My Motto as a Doctor – “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE”

Why I consider Prevention is Better than Cure

Dear Friends,

It has been quite some time since I wrote my last blog—that is since 11th July 2018—-wherein I was discussing different types of monsoon diseases, their signs, and symptoms and how to prevent getting them.

Since then I have been thinking whether it is better to cure an ailment/disease or prevent them.

I opted for”prevention” rather than “cure”, simply because a cure can cost a person a lot of money, not to mention the precious time lost on getting back on your feet.

So, the motto this time will be to prevent rather than getting cured the ailment/disease.

In my next few blogs, I will be handing you all knowledge on how to go about preventing an illness like diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks, stroke, etc.

Can we prevent some ailments or diseases?

In the 15^th century, a Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus, was the first person to quote the words, Prevention is Better than Cure. Taking a cue from this quote, I decided that if I had to have a motto in life, it would be the same words used by Desiderius Erasmus.

Just last week, one of my close school batch-mate and friend living in Goa, suffered a severe heart attack and survived it because of “the presence of mind” of his wife. He was on the way on his bike to pay some utility bills when he got severe chest pain.

Luckily for him, his wife was with him riding pillion, who stopped the bike and contacted for help. A two-wheeler ambulance arrived which took him to a hospital nearby and the doctor there treated him immediately and prevented a sure-shot tragedy!

Now, the question is —could this event have been prevented?

Yes, it could have been if there were any warning bell signs. My friend in question DID get these telltale signs like mild chest pains a few days back, but dismissed it as “acidity”.

In hyper-acidity, you do get similar symptoms like “heartburn”, that is burning sensation in the central portion of chest with pain which can be relieved by taking an antacid like Gelusil or cold milk.

But in a genuine heart attack, this pain refuses to go and the patient keeps on consuming the antacid until it is too late.

What are the warning signs you should look for?

Here are a few warning bells or red flags to know whether you are prone to suffering from heart ailment:-

1] Advancing age–any person above 50 years of age;

2] A person suffering from or undergoing treatment for any of the following illnesses:-

a] Diabetes

b] Hypertension

c] Severe stress

d] High cholesterol levels

e] Low Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 levels.

This friend of mine was already on medications for diabetes and hypertension. Actually, he was undergoing a stressful time. A few days back he had been to a place called Velankany to visit the shrine of  Basilica of Lady of Good Health church. The day he arrived in Velankany i.e. on 16th November 2018, Cyclone Gaja shook the quiet city. There was a lot of damage in and around the church area which possibly took its toll on my friend’s health. He had started feeling uneasy since then. Add to that, he was already in his sixties!

Mistaken Identity- Acidity versus Heart Attack

A few years back, an apparently healthy patient of mine died. A few hours prior to death, he had complained of bloating, burping and heavinessin the chest.

He kept on consuming antacid syrup to overcome his chest discomfort, until after some time, he collapsed. I was called in to examine him.

After examining him, I found he had no pulse or breath sounds. Unfortunately, I had to declare him dead.

Final Words

If you have observed carefully, except for age, all other problems can be properly controlled/prevented.

The second person died due to negligence, something that could have been prevented if only he had consulted a physician.

In my next blog, I will be highlighting ways to prevent medical problems like the ones mentioned above.

Till then, wishing you all-

HAPPY READING AND A HAPPY HEALTHY LIFE.