The Lymphatic System
Probably the greatest proportion of symptoms that I see daily in my office are related somehow to the lymphatic system. When the amounts of metabolic waste, cellular debris and internal toxins exceed the capacity of the lymphatic system, common symptoms develop. This includes runny nose, cough, sinus pressure and problems, ear ache, toothache, rashes, blood pressure, joint problems, internal dryness, varicose veins, acne, allergies, swollen feet and hands, lung congestion, asthma, certain organ pains, headache, cysts, bloating and weight gain.
In order to understand how this could be, a description of the lymphatic system is in order. This system is intimately related to fluid balance in the body. As we know, the blood vessels of the body are full of fluid, red blood cells and nutrients. Fluid travels out of the blood vessels (arteries) and bathes the tissues and cells to provide nutrients and take away cellular waste. The fluid then cycles back in one of two ways. It either goes back into the veins of the circulatory system or into other vessels that are called lymph vessels. The larger molecules or particles (as in pus and debris from broken down cells) cannot go into the veins, but rather pass into the lymphatic system of vessels. These lymph vessels have filters throughout called lymph nodes. White blood cells and enzymes in the nodes and lymph system breakdown the debris and clean the fluid. Toxic chemicals not neutralized here are routed primarily to the liver and kidneys for detoxification and excretion from the body. When the fluid is nice and clean it goes back into the veins via a large duct called the thoracic duct located in your left upper chest area.
If the liver and kidneys have more to detoxify than they can handle, the toxins back up into the lymph system and have to be excreted some other way. The sinuses can be thought of as a primary dump for this, hence sinus congestion and runny nose. Another way that a build up of toxins exits the body is through the skin. Depending on the nature of the toxin this can cause rashes and skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Similarly lung congestion can also occur.
If the lymphatic system is backed up or clogged with too much debris it may also cause swelling and pressure in certain areas. This can result in headaches, organ pain (teeth and ears are especially notorious), swollen feet and hands, bloating and even cysts (which are fluid-filled sacs). Due to the nature of the fluid associated with the inside of cells and cellular waste, this pus and toxin fluid also has a tendency to “pull” water to it. Part of this is due to the protein in it. Protein in the blood, for instance, is one of the main things that keeps all the water from draining out of the blood vessels. The net effect of this is that areas surrounded by undue pus and toxins (as with improper lymph drainage) will be dry. This is especially noticeable in the joints.
Whenever I address an infection in the body, in addition to natural immune system enhancers I always give the person something to help their lymphatic system. Of course when you kill off infection you tend to create more pus and debris to load the lymphatic system. If this is not addressed the person may not feel very well and in fact symptoms may worsen. This is a major source of the “cleansing reaction” you may hear about. If the lymphatic system is properly addressed this will be kept to a minimum and in most cases is absent.
If any of the symptoms listed above sound familiar you need to make a Cause Point Correlative Testing appointment to find out 1) what is creating the pus and toxins that are loading up the lymphatic system and 2) what needs to be done to help the lymphatic system function maximally. When this is done the symptoms, even though they cover a wide area and have been given a variety of different names, will go away. Call (260) 459-6160 (Ft. Wayne) or (773) 929-3964 (Chicago) for an appointment.
Dave Murdock D.C.
