From all the health information available in print and online, how do you decide what advice to follow? Here's a simple rule: consider the source and the motivation behind the information. In many ways, this is similar to figuring out what stock to buy or why your car is making that clanking noise.
Most of us hear plenty of well-intentioned health advice from friends and family. It's usually safe to assume that these individuals have your best interests at heart when they share with you their personal experience or knowledge. But is their understanding of the facts necessarily correct? What is their medical background and training?
Will your body respond to a medication or treatment the same way theirs did? My patients often tell me they do or don't want a specific medication because of the way a friend or relative responded to it. But each of us is unique, with our own special combination of medical conditions, genetics, environmental exposures, medications, diet, and level of physical activity.
Then there are those advertisements we see everywhere - on television and the Internet, and in newspapers, magazines, and junk mail. Some ads educate consumers and doctors about a disease or the benefits of a treatment.
That's a wonderful service but keep in mind that the ultimate goal of an ad is to sell a product. Always consider the source and realize that the information you're seeing has been carefully crafted to send a specific message, which may or may not be the right answer for you.
I would be particularly cautious about personal stories from real people, often celebrities, praising a drug or treatment. The problem is you'll never hear from the people who didn't do so well, right? And the people quoted in those ads don't even know you, so should you trust them any more than your friends and relatives?
Am I a better choice? Well, you can read my biography for details about my education and training. I've got 15 years of doctoring experience treating more than 2,000 patients. And I'm not trying to sell you anything. My motivation is that I love to teach (did you know that the Latin word for teacher is doctor?). If I can help you to help yourself, then I'll have made my job and the jobs of a lot of other health care providers a little easier, too.
So should you trust me more than your friend or that slick ad? Not necessarily. I think you should listen to all of us, and then consult your personal physician. A medical expert who knows you personally is your best resource for helping you make the smartest and healthiest decisions.