WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF self-medication/treatment, self-Diagnosis, self-request of lab tests or investigations?
Self-medication, self-diagnosis, and self-request of tests and investigations when one is sick, pose several dangers to one’s health, including:
1. Misdiagnosis: Without proper medical training, people may misinterpret symptoms, leading to incorrect diagnoses and inappropriate treatments.
2. Drug Interactions and Side Effects; Self-medication can lead to harmful drug interactions or serious side effects, especially if the person is unaware of potential risks.
3. Delaying Proper Treatment: Self-treatment may mask symptoms of serious underlying conditions, delaying appropriate medical care and allowing diseases to progress, many diseases when not treated early progress very fast.
4. Resistance to Medication: Misuse of antibiotics and other drugs can lead to resistance, making it harder to treat infections effectively in the future.
5. Unnecessary Testing: Self-requested tests might lead to unnecessary procedures, added costs, and the risk of false positives or negatives, causing anxiety or leading to inappropriate treatments.
6. Incorrect Dosage or Treatment Duration: Incorrect dosages or treatment durations could result in under-treatment or overdosing, causing harm.
7. Psychological Impact: Self-diagnosis can lead to unnecessary worry, stress, or even hypochondria, while misdiagnosed conditions could cause people to ignore real health issues.
8. Worsening of Ill Health: Inappropriate self-management of chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or mental health disorders can worsen health outcomes over time.
At Lifeline international Hospital Zana, we advise all potential patients and those who are already sick that seeking professional medical management is crucial to ensure proper diagnosis, treatment, follow up, monitoring and early referral to specialists when your disease is complicated.
First, best, always.