Made for Health | Medical Gaslighting | Lyme | Chronic Infections | Metabolic Syndrome | Insulin Resistance | Mystery Illness

🔥 What if some of the biggest health challenges people face today are not caused by bad medicine... but by blind spots in the system itself? Read UnCurable to explore a deeper perspective on overlooked diagnoses, chronic symptoms, and the importance of asking better questions when answers are hard to find. What if some of medicine’s most trusted beliefs have unintentionally harmed the very people they were meant to help?In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman and Dr. Christian Jenski begin a new series exploring medical blind spots, outdated assumptions, and the unintended consequences that can occur when healthcare systems become overly attached to prevailing beliefs.Using historical examples and modern patient experiences, they discuss how medicine has repeatedly evolved by challenging accepted ideas. From handwashing and infection control to hormone replacement therapy and chronic illness, they examine how some widely accepted medical assumptions have later been proven incomplete or incorrect.The conversation also highlights how women have often been disproportionately affected by these blind spots, particularly in areas such as autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, hormonal health, fertility, and complex chronic illnesses. Throughout the episode, Dr. Hartman and Dr. Jenski emphasize the importance of curiosity, humility, patient advocacy, and continuously questioning assumptions in the pursuit of better healthcare. About the GuestDr. Christian Jenski is a triple board-certified physician with expertise in emergency medicine, obesity medicine, and functional medicine. He works alongside Dr. Aaron Hartman to help patients uncover root causes of chronic illness through a systems-based and personalized approach to healthcare. Key Topics CoveredWhat medical blind spots are and how they developWhy science evolves and accepted medical beliefs sometimes changeThe difference between scientific discovery and medical dogmaHistorical examples of medical blind spots and unintended harmThe story of handwashing and infection prevention in medicineHow healthcare systems can unintentionally overlook important patient experiencesWhy women are disproportionately affected by medical gaslightingThe relationship between chronic illness and missed diagnosesThe history and controversy surrounding hormone replacement therapyHow delayed acceptance of new evidence can affect patient careThe importance of intellectual curiosity in medicineWhy listening to patients remains one of the most important clinical skillsThe role of functional medicine in addressing complex chronic illnessesHow chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disease, and hormone disorders are often misunderstoodWhy advocacy and self-education can help patients navigate healthcare challengesFollow Dr. Aaron Hartman and Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine🌐 Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/📺 YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD

🔥 What if one of the biggest challenges with Lyme disease isn’t treatment… but getting the diagnosis in the first place? Read UnCurable to explore a deeper perspective on chronic illness, missed diagnoses, and the root causes that often go overlooked.What if Lyme disease is often missed because the testing was never designed to catch every case?In this episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman and Veronica Porterfield conclude their Lyme disease series by exploring one of the most controversial and misunderstood aspects of Lyme disease: diagnosis and testing.They explain why Lyme disease can be difficult to identify, why negative test results do not always rule out infection, and how the bacteria’s unique ability to evade the immune system creates significant challenges for conventional testing. The conversation also explores the differences between antibody testing, Western Blot testing, specialty laboratory testing, and emerging diagnostic technologies.Throughout the discussion, Dr. Hartman and Veronica emphasize the importance of treating the patient rather than relying solely on laboratory results. They also explain how co-infections, chronic immune dysfunction, environmental factors, and gaps in clinician training can contribute to delayed diagnoses and prolonged suffering for many patients.About the GuestVeronica Porterfield, PA-C, IFMCP, MS, LN, MPAS is a functional medicine practitioner specializing in Lyme disease, chronic infections, mold-related illness, autoimmune conditions, and complex chronic health challenges. She is known for her root-cause approach to patient care and her expertise in helping patients navigate difficult-to-diagnose chronic illnesses.Key Topics CoveredWhy Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose accuratelyThe limitations of standard Lyme antibody testingWhy a negative Lyme test does not always rule out infectionThe differences between screening tests, Western Blot testing, and specialty testingHow Lyme disease can interfere with normal immune responsesWhy antibody production does not always follow expected patternsUnderstanding Lyme-specific antibody bands and Western Blot interpretationThe differences between sensitivity and specificity in diagnostic testingHow specialty Lyme laboratories differ from conventional testingEmerging technologies used in Lyme disease detectionWhy co-infections can complicate both diagnosis and treatmentThe role of Bartonella, Babesia, and other tick-borne infectionsWhy clinician training and experience matter in complex chronic illnessThe impact of environmental toxins and immune dysfunction on chronic symptomsWhy patient symptoms remain a critical part of the diagnostic processHow advocacy and education can help patients navigate complex diagnosesFollow Dr. Aaron Hartman and Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine🌐 Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/📺 YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD