As Nigerians, it is very common for us to take drugs without a doctor’s prescription. In fact, for many people, it feels normal. Once you feel sick, the next stop is the pharmacy or chemist, not the hospital. And to be honest, most times we are just tired of visiting the hospital. The long queues, the stress, the waiting, and sometimes the cost can be frustrating. So instead of going through all that, we become our own doctor or consult what many of us now call Dr Google or ChatGPT.
It is so common to everyone that anytime we have a strange feeling like:
You wake up with a headache; “It’s malaria.”
You feel weak, “Buy antibiotics.”
Fever shows, “That same drug that worked last time will work again.”
But the truth is, not every headache is malaria. Not every fever is an infection. Sometimes, that headache can be a symptom of something more serious. When we keep guessing our illness and treating ourselves, we are often treating the wrong problem.
Have you ever noticed that a drug you used before worked very well, but later stopped working for you? Maybe you used a particular antibiotic or malaria drug in the past, and it cleared your symptoms quickly. Then you used it again some months later, and it still worked. But after repeated use, you discovered that the drug no longer works the way it used to.
Most people will say, “This drug is fake.”
But in many cases, the drug is not fake.
The real issue is drug resistance.
When you use antibiotics without proper medical advice, or you use them too often, your body can become resistant to that drug. This means the bacteria in your body learn how to survive the drug. So when you truly need that antibiotic for a serious infection, it may no longer work.
This is one of the biggest dangers of self-medication.
Another common mistake is that many people believe antibiotics cure everything. This is not true. Antibiotics do not treat malaria. They do not treat viral infections like flu or common cold. Taking antibiotics for illnesses they cannot treat only exposes your body to unnecessary drugs and increases resistance.
Also, some people stop taking antibiotics once they start feeling better. This is very dangerous. When you don’t complete your dosage, you may kill some bacteria but leave the stronger ones behind. These remaining bacteria can multiply and become even harder to treat later.
Self-medication can also hide symptoms. You may feel temporary relief and think you are okay, while the real illness is still there and getting worse quietly. By the time you finally decide to see a doctor, the condition may have become more serious and more expensive to treat.
Let’s also talk about side effects. Antibiotics are not as harmless as we think. Some can affect the liver, kidneys, or stomach, especially when abused. Because these drugs are easy to buy and commonly used, many people underestimate their dangers.
Yes, going to the hospital can be stressful. Yes, the system can be tiring. But using antibiotics wrongly can cost you much more in the long run, your health, your money, and sometimes even your life.
Next time you feel sick, pause before walking into the pharmacy to prescribe drugs for yourself. Getting proper medical advice and using antibiotics the right way is not weakness. It is wisdom.
Your body will thank you later.
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