Chronic Infections and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with Dr. Amy Proal

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating condition with symptoms of persistent fatigue, neuroinflammation,  post-exertional fatigue, joint pain, nerve pain, muscle pain, sensory hypersensitivity, disturbed sleep, headaches, and bowel changes. It often takes years to get a proper diagnosis and most patients are brushed off as having a psychosomatic illness.  ' Thanks to researchers like our guest Dr. Amy Proal; we know so much more ME/CFS. It turns out there chronic viral and other microbe components that drive a significant part of ME/CFS. These pathogens/pathobionts can set up shop and change DNA, mitochondria, and immune function that contributes to the manifestation of ME/CFS. In this episode , Dr. Proal dives into how viruses find tissue to hide out in, disrupt mitochondria, alter the vagus nerve and how this understanding guides us how in treating ME/CFS Dr. Proal shows us that it is not one infectious organism but multiple co-infections overwhelming the immune system pushing into low function.. If we can help the immune system by reducing the overwhelm ; then we can see good progress.   About our guest: Dr. Proal is a microbiologist who studies the molecular mechanisms by which bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens dysregulate human gene expression, immunity and metabolism. Her work further examines how dysbiosis of the human microbiome and/or the human virome can contribute to chronic inflammatory disease processes. As a member of the research team at Autoimmunity Research Foundation, she has authored papers and written book chapters for organizations like the J.Craig Venter Institute and The Autoimmunity Network, and lectured at the NIH and numerous USA/international conferences. Proal graduated from Georgetown University in 2005 with a degree in biology. In 2012, she obtained a PhD in microbiology from Murdoch University in Australia. Her graduate thesis focused on “Autoimmune disease re-examined in light of metagenomic concepts.” Links to her work  Polybio https://polybio.org/team/amy-proal/  Twitter @microbeminded2 #MyalgicEncephalomyelitisChronicFatigueSyndrome #zerozeroscore #chronicfatiguesyndrome #dysautotonmia#CFS#MECFS #naturopathic #chronicinfections #postviral