Inflammation- the Silent Killer

Inflammatory conditions account for many different physical ailments...most end with an "-itis"( which indicates something that is inflammed). The most common conditions are Arthritis, Bursitis, Tendonitis, Capsulitis, and Diverticulitis. So what do these all have in common besides an "-itis" ending?

You may be surprised to learn that inflammation is a contributing factor, if not the cause, of some of the most deadly diseases that Americans are fighting today...

The most commonly prescribed drugs in America are medications that manage Pain, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, and High Cholesterol. The common denominator in nearly all of these conditions or diseases is inflammation.

Unfortunately, allopathic medicine and the current medical system do not have the ability or knowledge to detect inflammation and blood/tissue chemistry changes until they have reached a pathological level. This is a major problem when evaluating blood chemistry, since the changes occur in the blood long-after a condition has been present...often years. This doesn't mean that medicine can't detect it...but many of the methods available to do it aren't covered by medical insurance. Therefore, many doctors do not practice these methods.

The biggest concern, from the patient and consumer standpoint, is that our current Insurance system is not set-up to handle 'wellness care' or methods of detection that prevent diabetetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure well in advance. You have to acquire them first. Then, it is as if 'you' have something NEW...well, the truth is (as if you've been lied-to up until now), you've been developing the condition for years. The condition has a birth, a gray area of development(months to years), and then suddenly a "diagnosis". Certainly, genetics play a role in most of these diseases, but lifestyle factors and diet have shown time and time again that you are still in control of your health. "So, where did I go wrong", you may ask?

As we have all heard, Prevention is the Key. Inflammation is largely a component of the hormonal system and its ability to decrease an inflammatory response, which is the main function of the adrenal gland and a hormone called Cortisol. But what is causing the inflammation in the first place? Is it stress? Do we know what stress is and how the body responds to it?

Thanks to the lifetime work of Dr. Hans Selye, often called the "Father of Stress", the body has become very predictable in the way it responds to stress and inflammation. The alternative health community has embraced his work and used it to identify methods of early detection, including hair mineral analysis, saliva hormone testing, urine, live blood cell analysis, and other methods. Since healthcare is slow to change, it is unlikely to see these types of tests covered by insurance. Fortunately, these tests are relatively inexpensive and act as a "guide" to preventing many of the acute and chronic degenerative diseases that plague our nation.