Toxaemia comes in different levels of intensity, ranging from minor to major.
The first thing people like to know is how toxic they are.
Unfortunately that is not easy to determine. It is quite possible to be in a ‘polluted’ state without being aware that there is anything wrong.

Iridology will probably give us the most reliable indication (analysis of the iris of the eye), when conducted by a skilled practitioner.

However, there are certain signs that a person can look for to get an idea.
Some of the most obvious ones that could be present are:

• Constantly feeling unwell, of color, a bit ‘crook’
• Always tired, as though your batteries were flat. The extreme case is chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Repeated minor ailments, like colds and headaches. You appear to ‘pick up’ infections easily.
• It’s an effort to drag yourself out of bed in the morning and you need coffee to get going.
• The breath is off and it’s not due to problems with teeth.
• There is body odor that returns soon after showering.
• The yongue is coated, especially first thing in the morning.
• Wound healing is poor; the smallest cuts become inflamed and remain so for days.
• There are persistent aches and pains that are not due to physical injury or muscle or joint strain.
• There is degenerative disease.

Colds and flu are our safety valve.
If the toxins in our system would continue to build up, it would be life threatening at the end. But our well designed and incredibly complex human body will be able to cope with adversity and does not allow this to happen.
Instead, when its tolerance limit is reached, our body opens up an emergency channel of elimination to siphon off some of the toxaemia.

Usually, toxins are sent to mucous membranes in the nose, which are conveniently located close to the exterior. The mucous membranes become highly irritated, inflamed, swollen and painful, and mucus is secreted abundantly to literally wash wastes out of the body.
This process is normally called the common cold, or influenza, when more severe.

The same process can take place in other parts of the body under different names.
If it occurs in the voice box, it is called laryngitis; in the bronchial tubes, bronchitis; in the lungs, pneumonia ;in the stomach, gastritis; in the small intestine, enteritis; and in the bowel, colitis. These are all different names for the same basic process: an emergency elimination via mucous membranes. If the elimination is via the skin, where mucous membranes are not involved, the condition will be called dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and so on.

After the elimination has finished, the body is able to function at a higher level with more energy,  that means; more normally. The person feels better than before, as if they have had an inner spring clean – and that’s what happened indeed. The symptoms of acute disease are simply the external visible signs of tissue cleansing and self-healing at work restoring the status quo.

In my next article we will discuss what part germs play in the causes of disease.