Are we getting sicker?

[Cruentus]

Just wondering if we are getting sicker as a society. It seems that more people are getting sick more often, and getting sick for longer periods and more severe ways then ever before.

This comes up because I am just getting over the worst illness I have ever had (yet, I do consider myself fortunate). I have been sick since Wednesday night. It started with a cough. All day thursday I was in/out of consiousness, but slept most of the day and night. Had a fever between 101-102F, aches, dizzyness, soar throat, and some coughing, I was no better, and went to the doctors Friday. I basically have a viral infection that is very much like pnemonia but not classified exactly as such.

I am still recovering, but I have enough fluid in my lungs to drown a fish. I am on every drug imaginable, it seems. The doctor saw me today, gave me more shots of drugs, and wants to see me again on Thursday. This is a guy that doesn't dick around, and has never needed to see me twice for the same illness since I started seeing him 10 years ago.

WTF, eh? And I usually never get sick, and lately I've been completely screwed. It makes me appreciate my health, thats for sure, and when I am healthier I will cherish it more.

Despite all this, I am fully confident that I will be back to 100% by the end of the week.

Anyways, my point is I have never been this sick. And I also know people who have gotten very sick; sicker then what I would consider the normal flu season stuff.

So, what the hell is going on? I hear that our diseases are getting stronger and stronger, and boy I hope that it isn't true...

Paul

 

[kickcatcher]

I don't think we are getting sicker, at least not compared to pre-safe drinking water times. BUT, I do think the extent to which poor health is the result of CHOICE is getting worse - people smoking despite knowing the risk, people eating poorly despite the info being widely available etc.

 

[Cruentus]

I don't think we are getting sicker, at least not compared to pre-safe drinking water times. BUT, I do think the extent to which poor health is the result of CHOICE is getting worse - people smoking despite knowing the risk, people eating poorly despite the info being widely available etc.

That is true.

But I am wondering about the strength of the diseases themselves. I am pretty healthy person and I got nailed. But I am not the only one, as there are a lot of people out there who are generally pretty healthy who seem to be getting nailed as well. I know that is anecdotal, but I have heard on more then one occasion discussions reaching the congress floor about disease and their growing strengths. I am just wondering if it seems like people are getting hit more often and more severely or if it is just my limited experience.

Paul

 

[bignick]

It's that nasty thing called evolution rearing it's head. We hit an infection with antibiotics, and don't completely kill it off, the bacteria that survived for some reason had some protection against the medicine. They live to pass that trait to the next generation. Rinse. Repeat.

Although sometimes it's just a particular disease from what I understand. For instance, the Spanish flu of 1918 was so devastating because unlike other flu strains that wreaked havoc with the youth and elderly, it hit hardest among people in the prime of their life.

There's a lot of complex processes going on, and I'm into computer science, not biology, so don't listen to me too closely, but I'm not too worried about the apocalypse just yet...

 

[Marginal]

One problem is that lots of folks like to take antibiotics any time they get the sniffles. The more people do this for unrelated illnesses (they do nothing against viruses) the greater the chances are that antibiotic resistant bacteria will emerge.

That said, I had pneumonia a several years ago. I've never been that sick since. There's nothing that can be inferred from that one way or another, but I'll take that over cowpox any day.

 

[IcemanSK]

I think another possible reason we seem sicker is the expectation we have on ourselves to burn the candle at both ends all the time. We as a society are depriving ourselves of sleep & expecting to be able to everything all the time. I think the is also factor in the nations health, or lack there of.

 

[bignick]

On a related note, my girlfriend just came down with a fun case of the flu. We were convinced it was just the sinus infection I had just gotten over at first. I was still on antibiotics and so I wasn't too careful about contact, washing things she had touched, kissing, etc. Which means I'll probably be down for the count within the next couple days....looking forward to it!

 

[Shirt Ripper]

The big difference in term of history; If you look at a progression chart of major causes of death in the U.S. Say 100 or 200 years ago you would see a greater prevelance of infectious diseases taking people down in greater numbers and younger. The tope 30 4 killers in the U.S. now are stroke CVD (and related) and cancer...most of which is lifestyle based...including many of the prominent cancers. Diabetes is taking some names too...and doesn't always get the credit (CVD is the biggest complication of Diabetes Mellitus). We are living longer and having a relatively easy time with infectious stuff but when you start living beyond 40, 50 or even 60 you start to run into new and fun ways to die and generally be sick. That and, as stated, the choice in lifestyle account for a different kind of focus in health related issues.

A medical system focused on treatment (of symtoms, many times) as opposed to prevention certainly doesn't help much.

All that said, it seems to me that I recent saw some statistics stating that we are infact becoming healthier...but then again something like 45% of all statistics are made up on the spot.artyon:

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Just wondering if we are getting sicker as a society. It seems that more people are getting sick more often, and getting sick for longer periods and more severe ways then ever before.

This comes up because I am just getting over the worst illness I have ever had (yet, I do consider myself fortunate). I have been sick since Wednesday night. It started with a cough. All day thursday I was in/out of consiousness, but slept most of the day and night. Had a fever between 101-102F, aches, dizzyness, soar throat, and some coughing, I was no better, and went to the doctors Friday. I basically have a viral infection that is very much like pnemonia but not classified exactly as such.

I am still recovering, but I have enough fluid in my lungs to drown a fish. I am on every drug imaginable, it seems. The doctor saw me today, gave me more shots of drugs, and wants to see me again on Thursday. This is a guy that doesn't dick around, and has never needed to see me twice for the same illness since I started seeing him 10 years ago.
Paul

First of all, take care of yourself and get better soon!

Regarding illness; I think that we are dying less (or not at all, in the case of Smallpox) of the major scourges of human history, but our most common sicknesses, colds, flues, etc., are getting worse - partly as a result of more people on the planet and partly as the result of over-prescription of medicines.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

i'd add stress to the list. as americans, we're pushing our envelopes harder, living faster and burning our candles at as many ends as we can graft on.

as for how we individually get sicker for longer as we age...i think that's just us getting old.

 

[luigi_m_]

I eat the healthiest out of anyone in my family - no chemicals, no junk food, no fatty-foods, low sugar intake, low salk intake, lots of meat, lots of vegetables, lots of dairy products. So, when my whole family had the flu the other week, and was moping around the house like zombies, I had not even a sniffle. Bignick is right. We live in a society where there is an anti-bacterial "cure" for everything, and people start poping pills and chemicals at the slight hint of a cold. Whatever happened to eating lots of vegetables and herbal teas when Mr. Bacteria comes a'knockin'?

On a side note, does alcohol have any effect on the immune system?

 

[Cruentus]

On a side note, does alcohol have any effect on the immune system?

Don't know...I've been way too drunk this week to notice.

Just kidding. I would imagine that it would because too much of it screws up your vitamin B complex, among other things.

As to eating and living healthy, usually I am like you where everyone around me is sick and I am fine. Not the case this time, though. Sometimes it just gets ya.

Paul

 

[stickarts]

Although the average lifespan is increasing largely due to better testing methods of catching disease early, and medical advancements in treating disease, overeating and inactivity are leading to an increase in diseases such as diabetes and many other health problems.
Jobs that involve extended periods of sitting down, and greater technology that allows us to be less physically active cause us to get less and less exercise.
These are items that I covered in personal fitness training courses with The National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Different strains of the flu keep emerging too which is a challenge to keep up with.

 

[rutherford]

Anecdotally, I currently have a pretty bad head/chest cold. But, it's the first time I've been sick in the last 6 months or longer and I typically catch 2 or 3 colds a winter. Been a good year for me.

 

[Carol]

On a side note, does alcohol have any effect on the immune system?

There are some studies indicating that Alcohol seems to have an adverse effect on the immune system, yes.

Personally, I found that alcohol has a terrible effect on my immune system. So, I largely don't drink. Almost every time I do, I end up with some kind of cold or respiratory infection. That's me, though. Not everyone may react the same way.

 

[Grenadier]

Touchy subject, especially when it comes to medicines, etc. Since Martialtalk.com is a fairly mature group of folks, I'll just put forth the scientific facts.

First, and foremost, bacterial and viral pathogens are what get us "sick." Your body can usually deal with both on its own, given plenty of rest. Usually, that's the best way, as it helps keep your immune system well-excercised.

This does not mean, however, that drugs shouldn't be taken. There can very well be some cases where drug intervention is useful, and necessary, such as in the cases of strep throat, and yes, even certain venereal diseases, to name but a few instances. However, these are specific, and in all reality, only your doctor can really diagnose what is what.

Yes, there are even anti-viral drugs available.

Some people try to treat themselves, without getting a proper diagnosis. Sometimes this means they grab an old bottle of someone else's antibiotics, other times, they keep going "doctor shopping" until they find a doctor who will give them antibiotics. Unfortunately, there are some physicians out there that should have their licenses revoked for dispensing antibiotic prescriptions at a patient's whim.

This is just plain silly, since no one antibiotic is going to be able to handle every possible bacterial strain. If you don't get the correct diagnosis on what exactly you are infected with, then you're taking potshots in the dark. Even worse, no amounts of antibiotics of any kind will kill off a viral infection. Most likely, you aren't going to be affecting the bacteria of interest, and secondly, by taking the antibiotic, you're essentially giving other bacteria the chance to become more of a "supergerm."

Bacterial colonies can, and do, have the capacity to become immune to a given antibiotic over a period of time, and exposure, if they aren't killed by it. There are some cases where if you don't kill off all of the bacteria with the recommended dosages and treatment, for example, not taking all of the pills issued, that the bacteria can, and do, come back, and develop a tolerance for the drug. This is actually pretty common amongst some rather wanton individuals who may have multiple sex partners, and they get infected, going to the doctor's office, who gives them penicillin to kill off the gonorrhea infections. Unfortunately, these same people often disregard the warnings, and go back to their wanton lives once they are healthy again, and once again, contract the disease, but this time, it becomes harder to treat. Eventually, such traits spread, and you end up with supergerms.

Even in cases where a certain antibiotic is restricted and only sparingly dispensed, there are situations where bacterial strains pop up that are quite resistant. The scare of the vancomycin-resistant bacterial strains was quite disturbing, to say the least.

Some people simply disregard my comments as hogwash, and assert that technology, research, and development of new drugs will help counter anything. I hate to burst their bubbles, but as a member of that drug design community, I'll be the first to tell you, that this is a battle we're losing, and losing very badly.

Now, back to the topic... We are definitely seeing more bacterial strains that are resistant to quite a few antibiotics, and that's never good news.

Combine this with the fact that we've embraced an antibacterial culture, such as the use of antibacterial soaps, etc., that our bodies might not be nearly as capable of fighting off a bacterial infection once it does occur, even if we greatly reduce the chances in the beginning. This is still greatly being debated, but I've held the belief that some bacterial exposure isn't going to kill you, and that it's also of help in keeping that immune system well-regulated.