Why aren't all doctors recommending more UV exposure? (another commentary)

[Bill]

I received an emailed newsletter from Dr. Jeffrey Dach, a doctor in Hollywood, Florida regarding the use of Thimerosal as a preservative in vaccines. There is thought to be a link to Autism. This caused me to think about the fact that it isn't just the vitamin D research that is being ignored, for the most part. The medical community has been famously slow to accept change. Each generation of medical scholars believes they have all the answers. After all, they truly are in the top percentage of the population in terms of education, intellect, knowledge, etc. How could they not start to think that they know everything? So, when a new idea comes along that flies in the face of conventional wisdom, it means that you either reject it as flawed or you admit that you were wrong about what you were firmly convinced was right.

The following posts are examples of this attitude.

[Bill]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis

Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis (July 1, 1818 - August 13, 1865), also Ignac Semmelweis (born Semmelweis Ignác Fülöp), [1] [2] was an Austrian-Hungarian physician called the "savior of mothers" [3] [4] who discovered, by 1847,[3] that the incidence of puerperal fever could be drastically cut by use of hand washing standards in obstetrical clinics.[3] Puerperal fever (or childbed fever) was common in mid-19th-century hospitals and often fatal, with mortality at 10%-35%. [5] Semmelweis postulated the theory of washing with "chlorinated lime solutions"[4] in 1847[3] as head of Vienna General Hospital's First Obstetrical Clinic, where doctor wards had 3 times the mortality of midwife wards.[4] In 1851, Semmelweis moved to work in Hungary, which accepted the theory by 1857 (see below).
Despite his publications by 1861[5] of statistical/clinical trials where hand-washing reduced mortality below 1%,[5] Semmelweis' practice only earned widespread acceptance years after his death, when Louis Pasteur confirmed the germ theory. A nervous breakdown (or possibly Alzheimer's) landed him in an asylum, where Semmelweis died of injuries, at age 47.

[Bill]

The British Navy finally gave limes to sailors 50 years after James Lind's showed citrus fruit cured scurvy.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lind

[Bill]

As a reward for his discovery that elevated homocysteine causes heart disease, Kilmer McCully MD, was fired from his job at Harvard University and research grant terminated.

http://www.newhope.com/nutritionscie...9/dialogue.cfm

This was in 1969.

[Bill]

You think today's medical community is more open to new ideas? Think again. Dr. Michael Holick was forced to resign his position in 2004 over his suggestions that for a few minutes a day, a few times a week, it would be good for you to get a little sunshine on your body.

http://www.cancerdecisions.com/071104_page.html

The resignation was largely symbolic and he received no cut in pay, but it was obviously aimed at punishing him for this modern day heresy.

http://www.geekpress.com/2004/04/der...ok-boston.html

[Bill]

Doctors are human. They are among the most educated and most intelligent members of our society. They are not used to being told that they are wrong. The concept that they can be wrong about something as simple as the idea of sunlight causing melanoma rather than preventing it takes a little while to get used to.

After all, if something that simple that they "knew" to be a fact turns out to be wrong, then what else could they be wrong about? That has to be frightening to a doctor.

[Sherin]

I read the story about Dr. Semmelweiss long ago before I became a mother...
Outrageous story about how he was ostersized because he had proof that not washing hands contributed to childbirth death. ~Can you even imagine?~

I actually wrote about the similarities (on another site~a few years ago) without much concern... I don't think most of society knows what single most important thing he contributed to reduce the death rate for all mankind!

The story there was one of perserverance. He knew he was right and stood his course with proof until he was heard!

[clubby]

Part of the problem is they way we were all brought up. We were all taught to believe everything a doctor told us. "DOCTORS ORDERS" is a phrase used to MAKE us believe we HAD to do it. When you heard that phrase, it was "well, my doctor ORDERED me to". What doctors created was a sense of belief that, no matter what they said, it was good for us because... after all, THEY were doctors. They were smart. They went to school for a lot of years. Society has put doctors on a pedestal to the point where most of us feel they are unapproachable.
Money corrupts. Most doctors now run AT LEAST million dollar practices. They get there by doing the very same thing we try to do in our business. Get the customer to keep coming back. Up-sell. Add-ons. Introduce new products and services that are capable of producing higher margins.
It finally occurred to me that doctors are running a business. A HUGE business. I was TRAINED to believe that doctors where there to help people relieve pain and suffering and money was secondary. I WAS DUPED along with most everyone else. Doctors care about money FIRST and how to protect their cash flow... their BUSINESS. They can just about say anything they want and get away with it. I give you the "sun scare" mantra as one of the best examples.
The problem is, when we are really in pain and suffering, we want relief and will just about pay any price to get it. What makes me want to puke is that when we ARE in pain and suffering, MOST doctors KNEW how to prevent the condition and KNOW how to SIMPLY treat it. What they DO is create the problem by not disseminating the knowledge THEY have gained to prevent the illness and then treat the illness in such a way as to prolong the condition... and their cash flow. There's little money in curing but a lot of money in treating.
This nation has turned into a population of hypochondriacs. 50 years ago people rarely went to a doctor unless they were dieing, bleeding or broke a bone. Today and because of health insurance, our society runs to a doctor for every little pimple, cramp or other ass ache. Our society has encouraged the abuse by doctors. Hell, we have begged for it... and doctors are just happy to oblige us. Just so long as you can pay the bill. Can't pay? See what kind of treatment you get. I sense that the medical industry has evolved to the point where, if you can't pay, they'd rather you just simple die. Bitch too loudly about it and you are probably considered a "bottom feeder" in their eyes.

[Sherin]

I have lived without medical/dental for 5 years now...
I know I need to go, but if something is found, then I will not be able to be covered when I do have insurance as it bee a pre-existing condition!

I used to think that Dr's knew everthing, but the older I get, the more I know they are practicing.

[clubby]

Originally Posted by Sherin

I have lived without medical/dental for 5 years now...
I know I need to go, but if something is found, then I will not be able to be covered when I do have insurance as it bee a pre-existing condition!

I used to think that Dr's knew everthing, but the older I get, the more I know they are practicing.

and here I thought the medical world was supposed to have compasion for people. Nope. It's all about money Sherin.