You’re driving down the road and, bam, your check engine light comes on. Don’t panic! You can easily pull over, look for the fuse box and start pulling fuses until the light goes out. Problem solved. Well, except now your AC has stopped working, your horn doesn't blow and your windshield wipers won’t wipe. But the check engine light is off!

 

Now, you could have taken it to a mechanic who would have run a full diagnostic and pinpointed with pretty laser-point accuracy that your oil cap had come loose and just needed to be tightened. 

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It's a funny analogy, but in all honesty, this is how most way people address their own health! They care more about their car than they do themselves. When the check engine light comes on, the car gives you a signal that something is not right. You could either remove the fuses or find the problem. The same goes for our health. 

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Your blood pressure for instance is one of your check engine lights. High blood pressure is letting you know that something is just not right, something is up. Through the magic of Western medicine, you could now get a pill that basically shuts off your check engine light. The problem that caused the high blood pressure is definitely still there, but your check engine light is off. If you're laughing at this point, or maybe starting to question some things, it’s ok. The first time we begin to look at our body in this light it can be a little alarming.

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What other signs and symptoms has my body been giving me all these years? Headaches after a meal? Tired in the morning? Cold hands and feet? Harder to see at night? Are your ears randomly ringing? Restless legs?

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Every one of these is a check engine light, yelling at you that something is amiss. Do you ignore them, take a pill, or try to get to the root of why these are happening? 

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