The Big Guns in Medicine

Why waiting for Western Medicine's "big cures" is a dangerous strategy and how to protect yourself first.

There’s some health risk you’re facing that might be keeping you up at night. Maybe you were told it’s the prediabetes that could turn into diabetes or the small nodule in the lung that could become cancer.

Many believe that Western Medicine has a big pocket of cures, ready to be doled out once the right diagnosis is made. That’s why we read headlines like “This Big Name Hospital Missed a Major Diagnosis.”

As if all that’s needed is the right diagnosis and you’ll be cured.

This isn’t what doctors believe. We know this is just what the healthcare industry is trying to sell people.

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Joint Replacement Surgery

Many patients in primary care talk about “waiting for their new hip.” They are dealing with some nagging pains with the hip and watching it gradually worsen.

At some point, they’ll be ready to pull the trigger to have that him replaced. It’s a “routine” surgery. In fact, it’s called an elective surgery. Most surgeons will tell you that they’ve done hundreds/thousands of them and you should be fine.

And without a doubt, most of my patients have done really well. But quite a few didn’t do well. And once you are that 1% statistic, you are 100% affected.

Joint preservation should be on every adult’s mind. I know it’s not sexy but whatever you can do to keep your knee, hip, back, and shoulder healthy will help you prevent such a surgery.

Prostatectomy

An enlarged prostate is something many men deal with over their lifetime. Sometimes it’s bad enough that medications aren’t enough and a full removal of the entire prostate is necessary.

It’s a major surgery but also considered fairly routine. It’s the bread and butter of many urologists.

But prostate enlargement tends to follow a certain trend in older men. We know there are steps you can take to prevent it.

And while there’s nothing wrong with waiting until it’s bad enough that you’ll need surgery, the surgery isn’t without risk. And the decade leading up to that surgery is riddled with sleepless nights and medication side effects - something the surgery won’t give you back.

Check out this article on preventing prostate enlargement:

IV Antibiotics for Sepsis

One of the main reasons to end up in a hospital these days is for a fever. Without a doubt you’ll be started on empiric antibiotics. This is to help prevent or treat a possible early sepsis.

One one hand, this is the magic cure of Western Medicine in this modern age. On the other, it’s creating the antibiotic resistance tidal wave we all have to face some day.

There’s nothing more effective at combating sepsis than a healthy immune system. The proper nutrition, sleep, stress, and all the other boring things that make up “Lifestyle Medicine” help prevent an organism from taking over the bloodstream.

Downplaying the Heavy Toll of “Normal” Side Effects

Some patients view joint replacement, pelvic surgery, or IV antibiotics as a reset button. They don’t realize that even a successful procedure will have many lasting consequences.

Many will need repeat procedures, revisions, and follow-up for ongoing pain or recurrences. Some will have to be on medications for a long time after such interventions - even if all goes well.

The Big Guns Are Becoming Routine

We are so fortunate to have these big guns and some will unfortunately need them even if they did everything “right.”

Rheumatoid Arthritis can destroy joints and some may end up needing a joint replacement. Or a severe car accident or infection may destroy a joint enough that it has to be replaced.

Someone who eats well, has controlled their weight, and is active may still develop an enlarged prostate. But the good news is that they may never need a total prostatectomy if they can keep it from getting worse.

And while many of us will develop pneumonia or UTI at some time in our lives, the kind of immune system we cultivate now may prevent it from spreading to the bloodstream.

Healthcare Can’t Keep up

The healthcare system in almost every country is overwhelmed, understaffed, and way over budget.

We live in a world with finite resources. The best thing we can do for each other as human beings is to protect precious finite resources. Whatever I can do to keep myself healthier will free up resources for someone else who more desperately needs treatment.

We also can no longer rely on ‘routine’ treatments to be routine. In an overwhelmed healthcare system the same simple procedure may have many more complications.

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Disclaimer:

Dr. Mohammad Ashori is a U.S.-trained family medicine physician. The content shared here is for education and general guidance. It is not personal medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Humans are complicated and your personal details matter. Your healthcare team is your best resource before making medical decisions, changing medications, or managing symptoms. This information is to help you add more depth to those conversations.

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