Why you should not self-medicate: doctor’s arguments

In the pursuit of material wealth, people often cease to understand that the main values ​​of any person are his life and health. When a health problem arises, many of us immediately go to the doctor. A competent, highly qualified specialist in the vast majority of cases correctly diagnoses and prescribes the necessary treatment to the patient, which allows you to quickly cope with the disease or reduce its manifestations. However, it is not always possible to get professional medical care at the present time, unfortunately.

In recent years, a huge number of serious problems have been identified in the field of medicine and health care. This unfortunate situation has occurred in a number of countries. This problem has become especially acute after the spread of a new coronavirus infection in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated an acute shortage of doctors. The problem affected all parts of the medical care of the population – both the outpatient segment of medicine and the inpatient segment.

In hospitals today there is an acute shortage of beds, and there are also serious problems in equipping medical institutions. However, the most important difficulty faced by residents of many countries after the onset of the pandemic was the lack of a competent, modern approach to treating patients.

Many modern doctors, after receiving a basic medical education, do not engage in any self-training, do not improve their professional knowledge and do not update them, which is why they use outdated, insufficiently effective methods for treating patients.

In this sad situation, some people who feel unwell begin to self-medicate. Is it possible to do this, is such an approach to one’s own health acceptable?

Of course not, it is absolutely impossible to do this. Despite the serious problems experienced by modern medicine, self-medication is unacceptable and extremely dangerous. A person who does not have a professional medical education is able to have initial knowledge in the field of physiology and anatomy of the body, but they are not deep enough for the successful treatment of diseases. Amateurs are not aware of the causes of diseases and the mechanisms of their course. Without understanding the basics of pathological physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology, it is impossible to make a correct diagnosis, as well as prescribe the optimal course of treatment. Even experienced doctors are often faced with the need for complex differential diagnosis before the pathology is correctly identified and reasonable treatment is prescribed.

Due to the lack of specific professional knowledge, a person engaged in self-medication may choose the wrong medicines and therapy methods, which as a result can lead to the most disastrous consequences.

Why can’t you take medications without a doctor’s prescription?

Some modern people take medicines on their own, without a doctor’s prescription or prescription. You can’t do this, especially with antibiotics. Due to the widespread, uncontrolled use of antibacterial drugs, the resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to many modern antibiotics has increased significantly. Therefore, the use of these drugs is often ineffective in cases where they are really needed.

Many people simply refuse to understand that most respiratory diseases (ARI, ARVI), which are commonly called colds, are caused not by bacteria, but by viruses. Antibiotics have absolutely no effect on viruses. At the same time, they have a detrimental effect on beneficial intestinal bacteria, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the immune system. Destroying beneficial bacteria, antibiotics thereby reduce the immunity of a sick person, slowing down the healing process.

In recent years, this situation has become a global problem. The uncontrolled use of drugs without a doctor’s prescription also applies to other medicines – self-medication is often resorted to when the temperature rises and pains of various localization appear.

It is strictly forbidden to do this, because an increase in body temperature is a sign of the activation of the protective immune mechanism of the human body. No less dangerous is self-relief of pain, which is often a sign of very serious problems. Knocking down fever for no reason and eliminating pain with the help of painkillers, you can cause serious harm to your body, which can lead to the most disastrous consequences.

Taking painkillers for acute abdominal pain, for example, can mask the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, as well as acute appendicitis and other serious problems requiring urgent surgical intervention. If a person does this, he risks not only his health, but also his life.

The life of a sick person is also threatened by the uncontrolled intake of cardiac drugs, such as Corvalol, Valocordin, etc. Taking these drugs with severe pain in the heart, people often do not seek emergency medical care for a heart attack and may miss a heart attack myocardium. Delaying the appointment of the necessary, adequate treatment in such situations leads to a decrease in the chances of recovery.

Many people are in no hurry to see a doctor even when they have a cough. Believing that the cause of the cough is an unhealthy lung, bronchi or throat, they self-medicate by taking pills and syrups that thin the sputum. At the same time, cough can act as a symptom of not only a variety of colds, but also other pathological conditions of the body, such as:

• arrhythmia, chronic heart failure;

• GERD, HH and other problems with the gastrointestinal tract;

• various disorders of the nervous system.

Cough can also occur as a side effect that develops with the use of certain drugs, for example, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors prescribed for hypertensive patients.

In the cases listed above, taking expectorant drugs, as well as cough blocking drugs, is absolutely useless, and often very harmful to health.

Why can’t you go on a diet on your own without consulting a specialist?

Many people who are overweight try to get rid of it without resorting to the help of a specialist of the appropriate profile – an endocrinologist or a nutritionist. Obesity today affects a huge number of people living in different countries of the world. There are many reasons for this. The food industry, like agriculture, has changed a lot in recent years. The changes affected the ways of growing agricultural products, their storage and processing, as well as the manufacture of food. Modern people often eat out. Many of them prefer to buy semi-finished products. Fast food chains that offer unhealthy food to their customers are popular. The methods of culinary processing of products, their composition have changed, portions have increased, the content of sugar and fat in products has also become higher.

Nutritionists believe that the main cause of obesity is a positive energy imbalance – a situation in which the indicator of energy spent is lower than consumed. This leads to the accumulation of excess energy in the body in the form of body fat and gradual weight gain.

A great influence on the appearance of a large number of obese people had a change in their lifestyle. Nowadays, many people lead a sedentary lifestyle. Decreased physical activity, sedentary work, physical inactivity – all these factors have gradually led to a decrease in the amount of energy that modern people spend daily. The causes of weight gain are often problems such as chronic stress, constant fatigue, poor sleep, endocrine diseases, hereditary predisposition, psycho-emotional factors.

Professional nutritionists and endocrinologists are well aware of all of the above problems. They know all their nuances and features and know how to make sure that the weight decreases gradually, and the process of losing weight goes as safely as possible. It is necessary to lose weight under the careful supervision of these specialists, as well as with the parallel support of a fitness instructor and a professional psychologist.

If an obese person does not turn to the help of specialists, but tries to get rid of excess weight on his own, the results are, at best, short-term. Lost kilograms with this approach quickly come back, and often, also along with a tangible “gain”. Vain attempts to get rid of extra pounds often lead to the development of various psychological disorders, such as eating disorders. Such failures require longer and more serious treatment.

Unbalanced diets, compiled without taking into account the pathological and normal physiology of the human body, can pose a real danger to health. For example, keto diets should not be followed by people with liver and kidney disease. If a person prescribes a low-carbohydrate diet himself, this can lead to very serious consequences, for example, to acute kidney failure. In the most severe cases, such frivolity can even end in death.

In what cases can massage and exercise harm health?

Some physical exercises that involve a much higher load on the body than ordinary physical education can also harm health. Many diseases provide significant restrictions on certain physical activities. If a person does not know about these features and does not comply with the necessary restrictions, his health can suffer significantly, up to and including disability. For example, people with intervertebral hernia are contraindicated in loads with weights that can lead to spinal cord injury. They should perform special exercises that help minimize or completely eliminate the manifestations of the disease.

If a person has serious health problems, he should limit physical activity and select acceptable physical activity together with an exercise therapy doctor. He needs massage sessions and physiotherapy, which are carried out using devices that have the necessary therapeutic effect. Such medical procedures have certain indications and contraindications. A person who is far from medicine cannot foresee all the nuances, so the therapeutic effect must be accompanied by professional advice and supervision. For example, massage procedures for problems with the spine can not only not improve, but, moreover, significantly worsen the current state of health and even lead to the development of paralysis.

Why can’t folk methods be used?

What is the danger of traditional methods of treatment, why is their use useless, and in some cases even dangerous? For example, self-treatment of colds and flu does not contribute to recovery. It can only slightly alleviate the symptoms of the disease.

When using folk methods, the following negative reactions of the body may develop:

• Allergic reactions. Most often, allergies appear after using those herbal remedies that the body has never come into contact with before. The manifestations of allergies are very different. It can be itching, skin rash, as well as more serious symptoms – swelling of the larynx, choking, a sharp decrease in pressure, etc.

• A sharp increase in body temperature. Folk remedies are unable to bring down fever as quickly as modern medicines. Taking antipyretic drugs, you can control the temperature, preventing its further increase, which can worsen the general condition. By giving preference to folk remedies, you will not be able to do this, as a result of which the feverish state will persist much longer, gradually exhausting your body.

• The progression of the disease as a result of the lack of effectiveness of folk remedies. People who decide to be treated with folk remedies are wasting their time, allowing the infection to multiply freely, which worsens their health.

• The appearance of serious complications in children. It is especially dangerous to treat children with unverified folk remedies. Children’s immunity is not yet fully formed, so the child’s body is able to unpredictably respond to the use of traditional medicine methods. For the treatment of children, you can use only such means as drinking plenty of water with currants, raspberries, vitamin C.

What complications can cause the use of folk methods?

Folk methods not only do not help patients to recover, but often lead to the spread of dangerous complications.

What complications can be expressed:

• Harm of steam inhalation. This procedure is performed using herbal decoction or hot potatoes. During it, it is impossible to control the temperature of the inhaled vapor, so the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract can get burned. Steam inhalation can also aggravate inflammation and cause infection. Don’t breathe over the steam, buy a nebulizer instead. The nebulizer can be used by both adults and children. The steam emitted by this device contains particles of medicine of different diameters, which can linger on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract or get deep into the alveoli, acting directly on the focus of inflammation. Breathing in the vapors of a hot potato or herbal decoction, you will not be able to achieve a similar effect.

• Vodka with pepper and other additives. In a state of intoxication caused by the use of alcohol, a person is able to lose vigilance and assess his condition inadequately. Drowsiness can prevent him from feeling a fever and responding to it in a timely manner. In addition, alcohol can cause poisoning of the body.

• Recipes with kerosene, poisonous mushrooms and other dangerous ingredients. Gargling with kerosene in the throat with laryngitis can cause burns of the oral mucosa, inhalation of kerosene vapors can cause damage to the respiratory system.

• Baths, hot baths. Steaming in the bath at a body temperature above 38 degrees is strictly prohibited. If this rule is not observed, the temperature can rise even higher, as a result of which dehydration may develop, inflammation in the body may increase.

• Banks. Almost everyone has bet banks at least once in their lives, but not everyone knows how to do it correctly. Failure to comply with safety rules can lead to the formation of hematomas and skin burns. Complications occur when cups are placed incorrectly and when the patient’s skin is too sensitive, thin.

Is it okay to listen to health advice posted on the Internet?

In our time, information can be drawn from various sources – not only from newspapers and TV, as it was until recently, but also from the global network. It’s very convenient and educational. However, this abundance of information also has its downsides. Along with information from the Internet, a person can also receive unjustified doubts and anxieties, and often extra hopes.

Anyone can enter their symptoms into the Yandex or Google search bar and get links to a huge number of sites with information about the diseases for which they are characteristic. However, a person who does not have deep professional knowledge, who does not have a specialized medical education, is unlikely to be able to isolate reliable information from all this huge information mass. Therefore, it is almost impossible to make a correct diagnosis on your own, based only on information from the Internet.

Briefly about the problems of the modern healthcare system

It is important for every modern person to understand that the healthcare system functioning today has a lot of problems. Therefore, it is extremely important to be a responsible, conscious patient. You need to take care of your health on your own, without waiting for the moment when the body fails. A person who wants to maintain his health for as long as possible should systematically undergo medical examinations in a clinic. Unfortunately, not everyone does this. Each car owner annually takes his car for inspection, but many take their own health much more frivolously.

If you still have health problems, try not to panic and not build gloomy forecasts. However, hiding from the problem and turning a blind eye to it is also unwise. Moreover, you can not self-medicate.

Since today it is quite difficult to find a real professional who is thoroughly versed in a certain field of medicine, every patient must have critical thinking. This does not mean at all that one should doubt the advice and recommendations of professional doctors, do not trust their opinion. However, if you have any questions about the diagnosis, treatment options and methods, the use of certain drugs, do not hesitate to ask them to a specialist. If the doctor gives answers reluctantly or does not want to give any explanation at all, it is worth consulting with other specialists. In some cases, this approach to treatment helps patients maintain their health, and sometimes life, and avoid unnecessary interventions.

Of course, a specialist is not able to provide the patient with comprehensive information during a regular consultation, which he received while studying at a medical institute. However, a true professional, confident in his abilities, may well give you general advice and direct you to the necessary information resources, where you will find information about your disease and modern methods of its treatment.

Self-medication, resorting to methods of alternative or alternative medicine is definitely not worth it. Do not waste time, it is better to spend it looking for a doctor who is a true professional in the field you need.

Conclusion

Medical science is constantly improving and developing. Numerous scientific studies are being carried out all the time, new information about long-known diseases is emerging. Views on the causes of certain diseases, the mechanisms of their course and methods of treatment are periodically reviewed.

A similar situation occurred, for example, with peptic ulcer. Previously, it was believed that the causes of the development of this disease are malnutrition and excessive production of hydrochloric acid. Later it became known that this was not the case. As it turned out, this unpleasant disease is caused by an infection officially called Helicobacter Pylori. Since then, the treatment of peptic ulcer has changed dramatically.

In what cases can alternative, alternative, traditional medicine methods be used? They can be resorted to, for example, in the case of a common cold, accompanied by a dry cough, sore throat, weakness and a slightly elevated temperature, without a burdened anamnesis. In this case, doctors recommend sick people to be treated on their own, using a plentiful vitamin drink, taking antipyretics (ibuprofen or paracetamol), regular humidification of the air in the room and airing the room. If any complications occur (paroxysmal cough, pus in nasal discharge, temperature for more than five days), you should contact a specialist – a family doctor or therapist. In the event that a child is sick, a doctor should be called immediately, without waiting for a deterioration in health.

The use of alternative methods of treatment (folk recipes, meditation, massage, etc.) is allowed only as an accompanying therapy that complements the main, complete treatment prescribed by a professional doctor.