Self Medication Pros and Cons

[DanWalker]

Self medication has coursed many deaths in the society we live in today, a situation where some persons instead of going to the hospital to get checked what could be the cause of what is happening to them, the rely on self medication perhaps because they have tried a particular medication earlier and it worked for them and for that they think that it will continue working like that without knowing that, there body at some point can begin to resist a particular drugs they have been taking which is the reason they need to go to the hospital to know what is actually wrong with them so as to get properly treated, I think there should be more sensitization on this to raise awareness on the need for people not to do self medication

As the member below mentioned, the habit of self medicating is often due to financial difficulties. Because going to the hospital for a medical check up is not only expensive but also time consuming, while poor people often lack both money and time.
Therefore, instead of further intensifying awareness raising activities, the government should focus on making healthcare more accessible and affordable for poor people.

Without addressing the barriers of cost and time, raising awareness alone is unlikely to make a significant difference.

[Tmoonz]

Self medication is one of the habit people has masterd, and the cause of this self medication is that majority of people feel that going to the hospital will consume a lot of money considering the current economy situation.  And secondly the poor people usually see proper medication as a waste of time and money. They believe that Minor sickness need self medication while serious medication need hospital, so I'd they have headache, malaria and typhoid they believe this requires self medication. It is very hard to tell a poor man to take proper medication for Minor issues.

When you are talking about most people mastering self medication it doesn't just happening, people growing up in a poor family background trust me they have no business going to the hospital, they grew up this way and got used to it such that even when they can later be able to afford going to the hospital and can pay hospitals medical bills it will become very difficult for them because of the upbringing, this is the case of majority of people and why they self medicate, some remain like that while others improves and start going to the hospital, as to some people is not always about the money rather they have poor orientation.

[hafiztalha]

Self-medication is very bad. But people are forced to do it when there's no money to go to the hospital. So I won't completely blame people for doing what they are doing. Others do this because of their beliefs, which I find absurd. But generally, the main reason people actually practice self-medication is laziness. So you can see that there are different angles as to why people actually self-medicate, without dismissing the fact that it is wrong and very harmful to one's body.

I heard somewhere that infections or diseases in the body can actually get smarter by taking the wrong drugs for them. Let's all embrace going to the hospital for any issues with our bodies and discard self-medication.

I agree with you that there is risk involved with self medication internet and artificial intelligence is providing all type of health care information but still they cannot replace professional to understand patient history, the allergy,  their existing conditions and the type of medication that they need, it is a possibility that if medicine that is good or working for one person can be harmful to another especially for the children, pregnant women, to the elder people and the people who have some sort of chronic illness. Another thing is that if someone has some sort of serious disease, taking self medication can might reduce the symptoms for a long period of time, which can delay the proper diagnosis and treatment and can later on cause problems.

[MusaPk]

When you are talking about most people mastering self medication it doesn't just happening, people growing up in a poor family background trust me they have no business going to the hospital, they grew up this way and got used to it such that even when they can later be able to afford going to the hospital and can pay hospitals medical bills it will become very difficult for them because of the upbringing, this is the case of majority of people and why they self medicate, some remain like that while others improves and start going to the hospital, as to some people is not always about the money rather they have poor orientation.

Those who can't afford doctor or hospital fee can go for treatment that have minimum or no side effects. Like in case you have sore throat, you can take warm cup of herbal kahwa (tea) or gargling with warm salt water can help you in treatment of sore throat instead of taking paracetamol. Allopathic medicine gives you quick recovery but it has its own side effects when taken without advice of doctor. Herbal medication is also a good way to treat difference diseases and has minimum side effects. You can go for self medication specially with Allopathic medicine if you are 100% that medicine or treatment you have started has no side effects.

[Iamgoat]

As the member below mentioned, the habit of self medicating is often due to financial difficulties. Because going to the hospital for a medical check up is not only expensive but also time consuming, while poor people often lack both money and time.
Therefore, instead of further intensifying awareness raising activities, the government should focus on making healthcare more accessible and affordable for poor people.

Without addressing the barriers of cost and time, raising awareness alone is unlikely to make a significant difference.

Fundamentally, yes. But these days it even goes beyond just a case of financial difficulties, it also have to do with the emerging health system dilapidation where you go to the hospital but not even sure if they will give you the right treatment and not end up compounding issues. We’ve been hearing cases of organ harvesting in hospitals recently where a patient goes to the hospital for one treatment but ends up suffering from another more severe illness as a result of negligence in the hospital or as a result of organ harvesting. So many factors are emerging these days which is making public healthcare more worrisome to attend and trust me, I’ve made new discoveries recently on the rate at which people are resulting to self medication through the use of AI generative apps now.

[Vod]

We’ve been hearing cases of organ harvesting in hospitals recently where a patient goes to the hospital for one treatment but ends up suffering from another more severe illness as a result of negligence in the hospital or as a result of organ harvesting.

We have?     Is this in Springfield?  Hospital saves on patient food

On topic, each person has the right to determine their own worth in society.  The medical solution to end of life is hospice, and maybe a person would rather face death with philosophy and privacy than a long series of uncomfortable personal goodbyes. 

[Salahmu]

Those who can't afford doctor or hospital fee can go for treatment that have minimum or no side effects. Like in case you have sore throat, you can take warm cup of herbal kahwa (tea) or gargling with warm salt water can help you in treatment of sore throat instead of taking paracetamol. Allopathic medicine gives you quick recovery but it has its own side effects when taken without advice of doctor. Herbal medication is also a good way to treat difference diseases and has minimum side effects.

Is Herbal medication really that effective as you said?, Actually even if the Herbal use to work but I don't think it should be something to depend on as a medication without knowing what is actually wrong with the person, sometimes Herbal medication could even cause someone's health condition to deteriorate because a lot of people are selling different things all in the name of Herbal medicine. Although Sore throat is usually not a serious thing because it could also go away even if you did not take any medication so without a doctor I believe someone would know what to take but with anything serious is better to consult a doctor than starting a herbal treatment.

[DanWalker]

Is Herbal medication really that effective as you said?, Actually even if the Herbal use to work but I don't think it should be something to depend on as a medication without knowing what is actually wrong with the person, sometimes Herbal medication could even cause someone's health condition to deteriorate because a lot of people are selling different things all in the name of Herbal medicine. Although Sore throat is usually not a serious thing because it could also go away even if you did not take any medication so without a doctor I believe someone would know what to take but with anything serious is better to consult a doctor than starting a herbal treatment.

Yes, some herbal medicines do have scientific evidence and are recognized for treating or supporting the treatment of certain conditions. However, we shouldnt glorify them as a way to recover faster or with fewer side effects than conventional medicine. That isnt entirely true.

Herbal medicines still contain active compounds that can cause side effecs, and even cause serious problems if you take too much.

In short, if you dont have basic medical knowledge, its best to follow a doctor's instructions instead of self treating with herbal medicine.

[MusaPk]

Is Herbal medication really that effective as you said?, Actually even if the Herbal use to work but I don't think it should be something to depend on as a medication without knowing what is actually wrong with the person, sometimes Herbal medication could even cause someone's health condition to deteriorate because a lot of people are selling different things all in the name of Herbal medicine. Although Sore throat is usually not a serious thing because it could also go away even if you did not take any medication so without a doctor I believe someone would know what to take but with anything serious is better to consult a doctor than starting a herbal treatment.

My previous reply was in context that those who can't afford the expensive allopathic (medical) doctor or hospital can go for herbal medication because its cheap as compared to Allopathy. There are herbal doctors which are doing good in their fields and even herbal medication must be taken under the supervision of a herbalist.
   
Self medication is a habit for majority of people, yes sometimes we can say that it is due to financial issues poor people don't have resources to go to hospital or go see a doctor for every medical issues but I have seen majority of people do this as a habit or routine. Even they have resources to go to hospital but still their first instinct to a medical issue is self medication which is extremely dangerous as bodies respond to drugs in different ways.

[tsaroz]

With AI, diagnosis and self medication is easier than ever.
 I did a research with my own case, A few months prior, I was ill, I diagnosed the illness myself using AI as well visited a doctor and showed the test results to AI as well as the doctor, a couple of visits to doctor and 15 days of medication cost me a month of my salary and the doctor told exactly what AI told me. AI just like doctor would need some tests to be sure and in most parts of world, you can personally approach labs to do that yourself.
Last month, I did it again with one of my relative and he didn't needed to visit the doctor at all. Two OTC medicine just solved the problem.

[Iamgoat]

With AI, diagnosis and self medication is easier than ever.
 I did a research with my own case, A few months prior, I was ill, I diagnosed the illness myself using AI as well visited a doctor and showed the test results to AI as well as the doctor, a couple of visits to doctor and 15 days of medication cost me a month of my salary and the doctor told exactly what AI told me. AI just like doctor would need some tests to be sure and in most parts of world, you can personally approach labs to do that yourself.
Last month, I did it again with one of my relative and he didn't needed to visit the doctor at all. Two OTC medicine just solved the problem.

Exactly and let me even burst your brain. Most of these young doctors today consult AI when diagnosing. I noticed such recently when I went to a clinic to see a doctor. I’m mostly used to seeing a family doctor anytime I am sick and need to see a doctor but of recent I decided see someone else and when I went to the clinic and met the doctor guy, he started to ask me questions about what I’m feeling and I noticed one of his hands were holding his phone close to me, at first I did not pay much attention but later I realized he was recording our conversations and was trying to understand exactly what was wrong with me through the use of an AI assistant before he now wrote some tests for me. AI has become my friend when I have any little health problems, before I go to see any doctor, I consult AI first and the interesting part is once AI does not fully comprehend what’s wrong with you or you told him the severity, it will immediately refer you to a doctor but when the condition is not so complicated, AI will try to help you out.

[free-bit.co.in]

With AI, diagnosis and self medication is easier than ever.
 I did a research with my own case, A few months prior, I was ill, I diagnosed the illness myself using AI as well visited a doctor and showed the test results to AI as well as the doctor, a couple of visits to doctor and 15 days of medication cost me a month of my salary and the doctor told exactly what AI told me. AI just like doctor would need some tests to be sure and in most parts of world, you can personally approach labs to do that yourself.
Last month, I did it again with one of my relative and he didn't needed to visit the doctor at all. Two OTC medicine just solved the problem.

Exactly and let me even burst your brain. Most of these young doctors today consult AI when diagnosing. I noticed such recently when I went to a clinic to see a doctor. I’m mostly used to seeing a family doctor anytime I am sick and need to see a doctor but of recent I decided see someone else and when I went to the clinic and met the doctor guy, he started to ask me questions about what I’m feeling and I noticed one of his hands were holding his phone close to me, at first I did not pay much attention but later I realized he was recording our conversations and was trying to understand exactly what was wrong with me through the use of an AI assistant before he now wrote some tests for me. AI has become my friend when I have any little health problems, before I go to see any doctor, I consult AI first and the interesting part is once AI does not fully comprehend what’s wrong with you or you told him the severity, it will immediately refer you to a doctor but when the condition is not so complicated, AI will try to help you out.

Doctor usually rely on the symptoms we give them to make a diagnosis. So its not really surprising that AI can do the same thing and is being used to help with diagnosis.

But do not assume that AI can fully take the place of doctors and that we will not have to see doctor at all or can just depend on AI for all health care.

AI may have a doctor’s knowledge but it will never have their experience, the kind they spend years building up. So for common illnesses, we can turn to AI for some advice. But when it come to serious conditions, doctor still play a crucial role.

[Vod]

AI just like doctor would need some tests to be sure and in most parts of world, you can personally approach labs to do that yourself.

Not in Canada - you can't get something like an MRI or blood test without a requisition from a doctor.    If we really don't want our health care system to know, we can fly to another country for the test.

[Dunamisx]

Some people are still not learning from others' mistakes because they have yet to experience both orders as a result of self-medication. For those who have been in the hospital and have seen how people are in serious chaos over complicated health issues, they are going to have more understanding of the disadvantages of self-medication.

[Jostern]

Those who can't afford doctor or hospital fee can go for treatment that have minimum or no side effects. Like in case you have sore throat, you can take warm cup of herbal kahwa (tea) or gargling with warm salt water can help you in treatment of sore throat instead of taking paracetamol. Allopathic medicine gives you quick recovery but it has its own side effects when taken without advice of doctor. Herbal medication is also a good way to treat difference diseases and has minimum side effects.

Is Herbal medication really that effective as you said?, Actually even if the Herbal use to work but I don't think it should be something to depend on as a medication without knowing what is actually wrong with the person, sometimes Herbal medication could even cause someone's health condition to deteriorate because a lot of people are selling different things all in the name of Herbal medicine. Although Sore throat is usually not a serious thing because it could also go away even if you did not take any medication so without a doctor I believe someone would know what to take but with anything serious is better to consult a doctor than starting a herbal treatment.

Herbal medicine can be effective at some point in treatment, but I wouldn’t advise anyone to take herbal medicine because you absolutely don’t know what this herbal medicine are made of, and they can sometimes be endangering someone’s health, especially when they’re not registered with any drug manufacturing agency, some people stays in their homes and make this medicines without any proper medical procedures or license, it would be more advisable to consult a physician or a doctor whenever we fall sick to get a proper medical diagnosis, then the doctor can prescribe medication for treatment of a particular illness, we have to be very careful what we’re taking for treatment of illness.

[Salahmu]

Is Herbal medication really that effective as you said?, Actually even if the Herbal use to work but I don't think it should be something to depend on as a medication without knowing what is actually wrong with the person, sometimes Herbal medication could even cause someone's health condition to deteriorate because a lot of people are selling different things all in the name of Herbal medicine. Although Sore throat is usually not a serious thing because it could also go away even if you did not take any medication so without a doctor I believe someone would know what to take but with anything serious is better to consult a doctor than starting a herbal treatment.

My previous reply was in context that those who can't afford the expensive allopathic (medical) doctor or hospital can go for herbal medication because its cheap as compared to Allopathy. There are herbal doctors which are doing good in their fields and even herbal medication must be taken under the supervision of a herbalist.
    

I didn't want to come back to this discussion again but I need to clarify more things I observed about all this things, so actually you do not understand my concern about this herbal medication, is not just about what people can afford but is about the reaction of what the herbal medication could do to them, have you not seen people who claims to be what they're not?, if some persons could fake a license to open a local chemist shop they haven't practice anywhere what do you think people could do about herbal medication considering how easy it is to venture into, so is obvious that a lot of them would also disguise to be herbal doctors and began to sell even what they don't understand and people who are avoiding medical doctors because of money becomes a victim to those fake herbalist.

[Hewlet]

Those who can't afford doctor or hospital fee can go for treatment that have minimum or no side effects. Like in case you have sore throat, you can take warm cup of herbal kahwa (tea) or gargling with warm salt water can help you in treatment of sore throat instead of taking paracetamol. Allopathic medicine gives you quick recovery but it has its own side effects when taken without advice of doctor. Herbal medication is also a good way to treat difference diseases and has minimum side effects.

Is Herbal medication really that effective as you said?, Actually even if the Herbal use to work but I don't think it should be something to depend on as a medication without knowing what is actually wrong with the person, sometimes Herbal medication could even cause someone's health condition to deteriorate because a lot of people are selling different things all in the name of Herbal medicine.

In most African setting, herbal medicine was the easiest run to when someone was sick and it had variant of it that could solve the different medical needs of patient. with a shift into the usage of medicine came a distrust on herbal medicine but that does not take away the efficacy that it has.

In terms of it originality and minimal side effect, herbal medicine is far better but then, we have to appreciate the extensive work that is usually done before the western drugs is brought to the market which ideally should make them more safe even though fake drug is still on the rise.

[Sarah Jordan]

In most African setting, herbal medicine was the easiest run to when someone was sick and it had variant of it that could solve the different medical needs of patient. with a shift into the usage of medicine came a distrust on herbal medicine but that does not take away the efficacy that it has.

Africa has been relying on herbs for years, although it was not as effective to using chemical drugs that can change the effect and send an abnormal patient into a recovery state within few hours or day. Too much dependency on chemical for a full and stronger immune system is but the best to be encouraged.

In terms of it originality and minimal side effect, herbal medicine is far better but then, we have to appreciate the extensive work that is usually done before the western drugs is brought to the market which ideally should make them more safe even though fake drug is still on the rise.

Herbs it the best when looking at taking medication that will with hookup with you on a later effect doings.
Frequent intake of chemical drugs are not the best at all and they can cause more severe damage if over used or abused. Herbs should be a cornerstone to making our immune system struggle and away from the affliction of minor illnesses. The use of herbs thoroughly need to be controlled to avoid getting over dose of the solution that is needed to kill a bacteria or fungi.

[Solodoski]

Self medication is never a good idea, because sometimes you might be treating the wrong ailment,  because you have not been diagnosed by a doctor to determine what is exactly wrong with you, so I really do condemn it. I saw a post here that someone is talking about rich people always going to the hospital to get diagnosed and the right drugs prescribed to them by a doctor,  but the poor don't have the luxury,  so they do a lot of self medication. This is definitely true, but that does not make it right. It's okay to take pain killers, but you have to see a doctor if you don't feel better in 2- 3 days. In general self medication is not good and most times cause more damage than good.

[Tmoonz]

Self medication is never a good idea, because sometimes you might be treating the wrong ailment,  because you have not been diagnosed by a doctor to determine what is exactly wrong with you, so I really do condemn it. I saw a post here that someone is talking about rich people always going to the hospital to get diagnosed and the right drugs prescribed to them by a doctor,  but the poor don't have the luxury,  so they do a lot of self medication. This is definitely true, but that does not make it right. It's okay to take pain killers, but you have to see a doctor if you don't feel better in 2- 3 days. In general self medication is not good and most times cause more damage than good.

Assumption can be wrong regardless of the how closely the symptoms can look, being properly diagnosed should always be the best option, wrong assumption of sickness can taken the wrong medication can complicate ones health condition in most cases, when the situation now becomes worst that is when they will consider consulting a doctor for proper checkup and treatments, some time people don't get to survive it before getting to the proper treatment and that's so bad, life does not have a duplicate and while the only one we have should be cherished.