The expression “prevention is better than cure” is often attributed to the Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus around 1500. Nothing has changed; it is still a fundamental principle of modern health care.
We can also say “prevention is better than cure”, or “treat the cause and not the symptoms”, or even “prevention is better than cure”. Everything has the same meaning.
The concept that prevention is better than cure focuses on what matters to individuals to promote better health and well-being and prevent them from getting sick.
Dealing with the possible consequences of an adverse event is much more difficult than preventing it. It is easier to prevent something from happening in the first place than to repair the damage once it has happened.
People generally know the basic rules to make their life healthier and happier. It’s common knowledge but, most of the time, control/discipline and patience are forgotten.
By taking good care of ourselves and understanding the meaning and principles of prevention, we can learn how to avoid life-threatening and life-threatening diseases. The chances of getting sick can be significantly reduced with the lifestyle decisions that are made.
Many people put off seeing a doctor until they feel sick, forgetting that instead of trying to get better when they are sick, it is much better to do what we can to avoid getting sick in first place.
When the body is affected by a disease, the functioning of the organs is affected and must be treated. Medications can cause serious side effects and undesirable long-term consequences.
And even more, there are some diseases for which there is no cure available or which are difficult to treat, with an unnecessary burden of suffering. The quality of life and life itself will be threatened.
Although genetic and environmental factors contribute to many conditions, much of the burden of disease results from preventable risks, such as smoking, alcohol, poor diet and physical inactivity. Unfortunately, lifestyle factors such as poor diet, risky alcohol consumption and lack of exercise continue to be major causes of poor health.
As aware as people may be of what it takes to live a healthier life, turning things like eating well and exercising regularly into daily habits can be very difficult.
Fortunately, when it comes to disease prevention, even minor lifestyle changes can have a big impact.
The following steps are basic steps, but they are very important to keep the body and mind in the best possible shape and to avoid disease as much as possible.
1. Stop smoking: Although smoking rates have declined sharply over the past 20 years, tobacco use is still responsible for an unnecessary number of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancers.
2. Maintain a healthy weight according to your size.
- Eat a balanced diet : A healthy, balanced diet with lots of vegetables, fruits, grains and protein is a good start.
4. Avoid drinking too much alcohol: Alcohol consumption is responsible for a large number of preventable illnesses and injuries.
For most diseases, early detection helps to take better preventive measures. Avoiding seeing a doctor and thinking that the disease will be automatically cured can lead to a worsening of the problem, increased expenses or even be life-threatening.
It is very important to consider regular visits to the family doctor to monitor the state of health with adequate health check-ups, thus allowing early monitoring of possible existing diseases. Finding the real situation early, before symptoms appear, allows monitoring and treatment before more complex problems arise. Waiting for symptoms to appear and often deciding to wait “to see if it gets better” will make all of this much more difficult.
No one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes, but prevention can prevent many problems and disasters. It is easier to be careful and reasonable beforehand than to solve problems resulting from irresponsible negligence.
It takes less effort, less time, and it’s probably less expensive!
LATEST COVID NEWS
ECDC epidemiological update (Oct21st of October, 2022)
ECDC – European Center for Disease Prevention and Control – based on modeling estimates, predicts that BQ1 and its sublineage BQ1.1 will become the dominant strains of SARS-CoV2 in the EU/EEA of here mid-November to early December 2022.
This will likely contribute to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the weeks or months to come.
The magnitude of the increase in COVID-19 cases will depend on a variety of factors, including timing-influenced immune protection against infection and coverage of COVID-19 vaccination regimens.
Preliminary laboratory studies indicate that BQ.1 has the ability to significantly evade immune system response. However, based on the limited data currently available, there is no evidence that BQ.1 is associated with increased severity of infection compared to circulating Omicron variants BA.4/BA.5.
Andrea Ammon, Director of ECDC, said: “Countries must remain vigilant for signals of the emergence and spread of BQ.1, and maintain sensitive and representative testing. Countries should continue to monitor COVID-19 case rates, especially among people aged 65 and over.”
“Severity indicators such as hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions and occupancy and deaths also need to be monitored.”
One last note: In addition to the Covid vaccination, now considered seasonal, don’t forget the annual flu shot and, if you are over 50 or have chronic illnesses, also consider the pneumonia (pneumococcus) vaccination.
Best wishes for health,
Dr. Maria Alice Pestana Serrano and Silva
|| features@algarveresident.com
Dr. Maria Alice is a consultant in general and family medicine. General Manager/Medical Director – Luzdoc International Medical Service. Administrative Assessor – Grupo Hospital Particular do Algarve
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