Dangers of self medications.

We all already know that self-medication involves the use of drugs without the advice of a qualified medical practitioner or doctor. It has fast become a norm in our society and unknown to many, it is a potentially dangerous practice to indulge in.The stressful conditions under which we live, the competition at work or business and the hustle and bustle of everyday life have taken a toll on human health. About 50% of the general population suffer from
headaches several times during the
month. Stomach upsets, digestive disorders, heartburn and peptic ulcers
are other regular complaints. As
depression, insomnia, allergies and
several other health challenges increase,
pharmaceutical companies flood the
market with new drugs. There are pills
available even to combat laziness or
shyness. Creative advertising and
aggressive marketing have turned us into
a generation of pill-poppers.
Several reasons are behind people’s
decisions to self-medicate today. For
some people it’s just a lack of time to go
see a doctor. It is no news that seeing a
doctor often times is time consuming and
there are situations where for an ailment
which you consider as minor, a long list
of tests get prescribed for you by the
doctor. This always comes with a lot of
financial commitment which brings me to
the next reason why people pop pills.
Adequate health care these days is
costly and thus, people will much rather
opt for the less expensive over-the-
counter (OTC) remedies. Other times, it’s
the prescriptions from a previous illness
people use after considering that the
symptoms then, look similar now. Also,
another reason is the sea of information
available on the internet. Finding the cure
to your ailment has become as easy as
just a search away from the internet it (or
at least, so it seems).
Whatever the case, it still doesn’t make
self-medicating proper. The saying “he
who self-medicates has a fool for a
doctor” is true. The risks, I can tell you,
far outweigh the benefits. For one, you
may have misdiagnosed the problem and
are taking the wrong medication or
correctly diagnosed it, but are still taking
the wrong thing or at a wrong dosage.
Besides these, there is the issue of drug
interactions which arise from taking the
wrong combination of drugs and again,
some home remedies can solve one
issue while creating or aggravating
another (for instance, some medications
for cold, can raise blood pressure).
The inherent dangers in self-medicating
are numerous and can be fatal, if not
now, then in the long run. These include:
Habituation: This refers generally to a
psychological dependence on the
continued use of a drug to maintain a
sense of well-being, which can result in
drug addiction. Many folks have become
addicted to prescription drugs such as
cough syrups, anti-allergy drugs,
antacids, pain relievers or tonics and as
such, find themselves unable to do
without these medications.
Allergic reactions that may be severe or
even fatal can occur. Antibiotics like
Penicillin or Sulpha drugs can cause very
severe reactions.
Irrational drug combinations are available
in the market. Nobody tells the full truth
about the products they sell and this
goes for medicines as well. Some of
them may be dangerous especially if
taken with alcohol or other substances.
Even food supplements and tonics can
sometimes be harmful.
Under-dosage may not cure the
symptom. Over-dosage can produce
collateral damage to heart, kidneys or
other organs. Indiscriminate use of
antibiotics through wrong dosage or
inadequate duration may lead to
resistance or sudden allergic reactions.
As a result, when there is need for an
antibiotic, it may be ineffective.
Vitamins- Vitamin C in particular seems
to me to be one of the most abused
drugs. As a matter of fact, people
consider it to be more of a sweet than a
drug. However, even an overdose of
vitamins may have an adverse result,
especially fat-soluble vitamins like A, D,
E, and K.
Addiction to psychotropic drugs such as
LSD, Ketamine, cocaine, marijuana is on
the increase.
A symptom like headache or nausea may
be common to many medical diseases.
By masking the symptom temporarily, it
will be difficult for a doctor to arrive at a
correct diagnosis.
All these are only a few of the many risks
inherent in self-medication. As trivial as it
seems, even common paracetamol can
cause potential complications if taken
without a doctor’s diagnosis and
prescription. Your life and health are very
important so the next time you are
tempted to pop a pill, just pause and
think!