Scan through any electronic or print news source and you can almost guarantee that you’ll get bombarded with the latest health concerns.  It can get confusing trying to distinguish which of the expert medical reports to follow.  Pharmaceutical companies are creating medical remedies to treat a myriad of complex sounding conditions that often end up being not so serious.

Women have always had to deal with premenstrual symptoms.  Grandma used to say to get a hot water bottle for your stomach, a cold cloth for your head and lie down.  But in our quick-fast-in-a-hurry world we don’t have time to get sick, or to tolerate discomfort.  When over the counter medications began appearing on pharmacy shelves, we realized that we didn’t have to deal with those pains as much.  How many illnesses or conditions are real genuine problems?  Are we seduced into recognizing them as such? Take a look at any commercial on television and you’ll see a smiling person who finally found relief from an ailment just by taking the medicine featured in the ad.  It could be something as absurd as ‘hangnail syndrome,’ and the next thing you know we’re all studying every crevice of our nails to find that particular problem.  I thought PMS was enough to describe discomfort that women experience prior to the start of their menstrual cycles.  Now they’ve identified another level of PMS where it’s even more intense and so intolerable that we couldn’t possibly get through it without whatever super-med has recently been created.  Whatever happened to getting to the true root of the problem and then seeking treatment?  Why are we so quick to run to the store or medicine cabinet to seek instant relief? Do we even consider seeking relief through prayer or meditation and asking God what’s really going on?

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is a condition that produces an urge to move the leg, usually while you are trying to sleep, which can result in severe fatigue throughout the day.   Webmd.com reports that the cause of the syndrome is unknown but could possibly be attributed to genetics or other existing health conditions. To relieve mild symptoms, the basic remedy is regular moderate exercise and avoiding caffeine and smoking.  Jerking or other involuntary movements are called periodic limb movements, and are said to interfere with sleep. Medication is available for this syndrome.  Now ask yourself, how many times does the average person move around in sleep, sometimes with jerking movements while dreaming, or experience other sleep disturbances? This comparison is not to minimize the seriousness of RLS, but to raise questions about whether medications are needed for every flaw or imperfection in our bodies.  Is there an official scientific name for snoring, sleep walking or talking in sleep?  These are also things that could disrupt sleep, cause fatigue and impair daily functioning for the sufferer (or anyone else that shares the same room).

Let’s be more aware of our health and our bodies.  There is a ton of information available on almost every subject you can imagine.  With all of that information we must discern the source and be careful about what we believe. Be wary of health care providers that don’t want to answer your questions and are too quick to prescribe medications.  Do research, and ask lots of questions. Tune in to how you’re really feeling, both physically and emotionally. Is it true pain and discomfort or just something that comes and goes? Could stress be one of your symptoms? Pay attention and get to know your body.   Use common sense.  And as always, ask God for continued guidance on your path to good health.

Posted under Health