Have you ever wondered what is that stuff coming out of your nose when you have a common cold? Such nasal discharges are composed of dead viruses that were killed by the body`s defences, dead white blood cells that were killed as a result of the infection, and of a liquid substance known as mucus which the body deploys as a vehicle to remove this dead matter.

If you take a conventional over-the-counter drug for the common cold, these drugs "work" by reducing the body’s ability to create mucus, which simply inhibits the body’s own efforts to eliminate the dead viruses from the body. Although these conventional drugs may stop the nasal discharge temporarily, the side effects of these drugs are that they lead to bronchial congestion, headache, and fatigue, which can be more problematic and discomforting symptoms than the original simple nasal discharge.

The lesson here is that just because a drug is effective in getting rid of a symptom does not necessarily mean that this treatment is truly curative (or even helpful).

The basic assumption behind the broad field of Natural Medicine is that the human body has an inherent wisdom within it that strives to defend itself and to survive. Symptoms of illness are not simply something "wrong" with the person, but instead, symptoms are actually responses and efforts of the organism to defend and heal itself against infection and/or stress. Hans Selye, MD, PhD, the father of stress theory, once asserted, "Disease is not mere surrender to attack but also the fight for health; unless there is a fight, there is no disease."

Our human body has survived all these thousands of years because of its incredible adaptive capabilities, and one of the ways that it adapts is through the creation of symptoms. Whether it be through fever and inflammation, cough and expectoration, nausea and vomiting, fainting and comatose states, and even the variety of emotional and mental states, each symptom represents the best efforts of the body-mind in its effort to fight infection and/or adapt to physical and psychological stresses.

The word "symptom" comes from a Greek root and refers to "something that falls together with something else." Symptoms are a sign or signal of something else, and treating them doesn’t necessarily change that "something else", i.e. the underlying cause. Ultimately, a symptom is a signal, a warning light that something is off-balance. It is akin to an oil warning light in your car. Although this light will go off if you unscrew the lamp, this simple action doesn’t solve the more complex problem that led to the light turning on in the first place.

In 1942 Walter B. Cannon, a medical doctor, wrote a seminal book entitled The Wisdom of the Body. This book, which is a classic in medicine, detailed the impressive and sophisticated efforts that the body deploys to defend and heal itself.

Let me give you a simple example: Let's say that you love processed and sweet foods, and hence eat a lot of white bread, cakes and chocolate. As a result your blood sugar control is not always optimal and you often have relatively high amounts of glucose (sugar) floating around in your blood. This glucose is very damaging to your arteries (due to a process called glycation). Obviously the body does not want any holes in your arteries (as you would bleed to death), so to heal the damage to your arteries, your body uses cholesterol as a band aid. Overtime, your arteries become rigid and your blood pressure goes up. Now, if you at that point go to your doctor and simply get tablets to artificially lower your blood pressure (or cholesterol), you haven't actually done anything to correct the underlying cause of the problem.

The high blood pressure is not the problem, it is just a symptom that is trying to warn you, trying to tell you something. That is why it is so important that we actually listen to our body, listen to our symptoms. However, often in our stressful modern way of living we unfortunately don't take the time. It is easier just to take a pill and temporarily forget about the problem. Needless to say, longterm this strategy does not work!

Many leading scientists recognise that symptoms are actually efforts of the organism to deal with stress or infection. In fact, even seemingly normal body functions work as important defences:

- Fever is an important, even vital, defence against infection.
- Tears help wash and cleanse the eyes.

- The respiratory system is bathed in antibody and enzyme-rich secretions that are propelled up and down the throat and bronchial tree so that invaders are killed.

- The ears secrete an antibacterial wax which helps to fight infection.

- The frequent washing of the mouth with saliva kills some pathogens and dislodges others so that the stomach's acid and enzymes can destroy them.

Without having to tell the body mind what to do, our innate survival instinct has developed sophisticated responses to both old and new infections and stresses.

The implications of recognising that symptoms are efforts of the body to defend itself are significant. Because some conventional drugs work by suppressing symptoms, these drugs often tend to provide helpful temporarily relief but tend to lead to other new and more serious problems by inhibiting the body’s defence and immune processes. Such drugs should therefore be avoided except in dire situations or in extreme pain or discomfort when safer treatments are not working fast or adequately enough. And if you are taking such pharmaceutical drugs, then make sure that you are simultaneously addressing the underlying causes of your condition.