Is it worth self-treatment? Is this treatment effective and is it not harmful? What ailments can we alleviate on our own? Conscious self-treatment is a necessity in many cases. In the past, medicinal herbs were brewed in homes, today it is enough to go to the pharmacy.

Can someone without medical education prescribe drugs safely? Is the fashion forself-medicationnot due to the inefficiency of our medical services? These and other questions are answered by dr. hab. n. med. Krzysztof Krajewski-Siuda, physician, public he alth specialist, head of the Department of He alth Policy of the Medical University of Silesia, acting head of the Department of He alth Promotion of the Jagiellonian University, expert of the Sobieski Institute in Warsaw.

Is it dangerous to encourage us to self-medicate?

Dr hab. n. med. Krzysztof Krajewski-Siuda: Let's start with what is self-treatment. The World He alth Organization gives two definitions. The first means takingover-the-counter medicationsin case of acuteailments , e.g. headache, colds. The second is self-care, i.e. taking care of he alth, but also maintaining a good condition in the case of chronic diseases, e.g. hypertension. Because it is the patient who decides on a daily basis about taking medications or about his diet. It is also him, not only the doctor, who is responsible for stopping the development of the disease or the occurrence of complications. The best therapy will not help, if the patient does not take care of himself, he will not feel responsible for his own he alth. Doctors forget that it is the patient who really makes the final decision about starting treatment or stopping it. Even the one who is in the hospital - accepts or not the procedure, etc. We will not change it. If the doctor writes a prescription, tells you how to take medications, what diet to follow, the patient will follow these recommendations or not.

So is self-medication more and more necessary?

K.K.-S .: Yes and no. World experience confirms that in the modern world there is no turning back from self-medication. This is for a number of reasons. Demographic aging causes an increasing demand for medical services and he alth systems are becoming less and less efficient. People have limited access to a doctor, if only because they cannot wait many hours for an appointment. There is access to specialistseven worse. This situation shifts the responsibility for he alth from the system to the citizens.

In Europe, governments in many countries are making efforts to promote self-healing.

K. K.-S .: It is indeed so. As early as 1996, the European Parliament called for the promotion of conscious self-medication, seeing in it two benefits of taking responsibility for one's own he alth by citizens and reducing budget expenditure. Self-medication has even been recognized as part of a long-term he alth policy. The changes were supposed to concern people's awareness, but also the law, incl. Changes in the status of certain prescription drugs to OTC drugs. Following the resolution of the European Parliament, concrete actions by member states began.

Important
  • Tell your doctor what you are taking over the counter preparations.
  • Do not exceed the permitted daily doses of vitamins.
  • Do not use multiple painkillers at the same time. Take the drug as soon as pain occurs, then just one dose should help. Wait at least 20-30 minutes before taking the next pill.
  • Soluble drugs work faster.
  • Take your medications with boiled lukewarm water (not mineral water), never juice, coffee or milk.
  • Read pots, pay attention to indications, dosage, interactions.
  • If symptoms persist after 3-5 days of self-treatment, see your doctor.
  • If in doubt about how to use the drug, call the pharmacy.

Great Britain leading?

K. K.-S .: Yes. Self-medication has a long tradition in Great Britain and is becoming more and more popular every year, thanks to the encouragement of the government, which sees self-medication not only as an opportunity to save he alth care, but also as a way of dealing with difficulties in accessing he alth care. doctor. British research confirms that properly applied self-medication brings significant he alth benefits. According to British forecasts, by 40 percent. the number of visits to doctors is falling, and by 17 percent. number of home visits. Ambulance is called half as often.

It is difficult to accept the fact that instead of going to the doctor, we have to choose a treatment.

K. K.-S .: The point is to make self-treatment responsible. Each of us should, for our own benefit, acquire basic knowledge on how to deal with colds, sore throats, etc. We must know or ask the pharmacist what to apply in order not to harm ourselves. People suffering from chronic diseases have a more difficult task. In addition to daily piloting the therapy, for which knowledge about the disease is needed, they shouldalso know what to do in case of colds, sore throats. You should ask your doctor in advance whether you can take, for example, aspirin, panadol or another drug. This is what responsible self-treatment is about, which will either free us from ailments or give us a chance to go to see a doctor.

Do we have such knowledge? After all, Poles overuse drugs, and many mothers do not even know that children must not give aspirin.

K. K.-S .: I think the matter shouldn't be complicated. There is no good evidence that Poles overuse drugs. When it comes to children, it should be emphasized that until the age of 2, the mother should not give the child any preparations without consulting a doctor. So there is no self-medication for little ones. However, the level of he alth education is worrying. It is a derivative of general education, often economic status. I am aware of the risks you mentioned, but I also know that self-medication is a fact. We will not run away from him. The point is that it should be done safely. It's hard to imagine running to the doctor with every "nonsense".

There is no danger of overdosing on over-the-counter drugs? Are they easily available, constantly advertised?

K. K.-S .: Indeed, aggressive advertising contributes to more frequent use of drugs and dietary supplements. We take one for he alth, the other for beauty, and something else for good mood. On the other hand, a total of the few cases of overdosing with over-the-counter drugs are being publicized. The results of interesting research on this subject were presented at the conference in Stockholm by the Americans. It turns out that information about drugs or therapies provided by the so-called authorities or famous people do not convince the average person. They also proved that aggressive advertising bore the viewer or listener and raises doubts. Therefore, I do not see a greater threat, provided that the ethical standards are adhered to by advertisers.

And what does self-treatment look like in our country?

K. K.-S .: Polish research shows that we are faithful to home methods of coping with ailments. As many as three out of four respondents declare that they use over-the-counter drugs - which would indicate high he alth awareness of Poles. However, the question arises whether we choose the preparations correctly, since we know little about he alth. Research shows that we learn about these drugs from our previous experiences, from leaflets, advertisements and magazines, we buy them on the recommendation of a doctor, pharmacist, but also friends. It is in Poland that we are dealing with a disturbing phenomenon called the "Goździkowa syndrome". It is based on the fact that when choosing drugs, patients use them too oftenfrom the he alth advice of friends, not professionals. This is proof that reliable education is needed.

So where should we learn about over-the-counter medications?

K. K.-S .: There is a certain problem with that. The leaflets attached to the drugs usually use language incomprehensible to the patient, so they are of little use. Besides, most of us don't read them. There are advertisements in the press, and the public does not trust them. There is also no well-developed and credible portal dedicated to over-the-counter drugs that, in addition to information about the drug, would also include knowledge about safe doses, interactions with drugs and food.

So there is a high risk that self-medication can cause harm?

K. K.-S .: Self-medication improperly or used for too long can be dangerous. Using over-the-counter medications in accordance with the indications, responsibly, not only positively affects our he alth, but also brings significant benefits from the point of view of the he althcare system. We gain easier access to doctors for those patients who need professional help. Self-medication saves money in the he alth care system, as long as it is used rationally, i.e. does not generate costs related to adverse drug effects.

We go back to education again.

K. K.-S .: Yes. An important role in this process is played by the pharmacist, who should provide knowledge about the medicine being bought, warn that, for example, it cannot be taken in the case of hypertension, varicose veins, etc. how to deal with emergency situations, how to reduce a fever, what medications not to use at night, what not to combine Thanks to this, the patient will become the doctor's partner in the fight against the disease, and the therapy will be much more effective.

"Zdrowie" monthly

Every third Pole uses home treatments, and 90 percent. takes over-the-counter medications

Source: Biznes.newseria.pl

Category:

Alternative medicine