Lifestyle interventions can slow or reverse some illnesses

HAVE YOU ever gone to the doctor and spent more time talking about how to treat your symptoms, rather than what is causing them? Have you been prescribed medications that merely mask your symptoms, or even make them worse?

Addressing the root cause of your symptoms is at the heart of understanding your ailments, and this can be a game changer in achieving lasting health and wellness.

According to Dr Orlando Thomas, medical doctor and functional medicine practitioner at Thomas Medical and Shockwave Centre, understanding the root cause of a disease is like unravelling a mystery. Symptoms are often manifestations of an underlying imbalance or dysfunction within the body.

“For instance, chronic conditions like diabetes, autoimmune diseases, or digestive disorders may have multifaceted origins. Addressing the root cause involves identifying these origins – be it genetic, environmental, or lifestyle-related – and developing a personalised strategy to restore balance,” he said.

Dr Thomas, who was the main speaker at the ‘Transforming Lives Through Healthy Living’ series of presentations held at the Portmore Seventh-day Adventist Church, said the human body is a complex system, and illness often arises from imbalances within this system.

“These imbalances can be triggered by various factors, including poor nutrition, stress and environmental toxins. By identifying and addressing these root causes, we can alleviate symptoms that also promote long-term health and well-being,” Dr Thomas said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the world’s biggest killer is ischaemic heart disease, responsible for 13 per cent of the world’s total deaths. Since 2000, the largest increase in deaths has been caused by this disease, rising by 2.7 million to 9.1 million deaths in 2021.

As a newly emerged cause of deaths, COVID-19 was directly responsible for 8.8 million deaths in 2021, and consequently, largely pushed down other leading causes of death by one place. Instead of being the second- and third-leading causes of death as in 2019, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease became the third and fourth in 2021, responsible for approximately 10 per cent and five per cent of total deaths, respectively.

Lower respiratory infections remained the world’s most deadly communicable disease other than COVID-19, ranked as the fifth-leading cause of death. However, the number of deaths has gone down substantially: in 2021 it claimed 2.5 million lives, 370,000 fewer than in 2000.

Deaths from other non-communicable diseases were also on the rise. Trachea, bronchus and lung cancers deaths have risen from 1.2 million in 2000 to 1.9 million in 2021 and are now ranked sixth among leading causes of death.

According to Dr Thomas, in conventional medicine, medical practitioners tend to treat these diseases individually, but most people that have one of these illnesses also have three or more that are referred to as comorbidities.

“They all go together. Most diabetics have hypertension and poor circulation, and may be at the risk of getting a stroke or a heart attack. The question is, why do many of these diseases go together? Because the root causes are the same, and as such, reversing these diseases also takes the same or similar strategies,” he said.

Addressing the root causes of illnesses, he said, represents a paradigm shift in our approach to health and wellness. By focusing on the underlying imbalances that give rise to disease, we can move beyond symptom management to truly promote health and vitality.

Many people suffer from different factors, including chronic stress, poor diet, and the lack of sleep. By addressing these underlying issues, he said, we can enhance our body’s natural ability to fight off illness. “As we continue to face new health challenges, this holistic approach will be critical in supporting our collective well-being,” Dr Thomas said.

COMMON THINGS TO LIVE LONGER:

• Good nutrition: What you eat has a direct impact on the cells in your body, which in turn has an impact on longevity. A healthy diet provides cells with vital sources of energy and keeps them stable and working as they should. Healthy foods support your immune cells, which defend against infections and other health threats, protect other cells from damage, and help the body repair or replace damaged cells.

• Role of exercise: Many studies show that physical activity contributes to greater longevity, due to the many positive effects it has on the body. These effects include stronger heart and lung function, improved health of blood vessels, stronger muscles, better balance, and a healthier weight.

OTHER LIFESTYLE CHOICES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO LONGEVITY:

In addition to healthy eating and being more active, the following lifestyle choices can have an enormous impact on longevity and quality of life:

• Do not smoke: Smoking has been proven to shorten lifespan. Smoking damages lung function, hearth, skin and oral health, and it increases the risk of cancer.

• Limit alcohol: Excessive alcohol use increases your risk of liver damage, cancer, and serious accidents. It can impair your immune system and result in depression. Drinking alcohol in moderation means one drink or less per day for women, and two drinks or less per day for men.

• Get enough sleep: Getting quality sleep is vital to good health and well-being throughout your life and may even extend it. Over time, inadequate sleep can raise your risk for chronic health problems, affecting your heart, brain, lungs, immune system, and more.

• Hydrate: Those who stay well hydrated appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions like heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who do not.

• Socialise: More frequent social activity was associated with significantly longer survival. In fact, the greater the frequency of socialisation, the greater the likelihood of living longer.

• Think positive: You may be surprised that your outlook on life can contribute to longevity. Two recent studies found that optimism is linked to a longer lifespan in women from diverse racial and ethnic groups, and to better emotional health in older men.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com

SOURCE: World Health Organization