10 Reasons To Change Your Doctor

We will never find the perfect doctor, as they are all human
and none of them are perfect. It comes as no surprise to
most of us that they call their profession "the practice of
medicine." One of the leading causes of death and injury in
the United States is medical mistakes.

It is calculated by the Institute of Medicine that medical
errors actually kill anywhere from 44,000 to 90,000 people
in U.S. hospitals each year. This figure is more than those
who are killed by automobile accidents or those who succumb
to breast cancer.

Regardless of whether you are generally healthy, or live
with a chronic illness, you still need a physician you can
trust. Though an occasional small mistake may occur, it is
especially important that you have a doctor who is eager to
be part of your medical team for both short-term and
long-term treatment.

Are there some definite signs you should not listen to your
doctors, seek a second opinion, or even change doctors? Yes!

1. Your doctor is quick to speak and slow to listen, rarely
hearing all of your symptoms or asking questions about them.
He quickly records his interpretation of what you are saying
before you have begun to explain your symptoms or the
situation.

2. Your doctor is persistent about prescribing medicines
that are recently available. He does not explain what the
medication is, why you need it, how it will help your
situation, long-term effects, or if there is a plan to get
you off of it. You can see the promotional items for the
medication around his office.

3. Your doctor acts as if he knows less about your condition
that even you do. You leave the appointments feeling like all
you did was report in your latest symptoms while he took
notes.

4. Your doctor doesn't have confidence to treat you, rarely
providing actual advice or instructions, but rather says,
"What do you think we should do?" or "You do whatever you
think is best."

5. Your doctor is swift to request tests or procedures that
could have a negative bearing on your current health or
illness. He doesn't seem to understand that tests that may
be of minor influence on the body of a healthy person can be a
major factor in your well-being. The best doctor will keep
all of your body in mind when making choices about tests,
not just the area that he is a specialist for.

6. Your doctor seems to humor you, looks at you as if he
doubts your symptoms, and smiles and writes notes. You feel
like he is being condescending rather than a part of your
medical team.

7. Your doctor refuses to let you see the medical records he
has on you and your condition. If you request them he says
he will send them to another physician, but he seems to go
out of his way to make sure you don't personally receive
them. At some point you may apply for disability financial
support and the social security disability review doctors
will want to review your medical history. It is important
the records are accurate.

8. Your doctor is never accessible when you need him the
most. On the rare occasion when you have an emergency he is
unable to provide you with an appointment promptly. Your
prescriptions are not refilled when requested. He rarely has
his office return your calls and he is unable to be reached
for hours even when he is paged for an urgent situation.

9. Your doctor does not believe you are in the amount of
pain you claim you are in. He seems reluctant about prescribing
you with pain medication, despite the severity of the pain,
and your proven responsibility with medications.

10. Your doctor is never open to consulting other medical
professionals or faxing his notes over to your other
physicians. He thinks he can solve all of your medical needs
and feels threatened when you want to consult with another
source, specialist, or someone else on your medical team.

The best doctor will listen to you thoroughly, take good
notes, explain the benefits and drawbacks of medications,
and make you feel like you are an integral part of your
medical team.

While there may be no such thing as the perfect physician
and it may take a few referrals to find the best doctor to
meet your medical needs and be a good personality fit, don't
give up. Never sacrifice your health just because you don't
want to hurt a doctor's feelings by leaving him and seeking
health care elsewhere.

Common Causes Of Migraine Headaches

With the fast paced lifestyle we all lead nowadays, it's not
uncommon that more and more people are getting migraines as
a result of the stress. This greatly affects our productivity,
not to mention our quality of living. Thus, modern medicine
has tried to come up with a battery of drugs to battle this
growing pandemic.

But even with recent medical and technological advances,
most doctors and scientist still can't identify the specific
factors involved in causing migraines. Some argue that it
has to do with the amount of serotonin in our brains. They
claim that when serotonin levels drop, the sudden imbalance
can lead to a migraine.

A migraine usually presents itself with a number of symptoms.
People often experience light sensitivities, with some saying that
they can see colors or spots in their vision. Others claim
that their scalp feels soft to the touch.

Mood swings are also a common symptom of migraines. People
can go from happy to sad, calm to angry, right before a
migraine hits, making it uncomfortable for the suffering
person and the people around them.

Most migraines usually come and go, but one that lasts for
days may be a sign of a more serious problem. Most stem
from personal bad habits, such as stress and an unhealthy diet.
Sleep and drinking plenty of fluids usually help, but you
can also take a few of the dozen or more over the counter
medicines designed to help relieve migraines.

With all that said, it's important to reduce the amount of
stress in your life. Not only is it unhealthy, but it is
one of the most common causes of migraine headaches. If
you do get a migraine headache attack, just try to relax and
find a quiet place to lie down. Pick some place dark, to
cut the effects of light sensitivity, and apply a cold
compress to your head, while gently massaging your scalp
every so often.

Food sensitivities are also known to trigger migraines.
Dairy and those containing dairy products, such as milk and
coffee, can also trigger migraine headaches, as well as food
additives like MSG. Excessive consumption of these foods
react with a person's body chemistry, triggering the onset of
a migraine headache.

Preventative Health Can Save Billions

Dr. Paul Zane Pilzer, and economist, predicted the internet
revolution and he predicts that the wellness industry will take
over from the sickness industry as the next trillion dollar
market. That was a few years ago. I think we are well on our
way to achieving this but still more needs to be done.

It is no secret we will likely live longer then our grandparents
did. This fact makes the need for preventative health care a
necessity. We must remain proactive if we do not wish to suffer
in our later years. Preventive care has been proven to promote
healthy lives.

The key to combating chronic illness is to nip them before
they get a chance to take over. A preventative exam can
point out these illnesses before they have a chance. You
can make changes before they become a real problem.

If symptoms are caught early enough some major problems can
be prevented. For instance, what if you have high blood
pressure. This, if not addressed with early treatment can lead
to a massive heart attack. Doesn't it make perfect sense to find
it before it becomes a problem.

With early detection thousands of dollars can be saved.
Think about how much more a acute illness versus a chronic
illness costs. This alone should motivate you to be
proactive when it comes to your health.

Many health care experts believe that preventative
measures can help save the health care industry. The
industry losses billions each year due to the high cost of
treating chronic illnesses. Those billions saved could be
used to lower premiums for the consumer.

Experts say that only about 10% of people that have
preventative benefits utilize them. That number is
staggering! It is one of the most important benefits you
may have. And did you know your insurance company usually
pays 100%. That tells me they know the facts! They know
how much it saves in the long run.

Don't hesitate, schedule your annual preventative exam today
if you have not had it this year. Start exercising, eating
right and stop bad habits. Make this commitment to good
health. Your body and your bank account will thank you.

Don't just think about how it will benefit you either.
Think about how it will benefit your friends and family if
you encourage them to do the same. And if you plan on
having some grandchildren they will thank you for your
efforts and you will be a perfect example of good health.