Janyl Benyl: The Power of Early Diagnosis

We often find people running away from their problems due to fear and socio-economical pressures. From my experience, I know that most people will rather wait until their conditions reach very alarming states before they seek for help. I also understand from experience that when it comes to health issues, just one intervention in time could make a huge difference; sometimes it is just a matter of seconds. People allow progressive conditions to hit irreversible stages of damage due to the fear of the unknown. It is common to see that people prefer to be in denial than allow an expert to analyse them and give them professional recommendations. A lot of lives are lost sometimes due to this sheer negligence.

There should be a change in this sort of behaviour. When you feel like something is not working like it should, a smarter approach should be to find the best possible help. We have to understand that if there is anyone that can get it right, it is definitely the experts. Holding back and telling yourself ‘it is not possible’ will not help as much as early diagnosis could. Even if you want to take the option of praying about it, you want to know what to focus your prayers on.

It is no news that due to the high cost of health services and poor access to health care in general, preventive medicine is not as common. People prefer to wait until their conditions become really unbearable before they start to explore the options of spending on their health. This approach leads to more expenses and even greater risk on the health of the individuals. It is also not the most effective. I strongly believe that preventive medicine should be promoted at all cost. At the end of the day, if you want to look at it in every angle, preventive medicine is more effective. As a matter of fact, people from low income countries should learn to invest more in this option as it is more cost effective. What is the cost of inadequate preventive measures? Right at the top of the list lies the issue of lives being lost unnecessarily as well as that of unnecessary wastage of resources.

We have witnessed several conditions being managed effectively due to early diagnosis. Conditions that could have killed the patients had they hesitated with seeking for help. The worst silent killers can be nipped with the help of adequate and prompt diagnosis. It does not have to kill: multiple sclerosis, diabetes, cerebral palsy, HIV/AIDs, hypertension, cancer and even Ebola.

Running away from your fear is never a good approach. If for any reason you think you might have been exposed to an Ebola patient, now is not the time to allow fear to settle in. Just like we did with HIV/AIDS and we are still living till today, the right information will arm you and not harm you. I strongly believe that Ebola can be contained in Nigeria. It does not have to end up like an uncontrollable wildfire. All you need to do is to find the right authorities and allow them screen you if you have any suspicions about your safety. At the end of the day, you are at less risk if the disease is discovered on time. Apart from being able to control the spread to your loved ones and other people, you will be sure to find yourself in the hands of those who can better manage your condition and work hard at saving your life. If you ask me, I will tell you it is better than leaving yourself to the hands of fate.

Ebola does not have to kill. Know your health status

Photo Credit: Dreamstime | Danie Nel