As a naturopath I am constantly looking for root cause of an issue. So when children come in with parents who have concerns of obsessive compulsive behaviours, I assess past medical history, different systems and their health.
One potential root source of OCB is the strep bacteria. If children have had a history of strep throat, or more often than not, repeated strep, I inquire further into this avenue. Heres why:
Strep bacteria can create proteins that mimic human protein, which then causes them to evade the immune system. The evasion leads to identification of foreign invaders and the creation of antibodies à the antibodies can ‘attack’ systems such as your heart, joints and brain.
This ‘attack’ can cause inflammation in the body and more importantly in the brain. Research has shown this can show up as OC behaviors.
So what to do?
Depends on the child, however I do all or some of the following in no specific order:
- Bloodwork
- GUT WORK!! – this is the biggest one as 85% of our immune system (ie inflammation or lack thereof in the body/brain) is based in our gut!
- GUT WORK!! – I know I mentioned this, however the other reason why is because the majority of serotonin (a neurotransmitter well researched to play a role in OCB) is produced in the gut, not in the brain
- Support brain tissues – the rate at which children’s brains are growing and maturing is insane – supporting this process can only help to reduce the OCB
- Assessing nutrient deficiencies – whether it be reduced absorption or
- Treating the strep!
Any questions? Ask away!