Medicine used for treating any condition or ailment without proper prescription from a medical practitioner is called self-medication. The human body is subject to several health complications that may arise in the form of syndromes, ailments and infections causing from chronic stress, depression, work-life imbalance, consumption of unhygienic or unhealthy foodstuffs, genetic disorders or body’s struggle to adapt to new environment.
Medication hence, becomes essential to cure the disorder and this is where, individuals have the choice to either consult a doctor or depend on self-medication. People across the globe don’t find it wrong in selecting medicine on their own but not everyone is aware of the complications that would arise due to improper diagnosis. Quick relief from pain and saving the fees paid to the doctor is the main motive why people consume medicines of their choice without understanding the cons of self-medication.
Why People Prefer Self-Medication?
Moreover, people who travel quite often and who are unable to visit a hospital in case they live far or cannot access doctor’s services in the middle of the night prefer self-medication. This practice is quite prevalent in case of cough syrups, pain killers, antibiotics, paracetamols, analgesics, dietary supplements, etc. The trend of self-medication though online surfing is on a surge and such kind of self-examination by searching for symptoms has given rise to increased depression, stress and anxiety.
Here are the pros and cons of self-medication that will guide you about the concerns and repercussions that must be kept in mind while consuming medicines without doctor’s prescription:-
Pros
1. No need for doctor’s consultation in case of repetitive or common ailments.
2. Self-medication is most prevalent due to suggestion of medicines by parents, friends, colleagues or relatives.
3. Self-medication is of great help for residents living in far flung areas or are uneducated by spreading awareness of healthcare and medication.
4. Initial symptoms of common ailments like headache, body aches, fever, cough, etc. can be easily treated through self-medication.
5. Treating common ailments with past experience helps in saving the healthcare cost, which is catapulting at a great pace.
6. Places where the population is less and there are fewer medical amenities, self-medication seems to be the only option to rely on.
7. Self-medication empowers people to deal with common ailments by their own understanding and thereby, counter the disease before the condition aggravates.
Cons
1. Doctor’s prescription totally depends upon the patient’s symptoms and the body’s natural ability to digest the medicine dosage. Hence, medication taken by own choice can lead to treatment failure and may even increase the risk of complications.
2. One of the most important cons of self-medication is that the patient may not understand if any medicine has caused any kind of allergic reaction and still continuing its consumption can be hazardous.
3. Self-medication without dosage monitoring can make the situation worse compelling the person to even get admitted in the hospital.
4. The side effects of improper diagnosis, dosage and medicines can be humongous as it leads to massive damage to the hormonal structure of the body.
5. Prolonged recovery and increased healthcare costs are two major demerits of self-medication.
6. Under-dosage and over-dosage are two common scenarios with people rely on self-medication and both of these can adversely affect the health.
