4. Understanding symptoms and treating the whole person

In this episode, Sarah speaks with Dr. Bruce Hoffman, a Functional Medicine physician from Calgary. Dr. Hoffman describes Functional Medicine and explains how numerous factors influence a patient’s health. He highlights the importance of taking an in-depth patient history to understand and document symptoms. This helps determine whether a patient might have other underlying health concerns that may need to be addressed. Dr. Hoffman explains that there are several approaches to treating Lyme disease. He gives us insight into why there is such a variety of symptoms amongst patients with Lyme disease and describes how symptoms often wax and wane over time. Did you know that many Lyme patients experience a phenomenon called mast cell activation syndrome? Dr. Hoffman explores some of the triggers for mast cell activation and emphasizes the importance of looking out for this syndrome especially in patients with chronic illness. He also explains the importance of addressing other underlying issues.Funding available for physicians to attend ILADS ConferenceGrants for healthcare professionalsMore about this episode