Let’s start by identifying the primary pathogens that invade our bodies:
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Parasites
- Protozoa / malaria and malaria like organisms
- Fungus
Your immune system is designed to kill these pathogens – many times successfully but creating symptoms like fever, headache, body aches, rashes, fatigue and inflammation.
When your body isn’t able to eradicate the infection, that’s when disease happens.
“Disease… occurs when the cells in your body are damaged as a result of infection, and signs and symptoms of an illness appear.” *
You can become infected with the borellia bacteria and never develop Lyme disease. That said, many people do develop Lyme disease (more than most doctors or the cdc give credit to).
Pathogens can & do:
- Kill cells & tissue
- Disrupt cell function
- Multiply so rapidly that they crowd host tissue & disrupt normal function
- “Sometimes they make toxins that can paralyze, destroy cells’ metabolic machinery, or precipitate a massive immune reaction that is itself toxic.” *
Think about that!!!
Your cells & tissue are damaged or killed, all of your body systems become dysfunctional, every joint, cell and organ becomes inflamed or paralyzed and your immune system kicks into overdrive causing a whole host of symptoms.
Fighting these tiny beasts can become absolutely exhausting. Your immune system can only fight for so long before it has to take a break, giving way for diseases like long covid, syphilus, and Lyme to take hold and become chronic.
The Lyme bacteria is spiral shaped like a corkscrew, literally drilling it’s way into and through cells, muscles, ligaments, organs, etc. But it’s not a lonely pathogen. It typically comes with other bacteria and ALL the other types of pathogens.
We need to think differently about illness. It’s not “just a virus or flu bug” – it’s a horrible little beast seeking to damage your cells and create inflammation all throughout your body.
If your immune system kills it, awesome.
If not, you take anti-virals or anti-bacterials and try to manage symptoms.
But what then? What if after the doctors treat you, you’re still sick?
I think the real question is: why do some people not get well?
Are their cells already so damaged that they can’t recover?
Is their immune system not working?
Are there other health issues that need to considered?
I think YES is usually the answer to all of those. And a topic for another day.
For now, remember that infection is no small thing. It can become disease, it can become chronic. So take care of your body, especially when you start to feel unwell.
PhilippiJoy 