WARNING: SELF TREATMENT IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH

"When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself": yes, it is indeed to capture the essence of Louis Nizer's words.Here we point a finger at the topic of self-treatment.The other four fingers pointing at ourselves paves the way for an introspection of our routines.Nowadays, popping pills without a doctor's prescription is common among people.The advanced technologies provide greater access to medical & health information.It is an era of health apps too.In this intellectually advanced society, it often happens that the health apps and symptom trackers become the final decision makers.consequently, health has become more about what happens outside the clinic.At this twenty-first century of DIY(Do It Yourself)let's have a look at the self-treatment aspects implied by patients.
           Science is the intellectual and practical outcome of times through the ways of observation and experiment.By this notion, medical sciences ought to convey the story of human survival by the very touch of powerful thought and perception.It is significant to understand the differences between self-care and self-treatment.Kleinman's classic model draws the overlapping and interacting sectors of health care.It includes the popular,professional&folk sections.According to this model, whilst the health care is plural, the popular sector is the nexus of health care.By Barofsky(compliance, adherence and therapeutic alliance: steps in the development of healthcare), self-care can be broadly defined as those behaviors that are practiced by the individual and directed at relieving symptoms, maintaining health or preventing ill health.It has a non-professional, non-bureaucratic dimension.self-treatment is functionally very different from this.self treatment includes the branches of self-diagnosis, self-medication, usage of medicines without proper advice from the doctor.People prefer self-treatment ways as a method of the time saver and economic relief to them.The paths of one's glorious self-treatment chapters will only lead but to the grave.Incorrect choice of treatment, misdiagnosis, medications abuse, polypharmacy and drug interactions,etc.comes under the light of concern.

         The renowned news organization, The Hindu(2016 August 22, reported by K.V.Prasad), presents a significant perspective on the topic of self treatment.we could see that a young non-non-immunised boy contracts the diphtheria-causing Corynebacterium.Instead of consulting a doctor, the family chooses self-medication drugs obtained directly from a pharmacy by merely citing symptoms such as fever and sore- throat.His conditions worsen and by the time he is brought to the medical college hospital Kozhikkode and he dies.After this case, the message that diphtheria kills drove people to hospitals to undergo appropriate tests and treatment, says Reproductive and Child Health Care officer Sarala Nair.But the situation on dengue and malaria still remains unchanged.

           Increasing risk of complications, side effects, overdosage, health problems, allergic reactions, incorrect choices of therapy, incorrect manners of administration, antibiotic resistance, drug addiction, etc reveals us the evil faces of self -treatment.Habituation or drug addiction is a kind of addictive phenomenon to certain drugs such as antacids, cough syrups, and pain relievers.While you take an antibiotic when you don't have a bacterial infection will worsen the health condition.And it will result in the use of higher versions to bring the desired results.That is, bacteria develop the resistant potential which will prevent them from working effectively.The following bacterial multiplication process will produce the higher number of bacteria that are resistant to your medication.The practice of self-treatment also cause multiple medications and it's consequent problems.Taking Viagra and heart medications simultaneously can cause a massive drop in blood pressure and trigger a heart attack.Destructive drug-to-drug interactions and the further health adversities will be the end result of some herbal drugs and medicines.The improper use of analgesics can induce gastritis and can also increase the risk of stroke in patients with high BP by four times.self-treatment and self-medication by pregnant women will lead to congenital anomalies and birth defects to the baby.within the family, we could see the hazardous plights of self-medication.There are happenings where the prescription for one member of the family is passed from one another without medical supervision.The assumption of similar symptoms and similar remedies may often lead to dangers.The continuous use of painkillers without the doctor's advice will result in stomach ulcers, internal bleedings, kidney failure, vomiting etc.The abnormal use of antihistamines will also create troubles.While taking medicines the quantity of them is also very important.Individual decisions do create great errors.

         Indian Medical Association President A.V.Jayakrishnan says "a dose of Paracetamol is advised for fever 5caused by any common and mild infection.But that is to be decided by the doctor and not by the patient or pharmacist."The underqualified pharmacy employee and his distribution of medicines according to the patient will also make the situation worse.

        It should be agreed that "To err is humane".But the very mistakes which threaten our lives is beyond the frontiers of considerations.According to Alexander Pope(1688-1744),'a little learning is a dangerous thing.'That is why the medical experts opine that self-treatment is injurious to health.The crux of the issue lies in the fact that we should give matured approaches to our health practices.Adopt a responsible approach.It's an era in which new forms of diseases are evolving day by day.our changed lifestyle has a great share on this.Then, everyone should be alert to the importance of medical consultation and timely laboratory check-ups.George Bernard Shaw reminds us that:"we are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future."By then, be wise and responsible for a healthy future.