With the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, since yesterday once again the debate has been started about nepotism in Bollywood, and second point of debate is that certain camps in Bollywood normally do not allow and discourage the entry of outsiders into their fold. It has been reported that the late actor was under severe depression because even after his last film ‘ Chichhore’ being declared hit he did not have any films on hand. So many films were promised to him but eventually either they were scrapped of some other actor replaced him. It has been said in the last few months he lost almost 6 films. Further a film of his which was produced by big banner got released on digital platform without any promotion, instead of normal theatrical release, and it has been rumoured that this was just to kill his career which was doing quite well. Such are the state of affairs in the Bollywood where they do not allow a real talent to flourish, instead mediocre talent, who is from within the fraternity are promoted and given multiple chance. I may right in detail on this topic, in one of my future blogs.
For us, Indians, it has become a natural habit to go in for self medications when there is some health problem, and today I am going to write why self medication can be harmful. While it is not bad to try out some proven home remedies for those common illnesses or take a Crocin or Dolo for a fever, but it is important to know that there are serious implications and limitations of self medications.
Medicines are prescribed by doctors based on certain tests and your body’s conditions. Hence, what works for one may not work for other. There is also the possibility of that it could actually backfire and cause you more harm than good. Therefore, for any slightly serious issue it is always better not to go in for self medication or take some medicine on someone’s suggestion. It is always better to consult the doctor and take the medicines prescribed by the doctor. Now let us see what all could go wrong with self medication:
Incorrect Diagnosis- Generally when we go to doctor, there is a strong chance that we already formed an opinion that we are suffering from such and such disease, and tell doctor accordingly. There is an episode when one mother took her daughter who was suffering from stomach pain and told doctor that she has got food poisoning. Doctor sternly replied “ Please tell me symptoms and the course of events, and allow me to diagnose what the problem could be”. As it turned out the ailment was far more serious, which had to be diagnosed through scans ant tests. This is atypical example of how wrong we usually are about understanding the health issue. Hence when we medicate ourselves, we could be actually doing so on the basis of a totally wrong notion/diagnosis and may end up complicating the issue. One thing more, indirectly we have delayed in seeking the right treatment, which it was done at right time, could have saved so much trouble for all. Second thing- internet/google has provided a helping hand to the people who indulge in self medications.
Allergy/Adverse Reactions- When we consult the doctor about a particular issue, he/she carefully listens to symptoms, checks them out, prescribes few tests if necessary, and the prescribes the medicines. It is quite possible that we are allergic to certain medicines or few other medicines that we are taking, when taken in combination can cause some adverse reactions. So it is always better to inform doctor about the other regular medicines which you are taking for some other ailment. This is one other reason why self medication should be avoided.
Incorrect Dosage- The doctor is also the best judge of what could be the right dosage for your body. Just like how children are usually given a different dosage of the same medicine. Incorrect dosages also can cause lots of trouble, needing medical intervention.
Side Effects- Almost all medicines have some kind of side effect or the other. When we do not know about these, we may end up creating more problem for the actual issue and worry for us also. The doctors who prescribe the medicines clearly know the side effects and would be warning us about the same or prescribe some alternative or relief for such things as well.
So in the end, it is always advisable to consult doctor.
Waiting for your feed backs/views/comments.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
16th June 2020.
R. N. Mungale.
Self medication is harmful but many people resort to it.