Nowadays, self-medication, i.e. taking medicine without doctor’s advice, has become a common practice. Seeing the symptoms of the disease on the internet, people have started buying medicines and consuming them themselves. However, this method can be harmful for your health. Know in this article why self-medication should be avoided and about the dangerous side effects associated with it.
Reasons for increase in self-medication
According to Dr. Tapas Kumar Kole, HOD and Consultant – Internal Medicine, Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka, New Delhi, due to social media and internet, people start treating themselves after seeing mild symptoms. However, taking medicines without medical advice can be dangerous for health, because many times we consume intoxicating medicines or wrong antibiotics without knowing, which can cause side effects later.
Side effects of self medication
- Allergies
Consuming wrong medicines can cause allergies in the body, such as skin rashes, swelling, or shock. - drug interactions
If you are already taking any medications, taking a new medication without consulting your doctor may cause drug interactions. Due to this, the effect of medicines can be more or less, which can harm health. - lack of proper treatment for the disease
Taking medicine does not necessarily cure your disease. Treatment taken without proper doctor’s advice may not be effective. - become a habit
Taking certain medications, such as painkillers or steroids, can become habit-forming, which can lead to serious health problems in the future, such as liver or kidney diseases. - Effect on overall health
Taking non-prescription medications can cause many other health problems in the long term, such as heart diseases, kidney failure, high blood pressure, or hormonal imbalance.
What to do?
Health experts suggest not to take any medicine without consulting a doctor. If you have purchased the medicine, then definitely take information about it from the doctor. Read the instructions given on the medicine packet carefully and if any problem occurs after taking the medicine, contact the doctor immediately.
Be careful, do not compromise with your health.
