Today, there are so many different advancements in medical technology that are designed to improve our lives and heal our bodies. Some ailments that were once thought to be incurable are curable. Many ailments that used to be fatal no longer are. Even some physical problems that are simply inconvenient can be solved medically. And, while medical insurance isn’t always the best at paying for these things, it doesn’t change the fact that the services are available.

Still, there are some folks who don’t want to see a doctor when there’s something wrong. As a result, in some cases, the wind up getting sicker or spreading around a virus or bacteria. In a lot of cases, they wind up just suffering needlessly.

Here are some of the lame excuses people use for not seeing a doctor:

• “I don’t trust doctors.” There was a time when people didn’t particularly trust doctors. In some cases, this was for a good reason. In days of old, many doctors used dangerous technologies, or didn’t really understand the way that the human body works well enough to try to fix it. Today, however, that isn’t very often the case. The medical education system is pretty good about giving medical students useful training.
• “I don’t have medical insurance.” This is a cop-out. Not having medical insurance doesn’t prevent you from getting medical care. If you’re poor enough, you probably qualify for some form of government medical insurance assistance. This is especially true when it comes to families with children. Even if you don’t have medical insurance, hospital emergency rooms are required to treat you, no matter what.
• “It will work itself out.” Many people make a habit of just ignoring medical problems, hoping they’ll go away. The fact of the matter is that, while your body might eventually clear out an ear infection for example, it may also cause a great deal of damage along the way. By treating your ailments, you prevent more long-term damage.
• “I don’t have time.” Taking a half of a day off work to see a doctor can cost you money, especially if your employer doesn’t offer sick leave. Still, if you don’t see the doctor, you could wind up missing more than just a half a day. You could wind up off work for days or even weeks while you recover from an illness that could have been stopped early.

Photo via Mykl Roventine