How Altered Intestinal Permeability Disturbs You?

Permeability_ Intestinal

The term permeability refers to the ability a substance has to permeate, or get through, from one area to another. In this case, that would involve passage of a substance from within the intestine, through the intestinal wall and into the body. Altered intestinal permeability is the change in permeability that can occur that allows a substance that would ordinarily be excluded to pass through. This is sometimes referred to as the "leaky gut syndrome." The implications of this alteration are still being discovered, but we know it to at least be responsible for certain types of food allergies, as well as allowing the passage of certain toxic by-products from an overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria in the gut.

The exact cause or trigger of altered intestinal permeability is not always known in any given patient. But, the following things have been associated with causing altered intestinal permeability:

Stress

• Age
• Medications, especially NSAID's
• Surgery

Health conditions including:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Crohn's Disease
• Burns
• Pancreatic disease
• HIV
• Celiac disease
• Food allergies
• Atopic dermatitis
• Alcoholism

The tie-in that altered intestinal permeability can have with current, on-going medical problems is that the use of a medication, a surgical procedure, or a lifestyle issue such as alcohol abuse can create increased intestinal permeability. This becomes a factor in the development of your current medical problem, such as your irritable bowel syndrome or your chronic fatigue, even though the trigger is in the distant past, and not ostensibly linked to your current symptoms.

There are a number of symptoms that have been associated with altered intestinal permeability. These symptoms can occur alone or in combinations, and when a specific medical condition or syndrome cannot be identified after a work-up, these patients may benefit from addressing altered permeability, such as with a 4-RTM Program. These symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Joint and muscle pain
• Food intolerance, allergy
• Abdominal pain, gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, constipation)
• Skin disorders, rashes
• Allergies, respiratory symptoms
• Some cognitive and memory problems

There are also a number of diseases associated with altered intestinal permeability, to include:

• Inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome
• Acne, eczema, psoriasis, urticaria
• Autism, ADD
• Multiple chemical sensitivity
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Hepatic and pancreatic dysfunction

As we work to address your current medical concerns, the idea of altered intestinal permeability may come up. At times, a diagnostic study to check for leaky gut may become necessary.