An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
~ Benjamin Franklin
We are not victims of our genes. Our living conditions and the lifestyle choices we make can favourably alter the way our genes are expressed. Twenty-first-century research confirms this.
Addressing underlying cause is the first in a series of seven blogs on ageing well. Using the letters in the word AGE-WELL as a memory aid, I offer seven habits that promote healthy ageing. These blogs may or may not be delivered consecutively.
The first habit is:
Address underlying causes of disease. Don’t just medicate symptoms.
With warmer temperatures this week, we were challenged with water leaks inside our brand new cottage. When we contacted the contractor, he explained that this was an unusual winter with freezing and thawing, causing ice dams on the roof. These ice dams were penetrating under shingles and into soffits at the valleys of peaked elevations. The recommendation was that we shovel the roof and clear the ice with a heated cable.
The house don't fall when the bones are good.
~Maren Morris
Shovelling the roof and de-icing are an example of symptom management. It does not address the underlying causes. The structure is currently vulnerable to harsh Canadian winters. To prevent this from happening again, the builder will instal vents and seal holes by caulking. Proper venting prevents the thaw and freeze, and caulking prevents interior leaks addressing the underlying cause and minimizing symptom management.
When it comes to health, symptoms are our body’s cry for help. For long term health, we need to pay attention, not just silence or manage signs and symptoms. Being told that a disease condition is a product of ageing or genetics or that the cause is unknown does not resonate with me. These explanations are dis-empowering. All we can do is manage symptoms and become dependent on an already overburdened medical system.
If I stepped on a thumbtack and failed to remove it, taking a pain killer might numb the pain, a symptom, but it would not address its underlying cause. The thumbtack has to be removed for permanent pain relief.
I will use bone loss, which can lead to a diagnosis of osteoporosis and increased risk of fracture as we age, as an example of how addressing the underlying causes is best for long term health.
If a bone scan shows low bone mineral density, we want to understand why the minerals are draining from the bone. As with the roof analogy, we need to know where the holes are to seal them.
Bone tissue undergoes remodelling throughout life. If the proper building blocks for creating healthy bone are known and provided, we can maintain adequate bone into old age. While the building of bone may peak at age thirty, it need not diminish much from there.
A healthy diet, proper digestion and absorption of nutrients, active daily living and balanced hormones contribute to optimal bone production and maintenance. What we do with our feet, fingers and forks matters. As does how we sleep, react to stress and connect with others.
What are possible causes for low bone mineral density?
Disordered eating and absence of menstruation in young women
Low stomach acid and the use of antacids like Tums and Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI's)
Medications like steroids (prednisone)
Stress increases cortisol (a natural steroid) and decreases progesterone, a hormone that helps activate bone-building
Heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury can displace calcium
Lower estrogen levels in post-menopausal women
Understanding the potential causes of bone deterioration empowers one to take the right steps to repair the damage. We need to reinforce the foundation and facilitate remodelling.
Standard treatment for bone-loss, or osteoporosis, is advice to take calcium and vitamin D, walk and take a bisphosphonate (a type of drug that interferes with the break down of bone). The long term use of these drugs can cause serious side-effects, including interference with the healthy remodelling of bone. Bone mineral density may appear higher in a scan, but the bone becomes less resilient, more brittle over time.
Please do not discontinue any treatment that you may have started. But talk to your doctor about investigating any potential underlying causes of bone loss.
I hope this blog encourages you to ask the right questions before resorting to taking drugs that just numb symptoms.
To age-well, addressing the underlying causes of any chronic or degenerative condition is non-negotiable. And I repeat, what we do with our feet, fingers and forks matters. As does how we sleep, react to stress and connect with others. Remember, symptoms are our body’s cry for help. We need to pay attention, not just silence them.
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