Listen to your body
April 21st, 2017I love reading medical mysteries in the New York Times Magazine on Sunday. Each of them usually starts off with a person with some vague symptoms; they visit several doctors usually a primary care physician and multiple specialists. They get a battery of blood tests, imaging such as CT scans or MRI’s. Then at some point, they may be given a diagnosis and treated, but the initial treatment doesn’t work. Other treatments are tried, but they also fail. Ultimately, they get cured by some physician who thought out of the box and found the “zebra” (medical jargon for an extremely rare disease that eludes most other doctors, in contrast to the “horse” which is commonplace). It’s like a Sherlock Holmes mystery or episode of “House” and utterly fascinating to me.
What I find even more amazing about these stories is that the protagonist is often a patient who feels like something is wrong, yet all tests come back negative for any definitive diagnosis. This persistent and inquisitive person is unwilling to accept that their condition does not have a name and does not have a treatment, despite multiple medical professionals who tell them it may all be just “in their head”, yet they persist and are brave to say that something is definitely not right.
I believe we all have an ability to detect subtle changes in our body, but many times we ignore these signals or discount them. These may not be classic “symptoms” found in a medical school textbook, as every person is unique, but they are just as valuable for diagnosis and proper treatment. For example, before I develop a full blown cold, my ears start to get red and warm. When this happens, I immediately take steps to build up my immune system and may do a sinus rinse or drink ginger tea. I think it’s very important to get to know and understand your body’s unique way of speaking to you. It’s kind of like when you play poker and the other player has a weird habit or tic (called a “tell”) that they do when they’re bluffing. You can use this knowledge to your advantage…
I tell my patients all the time to listen to their bodies. Get to know the subtleties. Are you feeling slightly dizzy or off balance, could your blood sugar low? Are your eyes burning, could your blood pressure high? Is your appetite suddenly gone, maybe you are getting a viral intestinal infection (stomach flu)? Learn to trust these messages. These are unique to you and can be helpful to leading you to wellness. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked with patients who come in week after week with a new medical issue often times completely separated by organ system or body part (e.g. arm pain one week and toe pain the next week). Sometimes this can drag on for over a few months, but I tell them their body is telling them something isn’t all right and we need to continue finding the solution. Ultimately, we often do find an answer or the problems resolve themselves.
If you do find yourself in one of these situations, I would recommend keeping a journal. Input your symptoms and any related aspects. For example, people with celiac disease (inability to digest gluten properly) can be diagnosed earlier if they keep a food and symptom journal. Oftentimes, it’s difficult to recall these associations during your appointment with your medical provider. A journal helps to visualize recurring trends and patterns over long periods of time. One time, I had a patient who developed two weeks of allergic skin reactions (hives) but during our intake and discussion, we couldn’t identify any particular trigger. After keeping a diary for two months, she identified that the reactions occurred only after drinking a certain brand of soy milk and exercising afterwards. Interestingly enough, she didn’t have the reaction if she exercised only or drank a different brand of soy milk! After avoiding this brand of soy milk or just not exercising after the brand that caused the reaction previously, she noticed she was fine. Journals that include lab tests are also helpful if you need to see another provider or specialist so they can pick up where the other left off.
Listen to your body, learn to understand it’s language, and trust your instincts! No one knows your body better than you!
