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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, СІЧЕНЬ 2010 21 Sorting It All Out by Ihor Magun, M.D., F.A.C.P. Mass media and Internet resources for information have profoundly changed our behavior and the way we acquire information. We have, in fact, access to so much information that a new problem has arisen — how to sort, sift, and apply this information to our specific needs. This information overload applies to many aspects of our lives, including health concerns. So if you are confused with the current onslaught of medical recommenda - tions and innovations, you are not alone. Even the medical community has not unanimously embr aced nor completely understood some of the purported “new knowledge” and the changes this knowledge seems to indicate. Confusion aside, access to the Internet pro - vides a tremendous amount of information that at times can be frightening, with or without v alid cause. Such information captures and lists in great detail a range of conditions and situations which may not be relevant to us personally but is often presented in a manner that overwhelms us and takes us down a path of worry and concern. Knowledge i s power, but unfiltered information has the power to create unnecessary anxiety. This is especially true if such information has to do with health and medicine. While the purported purpose of the health recommendations we read about and hear about is to i nform and to make an elegant case for how to protect health while at the same time avoiding unnecessary tests, not all of these recommendations can be viewed as “gospel truth.” Some of the most recent recommendations, for example, those related to postponi ng mammograms and other diagnostic procedures, have created a stormy controversy in the scientific community and in the medical community. S imilar recommendations and advice have made many people wonder what they should believe and what they should do: Sho uld I have this test? Should I have this X - ray? Should I get this shot? Should I take this pill? But the real question we should ask is what information we should we heed and what we should avoid or ignore. The answer could have a profound and measurable impact on our lives. This is a revolutionary time that embodies advanced inquiry and a desire to learn. Many of the new findings and recommendations augur well for the future and are based on extensive research designed by leaders in the field of medicine. Unfortunately, some infor ma - tion does not come from qualified sources and may do more harm than good. Wisdom and prudence means stepping back from the information that is coming at us from so many directions and evaluating it from a rational perspective. The first thing to do is “consider the source.” Is the person or institution or organization making the recommendation reputable? Is the information/recommendation backed by solid re - search? A lso remember that medicine and medical recommendations ar e seldom “one size fits all.” So while it is good to seek knowledge, it is better to make certain that the information you have found is valid and appropriate for your personal circumstance and well - being. And thus the best way to begin sifting, sorting, a nd processing the infor - mation, recommendations, and advice is to discuss what you have heard or read with your physician. The future will bring new changes to the face of medicine, new recommendations, and new innovations. Inquisitive scientific minds wi ll dis - cover new ways to deal with old diseases and new treatments or diagnostic protocols will proliferate. An inquisitive public will continue to seek information about all aspects of health care, whether to seek cures for personal ailments or to find an swers to generic health questions. Imagine how far we might cast our inquisitive nets and how rich and abundant the results might be. I hope to bring some of this new and exciting information to you in future columns — sorted out and sifted through in a way that may make your own quest for information a little easier and a lot more user - friendly than trying to process everything you hear on TV and everything you read while surfing the information superhighway. Happy New Year! Good Health to All!
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