Overview of Detoxification
In a world full of fast food, highly preserved snacks, chemically laden moisturizers and cleansers, and polluted air it is no wonder that our bodies become bogged down with a range of toxins. These toxins sit in our systems, reducing our overall health and quality of life.
Many conditions are worsened by the presence of toxins in our bodies. In order to heal, it is essential to cleanse ourselves, allowing our bodies to fight disease naturally. To do this, many people turn to detoxification.
Symptoms of Toxicity
How do you know whether or not you are harboring toxins in your body? Since toxins are an unavoidable part of modern life, you can be sure that you have toxins in you right now.
Toxins affect our bodies in a variety of ways. Since many of the symptoms of toxicity are mild or irritating, they may be dismissed as due to an "off" day. But toxic symptoms persist, making us feel drained, and generally unwell.
Symptoms typical of toxins include:
- lack of energy
- excess weight
- skin conditions like acne
- food sensitivities or increased allergic reactions
- congestion
- bloating
- constipation
- aching muscles and joints
- headaches
- poor memory or concentration
- moodiness or mood swings
- a general sense of not feeling healthy
As your body becomes clogged with toxins the number of symptoms you experience will increase, leaving you feeling miserable and unready to meet the day.
Toxicity Risk Factors
If toxins are everywhere, what makes a person at risk for high levels of toxicity? Well, sad to say, everyone is at risk. The very nature of our modern society makes it impossible to fully avoid them.
Even so, there are some lifestyle choices that increase your risk of building up bodily toxins. Eating fast food is one quick way, as is choosing highly processed foods from the grocery store. Living in the city exposes you to numerous environmental toxins that you might avoid if you lived in the country. If you take medications or recreational drugs you are exposing your internal organs to a range of toxins that they may not be able to handle. Even beauty remedies such as moisturizers, chemical peels, hair dyes and make-up can wreak havoc on your body by introducing excessive levels of toxins.
Causes of Toxicity
Ever since the industrial revolution our society has been overwhelmed with exposure to toxins. Over time the body becomes overloaded with toxins and the body’s natural cleaning organs can no longer keep up. This decreases their efficiency, causing the failure of other organ systems and making us unwell.
A study performed in 2003 by The Environmental Working Group and the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine tested nine people for the levels of toxins in their bodies. Out of the 210 toxins for which they tested, the test patients were positive for an average of 91. Of these toxins 76 were known carcinogens. None of these individuals worked with chemicals or were at high risk for encountering toxins.
Toxins can be introduced to our bodies both externally and internally. We inhale toxins from cigarettes, air pollution, mold spores from sick buildings, and from many other sources around us. We ingest toxins in our food, in our water, and in recreational and prescription drugs. We inject toxins through vaccinations, and cosmetic changes such as piercing and tattoos. We absorb toxins from the clothes we wear, from spray-on pesticides and herbicides, from beauty products, and from paints and glues. We expose ourselves to irradiation from medical x-rays, the residual radiation from power plants and lines, cell phones and other radio-wave technology, and even from our microwave ovens. In addition some toxins are internally formed, such as that from improperly digested food, from dehydration and poor nutrition, and even from toxic thought patterns and self-abusive emotional cycles.
Conventional Treatment for Toxicity
Many traditional physicians do not take the build-up of toxins seriously. Instead of offering a detoxification plan, they offer medication to manage the symptoms of toxicity. While these medications may have short-term benefits, they do not deal with the underlying cause: the toxins harbored in your body.
By allowing the toxins to build up you could become a victim of a more serious health condition such as cancer. The organs in charge of cleansing the body, such as the liver, kidneys, and bowels, stop functioning properly, leaving physicians with no choice but to resort to high-risk medical interventions such as dialysis or transplants.
In order to restore your health it is essential to treat the problem before it becomes something more serious. Masking the symptoms through pain medications and other band-aid solutions only serves to make the situation worse.
Patients Medical Treatment for Toxicity
To properly treat your body for toxicity, you must first assess your current state of health. This involves an evaluation of your physical health, your nutritional habits, and your general lifestyle. From this you can build a long-term detoxification plan that will help you regain your health, without compromising your body the way a poorly planned "crash" detoxification can.
Detoxification is more than a one-time affair. It is a lifestyle change which allows your body to clear out the current toxins and prevent the build-up of additional ones. You may need to change your eating habits and adjust your lifestyle so that you exercise regularly and take better care of yourself.
Other treatments you may require include:
- massage or acupuncture therapies
- herbal supplementation of your diet
- vitamin and mineral supplementation
- reflexology
- lymphatic drainage
- general lifestyle changes
Detoxification is an ongoing process, which requires a full commitment for it to work. It may not be easy at first, but in the long run you will find that you feel more energetic, can think more clearly, may lose excess weight, and will generally feel healthier on a day-to-day basis.
By consulting with an experienced homeopathic physician you can assess your current state of health and put together a detoxification plan that will give you a new lease on life.
Begin Your Journey to Wellness with Patients Medical
Our job at Patients Medical is to listen, to connect the dots between a patient's
medical history, symptoms, and their underlying causes. Patients Medical is a superb
place for women and men to secure integrative and holistic health care from providers
who give personalized care, partner with the patient to focus on the root cause
of their illness, support their recovery, and help them maintain good health.
For those that can make the journey, we are happy to welcome new patients to our
medical center in New York City. Call us at
1-212-794-8800
. We are here to listen and to help.
We are located at: Patients Medical PC, 800 Second Avenue, Suite 900 (Between 42nd
& 43rd Street) Manhattan, New York, NY 10017