A while ago "Asiaweek" magazine ran an article by a Dr. Gopal Baratham on anti-aging. After a masterful summary of the way antioxidants combat free radicals and prevent the chronic diseases of old age, Dr. Baratham went on to dismiss the whole concept as rubbish saying there was no proof for any of it. A subsequent letter to the editor pointed out that this wasn't true; that there were in fact hundreds of random, double-blinded surveys proving the theory published in many of the leading medical journals and suggesting Dr. Baratham refer to them. Unfazed, in a letter of rebuttal the good doctor dismissed all this as too alternative and/or funded by interested parties. And for good measure added the catch-22 that since nobody could define what an antioxidant was, testing them was a waste of time anyway.
In the face of such a closed mind and need to be right at all costs one can only feel sorry for Dr. Baratham's patients. And who exactly, one wonders, does Dr. Baratham think funds the mega million dollar surveys for new drugs if not the major pharmaceutical companies and are they not interested parties?
It is because of doctors such as Dr. Baratham that people have to be responsible for their own health and not abdicate it entirely to just any medical authority figure. In fact, selecting a doctor is one of the most vital decisions you can make. Fortunately things are changing, many doctors and even medical institutions are beginning to accept the concept that the patient is a partner in the health process; that the patient should be informed of their options and what the risks are. Increasingly doctors are more open to treating the patient as a whole and not just as a walking symptom.
However there are powerful forces working against this and the biggest of these is - Time, followed of course by Money. Doctors now see their patients for an average consultation of just 8 minutes. Having diagnosed what they believe is the problem they prescribe the drug they've learned from the medical literature is most suitable for the condition. If it works, fine. If the patient comes back, try another drug. If that doesn't work, pass it on to a specialist. And so on up the medical food chain. No wonder the biggest complaint amongst patients is that no one listens to them.
It is sobering to realise the fourth biggest cause of death in the USA today is correctly prescribed drugs given to patients in hospitals, killing over 140,000 people every year at a cost of $136 billion. When one adds to that all the incorrectly prescribed drugs given to patients in hospitals as well as all the deaths from prescribed drugs outside hospitals the number of deaths has to be many times greater. It means medically prescribed drugs now kill more people around the world than any other disease, except heart disease and cancer. Put like that it makes sense to take an interest in what your doctor's giving you, doesn't it?
No question about it, if you have a big problem you need big medicine, whether that is drugs or surgery. That can keep you alive long enough so you can actually cure what's ailing you. Drugs by definition are not nice things and they invariably have nasty side effects. They should be used advisedly. Always ask your doctor what they are supposed to do and how long you will have to be on them.
Better yet, don't get the disease. A large percentage of what kills people, wherever they are, rich or poor, young or old, can be dramatically reduced through education and modification of lifestyle. If a fraction of the billions of dollars spent on medical intervention was spent on prevention, millions of people in both rich and poor countries would be far healthier and live a lot longer.
Nutrition and dietary supplementation are some of the obvious ways of preventing disease and there is now such a body of research to back this up, that anyone who says different is either a medical Neanderthal or in thrall to the pharmaceutical majors. Either way they are best avoided.
It is an extraordinary fact that in five years of medical school most doctors receive only three hours training in nutrition, if they are lucky, and none in the use of supplements for prevention and cure. No wonder that today nutritional programs in ongoing medical education for doctors are such sell outs. After all, no red-blooded doctor worth their salt likes to be in the position where the patient knows more than they do! And that is what is increasingly happening. The market has moved and patients are voting with their feet, dragging a reluctant medical establishment after them. Last year 83 million Americans, more than 40% of the population, spent some $30 billion on alternative care out of their own pockets.
So how do you safeguard your health? The first step must be to take stock of yourself and decide to what extent you want to be healthy and what trade-offs, if any, with your current lifestyle are acceptable to you to maintain good health. For this to have any value at all you need to be informed to some degree and care enough in the first place. The heroin addict is temporarily beyond making such a decision but the pack-a-day smoker makes a conscious choice. Most of us make minor adjustments until faced with a major health challenge, which concentrates the mind wonderfully.
When it comes to the medical profession we need to recognise and use their skills effectively. Think like a customer not a patient. Why not? You or somebody is paying good money for the treatment you're getting. They may be the consultant but it is your machine. In business, before you part with large consultancy fees and embark upon a program that could make or break your company, you pick the consultant with care and you expect to be informed and consulted about implementation and the likely end result. Most doctors are hardworking and dedicated to the welfare of their patients. They certainly know more than you do about how your body works. But they are human and can and do err. They also tend to be part of a system that is reactive and structured in ways, which may not always suit you. So pick your doctor with care and try for one who treats the body as a whole. Never be afraid of getting a second opinion and remember, though the customer may not always be right - he always has the right to know.
Lastly know this, although it has been condemned and rejected by the medical establishment and associated vested interests as "voodoo medicine", it has been possible for many years now for physicians to tell through various diagnostic means such as dark field microscopy, blood crystal analysis and other means, not only what conditions you have suffered from in the past and are suffering now, but also the disease you don't now have but may kill you four years from now. And better still, how to prevent that happening.
Now that's a consultant worth having.
Paracelsus
Comments or queries are welcomed.
ParacelsusAsia@yahoo.com
