September 28th, 2009

Did you know that the best treatment for many common maladies is patience?

Reports the Wall Street Journal:

What cures colds, flu, sore throats, sore muscles, headaches, stomach aches, diarrhea, menstrual cramps, hangovers, back pain, jaw pain, tennis elbow, blisters, acne and colic, costs nothing, has no weird side effects and doesn’t require a prescription?

Plain old-fashioned time. But it’s often the hardest medicine for patients to take.

“Most people’s bodies and immune systems are wonderful in terms of handling things—if people can be patient,” says Ted Epperly, a family physician in Boise, Idaho, and president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

…

An estimated one-third to one-half of the $2.2 trillion Americans spend annually on health care in the U.S. is spent on unnecessary tests, treatments and doctor visits. Much of that merely buys time for the body to heal itself.

And while temporary relief from symptoms is nothing to sneeze at, it adds up to a considerable amount of spending: $5.4 billion annually on cough and cold remedies, $2.7 billion on headache remedies and $411 million on chest rubs and other analgesics, according to Nielsen Co. Americans also spend an estimated $1 billion on unnecessary antibiotics that don’t even relieve the symptoms of viral infections, and contribute to antibiotic resistance. But some patients are so insistent on getting antibiotics that doctors give in.

“I have colleagues who say, ‘You can take this pill and get better in two days, or do nothing and get over it in 48 hours,’ ” says Dr. Scalettar.

Even H1N1, or swine flu, for all the uproar, almost always resolves in a few days with no treatment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging physicians to use Tamiflu, an antiviral medication, sparingly to prevent shortages and avoid antiviral resistance. Only people who are hospitalized or at high risk for complications should get Tamiflu, according to the CDC.

The list of “self limiting” maladies—those that require no outside treatment—range from minor annoyances to what might appear to be more serious musculoskeletal problems. “Muscle aches and pain, minor traumas, sprains and strains typically do not need to be seen by a doctor,” says Dr. Epperly, who recommends his organization’s Web site, www.FamilyDoctor.org, as a resource to look up symptoms and health concerns. “Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are typically time-limited. People will start to see improvement in two or three days—just watch that you’re not throwing up blood,” he says. If so, call your doctor.

Find out more at the WSJ.