, authors Elinor Levy & Mark Fischetti, Ph.D tell us how several of the old-time diseases like tuberculosis and plague are making a come back. At the same time, newly emerging diseases such as West Nile Virus and SARS are becoming more common. We see them on television. We hear about them on the radio. We read about them in the newspapers. Deadly microbes are everywhere. I'm sure you've read about the flesh eating disease
. Talk about scary. That little devil will make a believer out of you real fast. So why is all this happening?The number one reason killer diseases are on the rampage is because they've become resistant to modern-day antibiotics. Have you ever heard of MRSA? It stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
.
That's what we're dealing with here--deadly germs that resist antibiotics. Apparently the germs have finally gotten smarter than us humans, and the experts tell us that a lot of the blame falls directly onto our doctors. Sorry if you're a doctor, but it's true. Evidently, doctors have been prescribing unnecessary antibiotics for a long time now, and, subsequently, the germs they're trying to kill have mutated into drug-resistant germs. Bad news!Over the years the pesky little germs have grown stronger and stronger, so now we're in serious trouble. We get sick and we can't get well. That's not even funny. You may have experienced this yourself. It's a pretty scary situation. So here we are, surrounded by an army of deadly microbes, yet everybody just seems to go about their business as usual. What's up with that? A few days ago I was talking about this very subject with some guy I met in the mall. His feeling was that when your number's up, it's up. Don't worry about it. I was flabberghasted. On another occasion I was talking to a dentist. He wasn't concerned either. And he had experienced a serious chest infection! I was stunned. So why aren't we more concerned? The simplest answer is that Americans are basically a "ho-hum" society. If the threat isn't immediate, don't worry about it. But the threat is immediate. It's happening right now, all around us.
A drug resistant disease can attack anybody, anytime, anyplace. For instance, I have a friend who picked up a serious staphylococcus infection through casual contact at his local gym. He had a small cut on his arm and forgot to place a towel between his bare arm and the gym equipment. Within a few days his entire arm had turned black and blue and swelled to twice its normal size. His arm looked dead, and it would have been if he hadn't of gotten prompt medical treatment. Even then, the first antibiotic didn't do the job (MRSA). Needless to say, it wasn't a very pleasant experience. Buy the way, I mentioned this story to the dentist I was talking to. He said he didn't use a towel either. Unbelievable. Do you want that guy probing the inside of your mouth?
My intention is not to beat up on health professionals. I use these examples only to highlight the need to educate ourselves. We have to become more involved in our own health issues, otherwise we're at the mercy of bum information and inappropriate treatment. That's why this book should absolutely be on your required reading list. Remember, education is the best defense. Read the book. At least you'll be aware of the danger and know what questions to ask your health provider. For the measly price, this book is a good place to start. My friend used to say, "It's cheap for half the price."
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