Considerations when treating symptoms

You know what, sometimes its hard to figure out a root cause.  And even once you’ve found it out, it can be hard to address it, sometimes taking years to fully resolve it.  Do you have to suffer with your symptoms that whole time? Of course not. A great practitioner will tailor a health protocol to you, if you need more symptomatic help tell them.

Understand that there are some decisions that need to be made when treating symptoms.  Here are just some of those considerations for you to make.  I want to say as well, there is no judgement here.  You are an individual and you make the choice that you think is best for you right now.

Symptoms as messengers

Symptoms are your body’s way of telling you that something is amiss.  Constantly dulling symptoms without going upstream to the source of the problem can lead to a recurrence and even worsening of symptoms. 

Your body wants to tell you something and it will figure out ways to do this, perhaps as another ache or pain, or feeling exhausted all the time.

Stephen Levitt and Stephen Dubner, in their book Think Like a Freak: Secrets of the Rogue Economist stated

‘So rather than address their root causes, we often spend billions of dollars treating the symptoms and are left to grimace when the problem remains.’

Now, they weren’t talking directly about health here, but the concept is still valid.

By looking for and addressing the root cause of an issue, the symptoms tend to clear up as a by-product of this, or clear up easier with targeted intervention.

Is treating your symptoms stopping you from looking for the root cause? Whether the answer is yes or no, ask yourself, are YOU ok with that? There is no judgement in wanting to relieve symptoms without going deeper.

What if I don’t know what the root cause is?

I get it, I’ve been here myself and I know how hard it can be.  Whether you’re working on your own or with a team, it can be frustrating when you can’t figure out what is causing your health issues.

If you’re looking for lasting results, treat the symptoms as best you can while still searching for and addressing the root cause.  You can also benefit from improving on the foundations of health.

Cost vs benefit analysis

This is one of the fundamental concepts in economics, people make decisions based on the perceived costs and benefits.  If they believe the benefits outweigh the cost they do it, if the costs are bigger, they don’t.  Simple right? 

You’re making this same decision with regards to your health whether you’re consciously aware of it or not.
Let’s see how we can apply it.

Side effects

Does your intervention have any negative side effects?

If yes, decide if you’re willing to accept those negative side effects for reducing current symptoms.  Nobody can tell you if it’s worth it or not for YOU.  You can certainly ask for advice, but this is a decision you’ll ultimately make. 

Does your symptomatic treatment improve other areas of health (aka positive side effects)?

Let’s look at an example.  You have quite a lot of joint pain and you hear about the benefits of Curcumin from Turmeric.  It’s often touted as a fantastic herb for joint pain.  So you decide to buy some to help with your pain.  You notice that your digestion is improving, your going to the bathroom easier and you have a little bit less brain fog, all actions of Curcumin.
Whenever possible look for these broad acting treatments that improve multiple facets of your health.

What does it cost?

What is the actual cost in dollars for your treatment? Are there any other costs involved like a loss of your time?

You might find that a massage really helps relieve your joint pain and when you total up the cost of the treatment, parking, petrol and the 2 hours of work you missed you find it actually costs you $200.
Is this the best use of your money? Again, no judgement, just something for you to consider. 

Concluding thoughts

So, as we can see, this is a complex issue without a clear answer for everyone.  You’ll have to decide what’s best for you.

The question I’ll leave you with is, ‘What are these symptoms trying to tell you right now?’