Healthcare has come a long way from finding solutions to non-lethal indoor allergens to approving a multiple sclerosis treatment. If you pay attention to the news, you will know that besides the Covid-19 vaccines, many other medical breakthroughs are bound to change the health care industry. These latest medical innovations are like a light at the end of the tunnel that gives everyone hope that the diseases plaguing humanity today will no longer threaten future generations.
The Latest Breakthroughs In Healthcare You Should Know
Recently, more people have realized the meaning of the popular saying “health is wealth” and healthcare professionals’ role in society. The recent health crises have opened the eyes of many that access to healthcare is a right that should be available for everyone.
While healthcare is still a privilege that not many people have proper access to, people are fighting to change that. As this fight continues until healthcare is no longer something that would cost an arm and a leg, there are many breakthroughs that people could look forward to as becoming more widely available and affordable soon. Here are some of them:
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Telemedicine or telehealthcare
One of the innovations that gained traction during 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic has caused the whole world to go on lockdowns, social distancing, and travel restrictions is telemedicine. This innovation allowed doctors to still meet and address their patients’ medical to be despite the distance. Even as vaccination rates are promising and restrictions are less strict, virtual healthcare will more than likely continue to be a trend.
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Oral medicines for migraines
As the 6th most disabling illness, migraine affects roughly 1 billion people globally — 39 million of them are Americans, which means that one person would go into an emergency room due to migraine attacks. These alarming statistics will soon change, though, as the newest oral and non-narcotic medicine for migraines which the FDA has recently approved. Upon ingestion, it should help alleviate the pain in two hours as it blocks the protein that spikes during such migraine attacks.
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Smart Pacemaker Device
Arrhythmia is a condition that causes patients’ hearts to beat unevenly — either too fast or too slow. With recent technological breakthroughs, defibrillators and pacemakers are now implantable. Because of these latest technologies, users can connect these devices to their smartphones, allowing their physicians to remotely monitor their heart condition and even control its beating to become more regular.
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Hepatitis C drug
Roughly 2.4 million people are in the U.S. currently living with Hepatitis C, while more than half of them do not know they have the virus. Unfortunately, non-treatment of a severe disease like Hepatitis C would allow more people to get infected by the virus and lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and even liver cancer.
While the healthcare industry is working hard to develop better solutions to the Hepatitis C epidemic, no vaccine has been approved yet. The drugs used as a treatment for it have adverse side effects. But recently, a new combination of drugs was approved, which has an efficacy of 95%, which means that stopping the spread of this silent epidemic is possible.
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Cystic fibrosis medication
Approximately 30,000 people living in the U.S. are suffering from cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disease that severely damages the digestive and respiratory systems of the body and other organs. While medications were approved for cystic fibrosis before, they were only effective to a group of people with a certain kind of disease. But in 2009, a new FDA-approved drug combination was developed, providing relief for more patients with cystic fibrosis.
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Postpartum Hemorrhage Device
Giving birth could cause excessive bleeding, which could lead to a complication known as postpartum hemorrhage. One in five women is affected by this condition, requiring a blood transfusion and taking medications with adverse side effects. Fortunately, a vacuum-induced uterine tamponade has allowed healthcare experts to help women who suffer from this condition by using negative pressure to stop internal bleeding.
A Healthier Future Awaits
Even if the world is fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, these medical breakthroughs will ensure that future generations have better and more accessible healthcare.
It’s exciting to know what the future holds and what other healthcare industry innovations will come up in the next few years, especially as these recent breakthroughs are already looking promising and saving more lives.
