Taking pills has become a common practice nowadays. The stressful conditions in which we live, competition at work or in business, the struggle to keep up with neighbors, have affected human health. Around 50% of the general population suffer from headaches several times during the month. Dyspepsia, heartburn, and peptic ulcers are other common complaints. As depression, insomnia, allergies and various other problems increase, pharmaceutical companies flood the market with new drugs. There are even pills available to combat laziness or shyness. Clever advertising and aggressive marketing have made us a generation of pill-poppers.
Self-medication is the use of drugs without the advice of a doctor. Medications may be recommended by a family member, friend, or pharmacist.
Reasons for self-medication:
• Lack of time to see a doctor. Inability to get a quick appointment. The battery of unnecessary tests ordered for a simple disease is costly and time consuming.
• The illness may be too mild to warrant a visit to the doctor.
• A similar complaint may have been successfully treated through a previous prescription. The medication is then repeated.
• Too much information taken from the Internet or magazines makes people feel safe to treat their own disease.
• Unavailability of a doctor nearby. The hospital or clinic may be a long way away.
• Poverty. A doctor’s fee can be unaffordable.
• Easy availability of over-the-counter medications.
• Home remedies that have been used successfully in the family.
• The elderly mistrust allopathic medicines. Therefore, alternative therapies are commonly used in developing countries.
The dangers of self-medication are many
1. Habituation. Many become addicted to prescription medications such as cough syrups, allergy medications, antacids, pain relievers, or tonics. Newspapers often report on Hollywood actors checking into rehab centers for prescription drug addiction.
2. Allergic reactions that can be serious or even fatal. Antibiotics such as penicillin or sulfa drugs can cause very serious reactions.
3. Irrational drug combinations are available in the market. Some of them can be dangerous, especially if taken with alcohol or other substances. Even food supplements and tonics can sometimes be harmful.
4. Insufficient dosage may not cure the symptom. Overdose can cause collateral damage to the heart, kidneys or other organs. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics through incorrect dosage or insufficient duration can cause resistance or sudden allergic reactions. As a result, when an antibiotic is needed, it may be ineffective.
5. Even an overdose of vitamins can have an adverse effect, especially fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K.
6. Cheap, low-quality drugs don’t work.
7. Addiction to psychotropic drugs like LSD, Ketamine, cocaine, marijuana is on the rise.
8. A symptom such as headache or nausea may be common to many medical illnesses. By temporarily masking the symptom, it will be difficult for a doctor to reach a correct diagnosis.
The most commonly used drugs are analgesics. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as brufen or ibuprofen increase the risk of stroke fourfold in a person with high blood pressure. They also cause gastric problems. COX2 inhibitors affect the heart. Paracetamol, aspirin, allergy pills, anabolic steroids: any of these can cause harmful side effects.
How to discourage self-medication:
Sir William Osler said, “One of the first duties of a doctor is to educate the masses as to when not to take medicine.”
So the most important thing is to educate the general public about the dangers of self-medication. Health talks can be given at schools or universities or even at the grassroots level through talks, slideshows or videos. Every drug should be considered potentially dangerous if taken indiscriminately. Medications should be taken on the advice of a physician or trained health professional.
Proper drug control is very important. Medications must not be dispensed without a prescription. There should be proper record keeping of dangerous drugs by stores selling drugs. Drug inspectors should be more vigilant in checking these pharmacies. Many patients rely on the pharmacist to recommend medication for their food. Sometimes antibiotics are given for only one or two days. There should be some restrictions on over-the-counter medications.
The lack of drug control enforcement is the reason pharmacists feel free to prescribe at will. People vary greatly in their sensitivity to drugs. One person’s dose may be too much for the next, causing toxic reactions.
Physicians must also be familiar with the properties of the drugs they prescribe. There are patients who demand antibiotics at the slightest indisposition such as a common cold. They should be discouraged. When an antibiotic is prescribed, it should be insisted that the patient take the entire treatment. They should also raise awareness about the dangers of mixing drugs.
Self-medication is dangerous. Only the ignorant and ill-advised will submit to medication for every minor ailment. Pregnant women should be doubly warned as it can have adverse effects on the fetus.
The next time you’re tempted to take a pill, stop and think!