Hildreth on Health: The probable significance of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia

Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia can be early symptoms of more destructive and disabling changes to come. Most of our musculoskeletal aches and pains and all the joint, tendon and muscle dysfunctions reflect cellular breakdown, as was shown by the pictures in the last article.

Fortunately, in most cases, these forms of symptoms come before the deadly ones such as diabetes, heart disease, strokes, cancer and progressive neurological diseases. All of this cellular destruction and symptoms come because of our overwhelming free radical and oxidative destructive stress above and beyond the anti-oxidant ability at that moment.

All anti-oxidant availability is by way of nutrition. We produce about 30 percent of the need for anti-oxidants within our body to combat the excess oxidative stress. The other 70 percent of anti-oxidants that we depend upon must come from external sources by way of nutrition.

The raw materials required to produce the internally formulated anti-oxidants must come from nutrition. Commercially produced medication will not take the place of needed intake of natural raw materials. It has been shown that even the intake of synthetic raw materials in the form of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants is not capable of fulfilling what the natural earth-grown anti-oxidants can do. More on this later.

To slow the progression of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, and the more deadly diseases to come we must: First, reduce the amount of exposure to external free radical oxidative cellular destruction; second, reduce the amount of internal free radical oxidative cellular destruction by living more happy, contented and stress-free lives; third, supply the body with more natural vital nutrients including anti-oxidants for curbing oxidative activity and assisting cellular repair and replacement; and fourth, is use, all of our cells must have a purpose for being here or they will atrophy as was shown in one of the cells in the last article.

We have laid out a plan in the office to aid in rectifying these physical and emotional challenges including initial temporary medical relief while the body is correcting itself with the outside vital nutritional help. The media and the amount of money spent on health care (more like disease care) indicated that Americans are not very healthy.

The American Heart Association has confirmed that 80 million-plus Americans have some form of heart disease, the strongest and the most efficient organ in our body.

One in three women and one in two men will have cancer in his or her lifetime (from the National Cancer Institute). More than 20 million children and adults have diabetes (from the American Diabetes Association).

These are all diseases that are essentially preventable.

Sixty-four percent of adults are overweight according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 60 percent of us do not engage in any vigorous leisure time physical activity.

I just acquired some data from some medical information that a growing number of American children are taking drugs for a wide range of chronic conditions related to childhood obesity. This information is according to prescription data from three large organizations.

By the age of 12 an estimated 70 percent of our children have developed the beginning stages of hardening of the arteries (from the Bogalusa Heart Study). Diabetes is accelerating at a rapid rate according to the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Our children’s children are going to pass us up in their speed of aging.

It is no wonder we are seeing and experiencing more chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Without changes, which are not always easy, we will be experiencing more fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue in the years to come. We can start on a one-to-one basis now.

Our national health care (more like disease care) expenditures were two trillion dollars in 2005 (that would be $6,700.00 per person). That has now crept up to over three trillion dollars and is slowly working its way up to close to four trillion dollars, according to the National Coalition of Health Care.

In summary, normal metabolism and external intake of free radicals can and does cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is the excess of free radical production beyond the capacity of the anti-oxidant cascade. Stress is associated with the pathogenesis of multiple disorders and even with the rate of aging according to Richard E. DuBois, M.D. FACP, Chief of Internal Medicine, Atlanta Medical Center.

We have the opportunity to intervene, let’s take advantage of it. As we get older we are fast learning that disease is easier to prevent than it is to cure. Just ask some of your friends that are dealing with cancer.

Take care and talk to your doctor about a better way.

Contact Green Valley Dr. DeWall J. Hildreth at 625-1101 or cnhcgv@yahoo.com. Dr. Hildreth specializes in hormone balancing and musclo-skeletal degeneration. He practices with Continental Natural Health Clinic at 210 W. Continental Rd., Suite 130. His column appears biweekly in the Green Valley News.