THE SELF MEDICATION TOME Written by *Akomolafe* *Oluwaseyi* *Busybrain

THE SELF MEDICATION TOME
Written by *Akomolafe* *Oluwaseyi* *Busybrain*
Mr AJ(not real name) a 21years old young man was admitted a while back after he came to the GOPD(general out-patient department) with complains of severe stomach ache and headache.
On examination and investigation, it was discovered he had anemia and chronic liver disease.
Both diseases had gotten to a very severe stage.
On taking history from him and his mother, it was discovered that he has been having this complains for the past 3 months but he usually use paracetamol and local herbs(agbo)  every day to combat the pain.
They decided to come to the hospital when it was getting out of hand.
As at when he arrived, he already had hepatomegaly(an abnormal enlargement of the liver) and other complications.
The hepatomegaly is as a result of over loading the liver with drugs and herbs. The liver tried to perform its function of metabolism to an excess, and this affected the liver cells causing it to swell and ultimately loose function.
Other complications of liver failure include; jaundice, septicaemia e.t.c
Mr Johnson brought this upon himself through self medication.
What is self-medication?
Self-medication is defined as the selection and use of medicines by individuals (or a member of the individual's family) to treat self recognized or self-diagnosed conditions or symptoms without discussing your symptoms with a medical doctor.
Some people do it because they want to save money, some because they want to save time while some do it because they believe they know what is wrong with them.
Whatever the reason might be, it is wrong to self-medicate. It is a dangerous practice.
The effects/risks of self-medication includes;Inaccurate diagnosis,
Using inappropriate medications that cause side effects,
Masking the symptoms of a serious condition,
Delaying medical advice,
Inaccurate dosage that leads to accidental overdose,
Mixing medications that are not safe to mix,
Risk of abuse,
Risk of developing an addiction or several addictions,
In the worst-case scenario, self-medicating can lead to severe health condition or even death.
Mr AJ eventually died due to his complications.
Mr AJ would have been treated for his anemia on time if he had visited the hospital earlier. He wouldn't have had chronic liver disease. He wouldn't have aggravated his condition through Self-medication. He wouldn't have died from the disease.
Don't be like Mr AJ
Don't risk your life
Visit the hospital
Self-medication is dangerous
Never self-medicate

#Nowyouknow