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I want to try and correct some common misconceptions about contemporary medicine. You don't have to believe me, because it should be easy enough to check the facts. As we all know, one of the biggest industries today is pharmaceuticals. The drug companies are enormous. I am not complaining about that, just pointing out that their purpose in life is not necessarily to make you healthier and happier. Their purpose is to make a fortune, and they are. Sure they might mean well and think they are doing wonderful things, but there is definitely more than one side to the story.
Ok, I believe in capitalism (what's the alternative?) and my complaint is not about their great success. My complaint is about the American public which has almost blind faith in their advertising. Remember, it is advertising, and didn't your mother tell you don't believe everything you see on TV?
The drug company propaganda says that we are "living longer healthier lives" thanks to medical advances, including of course their products. But is there any truth in that claim?
Average life span has been increasing, but most of the increase results from the dramatic decline in infant mortality. Nature has a cruel way of keeping species healthy -- a large percentage of infants die, in nature, in all species. The great victory of modern medicine has been to stop mother nature from doing her nasty job of keeping our species healthy.
Because of antibiotics and vaccines, and improved surgical technology, it has been possible to, very often, prevent infants and children from dying of the usual causes. This DRAMATICALLY increases the average life span.
Ok, that's fine, but it has nothing to do with the new expensive drugs. It's plain old penicillin, mostly, which has been around for decades.
There has also been a more recent decline in deaths of older people, from heart attacks and strokes. Should we thank the drug companies for this? Not so fast, remember that cigarette smoking has declined dramatically in recent decades. If you look up the facts, I think you will find that the new expensive drugs had little or nothing to do with the recent increase in average life span.
I am not trying to dismiss modern medicine as worthless. Many lives are saved by advances in diagnostic and surgical technology, and by antibiotics.
But the mistake is in giving modern medicine credit it does not deserve. This results in very inaccurate views of reality. It makes people think that the new drugs are actually good for you, and maybe should be added to the water supply (actually, they are in the water supply, since many millions of people are taking them in and pissing them out).
It also leads people to think that any and all diseases can be cured by either surgery or chemicals, if enough money is spent on research. That's why there's always a walk going on to raise money for some disease. Yes, those drug companies need your charitable contributions, so keep on walking for them!
So the moral is -- I don't remember. Oh, first of all, take care of your health as well as you can, because a cure for all the terrible diseases is not just around the corner. When is the last time they found a cure for anything?
And don't believe it when you hear SS payments should start later, because we are living longer and healthier lives. We are NOT. Americans are very sick, probably sicker than ever. We are in a real health crisis.
You can check my facts. Be skeptical. The drug companies are not necessarily evil, but they do not love you.
So the moral is -- I don't remember. Oh, first of all, take care of your health as well as you can, because a cure for all the terrible diseases is not just around the corner. When is the last time they found a cure for anything?
Because of antibiotics and vaccines, and improved surgical technology, it has been possible to, very often, prevent infants and children from dying of the usual causes. This DRAMATICALLY increases the average life span.
Don't be too enamored of these. Antibiotics have been linked to serious problems around resistance. I copy edited a book manuscript written by a doctor who researched the connection between antibiotics and MRSA (the potentially deadly superbug staph infection) as found now commonly in hospitals. Also, vaccinations are now linked to autism for one thing, possibly others. There is no panacea for manmade imbalances in life.
Don't be too enamored of these. Antibiotics have been linked to serious problems around resistance. I copy edited a book manuscript written by a doctor who researched the connection between antibiotics and MRSA (the potentially deadly superbug staph infection) as found now commonly in hospitals. Also, vaccinations are now linked to autism for one thing, possibly others. There is no panacea for manmade imbalances in life.
No, I am not enamored of antibiotics! I am being careful to give modern medicine some credit. Because any time I criticize it, someone gets all outraged because I didn't mention it can save lives. So I always make sure to mention it. But I am EXTREMELY skeptical about modern non-holistic medicine.
Antibiotics are VERY bad, and should only be taken if absolutely necessary. But they do save a lot of lives.
No, I am not enamored of antibiotics! I am being careful to give modern medicine some credit. Because any time I criticize it, someone gets all outraged because I didn't mention it can save lives. So I always make sure to mention it. But I am EXTREMELY skeptical about modern non-holistic medicine.
Antibiotics are VERY bad, and should only be taken if absolutely necessary. But they do save a lot of lives.
I will agree that I'm not a big fan of drug advertising and I'm sure many drugs are prescribed unnecessarily. That being said, I have to disagree with a lot of your theory.
My own experience is with heart disease - I had a heart attack in my forties. Terrible family history - lost an uncle to heart disease at 49, a grandfather at 51 and many other family members have heart disease as well.
When I was admitted to the hospital I was given a clot busting medication - it most likely prevented the heart attack from doing much more damage than it did. I currently take a beta blocker (generic and very inexpensive) as well as cholesterol medication. In my case, I'm convinced that these medications have helped keep me alive the last 15 years (in addition to eating low fat, exercising, etc.). I often wonder if my uncle and grandfather would be alive today if some of these medicines existed then.
My Obama Care Gripe:
No longer having the option of an actual catastrophic coverage policy.
Even the so-called HDHP policies include a requirement for the PLAN to pay for certain mandated care (examinations, etc). Because these are mandated there is no market force option in play... BigInsurance gets to charge way, way (WAY!) more than those services than they would actually cost out of pocket.
Adding insult to injury...
those services now don't count toward the deductible anymore either.
No, I am not enamored of antibiotics! I am being careful to give modern medicine some credit. Because any time I criticize it, someone gets all outraged because I didn't mention it can save lives. So I always make sure to mention it. But I am EXTREMELY skeptical about modern non-holistic medicine.
Antibiotics are VERY bad, and should only be taken if absolutely necessary. But they do save a lot of lives.
Yes, antibiotics do indeed save lives...they saved mine....I think you should extend your skeptisism to vaccines as well....as they are responsible for a huge amount death, and suffering and not condusive to longer lives at all.
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