Prevention or medication?

Question

So far it seems we rely a lot on medication.

Answer 1

Prevention is the answer.

We really need to tackle the 'it'll never happen to me' feeling that it seems many people have. People seem to ignore the risks of smoking, drinking, recreational drugs, lack of exercise and poor diet. I don't think education is the answer, we all know the risks. Something needs to be done to get people to accept the risks. We seem to have developed in to a society that buries its head in the sand and pretends that these things will never strike us down. We are not invincible and if we take risks there is a high chance we will pay for it.

Switching to a Prevention Over Cure system would initially be more expensive, but over time I am sure that it would be a much more cost effective system. Take the dental system for example, people seem to be more aware of the risks and take more preventative measures. Any dentist will tell you that the people who brush, floss and have regular check ups have to spend less on treatment.

Medication should be available where needed of course, but we really need to hit this nail on the head, and deal with the unhealthy lifestyle issues that contribute so much to the ill health of the nation. It isn't just the obvious problems, we need more information about healthy footwear for example, and how to care for your eyesight.

Education needs to start young - there should be a new syllabus introduced in primary schools. I also promote an increased level and qaulity of food technology lessons for all our children, as well as more physical education lessons.

More GP surgeries should offer the 'exercise and diet on prescription' services - obese people benefit more from information on healthy eating, support from weight loss groups and regular exercise than they do from weight loss drugs such as Orlistat.

We also need to see more efficent monitoring of our nation - when was the last time you had your blood pressure or cholesteral checked? Most illness/conditions are much more treatable when caught early, and we need to increase our screening efforts for things like cancer, diabetes and hypertension.

We need to improve accsess to mental health services - we need to offer people more 'talking therapies'. There shouldn't be such long waiting lists for counselling and physcotherapy - the longer these conditions are left untreated, the worse they become.

A healthier nation would be more productive and much more happy - surely that is the way to go?

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Prevention is the way forward but most are too lazy to think about this and it is fairly simple to do. You dont need to take any form of tablets or vitamin additives you just need to concentrate on a good healthy diet with plenty of fibre,vegtables and fruit and after that the body will function on providing exactly what it needs.
There are alot of diffrent situations though, I was reliant on medication due to a major injury I suffered and my doctors know I was hating life on the medications which I was taking for 5 years, having to change from one to the other every three months. Eventually the proffesors of phsyciatry spent a day with me discussing my situation, that is how low I had gone. It was after this conversation they decided to pass me to neurosergery and they solved my problems and now I dont need medication any longer.
As for the rest of the human race as medications are being used more and more there are becoming strains of certain viruses that are immune to the medications. Has this gone too far already that when prevention fails medication wont be able to help.

Answer 4

The point is surely that some people have to have medication not only to prevent an illness progressing but also prevent them from dying. However, I agree and from my own experience have found that eating plenty of healthy foods such as green vegetables and eating a healthy diet can prevent many insidious illnesses and can protect vital organs from being destroyed by toxins.

Do you know that most vitamin supplements are synthetic and therefore contain a certain level of toxins. so good food is best...better than all the rest.

Answer 5

Both, at the right times.

Perhaps medication to 'encourage' people off certain substances, such as when they are eating too much of a bad thing etc, the med's could make further excess totally unappealing, perhaps sickening, to the point of being unable to consume more.

Life-style excess prevention medication. Thus getting prevention through medication.

Answer 6

Prevention

Answer 7

Prevention is a lot cheaper and better for you than medication. I agree that a lot of people rely far too much on pills.

Answer 8

I'd prefer prevention but you cant always rely on that like for cancer etc even if you are the healthiest person alive and dont smoke or drink you cannot prevent it happening in which case you'd need the medication.

Answer 9

Medication normally means visiting your Doctor who will write your prescription for the medication. Some say Doctors have a vested interest in supporting the drugs industry. But what do Doctors themselves really think on this issue of medication or prevention?

The BMA, which is the Doctor's National Organisation within the U.K. and which explicitly represents the consensus opinion of all British Doctors clearly states

"Many deaths in adults before the age of 65 are PREVENTABLE, being due to accidents, and/or linked to such factors-as smoking, an unhealthy diet, excessive drinking and insufficient exercise".

They go on :-
"adoption of a healthier lifestyle, the wider use of screening for cancers, and measures to reduce accidents could lead to substantial improvements in health"..

Is there anything else to be said on this issue?

Answer 10

Some of us have no choice but to rely on medication AFTER a particular medical problem is identified, however - prevention is much better if it is possible.