If you’ve been under stress for years, get little sleep, eat a lot of junk food, and then suddenly contract a bacterial or viral infection (chlamydia, mycoplasma, glandular fever, CMV…), there’s a chance you won’t fully recover from it. The infection remains chronically present in the body and causes symptoms such as fatigue, swollen glands, feverishness, flu-like symptoms, poor sleep, headaches, slow recovery after exertion, and so on.
Instead of trying to treat and suppress infections, my approach to managing infections always focuses on strengthening the immune system so that, over time, the body can eliminate the bacteria or virus on its own. You can strengthen your immune system through a healthy diet (the Mediterranean diet) and by getting enough exercise. If your immune system is weakened, it is necessary to take a well-formulated multivitamin and mineral supplement.
Lyme disease is a special case; it is caused by the bite of an infected tick, which transmits the Borrelia bacterium to humans. The bite of an infected tick causes a characteristic rash (a red circle with a pale center), and it is important to spot this rash early so that you can start taking antibiotics right away.
There are still many people who don’t notice a tick bite but still develop an infection. If they become infected with the Borrelia bacterium (or a co-infection such as Bartonella, Ehrlichia, or Babesia) and have not taken antibiotics, and if this is accompanied by a weakened immune system, the condition progresses to the stage of a chronic infection. At this stage, treatment becomes much more difficult and many factors must be addressed simultaneously: ensuring proper gut function, providing hormonal support, strengthening the immune system, identifying any food intolerances, and addressing potential heavy metal toxicity, and so on.