ANTIBIOTIC ABUSE AND INAPPROPRIATE USE OF MEDICATIONS
MY CAREER HEALTH TIPS
In a society where large majorities are set in looking for quick fixes, hustle and bustle rat race life style. It does not seem out of place that the aura of medication for any ailment rather than consulting the appropriate professional would rather go for concoctions pills, capsules etc.
The society is almost certainly lawless regards regulation of peddling of all manners of drugs, medications, ‘wonder’ drugs. The field of dentistry is teeming with many instances of self medication rather than professional advice.
Oral health problems when confronted in the surgery are often at the late stages of its evolution. When the pairs has become unbearable, the pain is intense, sharp and often vacillating to the extent sleep becomes impossible.Also feeding, drinking water, cold or hot.
The picture is that of headache, ear ache, the person sometimes out of desperation puts cotton – wool in the ears or even ties a scarf around the face.
The unregulated chemists are the first port of call. These chemists’ do not follow their stipulated guidelines of practice. Several of the drugs being dished out are prescription drugs especially antibiotics.
Ampiclox, Flagyl certainly with the over the counter analgesics like Paracetamol and Ibruprofen are the most abused medications in the country.
The antibiotics unknown to many when abused could lead to organisms developing resistance to the individual and general population.
Antibiotics are meant to be used in the right dosage, duration and should be prescribed properly. The antibiotic chain may lead to poly-pharmacy whereby several similar medications are used. This can result to overdosage.
Antibiotics have side effects just like practically all medication. Paracetamol,for example, in excess use can lead to liver damage.
The area of concern for me personally are the herbal medicaments and topical wonder drug which will stop toothache or kill germs or worms. For the avoidance of doubt scientifically toothache is often caused by tooth decay.
The tooth has sensitive parts like the dental pulp once the decay breaches the layers of enamel and dentine, any stimulation will cause irritation of the living chamber of the tooth, the pulp.
Therefore worms do not exist in the mouth, medication like ‘Touch and Go’, do not help alienate the pain. They result in caustic burns to the oral mucous membranes.
I do not know how some of this tooth powder, herbal teeth powder,’ touch and go’ acquire NAFDAC number. Have they been subjected to any medical scientific test?
Legislation should exist to prosecute peddlers of these harmful concoctions.
People running to the chemist who prescribed such drugs, need be prosecuted along with street traders and peddlers of unsubstantiated claim wonder drugs. Do not use any medication on the mouth directly. Very few medications are administered for tropical use in the mouth, some below the tongue to enable rapid absorption. The desperation that makes people drops medication directly on the oral mucous membrane should be discouraged. Swallow medication, no where on the instructions are these pain pills to be used topically.I wonder why people use them in such fashion.
Yours truly has met several patients who use all sorts including exotic concotions like urine, charcoal, vitamin, battery water, salt, alum, toothpaste to try alleviate toothache. Please see the dentist at the earliest possibility should you experience a toothache. It is wiser to make regular checks even without any pain so any problems are detected, arrested and treated.
In dentistry, prevention it is better and cheaper than cure.
Dr Samuel Awosolu
Dentist
08108155239
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