How has medicine helped us?

Question

Someone told me this, "I am as healthy as can be and don’t rely on medicine to achieve that."

What would've ABSOLUTELY (or a high chance of) killed us in the past that now, due to medicine, doesn't (or the risk is significantly lower)?

Thanks so much!

Answer 1

malaria, smallpox, influenza, hep A, B, C to name a few

Answer 2

I seriously doubt that the person who told you about how healthy they are told the whole truth, or are very ignorant of how various medicines helped them to be healthy.
For you primary question, let's see, there is Tuberculosis (TB), Polio, Typhoid Fever, Strep-Throat, Scarlet Fever, Mumps, Measles, a wide variety of other bacterial infections, Cholera, Dysentery, The plague, or Black Plague, and many others that I am probably not aware of. Some of these were not brought under control until within the past 50 years. While that might be a long time to you, but I remember hearing of kids that were infected by Polio and would spend most of their life, provided they lived, in what was known as an Iron Lung. This was a machine that made them breathe. To me, that was, yesterday.

Answer 3

The fact that you are alive and old enough to ask this question is a the best proof for how medicine has helped us! Do you know how many kids would have died before they reach their first b-day if it wasn't for some medical advance? I suggest you look at the child's death rate in African countries, the you can see how many kids die every day from a simple diarrhea because they don't have access to proper health care and medicine.

Answer 4

Before Louis Pasteur discovered that bacteria was responsible for spoilage, humans died of many diseases that today are controllable by medicine and the knowledge of how to control the bacteria in the first place. Prior to this knowledge, "medicine" killed more than it "cured" due to poor hygeine in the operating theaters.

Even greater knowledge about the disease causing agents was acquired with the invention of the electron microscope which allowed us to finally get to know our "viruses".

There are many people who profess that they do not believe in "medicine" but prefer a holistic approach to good health. These individuals are referring to "taking medications" or "receiving medical intervention" for diseases. However, even these individuals benefit from "medicine" in the fact that they observe sanitary practicies, etc., and this is a direct result of "medical research."

We have eradicated many fatal diseases in the human race in most parts of the world. However, some parts of the world still suffer from these diseases because of their inability to financially benefit from the available solutions.

Small pox wiped out whole civilizations; the Black Death did the same. Today these diseases are practically eliminated due to medical knowledge of what causes them and how to control them.

AIDS is a modern day "plague" which we are finally starting to make inroads into eliminating or at least controlling due to medical advances.

As a result of medical advances life spans have almost doubled in the last 100 years . . . even for the so-called "non-medical believers."

BIOLOGY TEACHER

Answer 5

We're doing a lot better on the biggies too: heart disease mortality is decreasing, AIDS life expectancy is longer, and so is the life expectancy for many cancers. A lot of cancers are detected much earlier so that they can be treated more effectively.

The doctor's visit can also be where domestic abuse or child abuse can get detected. They are mandated reporters, and if they find abuse they must report it to the police. This saves lives.

Answer 6

Polio, small pox, hepatitis...basically, anything you get vaccinated for.