Tricks the Medical System Plays on You: Understanding Causes vs. Symptoms

The medical system is one of the most successful business models ever created. It generates trillions of dollars every year, making it both incredibly lucrative and, in some ways, deeply manipulative. On this Halloween, let’s unravel the spooky trick it plays—confusing causes with symptoms—to keep you focused on the wrong things and selling you solutions that often don’t address the root of your problems.

Symptoms vs. Causes: Can You Tell the Difference?

Let’s start with a test:

Is IBS a symptom or a cause?

What about fatigue, joint pain, or headaches?

Crohn’s disease? Ulcerative colitis? Slow gut motility? Gastroparesis?

The answer is simple: all of these are symptoms. Not one of them is a cause. Yet, many people believe they are causes because the medical system—and even reputable books and websites—present them that way.

Doctors often label a condition or syndrome as the “cause” of your health problems without asking the essential question: What caused that condition in the first place? While genetics may play a role in rare cases, there is almost always an underlying cause that needs to be uncovered.

How the System Sells You Your Symptoms

Let’s look at a common example: chronic constipation.

When someone with chronic constipation visits their doctor, they might get an abdominal x-ray. The x-ray shows stool backed up in the colon, and the doctor points to it, saying, “Here’s your problem. You need to clear out this stool. Take this medication.”

On the surface, this might seem reasonable. But let’s break it down.

Of course, stool is backed up in the colon—that’s literally the definition of constipation.

The x-ray is simply showing the symptom, not the cause.

The real issue is why the stool is backed up in the first place. That’s the cause, and addressing it is the only way to solve the problem for good.

IBS: A Diagnosis Without Answers

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is another example of how the medical system misleads. IBS is not a cause—it’s a broad label for a collection of digestive symptoms that doctors don’t know how to address.

Every day, researchers search for a cure for IBS, but they’ll never find it. Why? Because IBS isn’t a disease or a single symptom—it’s a label for hundreds of potential underlying causes.

At the IBS Doctor ORG, we focus on identifying these causes. And we know we’ve found the root issue because the symptoms disappear when the cause is addressed. Not only that, but other health issues often improve as well.

How to Know If You’re Treating the Cause

Here’s a simple way to determine if you’re addressing the cause of your condition:

If you stop treatment and the symptoms return, you’re likely treating the symptom, not the cause.

Medications, including painkillers, often mask symptoms without solving the underlying problem.

When you eliminate the cause, symptoms go away for good, and your overall health improves. That’s the power of addressing the root issue.

A Never-Ending Cycle of New Conditions

Causes are finite, but the medical system thrives on creating infinite new conditions. For as long as there’s money to be made, new labels and syndromes will continue to emerge, ensuring there’s always something to sell.

The Bottom Line: Always Question

No matter what chronic condition, syndrome, or disease you’re dealing with, ask yourself: Am I addressing the cause or just managing the symptom?

The path to true healing lies in identifying and treating the cause. Don’t settle for a system that sells you your symptoms. Demand more, dig deeper, and take control of your health.