The Natural Approach to the Treatment of FPIES
Food protein induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is a delayed gut allergic reaction, which presents with repetitive, profuse vomiting that may not start for a few hours after a triggering food(s) is eaten. Some individuals with FPIES may develop diarrhoea, lethargy, become pale, floppy and/or feel cold.
Describing this rather scary condition in simple terms, the digestive tract has become inflamed (the ‘colitis’ bit) for some reason (the ‘syndrome’ bit) and can no longer perform its task of digestion properly (the ‘allergy’ bit).
The gut membrane that is supposed to keep the outside world from getting inside your body has become permeable or ‘leaky’. The body then reacts, mounting an immune response to the foreign proteins in the food getting into the body undigested – the food protein should not pass this ‘customs’ barrier without going through the normal channels!
The trouble here is that the body’s defences (immune system) eventually becomes overwhelmed, draining energy and resources to the extent that normal processes are put on hold or become dysfunctional – this is where you see the symptoms of vomiting, diarrhoea, tiredness etc. develop.
The medical response tends to revolve around the symptoms which is great but generally there is little regard to addressing why the symptoms are there in the first place? Everyone loves a ‘Band-Aid’ but they are not much use if you keep ‘prodding’ the wound underneath!
The Natural approach taken at Core Naturopathics is to ‘reverse engineer’ the process so to speak:
- Identifying and removing the cause from diet, environment, and medications – if you roll an ankle you don’t continue to walk on it and expect it to heal do you?
- Using natural anti-inflammatories to ‘coat, sooth and heal’ damaged gut lining – remember the food is only the problem because the gut membrane is letting in ‘intruders’.
- Ensuring optimal hydration and pH with mineral salts – recreate the right environment for right ‘bugs’.
- The use of the appropriate type and quantity of beneficial bacteria – these guys essentially ‘run the whole show’ if the internal environment is to their liking!
- And then feed them up with good clean diet choices and prebiotics.
FPIES – like many situations in life, not quite so mysterious when you break it down to basics.
More information on healing the gut can be found here, and if you are in need of a helping hand you can contact us via our website at www.corenaturopathics.com.au .