People go to school for years to become doctors, nurses, or other types of medical professionals. Those of us who don't have this background still have plenty of ideas and preconceptions about getting sick, getting well, medicine, the medical profession, and much more surrounding health. It's surprising how much we take for granted or think of as common sense that isn't necessarily true. Below are some of the most common myths around wellness and the reasons they aren't as accurate as they may seem.
You Need Antibiotics When You're Sick
Your throat feels like someone rubbed it with sandpaper, or maybe you're suffering from a fever and clogged sinuses. It seems like everything would be better if your doctor would just phone in a prescription for antibiotics, and yet they won't agree to do this. You might start to feel frustrated, wondering why a medical professional would prevent you from accessing this easy approach to getting better.
It's a common myth that antibiotics will cure a whole host of illnesses. The truth is that antibiotics may work on bacterial infections. If you have two of the most common illnesses, a cold or the flu, they may not help you at all because those are caused by viruses. Even worse, overuse of antibiotics can strengthen bacteria so that they become more resistant. Over time, some antibiotics may stop working at all.
In some cases, there are antivirals that can reduce your symptoms or even help your body fight the illness. But for some illnesses, including many strains of the common cold, it's just a matter of waiting it out. If you do need a prescription to get over whatever you have, you still need to see a medical professional first. Otherwise, they have no way of knowing what's causing your illness and what will help.
It's Almost Impossible to Pay for Health Care
It's not uncommon to assume that your only options for health care are to have great insurance or be extremely rich, and even great insurance isn't necessarily a guarantee. Plenty of people learn this when they try to get a procedure done that their insurance won't cover. In fact, there are many other options that will allow you to access the health care that you need.
Getting to the bottom of this can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. You can review a guide that goes over some of the most common ways to cover these costs, and some of them are not well-known. Included among these are savings accounts, loans, provider plans, and government programs. There's also the option to buy now and pay later, known as BNPL, as well as various negotiation strategies that may help you access health care at lower prices compared to people with insurance.
Many people are not aware that medical procedure financing is an option. Like any other type of financing, this allows you to access medical care now and spread your payments over many months. It's a good idea to review an online guide before you make a final decision about how you'll cover the costs of seeing your doctor and various procedures. You may find options that you didn't know about that will suit you better than more traditional approaches.
You Should Only See the Doctor When Something Is Wrong
It can seem as though there's no reason to waste your time or that of medical professionals if you're feeling okay. However, there are a few reasons this isn't the case. First, it's a good idea to see a doctor when in good shape because it gives them a baseline of health to work from. When they know what constitutes normal for you, it helps them to be more alert to things that are wrong. This is true for everything ranging from test results to how you feel in general. Another advantage of getting regular checkups is that it helps you develop a relationship with your doctor.
However, perhaps the most important reason to make regular visits a priority is that there are so many conditions and illnesses that do not cause symptoms until they have progressed to a serious stage. One common example is high blood pressure. This is easily and regularly checked during an appointment, but you might go years without knowing your blood pressure without these regular visits. Then there are illnesses with symptoms that you might not associate with something being wrong, but that a doctor would detect. In all, for overall wellness, it's a good idea to start and maintain an ongoing relationship with a medical professional.
Hospital Care Is the Best Option
If there's something wrong with you or a loved one, it might seem like the hospital is the best place. This can be particularly true if you're worried about a discharge that seems too early. However, a hospital is not always the best place to be treated for whatever is wrong with you.
For one thing, even though hospitals work hard to prevent infection, there are actually some diseases you are more likely to catch there. In addition, many people struggle to sleep well in hospitals, and rest can be critical for healing. Hospital stays can also be stressful and isolating for many people, and this can impede healing.
Aging Can Mean Inevitable Health Problems
No one has discovered the secret to immortality, so getting older does mean that eventually, our bodies wear out. But that might happen at 75, or it might happen at 105, and for the longer-lived centenarian, it doesn't mean that they'll have 30 years of ill health. In fact, believing the myth that getting older always means a decline can prevent people from seeking the care and relief that they need. You might not have the energy at 70 or 80 that you had at 25 or even 50, but good nutrition, enough sleep and physical activity may keep you pain-free and reduce the likelihood of developing many health problems for years to come.
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