Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Imagine Which Medical Condition They Would Have Died From Without Modern Medicine

People Imagine Which Medical Condition They Would Have Died From Without Modern Medicine
Make us preferred on Google

Modern medicine is a marvel. It's the reason why we've been able to effectively eradicate some serious diseases and improve the quality of health care around the world. When you take these two things into consideration, it's easy to see why vaccine hesitancy can be such a frustrating topic for people right now.

Many people would not be able to survive without the benefits of modern medicine. That's what we learned after Redditor forevernostalgic23 asked the online community,

"If modern medicine didn't exist what medical condition would have died from or been severely impacted by?"

"Bad vision..."

"Bad vision alone would have made me terrible at most things."

jackatman

I had bad vision until my early 20s. I second this.

"I would have had a very short life..."

"I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age seven. I would have had a very short life without modern medicine."

Glass_Brocolli2701

Having known many people who live with diabetes, I am glad that they are still here.

"I probably would have died..."

"I probably would have died at 6 years old from strep throat."

freddygotfingered

​This is a big one: In the past, it commonly killed many people. And guess what, it still does? The CDC estimates approximately 11,000 to 24,000 cases of invasive group A strep disease occur each year in the United States, with 1,200 to 1,900 of those cases resulting in death.

"I was born..."

"I was born with a bilateral abdominal hernia and amniotic fluid in my lungs, no way I would have survived infancy without modern medicine."

wickedblight

"My brother and I..."

"Rabies.

My brother and I were bitten by a rabid farm kitten when we were 6 and 4 years old. Without the foresight of my grandfather who had the cat tested and modern medicine creating the vaccine, my parents would be childless."

imastrongwoman

Frightening! I saw Cujo as a child and that told me all I needed to know about rabies, thank you very much.

"I would have gone deaf..."

"I would have gone deaf from recurrent ear infections as a child and then died at 14 from pneumonia."

Isaac1867

"But since that..."

"I was born two months premature, so I'd likely not survive that in an earlier era. But since that, nothing."

NosDarkly

"Mom and Dad..."

"The way I was born. Mom and Dad had to feed me through a tube down my nose the first year and a half."

unhip1

"If the recurrent..."

"If the recurrent tonsillitis didn't get me, my appendix would have been the end of me as a teen."

Brilliant

"Neither kiddo nor I..."

"Giving birth. Neither kiddo nor I would be alive without emergency surgery."

remembertowelday525

Amazing, right? Be grateful for modern medicine––there are new developments each and every day. And who knows what the future has in store for us? Will there be a cure for cancer? Alzheimer's disease and dementia? The sky's the limit.

Have some stories of your own? Feel free to tell us about them in the comments section below!

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshot of Donald Trump during ribbon-cutting ceremony
Newsmax

Video Of Trump Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Is All Kinds Of Awkward After Media Ban Backfires Spectacularly

President Donald Trump's decision to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House prompted a network boycott in solidarity and a ribbon cutting ceremony on the White House's South Lawn came with completely indecipherable audio because the press pool has decided to stop filming daily events.

Footage from a Monday ribbon cutting ceremony revealed that the sounds of the Marine One chopper just yards away drowned out Trump's remarks. The far-right network Newsmax was on the scene, and even they had to admit that Trump's attack against the free press seemed to be “backfiring just a little bit.”

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshots from Chris Gallant Instagram reel
@_gallantny/Instagram

Gay Congressional Candidate Refuses To Be Ashamed Of Fetish Model Past After Attacks From Conservatives—And We're Cheering

Openly gay New York congressional candidate Chris Gallant is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the New York Army National Guard and volunteer firefighter on Long Island. He was an air traffic controller with the Federal Aviation Administration and served in a union leadership role with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

But he is being attacked for another job he once had.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mike Johnson flanked by other Republicans
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

House Republicans Get Hit With Epic Reminder After Tweet Warning About Communists Building Walls

After the official House Republicans X account tweeted a warning that "every communist country eventually builds a wall," critics were quick to point out the party's general hypocrisy.

President Donald Trump has long advocated for the United States to construct a border wall, making it a cornerstone of his immigration policy back in 2016. Since then, Republicans have continued to defend the wall as necessary for reasons of national security.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Mike Pence; Donald Trump
C-SPAN; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Mike Pence Reveals Trump's Telling Response After Pence Offered His Prayers Following Jan. 6 Rift

Vice President Mike Pence told the audience during his appearance at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. that President Donald Trump rejected his offer of "praying" for him following their public rift in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection.

Pence has long appeared to play both sides, on one hand condemning Trump for pushing the "Big Lie" that the 2020 election was fraudulent, while on the other accusing Democrats of not advocating for election integrity. But he has been out of Trump's good graces for years now since his decision to certify Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Keep ReadingShow less
Shailene Woodley attends the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California.
Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Shailene Woodley's Stylist For The Emmys Calls Out 'Super Rude And Mean' Comments About Actor's Look

Shailene Woodley has plenty going on right now, including her first Emmy win and an ex-fiancé suddenly sharing intimate details about their relationship. Yet somehow, the internet has decided her red carpet outfit is the situation requiring immediate attention.

Woodley attended Monday’s 78th Primetime Emmy Awards after already having a pretty good reason to celebrate. The 34-year-old won her first Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for playing Annie Clay in season 2 of Hulu’s Paradise at the Creative Arts Emmys on September 6.

Keep ReadingShow less