I read an article published in the year 2000 by the JOURNAL of the AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (JAMA), that talked about how medical errors may be the third leading cause of death in the United States. Unfortunately, since the time that that article was written, medical errors has risen to be the number one leading cause of death in the US. It has been reported that there are 106,000 deaths in hospitals from properly prescribed medications. Combine that with the 88,000 deaths in hospitals due to infections, and the more than 100,000 deaths due to malnutrition, and the more than 100,000 deaths due to hospital bedsores, and the 199,000 outpatients that die, and the more than 30,000 surgery related deaths each year, and the numbers start to stack up pretty fast. Heart disease and cancer do not even take as many lives as the hospitals do. And, almost 10 million people each year face unnecessary hospitalization.

How safe is the hospital anyway?

In the past 75 years, modern medicine has made advancements by leaps and bounds. There is more knowledge related to the human body, DNA (with the human genome project), stem cells, advanced research, and nutrition (with knowledge such as fatty acids, the B vitamin recently, and now the new class of nutrients known as glyconutrients). However, even with all of this, people still get sick, and still end up going to the hospital. So, what is wrong with going to the hospital?

Think about it...when you're sick, where do you go? To the hospital. But who ELSE is at the hospital?

OTHER sick people. There are many diseases there at the hospital. Getting in and out of the waiting room alone without catching a cold or some other bacteria, would be very unlikely unless you had a very strong immune system. There are germs in the air that you breathe, the pen that you use to fill out the forms, and the waiting room chair, and the magazine that you read while sitting there.

Just because the examining room is white... doesn't mean that it is much better.

Does the doctor or nurse change clothes between each patient? No. In the emergency room, many rooms are separated by curtains. Do you brush against them as you walk in or out? When was the last time that those curtains were cleaned? How about the examining table? Most facilities only change the paper that covers the examining table. Do the sides and surfaces even get wiped down with disinfectant? Probably not.

Hospitals are way overcrowded these days, so patients being seen in waiting areas. Combine that with the nursing and staff shortages and you can see how easily cleanliness can fall to the wayside a bit as immediate patient care is more important. Many hospitals have to move patients through just as fast as possible, without enough time or staff to be able to really give surfaces much more than a quick wipe.

What are some ways to protect yourself?

First off, try to decrease your frequency of visits to the hospital. Only go when you have emergencies. For example, you can use your own personal doctor or the after hours clinic. Sometimes, though, you just have to go to the emergency room. Avoiding times when there is more traffic, can be beneficial. Try to avoid Mondays and evenings and weekends when they are the most busy. Bring hand sanitizer with you when you go, and wash your hands often. Be proactive and smart and you will have less of a chance of returning with more illnesses than you had when you walked into the hospital. Make sure that you eat a healthy diet in order to strengthen your immune system as well. Glyconutrients supplements have really shown to boost the immune system and help the body to fight bacterial infections. Getting the right glyconutrients products could really make the difference.