Self -medication It consists of the use of medicines without a medical recipe or without the supervision of a health professional. That is, the person chooses and uses a certain medication to relieve a symptom or discomfort.
In Guatemala, this is a very common practice because various factors favor it, according to Daniel Navichoque, doctor and surgeon.
“Easy access to medications without recipe, the culture of sharing recommendations between family or neighbors or even the same pharmacy dependents, and the perception that certain symptoms” do not merit to go to the doctor. “It is common for people to take analgesics, antibiotics or anti -inflammatories without a previous medical evaluation, which represents an important risk to health,” says Navichoque.
Although it is something recurring, it implies great risks to people’s health.
One of the most serious, according to Navichoque, is the inappropriate use of antibioticswhich can generate bacterial resistance, making future infections more difficult to treat. It is also common to take medications in inappropriate doses, mix them without knowing their interactions or using them for symptoms that could be the indication of a more serious disease. In addition, some medications can cause liver, renal or gastric damage if taken without control.
In the case of older adults or children, this practice implies many dangers.
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“In children, doses should be carefully adjusted according to weight and age; an error can be toxic or ineffective,” explains the professional.
In older adults, he adds, it happens that many already take multiple medications, so any new drug can cause dangerous interactions or aggravate conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or renal failure.
“It is essential that you always consult a doctor before administering any medication to people at these extremes of life,” he recommends.
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For different reasons, people avoid going to a health professional when a particular symptom or discomfort occurs. In many cases, they minimize symptoms and relieve them with common medicine. However, these symptoms may be the indication of complex diseases that must be adequately diagnosed.
The most effective way to avoid the risks of self -medication, insists navichoque, is to consult a health professional in the face of any discomfort. Even seemingly “simple” symptoms can be part of a more serious condition.
The professional explains that it is also important not to recommend medications to others based on personal experiences, and avoid storing drugs to “use them later” without a new medical assessment.
And, in the long term, self -medication can mask chronic diseases, delay important diagnoses and cause damage to vital organs.
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“For example, prolonged use of anti -inflammatories can affect the kidneys or stomach, while misused antibiotics contribute to the development of superbacteria. In addition, the body can become more tolerant or dependent on certain drugs, such as anxiolytics or analgesics,” adds the expert.