Redefining "Disease" by Dr. Lou Ignarro and Dr. Andrew Myers

Health is Wealth: Health Alert

by Nobel Laureate in Medicine Dr. Louis Ignarro and Naturopathic Physician Dr. Andrew Myers
Redefining "Disease"

The word disease simply means the sum of a variety of symptoms that, together, are referred to traditionally as a diagnosis. Unfortunately, conventional medicine focuses on preventing symptoms rather than on addressing the underlying, systemic cause of the symptoms. Every symptom has a foundational principle that is the root cause of the symptom. Merely treating symptoms and not the underlying cause of the symptoms does little to truly treat a problem.

Symptoms are merely a communication device that our bodies use to tell us what is wrong with its functionality. Whether we choose to listen to the information being conveyed or simply try to cover it up is a decision left for the individual. Symptoms are actually a step or two away from the actual causes or dysfunctions that result in symptoms. They are the superficial layer covering up the true cause of dysfunction.

Each individual must be personally evaluated in terms of diet, exercise, behavior, and genetic history. All too often a one-size-fits-all approach is taken to attempt to alleviate patients of symptoms. These treatments may temporarily mask the symptoms of an underlying condition, however without taking the full lifestyle and history of an individual into account it is nearly impossible to properly treat a core dysfunction.

Patients and physicians are often preoccupied with identifying and discussing symptoms rather than root conditions. For example, it is increasingly common to hear folks discuss having “high blood pressure”. While the symptom of high blood pressure may be correctly identified, the underlying cause that is rarely if ever mentioned, even by physicians, may be “endothelial dysfunction due to obesity and a pro-inflammatory diet.” Endothelial dysfunction is the condition, not high blood pressure. High blood pressure is merely how endothelial dysfunction superficially presents itself.
What is a "Syndrome"?

A syndrome is an accumulation of symptoms and syndromes originate from the progression of what is known as the 3D Effect. What conventional medicine calls “diseases” is actually dysfunction brought on by the chronic, long-term nutritional deficiency we call Nutrient Deficiency Syndrome.

Nutrient depletion leads to nutrient deficiency which leads to dysfunction. Dysfunctions are the underlying cause of symptoms, and multiple interrelated symptoms result in a syndrome. Syndromes manifest as multiple dysfunctions that appear simultaneously in a patient as a result of the same deficiencies or lifestyle choices.

Metabolic Syndrome is a great example of what a syndrome truly is. Obesity around the waist, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are the visible symptoms of the underlying dysfunction. Attempts at correcting any one of these symptoms without taking a broad approach to the 3 interrelated symptoms will not correct the problem at hand; it will merely mask the underlying issues.
Learn More

Visit our website at http://www.healthiswealth.net to learn more about the differences between diseases, syndromes, and symptoms. Taking the correct persepective may be the key to truly alleviating illness.