Preventive health practices, preventive medicine, preventive checkup, health management; these are some of the common terms that we come across in the quest for a better health. While preventive measure are indeed very helpful and any good health and medical care mission should move towards it, there are some instances where prevention does not work.

If a person has met with a car accident, the only thing that we can do is to put him on a plaster or sling and treat him with some pain killers or antibiotics to prevent infections.  The concept of preventive health medicine has no significance here. However, in the long term for the gradual growth of a society into a more healthy and fit group of people, preventive health medicine is indeed very useful and vital.

But though preventive health practices are important, many people, unfortunately even some renowned medical practitioners, have made preventive health medicine as a business and they use these terms to dump people with an overdose of vitamins and supplements which actually do not add any value. On the other hand, many such medicines are nothing but steroids which cause more harm than good.

So preventive health medicine should be offered only in cases of emergency, when there is a break-out of epidemic and where the larger section of population is exposed to the risk of contamination and infection. Otherwise, in the normal course, the best preventive health medicine is a good diet rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, supported by a clean environment. Educating the population about keeping the surroundings clean and healthy is also a good point to be considered. Disease is born out of dirt. Keep the dirt away and you can keep disease at an arm’s length. One more preventive health aspect is the importance of educating the people about exercise and avoiding self-medication. Exercise is vital for a good mind and a good body.