According to a study done by the National Nutritional Foods Association, prescription drugs are responsible for 106,000 deaths annually, while dietary supplements account for only 16.
Here's a list of tips to protect yourself:
2. Question your doctor about all allergies and side effects associated with the medication they suggest. There are times when docs prescribe drugs which a pharmaceutical salesman convinced them to use (often over a nice lunch or an office visit bearing presents) but they won't actually know all there is about the drug. Make sure they are educated about the drugs being handing out!
3. Make sure you can read and understand the prescription.
4. Specifically ask, "What is this medicine for? How often and how long do I take it? Is this safe to take with my other meds? What are the side effects and what do I do if I experience them? What food, drink or activities should I avoid?"
5. If you have to have surgery, make certain you, your doctor and surgeon all agree on exactly what is to be done and where. I saw a 60-Minutes special on patients who use a magic marker to indicate which body part is to undergo surgery, so the docs get it right.
6. Learn as much as possible about your condition by asking docs, nurses and consulting other sources (Internet and library). Don't just get a second opinion, get a natural health or alternative opinion. Going to 3 MD's for a second opinion is like reading the same book but expecting a different ending.
7. If you have any testing done, don't assume no news is good news. Get the results explained in terms you understand.
8. (Added
by the Angel Healing Center)--Consider seeing an alternative doctor or
practitioner first so that you can try natural things like herbs and homeopathics.
If your condition warrants an emergency "shock" to stay alive, then and
only then consider conventional medicine for short-term intervention after
which traditional (alternative) care should be used to continue the process
of healing.
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