Current health concerns regarding COVID-19 (SARS 2) and its transmissibility have led to a wide variety of behavior modifications, affecting every society around the world. These modifications vary from place to place, even within our own country. One such modification is using face coverings or masks, which some believe will suppress the transmission of the virus; data suggestions range from ‘There is no data supporting the notion that the mask prevents anything” to “the use of the mask can actually increase your odds of getting infected with a multitude of ailments, but in particular, COVID-19.”
As more data is collected, you can be sure the model for personal protection will continue to mutate. For the purpose of this article, let’s just focus on what we do know about the respiratory function.
Carbon dioxide (C02) (what we exhale) is the driving force for breathing, not a shortage of oxygen. As C02 rises in the bloodstream, blood pH gets lower (or more acidic), which causes a cascade of physiologic responses in your body, affecting things such as increasing your breathing and heart rates; stimulating the emotional center in your brain; affecting your muscle and joint proprioception (joint position and muscle contracture); sensory proprioceptors (your ability to sense touch, temperature, and pain); and stretch receptors in the lungs (so your brain knows when you are getting a full breath), just to name a few.
As previously mentioned, if C02 increases, your blood becomes more acidic, and so does your cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). CSF circulates around your brain and spinal cord to help maintain consistent nervous system pressure in your skull and spine. Normal blood pH should be between 7.35 and 7.45. The pH range at the high and low ends (and still be compatible with life) is 6.8 to 7.8. Three processes help maintain suitable pH—the buffer system (first line of defense), the respiratory mechanism (second line of defense), and the renal system (the third line of defense).
Carbonic anhydrase is the buffering system that helps maintain proper pH. It produces acid in the stomach and bicarbonate ions in the kidneys and eyes. It drives reactions in the respiratory centers, gastric acid production, pancreatic enzymes, and kidney function. Let’s take this basic knowledge and apply it to a real-life example of what can happen.
A female patient is required by her employer to wear a face covering. She’s in her early 30s and had complaints consistent with a urinary tract infection (UTI), pain over the bladder, urinary frequency, and pain with urination. This patient also suffered from symptoms of anxiety and a feeling of shortness of breath. After presenting these symptoms to her medical physician, she was given a prescription of antibiotics. After the first complete round was taken, she reported that the antibiotic had no effect, and her symptoms progressively got worse. Her medical physician then prescribed a different form of antibiotic, rendering the same results—no change and continuing to get worse.
This patient was tested through applied kinesiology methods to include a “rebreathing” test, which resulted in a positive outcome.
Depleted nutritional components were identified to correct the damages done, which most likely came from chronic mask-wearing. The increased levels of C02 most likely led to symptoms of anxiety and shortness of breath from acidifying her system. This would also include changes in her renal (kidney) pH, resulting in very acidic urine. The acidic urine mimicked symptoms of a UTI. A number of items substantiate this hypothesis:
1. She had no fever to accompany her “infection,” not to say that fever is necessary.
2. Antibiotic therapy had no effect after completing two variations, and she actually got worse while taking them.
3. With the application of the proper nutraceuticals (vitamin supplements) found to correct applied kinesiology tests, the patient’s symptoms gradually resolved within one week.
4. The patient has also stated that if she misses any doses of the recommended nutritional therapy, the symptoms return.
Very specific nutrients are involved in the carbonic anhydrase buffering system:
With the proper nutritional support, the carbonic anhydrase buffering system can be repaired. This patient was given the appropriate supplementation based on a thorough applied kinesiology evaluation. Over a short period (fewer than 10 days), her symptoms had dissipated, and she is now symptom-free. One can only imagine how things could have gone without a simple “rebreathing” test and the valuable tools of applied kinesiology.
Stephan Ediss, D.C., P.A.K., F.I.AC.A. has been in practice for twenty nine years. Dr. Ediss is a certified Professional Applied Kinesiologist (P.A.K.) in Applied Kinesiology with over 300 hours of certified training and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Clinical Acupuncture (F.I.A.C.A.). Over the years he has been a student of a wide variety of techniques. He has taken all of what he has learned and put it together in an organized, easy to follow, step-by-step protocol resulting in amazing clinical outcomes. Dr. Ediss can be reached at (307) 358-3147 or Email to: [email protected]
