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When to see a doctor?
This article on when to see a doctor was originally titled When NOT to consult a doctor.
It was published in a 1993 edition of The Good Life. At that time, I had not consulted a doctor for eight years, ever since I was introduced to natural health in 1985. It is now 2007 and it has been more than 22 years since I have not consulted a medical doctor. And I am not the only one. Some of my friends in the natural health movement have not seen a doctor for much longer than I. So... when to see a doctor? Of course, there might be times and situations when it is necessary. But for me, personally, I hope the answer is 'Never'. The original article is reproduced below... When NOT to consult a doctor? This issue of The Good Life is necessarily biased. I focus on the faults and dangers of medical science only to counter the vast amount of material in the media that glorify modern medicine without questioning.
We have to learn to discern when to see a doctor, and when not to seek medical treatment. There are no hard and fast rules about when to see a doctor. In Health and Healing, Andrew Weil, MD, offers the following guidelines: “Regular medicine is on very shaky ground in attempting to treat such problems as acute infections associated with viruses, nutritional and metabolic diseases, chronic degenerative diseases, allergies and autoimmune diseases, cancer, ‘psychosomatic disease,’ and mental illness. “I would look elsewhere than conventional medicine for help if I contracted a severe viral disease like hepatitis or polio, or a metabolic disease like diabetes. "I would not seek allopathic treatment for cancer, except for a few varieties, or for such chronic ailments as arthritis, asthma, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, or for many other chronic diseases of the digestive, circulatory, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems.” When to see a doctor? Medical emergencies Dr. Weil advises medical treatment for: “Acute trauma, acute infections associated with bacteria, protozoa, some fungi, some parasites and a few other organisms; acute medical emergencies; and acute surgical emergencies.” He explains: “By ‘acute medical emergencies’ I mean such calamities as myocardial infarction (heart attack) and pulmonary edema (accumulation of fluid in the lungs). By ‘acute surgical emergencies’, I mean twisted bowels, obstructed bile ducts, inflamed appendices about to burst, hemorrhages in the skull that compress the brain, and the like.” Dr Weil further notes that regular medicine is effective at preventing infectious illnesses through immunization. When to see a doctor? No agreement Not everyone agrees with all his guidelines, however. A small number of doctors – along with many alternative health practitioners – oppose immunization because of its dangers. Stronger opposition comes from parents of children who have been harmed or killed by it. (Note: There is today considerable evidence that autism is caused, at least partly, by mercury used in vaccines.) “Acute” and “emergency” situations are more valid reasons for seeking medical treatment. But even these may not be always necessary.
When to see a doctor? Natural alternatives Macrobiotic teacher George Ohsawa contracted a deadly parasitic infection when he visited Africa. He was advised to return to Europe for medical treatment, because in Africa, the disease was considered “100 percent fatal”. Ohsawa refused. Instead, he began to eat an extremely yang macrobiotic diet – including spoonfuls of sea salt wrapped in seaweed. In three days, the infection cleared up. In Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking, Aveline Kushi relates how, one day, her son was screaming in pain for hernia. Instinctively, she made him an ume-sho-bancha – bancha tea with umeboshi plum and shoyu. She solved the emergency in 20 minutes, faster than any doctor could.Recently I had a friend whose intestines were blocked. She couldn’t eat and was very weak. The doctor wanted to operate. Meanwhile, he gave her a “special” high calorie drink made from milk, sugar plus synthetic vitamins and artificial colours and flavours. She kept throwing it up.
When to see a doctor? Try alternatives first I suggested that she drank brown rice water. (Cooking brown rice in plenty of water and drinking the liquid.) My friend had to lie to the doctor. She said she was taking the prescribed drink although she drank only rice water. She was out of hospital in three days. I wasn’t even sure that rice waters would help. I only suggested that she try. Sometimes, that is all you need to do – try. There is no harm in trying some natural remedies first. Even if you have called for medical help, you can try while waiting for the doctor or ambulance to arrive. The more you try, the more knowledgeable and confident you will become. I used to consult the doctor every few weeks. I thought it was necessary because I always falling ill. Now I try to treat myself first. If that doesn’t work, I would consult an alternative health practitioner. In the past eight years (as of 2007, past 22 years), I never needed to see a doctor.
Maybe one day I will have to. But no way will I ever take a doctor’s advice if he or she:
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