Patients often think that medical reasoning is mostly causal reasoning. Doctors often think so too. This is not the case. And that\u2019s too bad, because it would make things so much easier\u2026<\/p>\n
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Still, we better don\u2019t rely on wishful thinking.<\/p>\n
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Causal reasoning is a myth that can easily be deconstructed. Therefore, we have to do it, even if it hurts. The good news is that the pain of deconstruction is short. You don\u2019t have to be patient for this.<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s a well-known fact – scientifically known, this is – that in medical general practice, only some 20% of consultations for non-chronic diseases, end in a statement of the \u2018causal disease\u2019. Still, if the patients are asked about this, the perceived % is more like 80% or higher. The causal myth is unchallenged at this side. Stranger is that most physicians too have a much higher % in mind, until they are made to reflect about their own handlings. It seems that a cause is desperately wanted, dead or alive. If needed, in a hallucinatory way.<\/p>\n
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Of cause!<\/p>\n
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I have just mentioned \u2018causal disease\u2019. You probably took this for granted. You shouldn\u2019t have done so. Namely: diseases don\u2019t cause symptoms. Diseases are<\/em> the symptoms. Surely a disease can cause another disease, which is then a conglomerate of symptoms in its own right. Like: diabetes can cause a kidney disease or an eye disorder. But: diabetes doesn\u2019t cause elevated blood sugars. It is<\/em>, among other things, the elevated blood sugars.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n This wouldn\u2019t be important, if it wouldn\u2019t lead to misunderstandings.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n For instance, \u2018cluster headache\u2019 doesn\u2019t cause a headache. It is<\/em> the headache. Therefore finding the \u2018cause\u2019 of one\u2019s headache in a diagnosis such as \u2018cluster headache\u2019 is utterly meaningless. Likewise: asthma, irritable bowels syndrome, eczema, migraine, CVS, \u2018the flue\u2019, etc., etc. are not causes of any symptoms. They are<\/em> the symptoms. The clusters aren\u2019t tight either. Most patients have \u2018atypical symptoms\u2019. This makes a distinction between symptoms and diseases very blurry.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n \u2018Treating a disease\u2019 is not \u2018treating the cause of symptoms\u2019.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n Doctors like to think they treat causes. They seldom do. Most of medicine is symptomatic. Almost all medications are purely symptomatic. This is \u2018health-cosmetics\u2019. That\u2019s OK, but one should know it, of cause.<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n Meanwhile, natura sanat.<\/p>\n Luckily!<\/p>\n \u25ca\u25ca\u25ca<\/p>\n