Conventional medicine represents a fundamental pillar in health care, but it presents both strengths and important limitations. Understanding this balance is crucial for optimizing personal and family well-being.
Strengths of conventional medicine
Conventional medicine excels in critical situations and early disease detection.
Life-saving interventions
- Emergency care: Immediate treatment of accidents and acute conditions
- Specialized surgeries: Procedures requiring advanced technology
- Palliative care: Pain and symptom management in terminal illnesses
Early detection and diagnosis
- Diagnostic tools: Mammograms, colonoscopies and blood tests
- Cancer detection: Early identification of prostate, colon and breast tumors
- Chronic condition monitoring: Follow-up of diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases
These advances have significantly contributed to increasing life expectancy and improving quality of life in critical situations.
Limitations and areas for improvement
Despite its strengths, conventional medicine has important limitations in preventive approach and root cause treatment.
Focus on Symptoms vs Root Causes
Conventional medicine tends to focus on symptom management through medications, rather than addressing the underlying causes of diseases. This can generate long-term medication dependence.
Lack of emphasis on prevention
- Nutrition and lifestyle: Little training in these aspects during medical education
- Early detection: Standard tests detect problems when they are already advanced
- Personalized medicine: Limitations in individualized approach
Limitations of standard tests
Conventional blood tests and "normal" reference ranges are based on sick populations, which can overlook early problems.
Essential medical appointments
1. Annual checkup with primary care physician
Represents the coordination center for general health care.
Includes:
- Vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, weight)
- General physical examination
- Basic blood and urine tests
- Discussion of symptoms and concerns
Limitations: Standard tests may not detect early metabolic problems.
2. Prostate exam (Men)
Essential for early detection of prostate cancer.
Recommendations:
- Start at age 50 (45 if risk factors present)
- Rectal exam every 3-5 years
- PSA test (with precautions for false positives)
Considerations: Free/total PSA ratio helps determine biopsy need.
3. Colonoscopy
Crucial for preventing colorectal cancer, especially in young adults.
Benefits:
- Detection of precancerous polyps
- Cancer prevention through lesion removal
- 31% reduction in cancer risk
Current recommendations:
- Start at age 45
- Every 10 years if normal results
- More frequent with family history
4. Annual gynecological exam (Women)
Essential for reproductive health and cancer detection.
Includes:
- Pelvic and breast examination
- Pap smear for cervical cancer
- Vaginal ultrasound for anomaly detection
- Mammography starting at ages 40-45
Additional recommended tests:
- Complete hormone panel
- AMH test to evaluate ovarian reserve
- Vitamin D and other nutrient analysis
Recommended tests beyond the basics
Advanced metabolic tests
- Fasting insulin: Detects early insulin resistance
- Fractionated lipoprotein: Detailed analysis of cholesterol particles
- High-sensitivity CRP: Inflammation measurement
- Complete thyroid panel: Beyond basic TSH
Cancer detection tests
- Galleri test: Early detection of more than 50 cancer types
- Freenome test: Specific for colorectal cancer
- Free/total PSA: For prostate cancer
Advanced diagnostic options
Platforms like Function Health offer access to more than 100 biomarkers for less than $500 per year, including:
- Complete metabolic panels
- Nutrient analysis
- Hormone evaluation
- Inflammation markers
Recommendations to optimize medical visits
Preparation for appointments
- List of questions: Prepare concerns and symptoms
- Medical history: Bring records of medications and previous treatments
- Additional tests: Request specific tests according to needs
Result interpretation
- Not just normal ranges: Consider optimal vs normal values
- Trends: Monitor changes over time
- Personal context: Genetic and lifestyle factors influence
Integration with functional medicine
Combine conventional medicine with approaches that address root causes:
- Personalized nutrition: Based on genetic and metabolic tests
- Lifestyle: Exercise, sleep and stress management
- Supplementation: Guided by identified deficiencies
Conclusions and final recommendations
Conventional medicine represents a valuable tool for emergencies and diagnosis, but needs to be complemented with preventive approaches and deeper analysis.
Strategies for optimal health
- Regular appointments: Maintain recommended annual checkups
- Advanced tests: Consider options like private analysis clinics for comprehensive reviews
- Integral approach: Combine conventional medicine with functional medicine
- Active prevention: Prioritize nutrition, exercise and stress management
The key lies in being proactive with health, using the strengths of conventional medicine while addressing its limitations through more comprehensive and personalized approaches.