Tag: Health Industry

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. A major concern is that our current health system as currently stands, poses numerous inherent hazards to the patients. The health industry is vast and has numerous moving parts. The following contributed post looks at the many health hazards in the industry and what can be done about them. It is entitled, Stopping The Epidemic Of Health Hazards.

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The health industry resembles a mythical monster. It has multiple heads. Its tentacles expand in many directions at the same time. And more importantly, nobody knows how to manage it. In a modern take on the Twelve Labors of Hercules, the health industry, like the Nine-headed Hydra of the mythology, has more than one heads you need to pay attention to. Indeed, on the one hand, doctors and hospitals are in charge of providing a service. The second of its third head is science and research, which keeps the sector relevant to modern day issues. And finally, the third head is for health hazards, all the dangers within the health industry. While Hercules finally conquered Hydra, we are not at a stage where the health industry can yet be safely managed. It is vital that we understand the diversity and range of risks for each head. This article focuses on exploring health hazards.

Hercules slaying the Hydra

There’s medication for everything and everything in your medication
A few days ago, the US Food and Drug Administration issued further recalls for the blood pressure medication losartan. Indeed, impurities that have been discovered in the recalled lots – NMBA, or N-Nitroso N-Methyl 4-aminobutyric acid – are potentially carcinogen. The presence of the chemical is, so far, unexplained, but it is suspected to be linked to a potential risk of contamination in a medical factory. Indeed, the contamination risks in a pharmaceutical plant are extremely high as there are many interactions with equipment, workers, and suppliers during the manufacturing process. Consequently, despite strict sanitary and hygienic policies, a human or mechanical error can, unfortunately, introduce harmful compound to the final product.

I can just bin it, right?
More and more often, households are the origin of devastating health risks. Indeed, homes with pets and young children are careful to keep medication out of reach of the most vulnerable family members. However, everyday health-related items can be disposed of without a second thought about their potential danger, such as aerosols or even UV lamps for light therapy treatment. Waste removal and especially hazardous waste disposal should be entrusted to professionals only, as the chemical elements contained in some healthcare items could threaten your health if they were accidentally exposed. Additionally, they also lead to environmental damages if they are not handled with care.

Marketing without research could be a slow death sentence
It’s not uncommon in a fast-moving market to launch products that might seem safe at first, but that lack appropriate testing. Ultimately, it doesn’t take long to come across products that we know are harmful today but that were once promoted as a health savior. Radioactive toothpaste was highly popular in the first half of the 20th century, as it was thought to give your teeth a natural and healthy glow. A French makeup brand even recommended radioactive lipstick for a vibrant red shade. Nowadays, the next hype product that lacks research is the vaping pipe. Indeed, long-term effects are unknown. Additionally, some pipes have exploded and caused serious injuries.

The bottom line is that the health industry Hydra hasn’t yet reached its final shape. However, we need to gain a deep insight into the diversity of health hazards that Hydra has in store for us. Ultimately, you can only defeat what you know.