Just Stop Self-Medication?
Over the years, it has been proved time and again that self-medication is as harmful as the wrong diagnosis. Yet, many of us become our own doctor and try various methods to treat the illness. In fact, with easy access to the internet, we tend to search the remedy and self-medicate ourselves. Self-medication is harmful.
Why do people self-medicate?
-To save the cost of a doctor
-To believe they, know-it-all
-Save time and energy to visit a doctor
-Research online and think they have enough knowledge and awareness
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The most widely used medicines do not require prescriptions and are available over-the-counter (OTC) for basic complaints such as headaches, spasms, common colds, nausea, etc. But even these medicines can cause harm if taken unnecessarily or beyond the required time.
It is prudent to be aware of the fact that the most dangerous form of self-medication is popping pills with only half-baked knowledge of their effect on our body. For example,
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If I have diabetes and my dosage is 0.5ml/day, but lately, I have been experiencing changes in my body; I quickly conclude that my dosage needs to change and without consulting a doctor I alter it myself – this is not a good idea. Let the experts handle their field, even if it means forcing ourselves to trust the doctors to do the best.
Self-Medication can cause serious effects
Antibiotic resistance, skin problem, hypersensitivity, side-effects, and allergy are some of the issues that may arise all thanks to self-medication. The growing antimicrobial resistance is a current problem worldwide, more so in developing countries where antibiotics do not need any prescription.
The government steps in as much as possible with necessary steps to
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regulate responsible self-medication
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ensure that safe drugs are made available along with proper instructions about their use
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encourage consulting a physician as soon as the need arises
Even with all this, the ultimate accountability for our health lies with us. Have you seen one of those bad home-haircuts that even a salon visit couldn’t save? Well, with much more at stake, popping pills at will, or self-medicating, too can have bad health consequences that we could easily avoid, with just a timely doctor’s consultation.
