Gut Irritation & GI Testing

Why Is Gut Health So Important?

Gut health plays a crucial role in overall well-being. If you’ve been struggling with digestive issues, chronic inflammation, or low immunity, understanding the causes of gut irritation and the role of GI testing is essential. In this article, we’ll dive into the key contributing factors to gut inflammation, the reasons behind low secretory IgA, and how to effectively assess and address these problems.

Understanding Gut Inflammation: What’s Causing It?

Gut inflammation can be caused by various factors, including stress, diet, infections, and environmental toxins. Before starting treatment, it’s essential to explore the underlying causes.

1. The Importance of a Thorough Health History

A proper health history provides valuable insights into why someone is experiencing gut irritation. Functional medicine doctors often look at a timeline of symptoms to uncover triggers.

2. Three Common Health Decline Patterns

There are three primary ways gut health issues develop:

• Acute Onset: A sudden illness, such as food poisoning or a bacterial infection.
• Gradual Decline with Acute Episodes: Chronic stress, poor diet, and other factors lead to gut dysfunction, followed by acute flare-ups.
• Slow, Chronic Decline: No major acute episode, but a steady worsening of symptoms over time.

Low Secretory IgA: What Does It Mean?

Secretory IgA (sIgA) is a key immune marker that helps protect the gut lining. When it’s low, it signals weakened immunity in the digestive tract, making you more susceptible to infections and inflammation.

Factors That Contribute to Low Secretory IgA

• Chronic Stress: Suppresses immune function and reduces sIgA levels.
• Poor Diet: Processed foods, sugar, and inflammatory foods can weaken gut immunity.
• Environmental Toxins: Mold exposure, heavy metals, and pollutants can trigger immune suppression.
• Gut Infections: Bacterial overgrowth, parasites, or yeast infections can contribute to low sIgA.

So, hey, we just wanna make sure that we’re addressing it.  We’re processing it.  We’re seeing a counselor or seeing therapist, someone to work on it.  Maybe there’s subconscious stress.  Maybe we’re working on EFT or NLP or EMDR techniques to deal with the PTSD from that trauma.  So we have things like that, right?  And then of course, like in your timeline history, we’re also gonna be looking at was there a leak in your house?  Was there any mold exposure?  Things like that because that’s a big environment pull.  Hey, do you feel better when you leave your house for a week, you know?  Barring the fact that you may be on vacation and stress is lower, if you just leave your house for a week, do you feel better?  So we like to have those kind of timelines because that can set you up for a whole bunch of gut issues.

So when we talk about gut testing, it’s never just the gut myopathy.  We’re trying to connect the gut to underlying stressors that have been accumulating for years if not decades that got you to this position to begin with.

If you have gut issues and would like to know more about GI testing, click here to schedule an appointment