What if chronic illness isn’t a single diagnosis to fix, but a layered process shaped by infections, environment, and how your body responds to stress over time?

In this episode of Mate for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman is joined by Veronica Porterfield, MS, LN, MPAS, PA-C, for a deep, systems level conversation on why chronic illness is rising and why recovery looks different for every person. Together, they unpack the “perfect storm” driving persistent illness, including Lyme disease, mold exposure, long COVID, immune dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and environmental toxicity.

Rather than viewing chronic illness as a single diagnosis or infection, this episode reframes it as a layered process influenced by genetics, environment, nervous system regulation, hormones, and cumulative toxic load. Dr. Hartman and Veronica explain why antibiotics alone are often not enough, why some people recover quickly while others do not, and how individualized, root cause focused care can change long term outcomes. This episode offers clarity, validation, and a roadmap for patients navigating complex, chronic health conditions.

About the Host

Dr. Aaron Hartman, MD

Founder of Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine, Dr. Hartman specializes in complex chronic illness, tick borne disease, mold related illness, and immune dysregulation. His approach integrates functional medicine, mitochondrial health, nervous system regulation, and personalized care to restore resilience and healing.

About the Guest

Veronica Porterfield, MS, LN, MPAS, PA-C

Veronica is a clinician with extensive experience in Lyme disease, mold illness, mast cell activation, and chronic inflammatory conditions. She focuses on identifying hidden drivers of illness and helping patients recover through individualized, whole person care.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

1. Why Lyme disease outcomes vary so widely from person to person
2. The “perfect storm” of genetics, toxins, infections, and immune dysfunction
3. How mold exposure contributes to chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS)
4. Why environment often outweighs genetics in determining health outcomes
5. The role of epigenetics and transgenerational exposure in chronic disease
6. Mitochondrial dysfunction and the cell danger response
7. How nervous system dysregulation impacts immune resilience
8. Hormonal disruption in chronic Lyme, mold illness, and long COVID
9. Dysautonomia, POTS, and mast cell activation as downstream effects
10. Why long COVID often reactivates latent infections like Lyme or Epstein-Barr
11. Limitations of antibiotic-only treatment strategies
12. The importance of individualized, multi-layered treatment plans

📲 Follow & Resources

Dr. Aaron Hartman & Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine

Website: https://richmondfunctionalmedicine.com/

YouTube: @AaronHartmanMD

Mentioned in this episode:

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