Degenerative disease just doesn’t spring up out of nowhere without any warning. There are stages that the body goes through in the attempt to retain normal function prior to submitting the pressures of the disease processes. Let’s take a brief look at the five stages of disease.
Stage 0 – Homeostasis
Homeostasis is a state of optimal function for the body, a state of ease, a state of balance. Ultimately, throughout the entire progression to disease the body is always attempting to return to this stage.
Stage 1 – Deviation from Homeostasis
External and/or internal stressors place strain on the some cells or body systems causing them to fall our of balance. If the stressor goes away, the body will be able to return to a state of normal function. If the the stressor continues to be present, the body may move towards the second stage of disorder over time.
Stage 2 – Pathophysiology
The second stages represents a marked deviation from homeostasis. Stage 2 is a stage of malfunction. The body attempts to return to stage 1 or back to normal function; but if it is unable to, compensatory, catabolic mechanisms will continue leading to function changes and an abnormal state of physiology.
Stage 3 – Pathmomorphology
Continued stressors lead to continued compensation which produces a dis-eased state where there are physical changes to the structures of the body (a morphing so to speak). Despite difficulty, the body is will still attempt to get back to the previous stage or all the way back to homeostasis. If stage 3 continues to progress, the presence of symptoms will begin to arise.
Stage 4 – Symptomatology
During this stage, the existing malfunction that now exists manifests itself as noticeable symptoms that the host can no longer ignore. The compensatory actions that have come about in stages 1 through 3 are now becoming very evident and presenting themselves as a clear deviation from optimal physiological function.
This stage is where many in the Western world start to head to the doctor to see what’s going on but unbeknownst to them they are already in the fourth stage of disease out of five. Failure to address the underlying cause of the dysfunction at this time can result in a full blown degenerative disease or death.
Stage 5 – Death
When the body’s compensatory actions can no longer hold up, the death of a organ, bodily system, or the entire person will result. The chronic stressors cause a progression of physiological changes and force adaptations that the body cannot handle. At this stage, we see the permanent cessation of vital function that maintains life leading a death of some kind.
The message that I’d like to get across with this blog is that disease doesn’t happen over night. All diseases start from a stressor or stressors of some kind. Recognition of these stressors is paramount in preventing the disease process from occurring. Let’s start to switch the paradigm to disease prevention instead of treating disease when the dysfunction has momentum and is already in stage 4.
The ability to tune into Self is also to help you recognize when you have deviated from Stage 0 and have entered Stage 1 or 2. This awareness of how we are feeling is sadly missing in the western world from my experience. There are so many distractions (work, TV, Facebook, cell phones, internet, etc) that demand our attention and take it away from tuning into how we really feel. Bottom line is how you’re feeling at the present moment matters. If you’re not feeling optimal, find out why and then make the necessary changes to return to Stage 0 – Homeostasis.
