Fight Dependency

Today we are fortunate to be in a situation where medical conditions and health complaints can be treated in a number of different ways. We’ve moved on from the time when one kind of painkiller was swallowed for every kind of discomfort. As medical expertise has moved on, remedies have gradually been adapted to work on certain health problems or areas of the body, and in general, our health has benefitted from this situation.

Furthermore, as the major drug companies have become more and more competitive in what is a very lucrative area of business, there are increasingly a number of drugs available to use which fairly much do the same job in treating a particular complaint. But if they are not identical, there is a possibility that one option may have a particular side effect or extra ingredient that could possibly cause an issue for the patient who takes them.

However, if the patient doesn’t know this, and takes a doctor’s opinion as fact, there is a possibility that what is prescribed is not necessarily the best option. Obviously, there are a number of reasons why this may be the case, but by far the most probable – especially in the prevailing climate of decreasing budgets – is the cost. With budgetary targets to achieve, there must be a huge temptation to prescribe the least expensive drug to a patient, instead of the slightly higher priced one which may have less risks attached.

I have experienced this situation in person. A friend has been prescribed a particular drug for a continuing complaint for some years, and it works perfectly for her. But every time she sees a GP, they suggest that she could try moving to an alternative drug which, it transpires, has more side-effects than the drug she uses at the moment. We can only assume that they are trying to push less pricey treatments onto patients as we can’t come up with any other reason for taking this action.

In these kind of circumstances, where drugs are involved, my suggestion would be always to look up anything that is prescribed. Drug companies have to give certain information with the drug and there is a lot more information available on the internet. And most importantly, if there are aspects of the description that you don’t understand, challenge your doctor as to why you have been prescribed this particular medication.

A similar situation can also crop up in the area of surgery. Over many years, a particular way of treating a problem will gradually become the norm, and will always be the first option that is suggested to a patient. Of course, in almost all situations, the treatment may be absolutely ideal, but there may still be reasons why the patient would choose not to have that surgery if they knew there was another option available.

I now have presbyopia, an age related issue where the eye stops being able to perfectly on objects which are close by. This is not the same issue as short or long sightedness which is caused by a defect with the cornea, but is instead an issue with the elasticity of the eye’s lens and muscles which creates the problem that the eye itself has trouble focusing to look at close objects. The only thing I have ever had suggested by way of an answer is a pair of reading glasses.

After investigating on the internet it appears that there are other possibilities for treating presbyopia. I was already aware that Laser eye treatment could be used to treat some eye complaints, but it seems that in recent years someone has discovered a form of Laser eye surgery which can help sufferers of presbyopia. It sounds a little odd as it involves altering one eye to focus on nearby objects and one to define distant objects and then amends the depth of field so that the brain merges the two images to give good eyesight. It would surely be worth a try, though I’m sure it would cost a lot of money.

In addition to this Laser eye surgery procedure, there is also non laser refractive surgery available, which utilises radio waves to change the eye rather than actually removing tissue which is what happens during Laser eye treatment.

Whilst I don’t have the money to follow up either of these treatments at this time, it is good to know that they are available, but I would never have discovered that they existed without looking into the options myself. This applies to most aspects of healthcare and I seriously recommend investigating things for yourself before making any decisions.

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Tags: health, improved vision, laser eye, laser eye surgery, lifefstyle