Imagine suffering from a chronic hacking cough for 12 years seemingly without hope of resolution. Imagine that every doctor you visit tells you the same thing; “you have asthma and need to take inhalers in order to control the cough as best you can”. when Vincent, a 41-year-old male, walked into my office this was the advice he had been given for more than a decade. He was frustrated with receiving the same ineffective advice time after time. He hoped that there might be an alternative solution to his severe cough but I could tell he wasn’t optimistic.

the most important job of a naturopathic physician is to determine the causes and underlying mechanisms of disease and illness. when a patient comes into my office with a symptom I investigate all of the potential causes. when doctors focus on treating or suppressing symptoms they don’t address the actual causes. as a result, the symptoms often return when the therapy is stopped.

for long-term resolution of symptoms to occur it is best to examine all of the potential causes of the symptom. in my practice, this begins with an hour-long Comprehensive Health Assessment involving a complete review of medical history, targeted physical exam, and thorough initial consultation. when patients leave the office after the initial visit most of them comment that they have never been asked so many questions before or examined so thoroughly.

During the Comprehensive Health Assessment with Vincent we uncovered a number of other health concerns. not only did he have a chronic cough that you could hear from outside the office, he also experienced post-nasal drip, heartburn, indigestion, and chronic fatigue. in addition, Vincent experienced high levels of stress due to his debilitating cough and his extreme work responsibilities. upon completion of the initial visit I felt there was a connection between his digestive concerns, fatigue, and chronic cough.

Vincent was encouraged to hear that his symptoms might be connected and that there might be hope. He was always discouraged with the way his symptoms were isolated and treated separately. He was given inhalers for the cough, acid blockers for the heartburn, and anti-depressants for fatigue. however, none of the medications seemed to really help the symptoms.

in Vincent’s case, as with most cases of chronic cough, heartburn, and indigestion we investigated potential food allergies. when I asked Vincent if he had ever been tested for allergies he said he had recently seen an allergist and the results were negative. Unfortunately, the type of testing that had been performed (skin prick testing) is highly unreliable for catching food allergies. Therefore, I informed him about the most accurate form of food allergy testing (a blood test that looks for elevated levels of immunoglobulin G) and he decided to take the test.

Immunoglobulin G is an inflammatory antibody produced by white blood cells as part of what is known as a “Delayed Sensitivity Reaction”. It is produced after the body has been exposed to allergens, particularly from diet. IgG is typically produced anywhere from 2-48 hours after allergen exposure and can lead to a host of chronic inflammatory symptoms and diseases including asthma, acid reflux, fatigue, and chronic pain.

While we waited for the results to come back from the lab we began to work on Vincent’s digestive system. He supplemented with digestive enzymes to help improve the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. He consumed demulcent botanicals to prevent acid reflux and help heal inflammatory damage to the esophagus. Vincent also took probiotics (beneficial bacteria) in order to restore a healthy balance of bacteria in his gastrointestinal tract.

when the results of the food allergy test came back from the lab they showed that Vincent’s immune system was reacting negatively to a number of common foods including dairy, wheat, eggs, and oats. when these foods were removed from his diet his symptoms disappeared within about one week. He continued to take the digestive system supplements for a few more months in order to fully restore the integrity of the GI tract.

after several months of food allergy avoidance Vincent was able to slowly reintroduce many of the foods he once had allergic reactions to without the return of symptoms. the time away from the food allergens allowed Vincent’s immune system to calm down and no longer be so reactive against foods that previously induced allergy. Vincent has been free of the chronic hacking cough for over 18 months and no longer experiences post-nasal drop, heartburn, or indigestion.

Vincent is a great example of a patient who benefited greatly from naturopathic healthcare. To this day, he remains one of my most satisfied and loyal patients. His story is a very important one because it illustrates the importance of identifying and treating the causes of illness. no natural or synthetic remedy had or could have successfully treated Vincent’s symptoms. what he needed was a thorough evaluation of all the potential causes, the performance of the right tests, and the administration of the right therapies.

as a naturopathic physician I get to work with many patients who have stories similar to Vincent. They get a medical diagnosis, they get a pharmaceutical treatment, and they don’t really get better. when they seek other medical opinions they get similar a diagnosis and a familiar treatment. They get frustrated with the system and eventually begin to lose hope they will ever be well again. Fortunately, many of these people make their way into my office or another naturopathic doctor’s office and seek one more opinion.