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The Most Popular Treatments For Health Issues Are Not Necessarily The Best For You. Make Time To Think About The Options Before You Decide

5th March, 2011 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Today we are fortunate to be in a situation where medical conditions and health problems can be resolved in a number of different ways. We’ve moved on from the time when one sort of painkiller was prescribed for every kind of headache. As medical expertise has moved on, treatments have gradually been fine-tuned to work on particular health problems or areas of the body, and really, our health has benefitted from this situation.

Also, as the global drug companies have become more and more competitive in what is a very profitable area of business, there are often a list of drugs available to prescribe which fairly much do the same job in relieving a particular complaint. But if they are not exactly the same, there is a possibility that one option may have a particular side effect or additional ingredient that could potentially cause an issue for the patient is given them.

But, if the patient is not aware of this fact, and takes a doctor’s opinion as fact, there is a risk that what is prescribed is not necessarily the best option. Of course, there are several reasons why this might be the case, but by far the most likely – especially in the current climate of reducing budgets – is the cost. With financial targets to hit, there must be a massive temptation to prescribe the least expensive drug to a patient, rather than the slightly higher priced one which may have less risks attached.

I have seen this situation in person. A friend has been prescribed a particular drug for an ongoing complaint for several years, and it works very well for her. But every appointment when she sees a GP, they propose that she could try switching to an alternative drug which, apparently, has more side-effects than the drug she uses at the moment. We have to assume that they are attempting to push less expensive options onto patients as we can’t work out any other reason for doing so.

In such circumstances, where drugs are involved, my advice would be always to research anything that is prescribed. Drug companies have to include certain information with the drug and there is even more information available on the internet. And most critically, if there are elements of the description that you don’t understand, question your doctor as to why you have been offered this particular medication.

A similar situation can also arise in the area of surgery. Over time, a favoured way of approaching a problem will slowly become the norm, and will be considered as the first choice that is suggested to a patient. Of course, in nearly all situations, the treatment may be absolutely ideal, but there might still be reasons why the patient would choose not to have that surgery if they knew there was another option available.

I have presbyopia, an age related complaint where the eye stops being able to clearly on things which are close by. This is not the same problem as short or long sightedness which is caused by a fault with the cornea, but is instead an issue with the elasticity of the eye’s lens and muscles which causes a situation where the eye itself has trouble focusing to view close objects. The one solution I have ever been offered by way of an answer is a pair of reading glasses.

After investigating on the internet it transpires that there are other options for treating presbyopia. I was had already found out that Laser eye treatment was available for some eye complaints, but it seems that in recent years someone has experimented with a form of Laser eye surgery which can aid sufferers of presbyopia. It sounds a little odd as it involves adjusting one eye to focus on nearby objects and one to focus on distant objects and then alters the depth of field so that the brain amalgamates what the two eyes see to give good vision. It would surely be worth a try, though I’m sure it would cost a lot of money.

As well as this Laser eye surgery procedure, there is also non laser refractive surgery available, which employs radio waves to alter the eye rather than actually vaporising tissue which is what happens during Laser eye treatment.

Whilst I don’t think I will follow up either of these treatments at this time, it is good to know that they are available, but I would never have known that they existed without finding out about the options myself. This applies to most aspects of healthcare and I thoroughly recommend exploring things for yourself before making any decisions.