Are these the best ever times to get sick?

The current times have been touted by some to be the best times ever in a lot of ways. The world is more interconnected than ever before, and new frontiers in technology are the norm. You will find advances in almost every aspect of human life.

Mobile technology means we can do almost anything anywhere, and anytime.Think of how social media, virtual entrepreneurship, education, travel, entertainment and many other aspects of our lives have changed in almost unimaginable ways.

The world of medicine has not been left behind.

We can cure or control more diseases than ever before, or even preempt the occurrence of disease altogether. We now better understand the evolution of many diseases, and can modify disease affliction with simple advice and lifestyle modification. Combine this with ample screening tests and you have tools to detect many diseases before they even occur. That’s why you commonly hear of terms like pre-diabetes, pre-hypertension, pre-cancer etc.

The ability to prevent disease is also better in these times. Think of all the vaccines currently available, spanning from prevention of childhood illnesses to cancer. Many diseases that ravaged populations in days gone by are now confined to medical archives. There are umpteen ways of preventing diseases, some novel and others very simplistic. Sleeping under a mosquito net to prevent malaria, and using condoms to prevent sexual infections and HIV are really simplistic. More novel techniques are now available, like gene manipulations to prevent genetic-related diseases.

When disease occurs, current treatment options provide an array of options that were unavailable decades ago. We have better diagnostics, better anti-infective agents, better surgical equipment and more advanced medical skills, all aided by advances in technology. You can consult virtually, and even get an operation done remotely by the most skilled doctor regardless of your location. Robotics have enabled surgeons to operate safely on previously precarious places in our bodies. Newer gene therapy is revolutionizing treatment of cancers and other chronic diseases, enabling those afflicted to live longer.

Does this mean we can put our guard down and allow ourselves to get afflicted by disease? After all, we are living in the best of times for making a prompt diagnosis and achieving a cure. Why not exploit the current medical advances and live a carefree life? Whatever advances we have in healthcare, you are still better off steering clear of diseases rather than depending on medical technology to sort you out. Medical advances save many lives, but at great expense and can cause harm sometimes. Think of rare but serious complications from surgical operations, adverse drug reactions, hospital acquired infections etc.

Choose a lifestyle that maintains optimal health. Yes, these are the best times to hope for a cure if you ever get sick. But neglecting your health in order to exploit medical advances is foolhardy.