A report recently published by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 2.6 million people die each year from medical errors, making them the number one cause of death worldwide!

Most of those deaths are related to incorrect diagnosing of the patient’s condition and administering pharmaceutical products.

Here in the US, medical errors kill over 251,000 Americans every year and are the third leading cause of death. 

In addition to misdiagnosis and medications, “medical errors” also include unnecessary surgery, surgery performed on the wrong body part, getting the wrong treatment, hospital errors and hospital acquired infections (C-diff is one of the most common).

The CDC is mum on medical errors

Note that you won’t find medical errors listed as a mortality cause on the CDC’s website.  According to them, the third leading cause of death (based on data from 2017) is accidental injuries, which claims about 170,000 lives each year.  

This is at least partially due to inadequate data collection and the fact that death certificates don’t include a coding class for medical errors.

The mortality statistics that are published only look at the condition that led the individual to seek medical treatment in the first place.

So for instance if someone went in the hospital for heart surgery and died while they were in there because of a medication error, the cause of death would show as heart disease.

Very misleading to say the least!

Minimize your chances!

While the ideal situation would be to always stay healthy and never need medical care, the fact is that sometimes it is necessary. 

But you can stack the deck in your favor and minimize your chances of becoming a victim of medical errors! 

Here are some ways you can help:

Question EVERYTHING.  Don’t just blindly accept your treatment plan.  Ask why and explore alternatives if possible.  For example, if you have a back condition and the doctor is jumping right to opioids and surgery, explore safer alternatives such as acupuncture, physical therapy or chiropractic treatment.   

Get second (and even third) opinions.  Your doctor should not be offended if you want a second opinion and if he/she is, then take that as a sign to get another doctor.  Also, make sure the second opinion doctor is not in the same practice as your doctor.

Get an advocate.  If you are facing a serious illness, it can be overwhelming trying to take everything in when you meet with your doctor.  Have a family member or trusted friend go with you to your appointments that can think objectively, take notes and even ask questions you might not think of. 

Don’t sign anything without reading it.  This should apply to any type of document or contract, but it’s especially important when you are giving authorization for medical care.  Make sure you know exactly all they can do and plan to do.  If you don’t understand something that is on a form they want you to sign, ask for an explanation.   

Do your part to create HEALTH!

Although medical care is necessary at times, now more than ever before in our existence it is vital that you do your part to not just prevent sickness but to create HEALTH!

And the good news is it’s not rocket science.  Instead there are 7 tried and true ways to take care of your body and make it less likely that you will need medical care to begin with:

1- Get enough sleep.  The health effects of too little sleep are numerous—it can make you more prone to depression, increase your risk of accidents and seriously impair your immune system functioning. 

Seven to nine hours a night should be your goal.   

2- Eat real food.  Your body needs crucial nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy and healthy fats (like real butter, coconut oil and olive oil). 

At the same time, ditch the processed junk, fast food and soda as much as you can.  Even baby steps in the right direction are helpful.  For example, if you’re a soda-holic, try swapping out one of your sodas for a glass of water.  Or instead of fries with your burger, opt for a side salad.   

For some of the best nutritional guidance you can get, check out my Great Taste No Pain system.  Great Taste No Pain shows you how to structure your meals to pave the way for easier digestion, and features tons of yummy ideas for enjoying wholesome real foods!

3- Get enough Vitamin D.  Vitamin D is VITAL for heart health, brain health, strong immune function and cancer prevention, among many other things.  Unfortunately, due to our (exaggerated) fears of the sun and use of sunscreens, as well as living in the northern hemisphere this time of year (with limited sunlight), many of us are seriously deficient in this crucial nutrient.

To ensure you have health-supporting levels of this nutritional superstar, Optimum DK Formula with FruiteX-B is the way to go!

Optimum DK Formula provides a therapeutic 5,000 IUs of vitamin D3 per dose, as well as vitamins K1 and K2 and the mineral boron (that’s what the FruiteX-B is).  All these nutrients work in synergy to support your strong health and disease prevention.

4- Stay hydrated.  Dehydration is a leading contributing factor to a variety of illnesses including kidney problems, chronic back pain and constipation.  Eight 8-oz. glasses of filtered water per day should be your minimum goal. 

Avoid tap water at all cost, as the fluoride and chlorine added to most municipal water supplies are toxic to your body, plus they may contain any number of other contaminants and heavy metals.     

5- Support your immune system with probiotics.  The world is finally catching on to the importance of the gut microbiome in the maintenance of health, including strong immune function, better digestion, elimination of toxins, reducing inflammation, efficient nutrient absorption, serotonin production and so much more. 

Many things can impair your gut flora (including most medications!) so supplementation with a full-spectrum probiotic formula like Super Shield is important for, well, just about everyone!  Super Shield’s blend of 13 well-studied probiotic strains provides a well-rounded “shield” of protection and support to your precious immune system and overall health.  

6- Get regular exercise.  Don’t let excuses come into your mind.  Instead, focus on how important exercise is, and the enormous health benefits it provides—including less pain, weight loss, improved mood, lower blood pressure and better digestion.

Just be sure to get your doctor’s OK, especially if you and the couch have been BFFs for a while.

7- Keep stress under control.  Stress is extremely damaging to your health and especially to your gut microbiome. 

Do whatever it takes—counseling, meditation, exercise, prayer, lavender essential oil, deep breathing, etc.  Even adopting a pet has been shown to help.

Now you are on your way to not only minimizing your chances of being the victim of a medical error, but also to paving the way for better health and quite possibly a longer life!

I can’t think of any better way to start this upcoming new year!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia