An Ounce of Prevention -- by Derek

The expression, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” applies very much to health care. It is much better to prevent a disease or injury than it is to treat it after it occurs. It is also better to find a disease early, when it is easier to treat. There are many things that we can do to help prevent health problems or injuries from occurring and to find health problems early. The ones that I feel are important are regular check-ups, regular physical activity, and personal safety measures.

One important thing that we can do to help prevent health problems is to see a doctor at least twice a year no matter how you may feel. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes over 21 years ago and almost died from it. When diagnosed, my blood sugar level was almost 900! Unfortunately, I was not seeing a doctor regularly. If I had been, my condition may have been detected earlier and my diabetes controlled by diet and pills instead of insulin injections.

Another important thing that we can do to help prevent health problems is regular physical activity. When I was diagnosed, my doctor explained to me that though I was unaware of my condition, working out was causing my glucose levels to increase more rapidly. Being in good physical condition allowed my body to withstand the physical trauma I was experiencing. Physical activity not only helps to make a person look and feel good, but is also good for you!

An additional thing that we can do to help prevent health problems is practice personal safety. I once worked for a company where I worked with lots of chemicals. OSHA came in to do a safety inspection and found that the employees did not have proper safety gear. One employee developed a severe lung disease as a result of not having the proper safety gear. If that employee had been properly protected, he may have never gotten that disease.

I feel that if we have regular check-ups, are physically active, and practice personal safety measures, we can live long, healthy lives.

By: Derek