Self-Medication: A Way To Harm Or A Chance To Heal

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world, and it is estimated that for every 3000 Nigerian citizens, there is only one doctor! No wonder, the cases of self-medication are on the rise.

Self-medication is considered okay by many of us. It is just a pain reliever 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 very harmful ones at that.

What is self-medication?

What Is Self-Medication?

Self-medication is “the taking of drugs, herbs or home remedies on one’s own initiative, or on the advice of another person, without consulting a doctor or a certified health practitioner.”

According to the World Health Organization, self-medication can be described as the selection and potential use of medicines by an individual to treat a particular sickness.

This includes patients providing old prescriptions, consulting friends and reading about it over the internet.

Researching over the type of medication to be taken for an illness is good, but consuming medication without clarifying it with your doctor is worst.

The idea of self-medication even for small health issues can lead to complications. Medicines such as pain relief drugs, cough syrups, laxatives, antibiotics, anti-allergy medicines, vitamins and even antacids. And because these are OTC(Over the counter) drugs, these 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.

Why Do People Self-Medicate?

People opt for self-treatment when they don’t want to go to the doctor or other primary care provider. However, a lot of religious, cultural, regional and demographic factors play an important role in self-treatment as well.

Although the exact reason is very specific to an individual’s situation, there are some commonly understood reasons including.

• The cost of medical treatment, including doctor visits and medications
• Fear of seeking treatment due to perceived negative stigmas
• Hiding or denying a condition
• Inefficient medications used for treatments in the past
• Fear of side effects of medications

The reasoning behind why someone may choose to self-medicate may not make sense to others. However, it is important not to dismiss their thinking.

Forms of Self-Medication

There are many ways to self-medicate and some are more beneficial and less harmful than others. Unfortunately, many individuals turn to harmful substances as their preferred method of self-medication.

Examples of some harmful options or indulgences used to self-medicate include:

• Alcohol: Self-medicating with alcohol is a common practice because of the availability and general acceptance of the use of alcohol. Alcohol can temporarily relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety; however, when used regularly, it can lead to dependence, alcoholism and worsen depression and anxiety.
• Opiates: Opiates or opioids are medications that mimic the effects of opium, a substance derived from the poppy plant. Commonly used opiates include codeine, morphine, heroin, oxycodone and hydrocodone. While the use of opiates can provide a temporary euphoric sensation, known as the “high,” abuse of these substances is very dangerous and can lead to serious injury or death from overdose.
• Marijuana: Marijuana, also known as cannabis, has been recognized by the United Nations as the most widely used substance among people with depression. Research is currently mixed regarding the potential benefits of marijuana for the treatment of different conditions; however, self-medicating with marijuana in excessive amounts can worsen symptoms of depression.
• Food: The terms “emotional eating,” “binge eating” or “comfort eating” are commonly used to describe the practice of self-medicating with food. According to a study published in 2015, self-medicating with food may temporarily reduce stress in people who are not clinically depressed; however, regularly using food to cope with feelings of sadness can cause decreased self-esteem, worsen feelings of the loss of self-control and can harm physical health through unhealthy weight gain.

Disadvantages Of Self-Medication

Self-medication may result in death or harmful to health.

If you’re of the assumption that self-medication is good enough without a doctor’s prescription, then you may be wrong. Self-medication has several flaws that can be devastating in the long run.

Basically, when medicines enter your body they get absorbed very quickly and can cause reactions, maybe sometimes relief, or later side-effects. Self-medication can be used for a good cause and sometimes be misused.

Some drugs bought can be very addictive and dangerous. For example, Emzolyn syrup is a very famous syrup used to cure a bad cold sore throat. When consumed, most patients feel drowsy, but many people began to abuse this as a drug for a good feel. Currently, this syrup is sold only on doctors prescription.

However, in contrast to this, many other antibiotics are sold without a doctor’s prescription. Antibiotics must be bought on a prescription basis and it must be treated as a crime to sell them to patients without a prescription. Sometimes, people purchase painkillers with or without a doctor’s consultation.

Unfortunately, there is very little or almost no awareness about 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 body.

Dangers Associated With Self-Medication

Self-medication can be dangerous because your confidence can make you consume an overdose of medicine that may result in death. Here is a list of potential dangers that self-medication can strike you with.

• Incorrect self-diagnosis.
• Dangerous drug interaction.
• Masking of severe diseases.
• Resistance to microorganisms in your body that cause sickness.
• Drug addiction and abuse.
• Worsening of the condition the individual is trying to self-treat.
• Instant relief with a lot of long-term side effects.
• Can lead to death if not prescribed by a doctor.

Prevention And Ways To Stop Self-Medication

Since this is becoming a huge prevalent problem in Nigeria, it can be prevented for now. There are many ways in which you can prevent this and it all begins with you putting a stop to buying any medicine without a prescription.

With medicine becoming a commercial aspect of everyday life, most people do not know the consequences they are going to be surrounded by.

There are many ways that you can stop self-medication and the first step lies in your hand. You need to stop buying medicines without a prescription and caution people about the cause.

However, here are some simple ways you can stop self-medication.

• Stop buying non-prescribed medicines.
• Create awareness on social media about the cause.
• Drug authorities must make it a rule for people to avail medicines only based on prescription.
• Read about the advantages and disadvantages of self-medication and caution your surroundings.
• The topic of self-medication should be added to the students’ curriculum.
• Pharmacists must be educated on the consequences of selling non-prescribed medicines on consumer protection laws and human rights.

Self-Medication And Public Health

A well cautioned and educated citizen of a country contributes to the nation as a whole and his/her surroundings. With healthcare not being affordable to many, most people prefer self-medication.

People who prefer self-medication will eventually treat it as an option to get relief without consulting a doctor, but what they would fail to understand is that self-medication makes you pop pills so easily without being concerned about the dosage intake.

This may even cause a drug overdose and may lead to death. If you believe that self-medication is good for you, then it is a foolish thought to justify yourself. You don’t fall sick every day and thus sickness is seasonal. So do make it a point to visit your doctor every time you fall sick.

Most often a patient may be under prescribed medication about different health issues, but in such cases, if you opt to show an old prescription to treat a particular sickness then be sure that it may lead to adverse and deadly reactions.

This is because one drug can react differently when you consume another drug. Your foolish act may lead you to the grave so always consult a doctor and be safe. One of the most striking after-effects of taking self-medication can make your body resistant to certain types of antibiotics and withdrawal symptoms.

Note: Most often, many drugs and antibiotics are banned in the market and pharmacists still sell them for a living. This is an emergence of commercial medicine and most people do not know what antibiotics they are consuming and when. Even the dosage of medicines they consume is considered even more dangerous than just buying them.

Exceptions Of Self-Medication

The benefits concerning self-medication can only happen in particular situations and these situations must be a fair reason to opt for self-medication.

An exception could be in case there is a medical emergency, self-medication can be got instantly from any pharmacy.

Also, painkillers can be bought immediately to treat pain.

Getting Help for Self-Medication

A massive problem with self-medication is that we do not know about its dosage. This means we often underestimate its strength and the less said, the better about its composition. We do not have a clue as to how the drug should be taken, its side-effects and even reactions. Ignorance is not bliss in this case.

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.

The first step to getting help for self-medication can be difficult as it involves recognizing that there is a problem that requires the help of medical professionals.

It may be helpful to reach out to family or friends to get support and guidance toward appropriate medical treatment and counselling. A trained healthcare provider can diagnose existing mental health conditions and help you manage the effects of self-medicating with addictive substances.