Respiratory System Disorders and Therapy From a New - Louis Bolk ...

In one form or another, the various typologies — and their corresponding
anatomical/functional dominances — relate to the three germinal layers from
human embryology: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and entoderm.
In current medical literature, we still find typologies in psychiatric diagnostics
in the description of personality disorders, in diabetology, and in disorders
of (fat) metabolism. Until recently a typology was used in cardiology that
encompassed two types of personalities (A and B) with a corresponding
predilection for hypertension or myocardial infarction.
4.8.2. What is the Role of the Acute Moment?
Having a predominant constitution is, in itself, not a reason for illness. In the course of life,
however, a number of exacerbations may develop when the illness is precipitated by an
acute moment. Well-known examples are when hay fever flares up through pollen in the
air and when constitutional eczema worsens due to stress or allergenic foods. The rise in
blood pressure, the increase of stomach complaints, the provocation of an epileptic attack,
or the worsening of headaches in stress situations are all examples of acute moments. In
this sense, a cold, an acute sinusitis, or a bronchitis show where the ‘weak spot’ is, even
if they occur only once in a lifetime. These acute moments may become a stress factor
for the constitution of the person in question. What can be considered a stress factor for
a person is dependent upon their personal characteristics, upon their constitution. The
part of the constitution that is susceptible to stress factors, the ‘weak spot’, usually has a
completely personal profile. Even in people with comparable constitutions, stress factors
are individually determined. Patients are generally fully aware of their ‘weak spots’.
4.8.3. Acute Moment and Constitution
During an episode of illness, constitution and acute provocation come together. In the
asthma patients we have described, the exacerbations were provoked by the following
Bolk’s Companions RespiRatoRy system DisoRDeRs anD theRapy - 61