Experiencing an uncomfortable symptom, like a persistent cough or a sudden headache, can be unsettling. The instinctive reaction for many is often to seek immediate medical attention out of fear that it could be something serious. However, through Dr. Maya’s method—a structured approach based on combining three symptoms to help differentiate minor ailments from serious conditions—individuals can gain clarity on when to seek medical advice. This approach empowers people to manage their health proactively, reducing unnecessary visits to healthcare providers.

Understanding Dr. Maya’s Three-Symptom Method

Dr. Maya’s method advises that no diagnosis should be based on a single symptom alone. Instead, the presence of three symptoms is required to help identify the nature of the illness accurately. By looking at symptoms in combination, this method provides a clearer picture of whether a situation warrants medical attention. The system categorizes symptoms with color codes—Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow—to guide people on what action to take:

• Red: Symptoms that require consultation with a doctor.
• Blue: Indicators of infection that may require isolation or emergency services if combined with multiple blue symptoms.
• Green: Symptoms that can often be managed by consulting a chemist or a nurse.
• Yellow: Symptoms that may be self-diagnosed and treated or managed with over-the-counter remedies.

Recognizing Common Symptoms that May Seem Serious

Some symptoms can feel alarming when experienced on their own, but Dr. Maya’s approach helps put these symptoms in context. Below are a few examples of symptoms that might seem serious individually but, when combined with other symptoms, often indicate a minor ailment:

1. Chest Pain

• Common Concern: Chest pain is frequently associated with heart conditions, making it a worrisome symptom.
• Minor Illness Context: When chest pain is mild and combined with symptoms like cough and sore throat, it is often a result of respiratory infections or acid reflux rather than heart disease. You can also experience chest pain soon after you burp, after a meal because the acid reflux irritate the oesophagus.
• Guidance: Dr. Maya would recommend consulting a doctor only if the chest pain occurs with symptoms like pain or cramps in the left arm, jaw, breathlessness, palpitations, and fatigue, profuse sweating suggesting a potential heart issue. Otherwise, if combined with symptoms of a mild infection, it may be safe to manage at home. Anxiety exacerbate chest pain, so relax because all chest pain are not associated with heart attack. If pain does not resolve after taking some antacid like Gaviscon, then consult a doctor. Dr Maya will often suggest consulting a doctor to be safe.

2. Headache

• Common Concern: People often worry about headaches, fearing issues like migraines or even brain-related conditions.
• Minor Illness Context: Headaches are common and often result from factors like stress, dehydration, or sinus issues. When combined with a mild fever and nasal congestion, it’s likely just a minor viral infection.
• Guidance: Dr. Maya would suggest medical attention if the headache is severe, persistent, and occurs with symptoms like vision changes, neck stiffness, or confusion, dizziness. Pain that is not resolved after taking adequate number of tablets as indicated in the box (1 gram or 2 tablets) then speak to a doctor. For mild headaches associated with cold symptoms, resting and hydration are recommended. Always check your Blood Pressure to rule out Hypertension.

3. Fever

• Common Concern: Fever can be alarming, as it’s sometimes normal when your body metabolic rate increase. If associated with infections or systemic illnesses or other symptoms you can speak to a doctor first because infections like COVID-19 was associated with high fever, but diagnosis was based on the other two symptoms.
• Minor Illness Context: A mild fever combined with symptoms like body aches and fatigue might indicate a common viral illness, which typically resolves with rest and fluids.
• Guidance: Dr. Maya advises people to seek medical help if fever is mild, moderate, prolonged or paired with more concerning symptoms, like persistent vomiting, severe pain, or a rash. Otherwise, most fevers associated with cold or flu-like symptoms are self-limiting. Very high fever is often associated with Viral infection, because bacteria like meningitis, glomerulo nephritis, sepsis the temperature is often associtaed with mild, moderate or feeling hot and cold, chills and rigours. This happens because thebacteria that enter our body are killed by heat. the reason body temperature increase is to prevent bacteria enter, but once the bacteria enter, they release and enzyme and paralyse the theromstat in the hypothalamus (Brain) and so the temperature will drop rapidly, and you sweat to get rid of heat.

4. Shortness of Breath

• Common Concern: Shortness of breath can be frightening, often bringing to mind conditions like asthma or heart issues.
• Minor Illness Context: When mild breathlessness is experienced with a sore throat and mild cough, it may simply indicate a respiratory infection or even anxiety.
• Guidance: Dr. Maya’s method would suggest medical evaluation if shortness of breath comes with symptoms like chest pain, fainting, or paleness. For mild respiratory infections, staying hydrated and resting can help. Anxiety will make you breath faster and people assume its breathlesness, and is often associated with tingling sensation in hands, and feet. This is called as panic attack, and you can faint.

5. Stomach Pain

• Common Concern: Stomach pain can raise concerns about appendicitis or other abdominal emergencies.
• Minor Illness Context: If stomach pain is mild and accompanied by symptoms like bloating and mild nausea, it’s often related to digestive issues or stress. Also trapped wind associated with constipation, intestinal hurry (rumbling tummy) common in babies (Colicy pain) can be painful.
• Guidance: According to Dr. Maya’s guidelines, severe or persistent abdominal pain with fever or vomiting should be evaluated by a doctor. In cases of indigestion or mild discomfort, over-the-counter antacids and dietary adjustments are usually sufficient.

Acting with Confidence Using Dr. Maya’s Method

The Dr. Maya system encourages individuals to think logically about symptoms, understand their possible connections, and avoid the tendency to act out of fear. This method empowers patients to manage minor symptoms at home, consulting a healthcare provider only when there is a justified concern. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to act using Dr. Maya’s method:

1. Recognize and Record Symptoms: Note down any symptoms you experience, including when they started and how they feel. Avoid jumping to conclusions based on one symptom.

2. Assess Symptom Combinations: Use Dr. Maya’s three-symptom rule to see if the combination points toward something minor or potentially serious. For instance, a mild fever, headache, and fatigue might indicate a common cold.

3. Refer to the Color Coding: Check Dr. Maya’s symptom color guide:

   • Red: Consult a doctor.
   • Blue: Isolate and consider calling emergency services if multiple blue symptoms are present.
   • Green and Yellow: May be self-managed or discussed with a nurse or pharmacist.

4. Act Accordingly: Follow the recommendations based on the color code and symptom combination. Avoid rushing to a hospital unless the symptoms are confirmed as serious.

5. Monitor and Re-evaluate: If symptoms change or new symptoms appear, reassess using the Dr. Maya method.

Over the years, and after Tech Gaints started publishing symptom checkers, some patients imagine they have a symptom, not because they have it but to make sure the doctor refer them to specialist or perform scans and test. So please be honest, because I have used my experience to identify confabulators and so Dr Maya will advice you to consult a doctor to protect you and reduce diagonestic error. 

By following this structured approach, individuals can make confident decisions about their health without succumbing to fear. Dr. Maya’s method emphasizes self-care, prevention, and rational thinking, enabling individuals to take control of their health safely and responsibly.

How Doctors Must Think:

Patients may present with symptoms that often deviate from the normal doctors' descriptions of the box, and innovation must beprotected from reliance. Forcing doctors to follow protocol and dismiss crucial details has led to delays in diagnosis and the right treatment. The danger of prioritising the protocol over the patient has resulted in doctors losing the human face of medicine, which has brought us shame because the human element is ignored.

Healthcare becomes impersonal and should always be focused on individuals who will not just take boxes on a standardised form. The key is to use protocols as guidelines, unlike "The Bible."

Doctors are equipped with knowledge and clinical examination skills to recognise when deviations are necessary but fear losing their license to prevent them from acting in the interest of patients. This requires critical thinking, the confidence to advocate for the patient's best interest, and support from the medical council when straying from the established protocol.

The stethoscope is now a ubiquitous symbol of medicine. It is used to “Confirm the diagnosis” and not to help diagnose any illness. It symbolises listening and connecting with the patient's inner workings. Once the doctors start examining a partially naked patient, the patient is often honest, and the story of illness often changes because the patient assumes the doctor will identify the true nature of the presenting complaint. 

Technology provides increasingly sophisticated diagnostic tools, and the skill to examine patients clinically remains irreplaceable— the gentle pressure of the status. The doctor's focused expression conveys the chest conveys concern and attentiveness. It goes beyond simply hearing the sounds of the body. It's about active listening, interpreting subtle cues, and understanding the story.

The body says this tactile interaction Fosters trust and strengthens the doctor-patient relationship. Unfortunately, doctors find it hard to clinically examine and diagnose because of complaints and false claims made by some patients that discredited doctors. This has resulted in patients being referred to tests, investigations, and often to specialist care.

The stethoscope is now used as a status symbol by doctors and nurses. It does not serve as a reminder that medicine is about more than just following protocols developed using data and diagnoses that follow algorithms. It's about compassion, empathy, and the willingness to connect, seek the truth and prevent devastating complications.

Doctors are trained to recognise the story behind every heartbeat, which deserves to be heard. Medicine stands at a crossroads, balancing the advancements of technology with the irreplaceable value of human connection well.

Sophisticated imaging techniques and laboratory tests claim to provide valuable insights. The results are not 100% correct and have overshadowed the importance of the patient's narrative and the physician's intuition. The challenges to integrating these tools effectively and using them to enhance, not replace, the human element of care technology should empower the connection between a doctor and patient, not distance.

The focus should remain on utilising technology to personalise treatment plans, not standardising them to the point of neglecting individual needs.

Striking this balance is crucial for the future of medicine. It requires training a new generation of healthcare professionals who are as adept at using advanced technology as they listen to their patients.

Ultimately, the goal is to create a healthcare system that is both technologically advanced and deeply human-centred, where the patient feels understood and empowered to participate in their healing journey actively. This harmonious blend of technology and human touch will lead to a more effective, pathetic, patient healthcare approach.

As my teacher, Dr Haliday Smith, a Cardiologist at Hammersmith Hospital UK, once said, "Your eyes cannot see what our mind cannot think" This is very true.

Acquire the "Knowledge of health because it is the Knowledge of life".

REF: Art of Self Diagnosis