These are the 8 dangers of self-medication

Self-medication is a practice that has spread in the general population in recent decades and often entails 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-medicating, since with this we can endanger our health in multiple ways. So let's see what are the risks associated with the practice of self-medication.

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The main risks and dangers of self-medication

To avoid the proliferation of this type of practice, we will now see what are the main dangers of frequent self-medication.

1. Making a mistake confusing drugs

One of the main dangers that people who self-medicate may face is mistaking one drug for another.

This sometimes happens, assuming that the box of pills at home is the type of medication we need for our particular ailment, albeit under another trade name.

Taking a specific medicine believing that it is what we need and actually using another 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 indications 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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2. Getting the recommended dose wrong

All medications must be administered in a certain way. so that its active principle has the determined effect on a particular person, according to their particular characteristics (for example, their sex or age).

People who self-medicate often ignore this basic rule and are often mistaken with the administered dose of a particular medication.

This results in an increased risk of poisoning when more than the recommended dose is consumed or a decrease in the effect of the active substance if the dose is too low, whereby the disease is left without treat.

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3. Increased risk of allergic reactions

Poorly administered medications can cause allergies that are very dangerous to our health if they are not prescribed by a doctor, that 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 us that particular allergy, something that can seriously put our health at risk. For this reason, health professionals take into account our past allergic reactions.

4. Increased risk of side effects

Taking a medication incorrectly, that is, without the supervision of a medical professional, can increase the chances of suffering side effects. It must be taken into account that practically all medications can generate these unwanted effects to a greater or lesser extent, so the medical indications are adapted to the best ways to minimize risks and stop treatment if such 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.

5. Increase the chances of developing an addiction

Another of the most common dangers of taking a medication by yourself is the increased risk of develop an addiction to said drug, since many of them can have this effect on the patient in the long run. organism. This occurs above all with psychoactive 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.

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6. drug resistance

The frequent or incorrect use of certain medications makes it easier for pathogens those they must combat end up developing resistance to the drugs.

This means that the drugs no longer have any effect against the disease they are supposed to treat, or this is greatly minimized, something that can happen very easily if we take any drug indiscriminately and without supervision.

7. Interactions with other medications

Some medicines can lose their effect by interacting with other drugs that the person may be taking or by coming into contact with certain foods or drinks.

This is something that should be taken into consideration whenever we take any medication and that it is hardly we can take into account without having a professional prescription from a doctor who knows our case.

8. Masking of other diseases

The administration of non-recommended drugs by anyone can also mask other serious diseases that may not be detected by health professionals.

This makes it difficult to detect all kinds of diseases and consequently their subsequent diagnosis. and treatment.