What you should know about SELF-MEDICATION!



Self-medication has almost become cliché in households, and even society in general. Everyone knows to pop an analgesic like paracetamol for an headache, or any ache. What about our untrained and uncertified family members especially mothers and grandmothers, and even friends who are quick to offer us medical advice and prescribe random drugs for us whenever we fall ill. As much as they may have good intentions, it may be dangerous to our health in the long run.

Most individual seldom visit a doctor or medical professional for checkups or medical advice even during an illness. They would rather consider an over-the-counter prescription medication to treat symptoms. This may be because they would want to avoid the cost and hassle of visiting a doctor or it could be a direct result of personal fears associated with a medical diagnosis. An individual could limit this excuses by:

 - understanding that doctors are trained to accurately diagnose the ailment and provide an appropriate medication to treat a condition or diagnosis;

 - realizing that every money and time spent to schedule an appointment to seek a trained medical professional is worth it, seeing that most drugs used as self-medications like antibiotics could become ineffective if not used appropriately. Like most bacteria could become resistant to a particular antibiotic in that process. The World Health Organization(WHO) has predicted that, if by 2050 nothing is done about the misuse of antibiotics, 10 million people are going to die from bacteria resistance to them and lastly;

 - explaining your fears about a medical diagnosis, if you got one to the doctor or medical professional. They are trained to understand and help you undergo a diagnosis successfully.

Having said that, let's see what self-medication is and the risk associated with it.

Self-medication according to WHO is the selection and use of medicines by individuals to treat self-recognized illnesses and symptoms. Although self-medication is an element of self-care, the major risks associated with it are:

 1. The possibility of incorrect diagnosis;
2. The usage of inappropriate medications that can cause side-effects;
3. The risk of substance abuse and addition;

4. The masking of symptoms of serious disease;
5. The delaying of seeking medical advice from professionals and lastly;
6. The possibility of it leading to severe health conditions and even death.

So when next you've got signs or symptoms of a disease and feel the need to self-medicate, please remember that if the disease is not treated properly, it may affect you in the long run.

Please do not self-medicate, instead, see your doctor. Have an healthy day!




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