Education can be a big part of our lives. From the age we’re old enough to walk, talk and think for ourselves, we’re learning new skills to prepare us for the future. It’s long been suggested that there’s a connection between education and health – that one can influence the other and shape it. We’re going to be exploring the effects of learning on health here and now.
Better Education, Better Health?
At the very beginning of the entire argument about health and education, you’ve got the underlying hypothesis that superior education leads to better overall health. In a lot of respects, people are completely right when they make this case.
Our ability to understand what is safe for our health and what is not can depend almost entirely on our education. Someone who’s educated would be more careful while moving in proximity to something like a rusted piece of metal because the risk of tetanus is so high, whereas someone who isn’t as educated might not be so careful. Dr Roy Ale, Marketing Executive, Oxford Summer School says that ‘I can wholeheartedly recommend that people do take the time to raise their knowledge to its highest possible levels because you never know what facts are going to come in handy and what details aren’t’.
Knowledge Saves Lives
Without education, a lot of the modern elements of society can quickly fall apart, especially those directly related to our health. In third world countries, it can be quite common for people not to have access to medical care because there’s a shortage of qualified doctors. In much the same way, understanding how a condition works and what should be avoided to keep yourself healthy can make all the difference.
Is Education Not Everything?
Of course, you do have to consider that education is not everything when it comes to trying to stay in the best possible health. Sometimes it can be down to environmental factors, sometimes it can be a genetic condition which is passed down from one person to the next. In a lot of circumstances, you can’t avoid these detriments to your health, and no amount of education can prevent this. Granted, having a good knowledge base can aid in treating the problem and keeping it manageable, but it does serve as a reminder that your schooling isn’t absolutely everything.
All in all, it is easy to see why education has a significant bearing on health. Many people have speculated that their level of education can considerably impact on their overall health, and this is a sentiment that we can’t help but agree with. Being aware of how infection spreads or how you can contract some of the more common diseases can help to protect you from a lot of issues, and this is often backed up by the expert knowledge of the medical professionals in your area. People who live in a part of the world where this knowledge is freely dispensed should consider themselves very fortunate because it’s not always available.
