Headache, stomachache, fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Sounds like the beginning of a commercial for something that promises to get rid of all those horrible symptoms, huh?
Well guess what, no products today! Instead, I want you to consider something: Have you ever stopped to ask yourself “Why am I running a fever?” How about “Why is my stomach working so hard to get rid of something I ate?” If you’ve never asked yourself these questions, with an honest and open desire to find out the answers, then you are missing out on a big “a-ha” where your health is concerned.
You see, at some point in our lives we all knew the answers to these questions. We were told by our mothers, our 2nd grade human science teachers, and we just innately understood what our bodies were trying to do. At that point in your life you understood that a fever is your body’s defense system working to kill a nasty germ, virus or bacteria. You understood that nausea and vomiting is your body’s self-directed, perfect solution to rotten food or a “stomach virus”. In fact, whether you knew it or not, all symptoms that your body displays are part of a self-defense system and a tool for internal regulation. Without these systems in place you would not be able to fight off even the simplest forms of bacteria or viruses, and you would not be able to develop a strong and healthy immune system.
So when did we stop trusting our bodies? When did we forget these simple but necessary facts? Unfortunately, like so many other truths, this understanding vanished in the noise of the collective “social norm” which says that symptoms are bad and they need to be medicated away.
The truth is this: The more we medicate ourselves, the sicker we become. The more we suppress our own immune system in order to relieve symptoms, the weaker we are and the less likely we are to fight off future infection.
We need to start thinking about our immune systems in the same way we think of our muscular system. Everyone knows that the harder you work your muscles, the bigger they become and the more likely it will be that they can handle larger work loads in the future. Well, that is exactly how our immune system works. Haven’t you ever wondered why younger children seem to be sick more often than older kids and adults? That’s because when we’re born, our immune systems have not yet been exposed to very many variations in germs. So, as these new germs are introduced, our body reacts in order to kill them and strengthen our immunity. That’s why, as we get older, the flu, a cold or a fever occurs much less frequently and is typically much less severe.
Bottom line: Although uncomfortable, symptoms are always a sign that your body is doing exactly what it should be doing in the face of some sort of adversity. Symptoms are also a good indication that your body is working to become stronger for the future. Covering up symptoms with medication does nothing to strengthen your own immune system and actually works in many ways to make you weaker.
Remember: Your body, which consists of over 100 trillion cells, was constructed from just two single cells without the help of a single human being. There is an amazing power inside of you at work all of the time. It is the power that directs all actions needed for life. It is the power that has healed you from every sickness you have ever encountered, from every cut or broken bone you have ever experienced. Trust me when I tell you that this intelligence and power is there when you have a cold or a fever. It knows what it is doing and it is always working for your best interest. Can you say that about the pharmaceutical companies that are selling you pills and potions?
- Have you more trust in a knife or a spoon full of medicine than in the Innate power that animates the internal living world ?
- B.J. Palmer. Developer of Chiropractic
Yours in Health,
Dr. Dan
