The Low Cost of Healthcare

Health is not all, but without it, everything else soon becomes nothing. If we fail to take care of ourselves (low cost healthcare with proper diet, exercise and avoidance of negative habits), we need high cost medical care that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of disease. True healthcare has an inverse relationship with medical care; and we tend to move toward one or the other.

Though medical care is costly, many doctors are altruistic and they also struggle with rising costs. Our high cost is not primarily due to greedy insurance companies, though greed is a factor in the denial of some claims. Surgery is a high ticket item, and many of its benefits are short-lived. But these are not the core of the problem. The real villain in this scenario is the pharmaceutical industry.

Why? Because drugs generally do not cure disease. They give us relief, and create an illusion of controlling the condition, but health is recovered in spite of the drug. And in most cases, the underlying cause is not addressed so the condition continues to progress while the person seems better with relief of symptoms. Tests don’t usually find a cause for headache, joint ache, stomach ache, insomnia or nervous disorders.

Let’s say we get a stomach ache, but instead of changing how we eat, we “ask the doctor” for a purple pill and it works fine—we can eat what we like. Everything is okay until we get a headache. After more tests that show no stroke or tumor, we get another prescription, and it works for the headaches. But, sooner or later, we get seriously ill. We could even die suddenly. How? Because the drug ad said, “headache, diarrhea or abdominal pain.” They don’t tell you the other 120 conditions listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference or package insert for the purple pill. Ask your pharmacist so you can watch for symptoms you may develop.  Most drugs have a long list of side effects.

When you got the headache, you needed to stop the first prescription, not add a second one to mask the signs of toxicity. Adverse Drug Reactions have become a leading cause of premature death in the U.S. (Journal of AMA, 4-15-1998; Archives of Internal Medicine, 9-10-2007).  This is from drugs “properly prescribed and administered.” And for every person who dies, there are more than 100 who are made ill by a prescription.

The  result is 116 million extra doctor visits, 17 million emergency department visits, 8 million hospital admissions, and 3 million long-term care admissions (these people are messed up for life).  And the $76.6 billion cost rivals the aggregate cost of diabetic patients in US. (Western Journal of Medicine, June, 2000)

All of this from something we call “healthcare.” We are becoming ill from TV commercials that tell us we have “generalized anxiety disorder,” “erectile dysfunction,” “PMDD,” or “GERD” as Dr.Marcia Angell, former editor of the New England Jour. of Med. says. (The Truth About the Drug Companies, subtitled, How They Deceive Us).

The frequency of death and serious adverse drug events went up 2.7 fold from 1998 to 2005 after congress allowed drug companies to advertise on TV. Congress likes drug money donations for their re-election campaigns.

A priest who killed someone while he was under the influences of alcohol said, “Tobacco is just a pimple on the rear end of a giant, alcohol.” For perspective in this discussion we could say, Alcohol is just a pimple on the rear end of a giant, the drug industry, and we are being drugged to death!

Medical textbooks are filled with conditions of “unknown etiology.” And if doctors don’t know the cause, they don’t know the cure, so how can the drug address the cure? Ask your doctor what he would do in your situation and if it wouldn’t be better to Google your symptoms for an alternative natural remedy rather than load your system with a chemical that becomes toxic in time. Pharmacology used to be called toxicology. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, said, “Nature cures, not the physician … let your food be your medicine.” What we put in our mouths affects our life and health more than anything else.  It seems elementary, but most people need motivational help.

Dr. Richard Ruhling
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-ideas-articles/the-low-cost-of-healthcare-691674.html

Adjusting to Lifelong Medications and Healthcare

Treatments for hypo and hyperactive patients can be tiring. Because the medications have to be taken for a lifetime, the therapies can be overwhelming. Thyroid patients usually do not give up on the treatments except when there are recurrent failures in the therapies provided. But once you know how to avoid failing the treatments, it is easier adjusting to lifelong medications and to other forms of therapies.

The first and only thing you should remember in any kind of treatment is to not give up. Remember, the recovery process is unique for every individual. One may get cured from the disease after weeks of treatment while others may have to wait years for therapies to take effect. Understanding the nature of medications is also very important so you may persevere in the treatment process.

Knowing the Causes of Non-Compliance to the Therapy

Many individuals begin their therapies with hope in mind. But during the course of treatment, some just lose their motivation. One must know the reasons of non-compliance to the treatment to avoid it. Here are some of the most common reasons why your treatments for thyroid conditions don’t work.

• Forgetfulness

Forgetfulness is one of the most common problems in the treatment process. To avoid this problem, you need to set an alarm at the time the drug should be given. You can also put your medicines in containers which can be easily noticed.

• Purpose of the Treatment Is Not Clear

When patients do not know the reason why they are being treated, they will feel less eager to comply with the treatment regimen. The health care practitioner should explain the treatment process very well so the patient may understand why he is given such therapy. If you are not satisfied with your current health care practitioner, you can switch to a doctor who can provide the kind of explanation you need.

• Perceived Lack of Effect

There are times when patients feel that the therapy won’t work. This needs motivation from the doctors and from the patient himself. Significant others should also be present to support the patient in the therapies.

• Real or Perceived Side Effects

Drugs can create side effects which can bother the sick individual. If you feel any side effects from the drug or therapy you are taking, remember to report this to the physician so specific measures can be instituted. Often times, side effects can easily be treated. For example, nausea can be alleviated by small frequent feedings or by nibbling on ice chips.

• Physical Difficulty in Complying With the Treatment

When a sick individual lives by himself, it is sometimes hard for them to comply with the treatment regimen. A patient may be physically incapable to open containers or to travel to the place of treatment. Assistance may be necessary in such cases.

• Unattractive Formulation

Some thyroid preparations create an unpleasant taste and odor. The patient may not feel like taking the medication because of unattractive formulation. Drinking juice together with the medication or ingesting something nice after intake of the drug can mask the unpleasant taste.

• Complicated Regimen

A patient may fail on the treatment if he sees the complexity of the therapy. Doctors should provide a structured plan of treatment to avoid this problem.

• Cost of Drugs

The cost of drugs is one of the major reasons why treatments fail. Although thyroid preparations are affordable, taking it every day can add quite a bit to your budget. You can use discounts through social services if compliance with the regimen is not met because of the cost of treatment.

Create a Positive Outlook Together With Your Health Care Practitioner

Having a positive outlook in life can help in preventing treatment failure. You should listen carefully to the doctor’s explanation of the treatment so you may understand why your therapies should be taken. Establishing trust and rapport with your doctor is also very important to succeed in the treatment goals.

Accept the Help of Significant Others

The support of family members is very important in the treatment process. Familial support shows improvement in the compliance of the patient with the treatment regimen.

What You Need To Know

Not all therapies work the same way in every patient. It is important to take the medications regularly as prescribed. If you feel any side effects or if you lack knowledge of the treatment, you can visit your doctor and ask for help. If symptoms persist after compliance with the treatment regimen, the doctor may evaluate and run a series of tests to find out the definite cause of the problem.

Quinto Romero
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/adjusting-to-lifelong-medications-and-healthcare-688725.html