Healthy_Living_vs._Drug_Dependence

Medical science is amazing. The discoveries that have come from the study of the human body show that natural wonders do exist. Medicine has increased longevity in humans by fighting infections. Medicine has allowed humans to be put to sleep without feeling a thing while doctors repair vital organs. It has also discovered prosthesis so amputees can walk and cochlear implants so the deaf can hear. Everyday new discoveries are being made to increase the quality of life for human beings. However, as a society, we take all of this for granted. Critical thinkers around the world agree that the best solution to solve a problem is to prevent it from happening, yet we destroy our bodies with our lifestyle, but medical science keeps coming up with that new miracle drug to solve the ailment. Let’s look at gastritis or acid reflux, yes sometimes it is caused by a virus, but the main cause of the pain is too much acid in the stomach and esophagus. The acid is caused by a number of different things. There are many different foods that have a very high acidity level i.e. oranges, tomatoes, milk, cheeses, meats, fried foods. Some drinks that will increase stomach acid are coffee, soft drinks and alcohol. Pain relievers can increase levels of stomach acid. Let’s not forget that the stomach also produces enough acid on its own to digest the food that we are filling it with. If the level of acidity is too high, then the acid starts to deteriorate the mucosal stomach lining. If this continues for a long period of time, then the protective lining is gone and the acid starts eating at the stomach and esophagus which causes ulcerations and a lot of pain. There are many prescription options out there for treating this, but a lifestyle change is also needed to heal the damage that was done. Otherwise the medication will be needed forever. Or let’s look at the possibility that with a healthy diet the problem would not exist. The examples are endless. We use vitamins to supplement nutrition that is available organically. We take antibiotics for every little cold until our bodies are immune. We take sleeping pills because we cannot sleep then use caffeine to wake ourselves up. Drug addictions are just as prevalent with prescription drugs as they are with illegal drugs. Prescription and over the counter medications are widely advertised on television, radio, billboards etc. Drug companies are marketing to the consumer, not the professional. The television commercial tells you to ask your doctor about this new medication that will solve your ailments. Then the commercial at the end takes another two minutes to tell you about all the negative side effects that could happen if you take this medication, however if their marketing team did their job right you are already sold on the idea. Open up any magazine and you can probably find a coupon for the latest and greatest medication that you can get from your doctor. Again the negative side effects are printed there for you to see, but printed in a jumble of very small print on the backside. These advertisements are not put out there to educate the patient; they are put out there to sell to the patient. Let the professionals decide what is best. Most people feel that they can diagnose themselves and these advertisements are using that confidence. The internet gives us unlimited resources to educate ourselves, but most of the sources are not credible. A licensed physician has had the education and the experience to determine what is best. Anti-depressants are very commonly prescribed. Most anti-depressants regulate a person’s serotonin levels to help elevate the patients feeling of well being and calm anxieties. The use of this medication has changed many lives. However, there is a difference in a patient that is under a lot of stress at a point in their lives and a patient’s whose body cannot maintain the proper balance to live normally. Both patients would benefit from the medication, but one patient would need to be treated for a short period of time and the other would have to be on the medication for the rest of their lifetime. Both patients would benefit from stress management techniques and therapy, but that is usually not prescribed with the medication. Anti-depressants are also very addictive. A patient is going to be very reluctant to stop taking them once prescribed. Although disease cannot be completely prevented, living a healthy lifestyle can eliminate this trend of over medicating. Scientists have developed a pill for every ailment and if they can’t treat the disease then one can treat the symptoms. Let’s evaluate what is necessary and what is overabundance. Doctors and patient should be deciding what course of treatment is best for a patient, not the marketing teams of the pharmaceutical companies.