To go or not?

Oddly, an event just two days ago fits perfectly as a first topic. Two days ago, my father went to the ER to be examined for chest pressure. He's fine, which is why I am ok to share this with everyone, and is also why no one should worry. One might think a person with chest pressure, a quite serious symptom, would maybe have someone take them to the hospital, and right away. Not Mr. Irish American Sr. He started feeling it around eight in the morning and didn't go to the hospital until one in the afternoon. If that wasn't bad enough, he drove himself...from 30 miles away.

This is why I would like to pose the question: why do people down-play symptoms that can be quite serious for other people? I think this is a difficult question, as everyone reacts differently to different situations. My dad reacted with worry, but skepticism, and went after a great deal of contemplation. Although I would like to think that I would go immediately, I would most likely do the same as he did. This worries me though. How many people wait to go in to get seen and end up with more damage, or even dying?

Part of the problem may be our hospital system that we have in the United States, and in Iowa. Our emergency rooms can gain bad reputations with long waits, but the truth is, they really know what they’re doing. I volunteer every week in the same emergency room that my father visited, and I know they will do everything they can to make you happier and healthier than when you entered. So I beg everyone in a serious condition who might put off a visit to the ER to just go! This is especially true for anything heart-related like chest pains. They will get you in first, without question. (That is unless someone is on the verge of death)

I guess I just wonder why some humans downplay their medical problems so much, while others totally exaggerate them. The people who downplay theirs are missing out on the chance of improving their way of life by getting treatment. The people who exaggerate them are wasting their time, and congesting the system that some people need so badly. (Enter higher health costs due to people that can’t pay for their worrying) But if I had to recommend a person to be one way or the other, I’m not sure which one I would pick. On the one side, not getting treated can hurt you and others around you. However, worrying too much can also hurt yourself and others.

Odd? I say yes.