- 10. Chest Pains
- 9. Abdominal Pain
- 8. Tooth aches
- 7. Sprains and Broken Bones
- 6. Upper Respiratory Infections such as cold or flu
- 5. Cuts and contusions (bleeding)
- 4. Back Pain
- 3. changes in vision
- 2. Foreign Objects in the Body
- 1. Headaches
Where can you go that will get you free cable TV, an uncomfortable chair, extended waiting time and a preponderance of germs surrounding you? Oh yes, and the fee for this amazing ambience will likely set you back more than a vacation on a tropical island.
In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logged approximately 124 million visits to the ER, with only 42 million (1/3) of those being injury-related.
The map you see above reinforces a 2010 finding that primary-care doctors only handle about 45 percent of cases that require immediate medical attention in the U.S. Emergency rooms, meanwhile, see 28 percent. That's partly because primary care doctors are now busier than ever, and few can offer weekend, evening, or same-day appointments. In the Netherlands, 95 percent of doctors are able to manage patients after hours without referring them to emergency departments, compared with only 40 percent in the U.S. And of course, uninsured people have few options other than to head to ERs, which are legally mandated to stabilize everyone who walks through the door.
Since Health Care seems to be on everyone’s mind lately, we thought it only prudent to discuss the dangers of neglecting one’s health. As is evidenced by the Top 10 reasons people need an ER, there are at least 7 that can be avoided if one will daily manage their own health. Many times, injuries or illnesses are treated in the ER that could have waited for a primary care physician, but not everyone has one. It's not an ideal situation, but a realistic one.
As the likelihood of fewer available primary care doctors continues to grow and the cost associated with getting quality medical attention continues to sky rocket, it would make logical sense that people begin to take seriously their daily dietary, exercise and lifestyle habits. The times are changing quickly and what we used to believe was easily accessible will soon be in short commodity with a large price tag.
While it is true that ER’s often deliver urgent care that saves lives, the reality is that day to day work in an emergency room is far more routine. It is entirely possible to believe that you and I can make great changes in the United States Health Care System if we begin to believe that the power of our future health begins on our plate!
Dr. Lino Guedes Pires, an emergency room doctor states,
“Eating animal protein contributes to the most prevalent diseases I face in the emergency room which include: acute gastroenteritis, diarrhea, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, and allergic colitis. These diseases are the starting point to more serious illnesses such as acute abdomen, appendicitis, diverticular disease and even cancer. Such sources of protein can generate terrible abdominal cramps and pain.”
He goes on to explain that while most people think we need to get protein from animal sources, the best sources of protein actually come from our digestive system. The fermentative bacteria derived from plant sources in our gut is easier to assimilate and better digested than the putrefactive bacteria derived from animal protein. The two together do not mix well resulting in the fermentative bacteria being killed and those bacteria were the ones allowing amino acids to grow in the digestive system which formed protein.
He cites another common emergency room condition that can be avoided—kidney stones. This is definitely a diet-related issue. Dr. Pires suggests that kidney stones are generally caused by lack of water and magnesium. Magnesium plays a vital role in our metabolism helping prevent calcium from being lost in our urine and ensuring it stays in our bones. It is the mineral that gives vegetables their green color.
If an ER doctor can see the value in changing our diet to avoid a costly, painful visit, and he has had many more years’ experience in learning medicine than he has learning about nutrition, we all should be able to make quick, easy and positive changes to our own lifestyles that ensure a greater likelihood that we can skip those Emergency Room lines.
If everyone can commit to placing more vegetables in their grocery carts each time they go shopping and consuming them, then it won’t take long before these Health Care Horror Stories become a thing of the past.
