Right Advice
Life is full of advice. All of us take great privilege in advising our friends and relatives on every possible matter. There are free advices, easy advices, advises with love, substandard advices, baseless advices and some great advices. Certain advices can harm the recipient of the advice, even though the intention of the adviser was not to do so. Jack of all trades and master of none, a well-known proverb. It is nice to know a little bit of everything. Application of such knowledge may not give desirable results. It could be just fine to use trial and error methods in some areas of our life, but it could be risky to do so when it comes to our own health. Many a time damage done to our body by our trials is irreversible. Be wise to get the best advice from the right doctor.
Why do many people go to self-proclaimed doctors, follow alternative medicine? Why do they go to allopathic doctors only in case of an emergency and otherwise seek treatment from alternative practitioners? The answers given are quite interesting like its cheap, free from side effects, practitioner spends a good time in explaining, practiced since generations. The Alternative medicine is a sort of practice stated by the practitioner as having the healing effects of medicine but lacking the base of any scientific evidence. Alternative medicine consists of wide range of health care practices, products and therapies.
There is no medicine without side effects. A drug gives side effects while causing the right effects. The allopathic drugs are well tested in laboratories and tried on animals before being administered to human beings. There is clear research-based information available on the leaflet of the drug, on effects, side effects and caution to be taken. The drugs are accepted internationally, approved by the well-known national and international health care bodies. On the other hand, the alternative medicine can actually harm [sometimes irreversibly] our body without us being aware of it. There are improper descriptions on the contents and effects of the drug, mostly a false information to mislead the innocent people and to make money. The well-defined research work on alternative medicine is very rare and only substandard research bodies approve such drugs. Some tend to take alternative medicine while taking prescription medicine and that can cause dangerous drug interaction between the products.
Cheap medicine doesn’t mean that its best and safe. Allopathic drugs are expensive compared to alternative therapy. The funny fact is that we are elated to pay at the wine shop for a bottle of liquor but sad while paying to doctors and for medicines. There is a need to change the thinking. There are concerns about the safety of Alternative medicines. Our best house is our body. We are staying in it throughout our life. So why not spend for that house? Never compromise the health for wealth.
In addition to the doctor’s advice, people can also find the best information on diseases and drugs from the internet. Sometimes your doctors may spend less time with you due to their busy schedule. A patient has to ask all his doubts and concerns with his doctor in order to get thorough information on his health. Allopathic doctors are highly qualified to administer only research-based and internationally approved drugs to their patients whereas Alternative medicine practitioners use the words like ‘Natural’ and ‘Safe’ to mislead the consumer. They spend quite a good amount of time with the patient, convincing them to adopt false practices. Pretty words are not always true,and true words are not always pretty.
There are many traditional myths practiced by people related to food consumption (an example-eating bitter gourd for Diabetes) and while doing so they also ignore the need to take the prescribed allopathic drugs. Anything in excess is likely bad. Herbal preparations can lead to liver, kidney, heart damage (organ toxicity). Some herbs are carcinogenic. Strict dieting associated with treatment plan also causes nutritional deficiencies. Alternative practices can cause mechanical injuries like pneumothorax, cardiac tamponade, spinal injury and infections like hepatitis, bacterial infections.
Probably there are few benefits in alternative medicine as stated by many but that doesn’t mean that it is effective and safe for any particular disease. Earlier days many used alternative medicine as it was hard for them to access the modern medicine. It is always safe and best to use the allopathic treatment. Now it’s your choice what to accept, but a lie doesn’t become a truth just because it is accepted by a majority.
By – Santhosh
