The state of knowledge of medicine is progressing steadily and therapeutic approaches continue to evolve. Therefore, it is not surprising that today we treat patients a different way than a few decades ago. Nowadays we know that many medical conditions, such as sleep disorders, are usually just a symptom. Our job is to understand the root cause behind it. Outdated therapies are more likely to complicate matters than to contribute to a solution.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for physicians to rely on obsolete forms of therapy and not uncommon to be set in their ways, having little interest in new research and new therapeutic options. Often it is also due to the increasing lack of time available per patient. The consequence is that the actual causes behind the health problems are not explored but the symptoms are suppressed with various kind of medication.

Sleeping pills

Having trouble falling asleep or waking up at night are a common symptom of various disorders. Unfortunately, patients still often simply receive a prescription for sleeping pills, which initially bring some improvement. But they do not and cannot fix the cause behind the sleeping disorder and also carry a great risk of dependency. Therefore, possible organic causes should always be ruled out first.

Often, the reason is a hormonal imbalance. For example, a surplus of the stress hormone cortisol in the evening or at night (where the cortisol level should be at its lowest) can keep us awake. Sleeping pills cannot solve this problem. On the contrary, they further shatter the natural system and exacerbate the situation.

Pain-pills and antidepressants

Pain is a clear alarm signal from the body that something is wrong. Abdominal pain can indicate various diseases such as a “leaky gut”, gluten intolerance or a parasite infection. The diagnosis is often difficult because the symptoms are nonspecific, and the intestine is a very complex system. Therefore, the prescription of pain pills might seem to be the simpler alternative.

Even women with severe menstrual cramps often get painkillers rather than a thorough exploration of their symptoms. Often with the snide comment that menstrual cramps are something quite natural. Strong menstrual pain is by no means natural or normal! Rather, they indicate a hormonal disorder, such as an estrogen dominance. Since this not only causes pain, but can even make it impossible to get pregnant, a hormone check would be the better approach.

The hormonal system is also a big factor in mental symptoms. Nervousness, anxiety and depressive moods are common symptoms of hormonal imbalances. A treatment with antidepressives should therefore only be started once all other physical causes have been ruled out.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are one of the major achievements of modern medicine and save countless lives every year. Their use should, however, be targeted: high inflammation values in the body, for example, must not always be caused by external bacteria, but are also often a symptom of a “leaky gut” or a result of an unhealthy diet. In these cases, the untargeted use of antibiotics should not be the first step.

And when an antibiotic therapy is necessary, a subsequent gut renovation is of great importance. Unfortunately, many physicians still underestimate and ignore that point, although in recent years, the importance of the intestinal flora and the harmful effects of antibiotics on it, has been documented in numerous studies.