India, the largest democracy in the world, is the second-largest populous country in the world and it is said that for every 1700 Indian citizens, there is only one doctor! No wonder, the cases of self-medication are on the rise.
But with mothers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles and of course, pados-wali aunty, who needs doctors? Yes, we are regularly advised to have a random tablet/capsule/syrup for any ailment and sadly, we end up doing so. In fact, such is the case that people prescribe doses of antibiotics and other powerful drugs by themselves, never bothering to consult the doctor. Unfortunately, self-medication has increased many health issues.
Self-medication is considered okay by many of us. It is just a paracetamol tablet or some ‘safe’ antibiotic we believe we are ingesting as going to the doctor can be time-consuming and expensive. But there are side-effects to this and is not at all a healthy practice.
The idea of self-medication even for small health issues can lead to complications. People tend to pop pills as they are popping candies. Medicines such as pain relief drugs, cough syrups 1, laxatives, antibiotics, anti-allergy medicines, vitamins and antacids are easier to acquire. But what we do not realize is that opting for self-medication makes us prone to allergies, drug dependence and even addiction.
Unfortunately, there is very little or almost no awareness of the disadvantages of self-medication. Sadly, we still go ahead and take doses randomly and don’t even check the composition of the medicine and are clueless about the side effects of these on our bodies.
Popping pills may get instant relief, but we don’t realise they are not free of side effects.2
Self-medication is never encouraged. We do not know about its dosage.2 We do not know how the drug should be taken, its side effects or its reactions. This means we underestimate its strength. Here, ignorance is not bliss.
People do self-medication because it is instant and of course, there is no expense of the doctor. But when eventually, they suffer from severe health issues, their medical expense increases two-fold. Self-medication as a habit can damage one’s health irrevocably, causing disabilities and even premature death.
In a nutshell
Consult a doctor for the correct diagnosis of your symptoms or illness
Take medicines only after consulting a doctor
Do not discontinue an ongoing treatment unless advised to do so by your doctor
References
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