water
- Steam Showers
- Mud Cataplasmas
- Coffee Enemas
- Onion Compresses
- Sitz Baths
- Teas & Infusions
- Manual Lymphatic Drainage
The Vodder method is considered one of the best manual lymphatic drainage processes for heavy metals and Lyme disease. It moves fluid through rhythmic massage. It also relaxes and calms the nervous system.
- Heavy Metal Detox Diet
Certain foods bind to metals and toxins in the body, allowing them to be flushed out. With a heavy metal detox diet, eat more of the following: cilantro, garlic, wild blueberries, lemon water, spirulina, chlorella, barley grass juice powder, curry, green tea, tomatoes, and probiotics.
Vitamin B and C deficiencies are associated with heavy metal poisoning, so replacing those will bring about improvements.
It’s crucial to avoid consuming toxins while trying to eliminate them from your body. Junk foods or highly processed foods contain metals, as well as some fish and brown rice.
- Medicinal Herbs
Plants have been providing medicinal aid for centuries. A few examples of those that help with the detoxification of heavy metals include garlic), milk thistle, cilantro), Ginkgo biloba, and Curcuma longa (turmeric).
Getting Started
Before you run to the local nutrition store for a detox supplement or start mixing herbal concoctions, you must be aware that the FDA disapproves of over-the-counter methods of chelation or detox because the ingredients are not verified. They state the treatment must be provided by a medical physician, like Lyme literate doctors. You can reach out to our doctors today for more information on heavy metal toxins, Lyme disease, and how they can be eliminated.