How to Identify Chronic Pathogens: UNDERSTANDING THE ROOT OF YOUR
SYMPTOMS
Prepared by Dr. Maegan Stanga
Identifying Chronic Pathogens: Understanding the Root of Your Symptoms
Are you struggling with chronic symptoms that just won’t go away, no matter what you try?
Symptoms like headaches, fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, and joint pain? Do you feel like there’s a hidden source behind your symptoms that hasn’t been identified yet? If so, you’re in the right place.
Our pathogen quiz is designed to help you identify potential reactivated infections that may be at the root of your issues. This in-depth quiz takes about seven minutes to complete, and it’s the same tool I’ve used with thousands of patients to help them identify their root causes. Identifying potential chronic infections is the first step toward regaining your health and taking target action.
Imagine being able to sleep through the night, eat ice cream with your kids again, and have enough energy accomplish your goals. Taking this quiz really is ste number one in identifying the mystery behind your symptoms.
How to Use This Quiz:
Check Your Symptoms: Review each section and check the symptoms that apply to you.
Count Your Checks: Add up the number of symptoms checked in each section.
Identify Your Dominant Section: The section with the greatest number of symptoms indicates the area you might need to focus on for potential reactivated infections.
Take Action: Use the results to guide your next steps in addressing your health concerns.
Learn More: Reference the PDF to learn more about your area of concern and potential steps to take.
Identifying Chronic Pathogens: Understanding the Root of Your Symptoms
H Pylori or Streptococcus
Skin Issues - Rash, Acne, Psoriasis, Hives, Rosacea, Itchy skin, Anal Itching
Digestive Issues - bloating, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, burping or gas
Nausea or Vomiting
Heartburn, Reflux or Indigestion
Bad Breath or Body Odor
ENT issues - problems with ears, sinuses, throat
History of Strep Throat, Tonsillitis or Ear Infections
Costochondritis or rib soreness
History of taking birth control or acid blockers
Osteoporosis or Osteopenia
Epstein Barr Virus or Cytomegalovirus
Autoimmune Diagnosis
Thyroid, Adrenal or Hormone imbalance
Exhaustion or Fatigue
Exercise Intolerance
Chronic Headaches
Lymph node swelling or tenderness
Muscle pain, neck pain or body aches
History of Mononucleosis
Sensitivity to Bug Bites
Suspected Long Covid
Identifying Chronic Pathogens: Understanding the Root of Your Symptoms
Mycoplasma and Lyme co-infections
Joint pain stiffness or swelling
Arthritis
Bitten by ticks
Lived in Upper Midwest or Northeastern United States
Kidney, Bladder or Urinary issues
Lung issues- chronic cough, asthma
History of Pneumoniae or UTI’s
Calf, Foot, Heel pain or cramping
History of working with or handling lots of animals
Flu-like symptoms
Iron Deficiency caused by Digestive Malabsorption and GI pathogens
Dizziness or Lightheadedness
Chest Pain
Fast Heartbeat/Palpitations
Shortness of breath or Air Hunger
Hair- thinning, loss, dry, brittle
Brittle nails
Cold hands and feet
Tongue burning or inflammation
Pallor or pale skin
Restless Leg
Identifying Chronic Pathogens: Understanding the Root of Your Symptoms
B vitamin deficiencies caused by GI Malabsorption and GI pathogens
Pins and needles or tingling
Depression
Sensitivity to light and sound
Mouth ulcers and canker sores
Blurry vision
Unintentional weight loss
Cracks in the corners of mouth
History of or currently Vegan diet
Cognitive and memory issues
Balance and coordination issues
TH2 upregulation, Candida or Parasites
Histamine issues
Food Sensitivities
Chemical Sensitivities
Environmental allergies
Mold sensitivities
High Eosinophils in blood or stool testing
Athlete’s foot
Toe fungus
Insomnia
Brain fog
Identifying Chronic Pathogens: Understanding the Root of Your Symptoms
Introduction to the Immune System and Pathogens
After working with thousands of patients and healing my own chronic health issues, I have come to realize that immune dysregulation and chronic infections are truly the deepest level of root cause that you can address when it comes to healing from chronic illness.
The immune system is a complex system with two major parts: the TH1 killing response and the TH2 antibody response. Ideally, these two sides work in harmony together. However, various factors can cause these sides to become imbalanced, such as stress, pregnancy, antibiotics, acute infections, and even vaccinations. When this imbalance occurs, it leaves you susceptible to the reactivation of past pathogens.
A clear example is chickenpox and shingles. It’s a demonstration of how a virus you had as a child can remain dormant in your body and then reemerge later in life, causing chronic problems. Just like shingles always looks like shingles, these pathogens are predictable in their presentation. Whether it’s streptococcus, H. pylori, mycoplasma, cytomegalovirus, or Epstein-Barr Virus, these pathogens have the ability to reemerge and cause chronic symptoms.
Identifying Chronic Pathogens: Understanding the Root of Your Symptoms
Clarifying Root Causes and Triggers
Functional medicine can sometimes confuse root causes with triggers or downstream effects. For example, people might think that inflammation is the root cause of their issues. However, it's essential to understand that the immune system drives inflammation. An imbalanced immune system (with decreased TH1 and increased TH2) leads to a chronic state of inflammation.
Pathogen Information
Streptococcus and H. pylori
Streptococcus and H. pylori are two bacterial pathogens that can present similarly. It’s important to do testing; we never base any treatment solely on symptoms. Both Streptococcus and H. pylori are common pathogens that most people have been exposed to, especially during childhood.
Identifying Chronic Pathogens: Understanding the Root of Your Symptoms
Streptococcus: Known for causing strep throat, it can also be found in the ear, nose, and throat areas, causing ear infections and sinus infections. Additionally, it harbors in our intestines and is often the culprit behind Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). A study recently done found a connection between Streptococcus and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The study suggested that Streptococcus can trigger an immune response that exacerbates or leads to IBD, highlighting the importance of identifying and addressing this pathogen in patients with chronic gastrointestinal issues. Read more about this study.
H. pylori: A bacterial stomach infection easily transmitted from person to person through saliva. It can reemerge and start causing chronic issues, most commonly presenting as reflux and heartburn, but also causing deficiencies, skin issues, ENT issues, and gastrointestinal problems. While conventional medicine is aware of this pathogen and even tests for it, unfortunately, breath testing is very inaccurate, leading to many false negative tests that lead people astray. I prefer specialized stool testing like the GI MAP test to determine if this pathogen is an issue. Other common markers that can give insight are functional interpretations of total protein, globulin, and A/G ratios. The other problem with conventional methods is that they utilize antibiotics to "kill" the bacteria. Unfortunately, this doesn't address the root cause, which is the immune dysfunction that led to the overgrowth to begin with.
If your results show the presence of Streptococcus or H. pylori, these pathogens could be at the root of your symptoms.
Identifying Chronic Pathogens: Understanding the Root of Your Symptoms
Iron and B Vitamin Deficiencies Linked to Pathogens
Iron deficiency caused by malabsorption and GI pathogens is a common issue. Oftentimes, people’s symptoms are directly connected to deficiencies like iron. Pathogens like H. pylori and Streptococcus can hinder the body’s ability to absorb iron and B vitamins. Often times the deficiencies are subclinical and not detected in testing. The other issue is that supplementation of these nutrients alone doesn't render results until the root of the malabsorption is addressed. It would be like throwing cups of water into a bathtub with the drain open. Until you shut the drain (address the malabsorption caused by pathogens), you'll never be able to increase your storage capacity of these nutrients.
Iron Deficiency Symptoms: Heart palpitations, lightheadedness, pale skin, skin issues, brittle dry hair, and hair loss.
B Vitamin Deficiency Symptoms: Fatigue, weakness, anemia, neuropathy (numbness or tingling in the hands and feet), difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and mood changes such as depression or irritability.
TH2 Upregulation, Candia and Parasites
If your quiz came back positive for these results, then you are likely dealing with a lot of allergic responses and sensitivities along with symptoms directly connected to these pathogens, including GI issues. To effectively deal with these pathogens, it's crucial to support the TH1 immune system before addressing them for lasting results. Supplements known to support TH1 include zinc, ginger, broccoli sprout, and berberine. It's also important to identify if hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid levels) may be at play as well. Stomach acid is a line of defense against parasites, and when low, it can often be linked to an overgrowth of these pathogens.
Identifying Chronic Pathogens: Understanding the Root of Your Symptoms
Lyme disease tends to have co-infections, including Mycoplasma, Babesia, and Bartonella. These pathogens typically present with similar symptoms. Mycoplasma and Lyme Pathogens
Mycoplasma: A lung infection, specifically Mycoplasma pneumonia. It can also affect the urinary system, leading to kidney, bladder, and urinary issues.
Lyme Pathogens: Joint pain, chronic pain syndromes, and links to various autoimmune disorders.
Testing can sometimes be tricky for these pathogens as they are quite difficult to nail down on labs. However, they are often at the root of many mystery symptoms that people experience. While conventional medicine's approach is antibiotics, that simply won't address the real issue at hand, which is a compromised immune system. The problem isn't actually the pathogen but the immune system's regulation of the pathogen. It's important to keep this in mind when addressing Lyme and co-infections.
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Both pathogens are associated with mononucleosis. They can be at the root of chronic health conditions, even if you were never told you had mono. They tend to be a top root cause of various hormonal issues and even certain types of cancer as well. Conventional medicine will say these pathogens aren't problematic and that titer testing only indicates a "past" infection. But just like the chickenpox virus can lie dormant and then reactivate later in life due to immune stressors, so can these pathogens, and it happens to be quite often. They are linked to autoimmunity, thyroid disorders, hormonal issues, and fatigue.
Identifying Chronic Pathogens: Understanding the
Root of Your Symptoms
What is the solution? Testing!
We don’t want to guess; we want to confirm that these pathogens are indeed behind your chronic symptoms. This is why I recommend titer testing when suspecting Epstein Barr, Cytomegalovirus, or Lyme pathogens. A comprehensive stool test is the most effective way to determine if pathogens like H. pylori, Strep, Candida, C. diff, parasites, and other GI pathogens may be the issues. Once testing has been done, this is my 4-step approach to healing the immune system and chronic infections.
Step-by-Step Process 1.
Opening Drainage Pathways
Imagine the body like a house with a controlled but persistent fire. The first step is to open all windows and doors to let the smoke out, which in health terms means opening up drainage pathways. Drainage is not detox; it's about allowing the body to eliminate waste effectively.
2.
Identifying Chronic Pathogens: Understanding the Root of Your Symptoms
Balancing the Immune System
Once drainage is established, the next step is balancing the immune system. The best way to restore balance to the immune system is by utilizing homeopathic immune therapy. This technique involves taking oral dilutions of the actual problematic pathogens to build immune tolerance, similar to allergy shots where you are injected with what you're allergic to in order to slowly build your tolerance towards the environmental trigger. Homeopathy acts in the same way by stimulating your own body's ability to handle the pathogen effectively. This approach is far superior to killing strategies that temporarily lower a pathogen burden. This strategy actually allows your immune system to do the job it should have been doing all along.
Restoration
The final phase is restoration. This step involves replenishing vital nutrients lost due to chronic issues and supporting the downstream organs and systems that were affected by years of inflammation and immune dysregulation. 3.
For more information on this unique approach, click here to learn more about how to get started.
Identifying Chronic Pathogens: Understanding the Root of Your Symptoms
Abour Dr. Stanga
Dr. Maegan Stanga, DC, is a board-certified chiropractor and functional medicine expert with a passion for immune system modulation to heal chronic illnesses. She runs a highly successful, referral-based practice in San Antonio and hosts the Functional Medicine Unfiltered podcast. In 2023, Dr. Stanga was honored as a finalist for San Antonio Woman Business Owner of the Year, reflecting her commitment to excellence.
Her journey into functional medicine began with her personal struggle with severe illness and reactivated infections, which she overcame through this holistic approach. Now, she focuses on helping patients identify and address the root cause of their chronic symptoms. Beyond her practice, Dr. Stanga is passionate about educating other practitioners. She mentors the next generation of functional medicine experts, sharing her award-nominated strategies to help them build successful practices and instill confidence in their patient care and business operations.