Let’s see the reasons why it is convenient to take medicines only under the doctor’s orders.Self-medication is a practice that has spread in the general population in recent decades and often leads to a series of health problems and dangers.
We can define self-medication as the tendency to self-administer all kinds of drugs without the supervision, prescription or intervention of any doctor or medical professional.
It is common to self-medicate to treat minor problems such as headache or fever; However, to treat more serious problems such as some diseases, we must avoid self-medication, since this can endanger our health in many ways. So, let ‘s see what are the risks associated with the practice of self-medication .
The main risks and dangers of self-medication
To avoid the proliferation of this type of practice, we will now see what the main dangers of frequent self-medication are.
- Make a mistake by confusing drugs
One of the main dangers that people who self-medicate can face is the mistake of confusing one drug with another .
This happens, sometimes, assuming that the box of pills in the house is the type of medicine we need for our particular ailment, although under another brand name.
Taking a specific medication believing that it is what we need and actually using another one can have truly negative consequences for our own health, in addition to exposing ourselves to possible side effects that the drug may cause.
To prevent this from happening, we must heed the instructions of a qualified doctor, who will always prescribe the best option for our case, clarifying their names, if there is more than one.
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- Getting the recommended dose wrong
All medicines must be administered in a certain way so that their active ingredient has a certain effect on a particular person , based on their particular characteristics (for example, their sex or age).
People who self-medicate often ignore this basic rule and often make mistakes with the administered dose of a particular medication they take.
This results in an increased risk of poisoning when a higher dose than recommended is taken, or a decreased effect of the active ingredient if the dose is too low, thus leaving the disease untreated.
- Increased risk of allergic reactions
Misadministered medications can cause allergies that are very dangerous for our health if they are not prescribed by a doctor, which is why it is so important to always have the corresponding prescription for each drug that we are going to consume.
Sometimes it may happen that we do not remember allergic reactions in the past and we use a medicine that causes that particular allergy , something that can seriously risk our health. For this reason, health professionals take into account our past allergic reactions.
- Higher risk of side effects
Taking a medicine wrong, that is, without the supervision of a medical professional, can increase the chances of side effects. It must be taken into account that practically all medications can generate these undesirable effects to a greater or lesser extent, so the medical indications are adapted to the best ways to minimize the risks and stop the treatment if these problems arise .
A side effect can be, for example, taking pills that can cause stomach ulcers without having eaten anything before, drowsiness or the risk of developing hepatitis.
- They increase the chances of developing an addiction
Another of the most common dangers of taking a medication by oneself is the increased risk of developing an addiction to said drug, since many of them can have this effect on the body in the long run. This occurs above all with psychotropic drugs or other products that have the ability to modify the functioning of our brain .
The supervision of a specialized doctor will ensure that we take the appropriate and corresponding dose, necessary to avoid any type of addiction to said drug.
- Drug resistance
The frequent or incorrect use of certain medicines makes it easier for the pathogens that they must fight to end up developing drug resistance.
This means that the drugs no longer have any effect against the disease they are supposed to treat, or this effect is greatly minimized , something that can easily happen if we take any drug indiscriminately and without supervision.
- Interactions with other medications
Some medications can lose their effect by interacting with other drugs the person may be taking or by coming into contact with certain foods or drinks.
This is something that must be taken into consideration whenever we take any medication and that we can hardly take into account without having a professional prescription from a doctor who knows our case perfectly.
- Masking of other diseases
Administration of non-recommended drugs by anyone can also mask other serious illnesses that may go undetected by health professionals.
This makes it difficult to detect all kinds of diseases and consequently their subsequent diagnosis and treatment.
