Guest guest Posted April 23, 2003 Report Share Posted April 23, 2003 Tue, 22 Apr 2003 15:20:00 -0500 WC Douglass A SARS is born Daily Dose April 22, 2003 ************************************************************** Keeping a killer at arm's length The SARS story is moving so rapidly that it is hard to keep up with it. By the time you read this, the information will probably be way out of date, but it's crucial to stay as on top of it as we can. I'm sure you've already heard plenty about it in the past few weeks, but just a quick refresher: SARS stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome. Supposedly, researchers think it's either a new strain of the virus that causes the common cold or a mutated version of the virus responsible for measles and mumps. But since that's about ALL they know, the SARS casualties keep piling up: The worldwide death toll is now up around 182. With more and more cases being reported in Canada, and over 200 in this country, none of us is completely safe from its spread. Until we know more about how to combat this newest killer on the scene, here are a few things you can do, starting today, to keep it at arm's length. Actions to take: (1) Purchase a good supply of face masks, preferably the type that professional painters use. If you find yourself in a situation where someone's coughing (especially a dry cough), wear one! (2) Wash your hands as often as possible. This may seem like old-fashioned advice, but sometimes old-fashioned is the best way to go. (3) Consult a homeopathic doctor to inquire about possible preventive treatments. As you'll learn in the May issue of Real Health, homeopathy offers some dramatic hope for smallpox and so it could be equally effective for the prevention and treatment of SARS. To locate a homeopathic physician in your area, contact the National Center for Homeopathy at (703)548-7790 or www.homeopathic.org. (4) SARS serves as an important reminder of just how vulnerable we are these days. There are lots of threats out there -- from mysterious virus epidemics to terrorist attacks. That infamous statue in Baghdad might have come down, but that doesn't mean we can stop looking over our shoulders. The fact is we just don't know what might happen next. So the best thing you can do is to prepare yourself for the possibilities most likely to occur. Easier said than done, right? Well, it's actually not as impossible as it sounds. A little common sense and an open mind can go a long way in protecting you and your family from would-be disasters. So with that in mind, I've put together a report compiling some good advice that will help you sort through the government/media hype and get down to the things that can REALLY make a difference in an emergency situation. These are simple, effective methods to protect yourself and your loved ones from all sorts of possible dangers. You're not going to hear about any of these techniques on the nightly news, and with all the uncertainty surrounding " homeland security " I think it's time we took matters into our own hands. Just keep in mind that your ever-caring government certainly isn't going to save you -- they've made a mess of every attempt they've executed so far. Your only chance of survival in an emergency situation is knowing how to save yourself. ************************************************************** More casualties... Listen to this: A 2002 report on medication errors -- the second of its kind released by MedMARx, an anonymous independent tracking program -- shows that hospitals are making an alarming number of mistakes in administering prescription drugs to patients under their care. This isn't just about the occasional nurse who forgets to give a patient his evening laxative - it's about an astounding number of medication errors (over 37,000 in the year 2000 alone), many of which led to serious injury and sometimes death. And what's really mind-boggling is this: The report's data was compiled from only 184 participating facilities! That's an average of more than 200 incidents per hospital, and those are just the mistakes that get reported. In 1999, the Institute of Medicine published a much more detailed report on medical errors called To Err is Human. It estimated as many as 98,000 patients die in hospitals EVERY YEAR from preventable errors including improper medication. So this is a real risk, and one that I've written about before in the Daily Dose. Actions to take: Aside from never allowing yourself to be admitted into the hospital, try to avoid taking so many of the nasty pills that the drug industry makes seem so helpful and harmless for the little afflictions of everyday life. Then, if you end up in the hospital, at least you won't be on a bunch of pills when you walk in the door. If it's too late for you to do either one of those things, there is one more option: If you (or a member of the family) are severely ill or scheduled for surgery, consider hiring a private nurse while you're in the hospital. You need a watchman, who can protect you from medication errors, see that you get the pain relief you need, and call for help if things go wrong, as I advised in Real Health (October 2001). Sounds expensive, I know, but here's the bottom line: She can save your life. Helping you help yourself, William Campbell Douglass II, MD ************************************************************** Copyright ©1997-2003 by www.realhealthnews.com, L.L.C. The Daily Dose may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission. ************************************************************** ************************************************************** Before you hit reply to send us a question or request, please click here http://www.realhealthnews.com/questions.shtml ************************************************************** If you'd like to participate in the Real Health Forum, search past e-letters and products or you're a Real Health r and would like to search past articles, visit http://www.realhealthnews.com ************************************************************** To learn more about Real Health, call (203) 699-4420 or visit http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/RHB/WRHBCC11/home.cfm ************************************************************** Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc. To , e-mail to: Gettingwell- Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. 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