Monday, August 8, 2011

Over-diagnosed by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch

Perspective. We all need it. Some people are better at it than others. When it comes to health I tend to see lions behind every tree. Every time I read or hear of a disease or condition, the symptoms resonate with me and I'm sure I have "it". Logically speaking I'm mostly healthy, but logic doesn't always factor in. Dr. Welch premises that with all the possibilities that modern medicine has for tracking down abnormalities in our bodies we may have taken medical screening to the extreme. He proposes that ALL bodies carry diseased cells around in them at all times - most of which will never go beyond a very small stage or will be eradicated by our body defence systems. However, if an x-ray, MRI or other scanning procedure is used, treatments may be begun that will have more of a negative effect on us than just leaving well enough alone. The book is very well written, easy to understand, and full of examples, footnotes and references. It covers most common ailments and cancers, and also includes a chapter on genetic testing which was very interesting.
His advice - if it's not broke, don't fix it. Good advice and I plan to take it.

1 comment:

  1. I read this, too, but not the whole thing. I found it very interesting, especially the part where this doctor said that he rarely, if ever,goes for yearly check ups. I liked his attitude, too. Too much testing can make one a hypochondriac! But then again, you want to catch cancer in the early stages. I tend to be a procrastinator or maybe even an avoider. Sometimes I think I'd rather not know!

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