Prevention is Better Than Cure Essay: Health is Wealth

An Introduction

It is always better to be safe about things than to be sorry later. Below there is an essay on prevention is better than cure. In this essay, we will be touching upon the meaning of the phrase and trying to understand it using examples from various parts of our lives. The essay also includes why prevention is better than cure altogether, using examples from our daily lives. The most common one we all see is that our moms tell us to wear warmer clothes in winter to prevent catching a cold.

Long Essay on Prevention is Better than Cure

There is a phrase ‘prevention is better than cure’ and it applies to many different facets of our lives. We use this phrase most commonly when we are talking about our health. In the winter season, our mother usually tells us to put on a sweater or a warm jacket because we might catch a cold or flu. These suggestions given by our mothers are the best ways to prevent getting us sick from cold and flu. Hence, it is better to take appropriate preventive measures before you catch a cold or flu then after it has already ensued.

To put this idiom in context with current world affairs, let’s understand ‘prevention is better than cure’ through the same. Considering the current situation of the Coronavirus pandemic,  we have been consistently told to practice social distancing, wear masks, and sanitise or wash hands frequently in order to protect yourself from infection. If we become infected with Covid-19, we will be sick for many days, and so many people have also died or spent days on the ventilator. Thus, if humans have adopted preventive measures to prevent getting sick from covid 19, they would not have had to deal with the consequences of contracting it in the first place. The same can be said about many other diseases, such as avoiding smoking to prevent cancer, avoiding sweets to prevent diabetes, etc. are better than having to live with or find cures for cancer and diabetes.

This is what we mean when we say that prevention is better than cure. It is a lot better to avoid something bad in the first place, rather than have to deal with its consequences later. Similarly, this same concept of prevention is better than cure can be applied to various strata of life. For example, a simple thing such as submitting an assignment for school on time prevents the consequences of getting into trouble if you had not submitted it. It has been said that, once you have said something, you can never take it back. This can be applied here, too - if you get into an argument with your friend ensure not to use any harsh words which eventually hurts your friends feelings and emotions

Simply put, prevention is better than cure because prevention leaves you with certainty that something bad will not happen. On the other hand, the need to find a cure can often leave your life in a lurch, where you don't know what may or may not happen. Isn’t it better knowing what life has in store for you rather than waiting around to see what will or won’t happen?

A Short Note on Prevention is Better than Cure

In the simplest words, ‘prevention is better than cure’ is a way to tell us that it is better to avoid contracting an illness than to have to go around and look for a way to get rid of it. These things that we avoid or indulge in allow us to not have to deal with the dire consequences of unwanted circumstances. Hence, we should consciously avoid performing certain things that we know will be harmful for us in the long run.

For example, exercising every day and having a balanced diet keeps you healthy. On the other hand, if we avoid exercise, and  indulge in habits like smoking, eating lots of junk food, etc. then we will end up getting sick. These are consequences that we wouldn’t need to deal with if we just take precautions to avoid the same. Thus, prevention is much better than cure.

Importance of this Proverb “Prevention is Better than Cure” in our Daily Lives

The proverb “Prevention is Better than Cure” has a special place in various aspects of our lives. Understanding it and acting according to this proverb can be proven helpful for a person in staying away from various kinds of ailments. The proverb teaches us to adopt a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating habits. One should practice the habit of eating healthy food and eating it at the right time. One should maintain proper sleeping timings, and should not be awake for late-nights, which might put stress on your eyes and might attract eye disorders, so by letting oneself sleep at the right time, one is preventing eye disorders to come one's way, which might have required a proper Treatment (cure), that comes with a lot of suffering. Hence the person will be able to protect himself from the suffering that comes with the cure, just by following this proverb. 

It teaches us to plan and do everything in advance, which will save us from last moment harassment. We should plan all our activities, which are already decided to be done in the future. Planning them will help a person prevent all the hazards that one might have to face due to the irregularity in our daily lifestyle. For example: if a student does not prepare for their exams early on, then they have to face the stress just before the exam time, so students should prepare for their exams gradually throughout the year in order to not face the last moment harassment.

Prevention and Cure

“Prevention” and “Cure” both are two separate words and also carry different meanings. Prevention means following various measures, which will lower the risk of getting any kind of ailment in the first place, while the cure is done only once you get a certain ailment to get rid of the ailment.

However, prevention is considered better in many aspects, rather than the cure via medicines or other medical procedures. Prevention is said to be the best available way to remain away from any kind of problem or disease. A person just needs to maintain a well-disciplined and healthy lifestyle throughout their life, while a careless and unhealthy life might lead to certain issues, which requires cure using medical science. There are also some ailments, cure to which is still not available like HIV AIDS, preventive methods is the only way to protect ourselves from such diseases.

Conclusion

When we say that prevention is better than cure, it essentially means that it is better to stop something before it happens instead of having to repair it or deal with its consequences after it has already been done. It is mostly applied in healthcare matters but also falls into other parts of our life as well. Prevention is better than cure is an important idiom that we should all remember.