Wednesday, June 10, 2009

What's the cause?

Have you ever wondered what causes your chronic illness or illnesses? Yeah, well so have I. Not just my own illnesses, but some of your illnesses, too. So I did a little digging, and here's what I found out about the causes of many common contemporary illnesses (listed in alphabetical order):

Acne
"The cause of pimples is unknown." -acne.org

Asthma
"The exact cause of asthma isn't known."
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

Attention Deficit Disorder
"Despite intensive research, the exact origins of ADD and ADHD have yet to be determined." - The Health Center (See my note near the end of this post.)

Autism
"There is no known single cause for autism..." -Autism Society of America

Bipolar Disorder (Manic-depression)
"The cause of bipolar disorder is not entirely known." -Psych Central

Canker Sores
"The precise cause of canker sores remains unclear..." -Mayo Clinic

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
"The exact cause of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is unknown." -Medicine Plus

Crohn's Disease
"The cause of Crohn's disease is unknown." -medicinenet.com

Dandruff
"The exact cause of seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff) is unknown. Most experts do know, though, that it is not caused by poor hygiene." -Medical News Today

Eczema
"The cause of eczema (atopic dermatitis) is unknown." -eczemaguide.ca

Epilepsy
"Seizures are symptoms of abnormal brain function. With the exception of very young children and the elderly, the cause of the abnormal brain function is usually not identifiable." -Epilepsy Foundation

Fibromyalgia
"The cause of fibromyalgia is not known." -WebMD

Headaches
"Experts do not agree about what causes headaches, but they agree that more studies are needed." -eMedicineHealth

Irritable Bowel Syndrome
"The exact cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is not known." -WebMD

Migraine
"The exact cause of migraine is not fully understood." -womenshealth.gov

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
"Experts don't know the exact cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder." -WebMD

Optic Neuritis

  • "Optic neuritis in young adults is believed to most commonly develop when the immune system attacks myelin covering the optic nerve, resulting in inflammation and damage. It's not certain what causes your immune system to attack its own tissue." -Mayo Clinic

  • "While other disease processes can cause optic neuritis, MS is the most likely cause in a young, otherwise healthy individual." -National MS Society
OK, so what causes MS?

Multiple Sclerosis
  • "Doctors still don't understand what causes MS..." -WebMD

  • "While the cause (etiology) of MS is still not known..." -National MS Society
Yeah, that's what I thought. Now tell me what causes the immune system to attack the myelin covering the optic nerve. I already know what causes it, but I want you to explain it to me, doc.

Pre-menstrual Syndrome
"Experts say that the definitive cause of PMS is not yet known." -ehealthMD

Psoriasis
"The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown." -skincarephysicians.com

Schizophrenia
"There are many theories about the cause of schizophrenia, but none have been proven." -WebMD

Tourette Syndrome
"The exact cause of Tourette syndrome isn't known, and there's no known way to prevent it." -Mayo Clinic



OK, so let me get this straight: Doctors have no idea what causes any of these things, yet doctors continue to treat all of them with prescription medications anyway? Does that seem wrong to anyone reading this?

In just one sentence I've already identified two things these conditions all have in common. But there's more: Another thing they all have in common is that they are Candida symptoms.

Taking it a step further, all but a couple of these conditions can be explained by Candida. And unlike the medical establishment's approach, it all makes sense when you look at them as symptoms of Candida overgrowth. Additionally, Candida overgrowth does have a cause. Unfortunately, mainstream medicine does not even recognize the existence of Candida overgrowth (because it doesn't show up on MRIs). Worse, they treat many of these Candida symptoms with precisely the same medications that are responsible for causing Candida overgrowth.

This list only contains conditions that didn't require tons of detailed research. There are plenty more illnesses out there that your doctor knows nothing about but doesn't hesitate prescribing dangerous medications for them anyway.



ADD Note: I have taken medication for ADD since December 1992. Although I willingly take this medication every morning, I really don't even like calling it ADD anymore, first of all because it is not a disorder; it is simply a difference in how some people's brains process information. In fact, I'd call it an attention surplus because that's what it really is. The only reason it seems like an attention deficit is because "non-ADD-brain" researchers don't understand that the "ADD brain" is constantly trying to focus on 20 different ideas that are boucing around inside the head at any given time. When you're trying to focus on 20 different ideas at the same time, none of the ideas will receive as much attention from your brain as your teacher or parent expects from you. But every once in a while you get one of those magic moments in which you are able to turn off all the unwanted thoughts and focus on the most important one. It's during these moments that brilliant, world-changing ideas are born.

In the 16+ years since I began taking Dexedrine (or occasionally Adderall) for ADD, I have never experienced any side effects. If the medication didn't help, I wouldn't take it. After all these years, it's difficult for me to imagine that I could make the foundation of my "ADD" go away just by changing my diet for a while. However, now that I'm learning about Candida's link to all these illnesses, I envision a day when I will be able to focus and concentrate without the aid of Dexedrine.

Do doctors or scientists know why Dexedrine helps treat ADD? Nope. They just know it minimizes the symptoms. In my case, it also addresses the problem, and I consider myself lucky to not feel any side effects. But I also wonder now if ADD medication played a role in feeding Candida or allowing it to take over my body. I don't think it plays any role, but I'm going to try to find out.

I'm not out to debunk all the illnesses that other people suffer from. I'm just out to find an answer, and in finding that answer I'm willing to crush my own long-held beliefs if the evidence tells me I should.

--
Aimless: The Adventures of an American Vagabond.
Become a fan of Aimless on Facebook.

7 comments:

  1. I like your blog. I agree that most of what ails the human race is probably yeast related. Doctors will never acknowledge or admit it, because, let's face it, they caused it.

    Are you still fighting the yeast beast or have you given up for the time being? It's hard, I know...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous: It's hard to say whether I'm fighting the beast right now. Y'see, I've been walking from coast to coast for almost six months now. I started at the Santa Monica Pier and I just made it home to central Ohio yesterday.

    I think this extreme physical activity has made a very positive impact on my physical and mental state, but it's impossible for me to maintain anything resembling an anti-Candida diet. On this trek, I eat what I can get. I eat cheap. I eat what's light enough to carry.

    I hope I'll have a chance to say more about this someday soon.

    Thanks "Symptoms And Cure."

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've been going through this for over a year now! Dr's know nothing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Why are so many Acne sufferers turning to AcneMed to give them a pimple free, young and vibrant looking skin.
    acne and treatment

    ReplyDelete
  5. Did you discontinue your ADD medicine to do the candida diet?

    I ask because I've been on Adderall for about 5 years for my ADD. It's a bad time for me to stop taking it (college), but if it's necessary I could try.

    ReplyDelete
  6. No, I've never discontinued the medication. I tend to take a lower dose than I'm prescribed, but that's mostly because it's so expensive. Honestly, I've never even looked into whether my medication may contribute to Candida problems, but I have never seen it listed on Candida-related web pages, either, so I've never really worried about it. Maybe I should check into it, just to be sure.

    ReplyDelete