Who’s In Charge Here? Meniere's Disease and Thinking About Our Body’s
Healthy Maintenance
This is going to be a short, easy to
understand “course” on how your body “operates” and needs to be
maintained. I will discuss some “new” developments in how people find
medical information for their own use. You will learn some anatomy and
physiology and then I will share principles that help you understand why
your body does certain things. I’ll include some examples and add
questions I have received recently that tie into this subject. I am also
going to share some basic principles as to how your body functions.
You may wonder why you are being “exposed”
to this information in this newsletter and in particular in this series of
articles. Let me explain. You obviously have an interest in health:
hopefully, your own to start. Towards the end of this series, I will be
sharing some questions from readers. I do this to show that any and all
questions are important. Incidentally if you have written a question, and
haven’t received an answer, I haven’t received it. I answer all questions,
although it may take a few days before I get back to you. In this age of
being able to access massive amounts of information, people expect to find
answers immediately and from a variety of resources. It is those choices
that seem to be leading people a bit off course…with less than happy
results.
This is an effort to help people learn or
understand normal body functions. Then you might at least recognize the
value of the information that faces you. There is nothing in it to
indicate that this could be correct or incorrect. It all sounds like the
truth. Let me share what I see is the “new way health information
gathering and decision making process. Let’s compare a person who had a
health issue before the advent of the Internet and then see what happens
nowadays. I’ll use one from the examples I’ll share later on in this
article. Pretend you had some blood pressure problems, but you don’t feel
it is an emergency. So you set up an appointment with your doctor’s office
or a clinic for a few days later…or the following week.
During this visit, you gain some insight.
You usually get a prescription or two, along with some
recommendations...and you return to work. Eventually the problem goes
away, you (hopefully) get better and life continues. The process presents
some loopholes in terms of timely examination. Your ailment description
needs to be very precise. However, with the presence of the Internet,
things have changed dramatically. But so have people. Many are not willing
to wait for answers or help. No longer are people solely dependent on
their doctor for insight or recommendations. They have all kinds of
information at their fingertips, literally! The vast majority of people
now own computers, have email, and can access the Internet anytime for
help. Most people are knowledgeable in entering key words. It is almost
automatic to seek out more information on things that might help them
understand their healthy situation. But this is where the problem starts.
Let’s use
blood pressure and hypertension as
an example. I just did this and found 12,200,000 “hits” or sources or
SITES of information! That is TWELVE MILLION!!!! How can you possibly go
through all those? How do you choose? It’s absurd to expect to read all of
them. So how DO you choose? What information can you trust? Do you
understand all the words? Do you get the “drift” of the meaning? Is the
site sponsored by a drug company or someone trying to justify their
products such as an exercise machine or book? There is nothing wrong with
any of this but you need to know how to find objective, trustworthy
information. Personally I have found several sites and stick with them.
So the purpose of particular article is to
try to eliminate a little confusion. We are all experts in something: it
may just not be in this area. But this information is not based on doing
better searches. It is based on knowing your body better. Then if you are
faced with some sort of drug or machine, or information, you have enough
understanding to make informative decisions or discard suspect advice.
Much of this is common sense, but we aren’t taught a lot of that in
school. You will get an overview of the anatomy and physiology and how the
body keeps going. I think even just having this overview gives you more
confidence in asking better and more relevant questions. It takes some of
the mystery and fear out of search.
Let me share some principles. This list is
incomplete, but it serves us well right here. These are important concepts
or assumptions to grasp. They carry a lot of influence. They are like
unwritten laws and are invisible, but very real. If you try to oppose them
or act as if they don’t exist, (without impunity “Exemption from
punishment, penalty, or harm”). They win out each and every time.
These are about maintaining a healthy body
with you.
Please don’t use this information to treat
or diagnose yourself. Use it to understand your body. As always, just
learn from it and pay close attention to when you don’t feel well.
First I want to give you some understanding
of your body…some principles it works under automatically. You can’t
change it no matter what you may think, but . once you understand those,
you will feel more “in tune” with what is going on. It’s like the law of
gravity…it’s very real, and you can’t do anything to circumvent it. And
you can’t plead ignorance…it still works as always (unless you work in the
space industry.)
A drug or other chemical can change or
reduce the effectiveness of your body, as in steroids or antihistamines.
Anytime you increase heat in your body, (circulation) you increase the
internal pressure. (Law of physics). Your body has an automatic cleaning
system attached to the immune system (one of its “departments”) and it
cleans things constantly. This is called the inflammatory process. For
example, if you stub your toe, it swells up and it is painful, plus it
changes colour…eventually it goes away. But you don’t think you have a
disease in your toe, right? …not a disease. And the inflammatory process
is activated anytime anything unwanted comes into your body. Anything
unwanted could be a smell, chemical, irritation such as in the eye,
over-stimulation (getting too tired)…a cut or trauma or bruises will do
the same. It could be anything that you aren’t born with, but comes
through the environment. All drugs have some sort of side effects. The
only way your body can create energy and thus activities is with
nutrients. The body is known to be able to heal itself given the right
elements.
Water is a really good way to get rid of
toxins in the body. Your body is made up of 9 interrelated systems, all
working together to keep you healthy. Our culture insists we take drugs,
yet these are contributing to or interacting with, all the chemicals
already in the body from our natural everyday living. This list is
incomplete, but it gives enough of an overview for our purposes.
One major underlying thought or principle is
that all parts of your body are connected or interrelated. Know that if
one part is affected, the entire body is affected. You may hear that it
isn’t true, but I challenge you to only walk around with legs, and no
head. You won’t get far! (I could tell you several cases where you would
think this isn’t the case, but eventually the body stopped functioning
because its physiology came to a halt.)
Let’s start with a brief overview of your
body. Please know I am only going to focus on the physical aspect. I truly
and firmly believe we have a spiritual or intangible, invisible side to
our lives, but that would be another article. But I do support the
concept that you choose your own outcomes through choosing a negative or a
positive attitude. Some people tell me they are “realistic”. I see them as
choosing not to look outside their own understanding. That is fine for
them…but not for everyone. I try to show people that they should be
looking for the underlying problem. Their resulting symptoms are simply an
outcome of those. Your body is a physical visible “entity”. But it is
‘run” by invisible elements which are equally important. So you can’t
dismiss things that are not seen by the naked eye. We can now actually
into different parts or organs of your body through technology. And this
is vitally important in diagnosing. The physical space and equipment of
your office can be compared to the systems and organs of your body as the
anatomy. But you yourself know it is the policies and procedures and
“management” that “rules” or drives the office. So it is with the body’s
physiology.
The entire body is a set of nine systems,
interconnected and functioning as one whole entity. No one department can
ever function in isolation. I think the word “interrelated” describes this
well. They must work in harmony. They help you breathe, move, etc. and
protect you from harm. Every part is vital and none is more important than
another. However, the actions of some parts can be suspended temporarily
until the others are looked after (fight/flight response).
To relate this to something you already
understand, think of these departments as an office building or department
store…each is responsible for some part of the overall actions, and
unpinned or supported by other elements. It’s almost like primary and
secondary functions or responsibilities, but none could work without the
other. It’s vitally important that you understand this inter-relationship.
Nothing bugs me more that people telling me that they have been told one
part of their body has no influence on another...have you tried walking
around without your head yet? It is my experience that dental problems are
related to all kinds of other health issues. We recognize that in animals.
Nature is nature. Your body is all about balance and it strives for it
constantly. So when one area has a problem, the body’s natural instinct is
to restore the balance. It will borrow from another area to satisfy that
need. This is called homeostasis. This is important principle to remember.
Merriam Webster dictionary describes this as “the maintenance of
relatively stable internal physiological conditions (as body temperature
or the pH of blood) in higher animals under fluctuating environmental
conditions ; also : the process of maintaining a stable
psychological state in the individual under varying psychological
pressures or stable social conditions in a group under varying social,
environmental, or political factors”.
http://www2.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwmednlm?book=Medical&va=homeostasis
The 9 departments or systems include the
nervous system which co-ordinates all body functions: brain being the
"executive office". This includes the brain, spinal cord, nerves. The
respiratory system is vital for breathing, and gas & waste exchange. It
includes the nose, pharynx, lungs sinuses. The cardiovascular system
circulates blood and nutrients to entire body constantly and is made of
heart, blood vessels, lymphatic system, etc. The musculo-skeletal system
is made up of bones and soft tissue. It supports and protects body parts
and red blood cell formation (carries oxygen): joints, bones. The muscular
part gives form and connects all skeletal parts of body. It includes the
heart muscle, thigh, spinal canal, etc. The gastro-intestinal tract
digests and transports all nutrients throughout body. The endocrine system
produces hormones that regulate all body processes. It made up of glands.
The urinary system manages fluid and electrolyte balance, and eliminates
liquid waste products. It works with your kidneys, bladder, and urethra.
The reproductive system is made up of male and female organs that are
required for the survival of our species and includes testes, penis,
uterus, breasts, and glans. The integumentary system holds it all
together! Hair nails and skin. Miles of it!
Your body functions and keeps you going
24/7. You really contribute nothing consciously to keep this going. By
that I mean you don’t think consciously about taking the next breath or
making sure your heart beats or your liver detoxifies. But there is one
thing that you HAVE to do and no one can do it for you. And this one thing
is crucial to your existence. It is the act of eating and putting things
into your body somehow. It is the only way for you to keep living. Your
digestive system produces enzymes and bile to digest your food or
nutrients that now enter your body through your conscious effort. Here is
an example. You can only “feed” your brain through the “cooperation” of
your digestive system. Same for any and all systems.
I am sure you have heard of people starving
to death or being starved to death. If no nutrients get into your body, be
it by tube or intravenous feeding or eating by your mouth or through your
skin, eventually your body dies. Again, here, I am speaking in
generalities. There are some very special situations that differ from
this, but for our purposes of understanding our healthy bodies, this is
how it works. You may be able to survive without food for a few days. You
definitely need water, but eventually all your systems are starved and
there is nothing left to provide energy: the fuel that makes your body
function. That makes nutrients suddenly very important! And if you pay any
attention to diet discussions, weight loss management systems, and all the
controversial diets, you can see all sorts of misrepresentation and
misinformation. You must recognize that your body needs macro nutrients:
carbohydrate, fat, and protein as well as micronutrients: vitamins and
minerals. And just as balance is vital in all parts of the body, it is
necessary in the digestive and metabolic (energy producing) process.
Now that you have a general understanding of
your body’s needs, it behooves you to ensure that you take in adequate and
life-sustaining nutrients. If not, the body gets overburdened with toxins
or waste products. Just as there are main departments keeping you healthy,
there are waste management systems to clear out the toxins. in the short
term, the body can cope. In the long term it is vital to your survival.
For a longer time, it will be at the mercy of toxins as they build up and
not removed. The liver and kidneys are the two main areas of
“detoxification”. That’s in essence how you stay alive! Upset this balance
and you could end up with health problems.
Up to now, you have been just reading about
the interrelated functions of the body. Now let’s look at some choices you
need to make to keep on functioning. And what might happen if you don’t
make a choice by simply doing nothing…trying to ignore the situation. Some
actions are very simple “no brainers”. Others can be very complex.
Let me give you a couple of examples.
Remember we are looking for ways to keep the body functioning. This
example is about the circulatory system. Pretend you are sitting on your
leg and it falls asleep. It will start to tingle and then go numb.
Somewhere along the way, your brain is telling you that this is not right
and you should be doing something to change, i.e. change your position.
The simplest response is to move your leg so the bloodflow with be
restored, along with the oxygen and nutrients. Now the limb is back
working properly. But picture someone who has no feeling in that part of
their body (quadriplegic or paraplegic). This “simple” action isn’t so
simple anymore. It will require someone to recognize the problem and
change the person’s position. What if you decided to do nothing?
Eventually the leg will become dead (necrosed) and will have to be removed
(amputated). That is extreme, but it does happen. But you have many
choices before it gets to this point if you are aware of your choices.
Most of the time, your body will do this for you automatically or
unconsciously (the invisible part of you).
Another example is high blood pressure, also
known as hypertension. You would be encouraged to change your lifestyle,
including your stress levels. Hopefully drugs would be the last
recommendation: not the first choice. But again, here are choices. But if
you chose to do nothing, a very real possible outcome is could be a stroke
(blood clot in the brain) or heart attack (blood clot in the heart
muscle). Again, a choice should be made. In many instances, if you spend
some concentrated, focused time, you can find the underlying cause, and
by changing a few things, you can change your body’s reaction. So no
matter what is going on, you have some choices to make. The more
knowledgeable you are the easier and less scary the decision will be. I am
frequently telling people that their health is theirs: not their health
care professional’s. You have to live with the symptoms after the doctor’s
office closes for the night. Of course, I am speaking of non-emergent
situations. If you have chest pain, go to the nearest Emergency Room and
get checked out. No question about that, but for our present learning, it
is helpful to know what is going on in your body. One of the questions I
received had to do with chest pain. Now I would expect the person to have
figured out for themselves if this was an emergency. By sending me an
email, I have to assume it was not. So what are the possible causes for
something like this? Go back to the original idea that your heart (in this
case) is not getting adequate oxygen or nutrients. Or something is
irritating or pressing on the nerves leading to it. So would a shift in
position or a loosening of clothes, relieve the pain? Look for the obvious
before you rush out. For a long time, we misinterpreted gallbladder
problems and heartburn as heart attacks. Still, it is much wiser to be
cautious.
Let’s go through some questions. I’ll offer
the question and then help you walk through what might be the problem. I
will make some suggestions of possible changes. Later in another example
I’ll share a couple of blood pressure “choices” that have left me
wondering and shaking my head. You don’t have to be a doctor or health
care professional to recognize possible solutions. It is normal to want to
be in control of your health. Wellness is a state of physical and mental
health as opposed to dis-ease. Choose wellness.
I want to show you how you can think
something through. But please be a little cautious when you go to your
health care provider. Don’t blurt out your new knowledge and then expect
the person to agree with you immediately. Remember they haven’t had time
to digest and sort out all the details or possible alternatives as you
have. So be respectful of their knowledge and insight. But now you are in
a much better position to discuss your situation clearly and answer
questions intelligently. That is really helpful. This exercise will help
you gain more control over your health. Again, don’t use this as a
diagnostic tool, but the very exercise of learning more, will help you
feel less frustrated. You will recognize and be able to separate the
serious from the less serious situations. That leads to a much more
responsible use of health care facilities. Perhaps you have heard of the
term “informed consent”. Now you will be much more informed as you give
consent for treatment. And if you still don’t understand, you will have
the courage to ask for more detailed explanations.
Question: I have constant neck pains, which
causes my fingers and arms to get numb. Also I feel that I get constant
muscle spasms associated with feeling tired almost all of the time. I
understand that this is because of my long work hours but I just want to
ask you if you believe this is because of STRESS? Answer: In my own
PERSONAL opinion, the answer is no. If this happened in my own body, I
would strongly believe that no or little blood is being received in the
circulation area of my arms and fingers: hence the symptoms. Circulation
or blood supply brings with it all the nutrients, such as energy and
oxygen to supply the body (or part) needs...if there is less than enough,
I would have symptoms such as lack of energy or tiredness are definite
signs...as are muscle spasms. Muscle spasms are movements that are
uncoordinated. From what you now understand, these would probably come
from a lack of something: oxygen, nutrients, muscles nerve
misinformation?? Here is a link to read more.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003194.htm
http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/shoulderprobs/shoulderqa.htm
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/brochure/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=8&topcategory=Hand
The circulation gets "routed" via the shoulder and down the arm...and the
brain controls everything through messages for all these actions. These
tell your muscles and fingers, etc. what to do. They come past your neck
and if you have "constant neck pains", something isn't right in that
area...can you see how it might or will be affected if it goes through an
area that isn't working properly or blocking the blood supply? So if the
messages going to the brain are incorrect (because there is a change in
the stimulations of the nerves) then the command coming back to the
muscles (from the brain) to do certain actions, would also be
inappropriate. It might be likened to cyclists at the start of a race. One
group of cyclists heard the instructions to go one direction and the rest
got a message to go the other way. Could stress cause this? I feel very
strongly that we blame stress for too many illnesses. It is an easy thing
to do and a less than helpful “treatment“. The person ends up being blamed
for something they are already trying to handle. BUT be aware that there
is another meaning for the word "stress". And that might be what someone
meant. Stress is also the working or overworking of a limb…as in "stress
fractures". Or putting too much “stress” on your elbow and blocking nerves
and blood supply.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000001.htm
Question: I was just told that the symptoms
I've had are those of TIA's. What is this and what do they do about to
help? Although I've been referred to a specialist, I have to wait for 3
weeks to get in to see him. So I'd like a little information about it now.
Thank you
Here are two sites that would be really
helpful. This includes a link to the actual description.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000730.htm
Here is a picture of the brain and what is happening...
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/8968.htm
In my experience, these are tiny strokes that give warning to pay
attention to situations that can raise your blood pressure. It is often
the brain's warning signal before a larger warning MAY happen. Many people
have these and never have any more symptoms. But I feel it is wise to look
more closely at what your life is like and what is keeping you from being
more relaxed. For many people, it is a wakeup call to see what is
happening in their lives. They need to check out situations where they
can’t control the stress element. Then you need to make some
decisions....where to continue or when to make some changes...I just
finished saying we blame stress often unnecessarily, but there are real
situations that people can alleviate some of it. An awareness of possible
choices or suggestions for change allows you to think along other lines.
(Incidentally, I find it very interesting that once you offer some other
ways of looking at a situation, it doesn’t take long for that person to
find their own ways out of the challenge. VERY interesting!)
This is a ”brain" activity as opposed to a "heart" activity. By that I
mean the brain tends to lead to a change in the body's ability to respond
to motor (movement) skills and cognitive (thinking/reasoning) abilities.
"Heart" activities or the lack of...could lead to emergency situations
such as a stop in breathing and living. Think of your heart as strictly a
pump. It doesn’t “think” it just runs. But your brain is able to “think”.
That is its primary function. A clot in the heart vs. a clot in the brain
brings about two different results. Let me know if you would like more
explanation, but do check out the links...the encyclopedia gives
information that is easy to read. Make sure you have all your questions
answered. That is your right.
Here are my two blood pressure examples:
real live stories. Both people have been on antihypertensive drugs for
years…as a “precaution”. “Antihypertensive ”means a chemical used to
prevent the body from raising the blood pressure.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3034546/ns/health-heart_health/
Both these people complained a lot of having
no energy. They had no appetite and neither had any motivation to do
anything. When I encouraged them to take their blood pressures for a few
days, both had very low readings. Sometimes 85/50. Both discussed this
with their doctors and neither doctor would take them off the medications!
With all you now understand, does this make sense to you? If they have
poor appetites, inadequate circulation because of their low blood pressure
is already, why would they be continued on chemicals that drop their
readings even further? Just asking!
If you are faced with this situation, what
might you do first? I would borrow someone’s blood pressure machine for a
few weeks and take readings…compare only “like” readings, meaning compare
morning readings to morning readings. Wear the same type of clothes. It
won’t skew the readings. I would record every reading with the time of
day, and what day/date. You will quickly find out if the readings are
lower than usual.
Antihypertensive: Something that reduces
high
blood pressure (hypertension). Discuss your concerns with your doctor.
Drink lots of water: it will help detoxify your body naturally. Read the
information about natural healing and health conditions at the JAMA link.
This comes from the American Medical Association. Interesting and very
hopeful. They recognize and recommend what you have learned here…that your
body strives for balance and nutrition, in optimum amounts, and that will
replenish its needs.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/287/23/3127
I said before that there is one thing that
you HAVE to do and no one can do it for you. And this one thing is crucial
to your existence. It is the act of eating and putting things into your
body somehow. It is the only way for you to keep living. Your digestive
system produces enzymes and bile to digest your food or nutrients that now
enter your body through your conscious effort. This also pertains to
drugs, be they over the counter (OTC) or prescription. They end up in the
same place as do the nutrients. And if you recall one of the principles,
every drug has a side effect.
You now know a bit more about your body and
how it functions and how to keep it healthy. Isn’t it amazing that really
all your body needs daily is food, water and air? Simple things, yet your
body turns those into running a very complex operating system, allowing
you to be alive twenty four hours a day, seven days a weeks, all year and
every year! Truly amazing! Make this the beginning of your search for
taking back control of health as opposed to illness. It can be done, but
it will take awareness, study, trial and error, and a sincere desire to
make changes if you aren’t happy with your present lifestyle. The medical
community is there to help you, but you are in charge from now on.
By Karin Henderson - Nurse, Retired.
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