According to the New York Times, the number of people treated in hospitals in the United States for problems related to medication errors has surged more than 50 percent in recent years.

In 2008, 1.9 million people became ill or injured from medication side effects or because they took or were given the wrong type or dose of medication, compared with 1.2 million injured in 2004, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The cost of these errors today is estimated at $4.5 billion for lost wages, productivity, and additional healthcare expenses

The A.H.R.Q. data showed that among patients who were admitted to the hospital after taking the wrong type or dose of a drug, the most common medications to cause side effects or injuries were corticosteroids. The drugs typically are used to treat asthma, ulcerative colitis or arthritis.

Other drugs that resulted in the highest number of patients admitted to the hospital were pain relievers, blood thinners, cancer drugs and heart and blood pressure medicines.

People older than 65 were most likely to be hospitalized for side effects or medication-related injuries. However, young people were also at risk. One in five emergency cases related to medication problems were children or teenagers.

That is the main reason behind the push for electronic health records. Policy makers are hoping software will flag interactions or inappropriate age or condition related drug use.

But here is another idea: how about each of us spend some time and effort to live healthy every day. No secrets here: eat right, exercise, get good sleep, have faith, have a job that you like, manage stress. Reward yourself. You can't deny yourself every pleasure.

And when your body tells you something is wrong, consider a chiropractor. Try to keep a small problem small. It is usually quicker and easier to fix,.