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Symptoms are the body's way of telling you that you have a
problem. In many cases, symptoms are good. It is the body trying to
heal itself. For instance, a fever is the body trying to fight
infection. If you have a low grade fever (i.e. 99 degrees), you may
have a viral infection, whereas a high grade fever (102 degrees and
above) usually indicates a bacterial infection.
Your body knows that a low grade fever will usually kill off a
viral infection and a that a bacterial infection generally requires
a higher fever. Therefore, taking aspirin or fever-reducing
medication is probably NOT a good idea since reducing your fever
could very well mean that you'll be sick longer. Vomiting, diarrhea
and coughing are other examples of the body trying to heal
itself.
In these instances, the body is trying to eliminate the toxin.
If you are vomiting or have diarrhea, it is important that you
replace the fluids by drinking a lot of water, but taking something
to stop the vomiting or diarrhea within the first 24 hours could
allow the bug to thrive. Many cough syrups have alcohol, which may
give you other problems, so therefore, allowing the cough to
eliminate the "bug" is usually a good idea.
Chest pain can be considered a good symptom in that the body told
you that there was a problem, but in that instance, you should get
to the hospital as quickly as possible as you might be experiencing
a heart attack. Pain is generally a good symptom. It is the way the
body tells you that you have a problem.
Many people ignore the pain
as they think it will just go away. Or, they take an analgesic such
as Tylenol or Advil. Analgesics cover up the symptom like a
Band-Aid, they don't fix the problem. And, many times, taking an
analgesic can make the problem worse as it lulls people into a
false sense of security.
They think that if they can't feel the pain, then they are OK and
go about doing their regular activities. Pain tells us what we can
and cannot do. Cutting off the pain signal may cause us to
aggravate the problem. Whether you have "good" symptoms or "bad"
symptoms, having a good relationship with a natural health provider
is good advice. It's important to know the difference between a
medical emergency and your body's natural healing
process.
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