Self-Medication – Why You Should Not Do It?

Nowadays People have a habit of carrying their treatment on their own. But do you know the side effects of self medication? Just have a look at this article.

Some Unknown Facts About Self-Medication

• Having cough syrups to avoid headaches in the morning, works similar to sleeping pills.
• There are many people who use alcohol and other drugs as a replacement to medicines.
• Taking pain killers without consulting to doctors can lead to stomach bleeding, headaches, high blood pressure, loss of calcium, etc.
• The cough syrups when taken without any prescription lead to drowsiness, dry mouth, and other health problems.
• The antibiotics are taken without the recommendation of the doctor lead to respiratory tract infections.
• People have a misconception that Ayurvedic or herbal medicines are safe to use. The fact is that they are also harmful if you carry any kind of allergies, or taken without any prescription.
• Generally, people are not able to bifurcate between chest pain and heart pain, and hence, rely on wrong medications on their own, which is quite harmful.

What is Self-Medication?

Have you ever received any suggestion for your health problems! Yes, this happens when any small or big health issue arrives in anyone’s life. People have a habit of carrying their treatment on their own or search on the internet for the medicines of their health problems. This is known as self-medication.


The people act as their own physician these days and handle their own sickness by taking medicines to get rid of the symptoms, no matter the illness is physical or mental. The reason behind self-medication varies from one person to another like it may be due to some personal issues, lack of money, high fees of the doctor, etc. Also, the fear of the parents sometimes leads the children to self-medication which can give some side effects of self medication or serious disorders in return.

Side Effects Of Self Medication On The Health

Self-medication includes imprecise diagnosis done on one’s own, inaccurate dosage, delay in visiting the doctor, severe adverse reactions, harmful drug dealings, risk of amusement, etc. Many a times self-medication give minor side-effects, while in some cases, it can result to death also. Here are some side effects of self medication.

1. Intake Of Pain Killers

Also known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, they are widely taken to get relief from pains like headaches, body aches, chest pain, abdominal pain during menses, etc. However, taking pain killers without consulting any doctor, or taking quick double doses of the pain killer, or taking pain killers that are expired, can be harmful to health. The common symptoms faced after consuming pain killers are nausea, stomach bleeding, ulcers, acidity, dizziness, high blood pressure, headaches, kidney damage, loss of calcium, etc.

2. Cough Syrups

Having cough! A common suggestion given to the patient suffering from a cough is syrups. There are different cough syrups available in the medical stores, which are widely chosen by the people randomly according to their kind of a cough. However, this is not advisable on medical terms. Some of the cough syrups come with a little quantity of alcohol in them. This can prove to be harmful when taken with random dosages. The common results of cough syrups are the asymmetrical beating of the heart, drowsiness, nausea, dry mouth, vision problems, dizziness, lack of concentration and impatience.

3. Antibiotics

When it comes to antibiotics, some people carry a habit to take some antibiotics unnecessarily. Also, taking them without the prescription of the doctors is harmful. They are widely chosen casually for treating cough, cold, and other infections in the respiratory system. However, taking antibiotics without any recommendation from the doctors can lead you to serious infections that increases the development of bacteria strains. This makes it difficult for the body to fight against the infections and other sickness. Common side-effects of antibiotics are vomiting, allergic reactions, nausea, hair fall, dizziness, drug resistance, vaginal infections, etc.

4. Ayurvedic Medicines

Yes, the herbal medicines or the Ayurvedic medicines are also unsafe for your health. Before purchasing such herbal medicines that are labelled as safe or natural one must see a doctor to cure even the mild sickness. The herbal medicines are mixed with some ingredients that are active compounds of medicinal terms. When such compounds are gathered with the standard drugs, the herbal medicines can also cause some adverse effects on the body. Having herbal medicines without the prescription of the doctors would give you adverse effects like vomiting, nausea, excess bleeding, stomach pain, renal failure, kidney disorders, seizures, etc. The medicines can also lead to hemorrhaging at the time of surgery.

5. Supplements

The medical stores also contain the supplements of various nutrients like Vitamin B, Vitamin E, calcium, minerals, etc. However, when the supplements are taken in excess, it gives you some side-effects. The excess intake of Vitamin B supplements leads to hypervitaminosis, that can lead to diseases like diarrhea, clots, idima, etc. Similarly, the intake of excess Vitamin E results to stomach pain, bleeding, headache, etc. Excess intake of calcium results to muscle pain, abdominal pain, heavy mood swings and kidney stones. Too much of Vitamin A supplement results to skin rashes and headache, and that of Vitamin D leads to problems like mood swings, abdominal pain, muscle pain, heart attack, strokes, etc.

6. Sex Stimulants

The availability of such medicines without the prescription of the doctors has increased its usage among the elders and the teens too. The drug is also used to get rid of stress levels by the youth. There are various stimulants available and hence, the effects also differ accordingly. Some widely declared side effects of sex stimulants are increase in heart rates, high blood pressure, increase in the temperature of the body, tremors or shaking of muscles, agitation, etc. The serious adverse effects of the medicines are cardiovascular abnormalities, hyperthermia, mental health disorders, sudden death, etc.

7. Eye Drops

Having red eyes or are they paining! The patients in this condition prefer using any eye drops available in the stores without any recommendations from the doctors. This results to side effects like blurring, stinging of the eyes, tearing, dilation of pupils, redness, irritation of eyes, breathing problems, change in vision, headache, swelling of face, etc. There are various serious side effects other than all these that can lead to blindness.

8. Skin Creams

The vast use of the skin creams, gels, shaving creams, after shaving lotions, etc. has increased skin problems like acne, skin spots, darkening, etc. Also, the use of antiseptic creams without the suggestion of the doctors, bleaching, skin brightening creams, etc. also have some side effect on the health of the users. The list includes problems like skin rashes, itching, burning or stinging, sensitization, diabetes, headaches, bacterial infections in the eyes or ears, etc.

9. Sleeping Pills

Insomnia or sleeping disorder is a wide spreading problem faced by the youth these days. The reason behind this can be depression, mental stress, hectic schedules, etc. brings harmful changes in the sleeping patterns of the people. This slowly becomes the habit and the patient suffers from lack of adequate sleep. In such situations, they run for sleeping pills like ambien, rozerem, trazodone, etc. which are easily available in the medical stores. When the pills are used on regular basis it results to problems like lack of co-ordination of hands and eyes, stammering, memory loss, weakening bones, etc.

10. Depression, Stress And Other Psychological Disorders

Depression and stress are commonly found among the young generation these days. Even the students of the universities and colleges face this kind of psychological problems due to which they are driven towards bad habits like antidepressant pills, alcohol, recreational drugs, etc. that may become a habit if undertaken for a long-time period. When such cases are self-medicated using antidepressant pills, it may lead to problems like quick anger, bad behavior, mood swings, etc. The use of alcohol and other similar drugs for getting rid of stress for temporary basis also leads to serious health issues like damage of brain cells, liver and kidney problems, headaches, dehydration, heart disorders, weigh gain, etc. The intake of drugs or alcohol in large quantity can also result to sudden death.


Hence, it is important to seek for the help of a doctor even for minor health problems to avoid long term side effects of self-medication.

Internet and Self-Medication

Internet has given various positive and fruitful solutions to the man kind, but the information provided by internet has proved to be hazardous too. There are several websites that provide you with the names of medicines you can take according to the health condition you are experiencing. No matter whether you are looking for some allopathy medicines, homeopathy medicines, or ayurvedic medicines, the recommendation of the doctor is quite important. Depending only on the suggestions of the internet may prove to be harmful and leave you with severe health issues also. The medications provided on the internet is not 100 percent true, as it can be edited by anyone, from any corner of the earth. Also, the medication of any symptom or disease varies according to the age, sex, its effect on the body, etc. The dosage of the medicines also depends on the same aspects. So, it is better to look for a doctor rather than clicking on the internet for solutions.


On the other hand, the internet has made it easy to reach the doctors on serious or emergency cases. You can now search for your nearby doctors, or seek for online help from the doctors who work on your case online and also prescribe you proper medications. This has proved to be a great help in serious cases also. So, why not get attended by a doctor online, then looking for random medications and inviting other health issues to harm yourself!

Look For A Doctor And Say No To Self-Medication

It is hence proved that self-medication can be dangerous giving you various mild or serious health issues. It is better to look for a doctor for even minor issues as the doctors are trained very accurately in diagnosing your health issues and providing you with appropriate and safe medications. Talk freely to the doctor and explain him properly your symptoms. This would help him in providing you with a well-planned treatment avoiding experiments with medications. Follow his instructions, go for all the tests you are told to carry out, look after the dosages you are prescribed to prevent yourself from over dosage, and see how quickly you fight against the disease or disorder without giving your body any side effect.


So, bid a good bye to self-medication & side effects of self medication and gift yourself a healthy life.

Reference Links

http://www.indiatimes.com/health/healthyliving/the-dangers-of-selfmedication-242097.html
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/15933/1/Dangers-of-Self-Medication.html