Self: saving or suicide?

Any doctor in the arsenal there are not a dozen stories related to self-medicate - and comic, and, alas, is no fun.

This read every family has its own "experts", after reading popular magazines or the Internet, and gives tips on healing from all possible diseases. Sometimes the advice is quite harmless - for example, drink hot milk from a cold or throat to swallow a couple of spoonfuls of castor oil for constipation. But sometimes self-medication   It takes a truly devastating scale, which not only eliminates the disease, and only worsens the condition.

"I passed a few patients (mostly men) who for self   exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease took spirits, considering that alcohol will heal ulcers .  Unfortunately, there is a perception that the vodka has some healing power, and using it can treat gastritis, peptic ulcer, pancreatitis (that just strictly contraindicated during exacerbation of these diseases) .  One patient in the treatment of heartburn instead of taking prescribed drugs, drinking raw egg and milk, and this earned erosive esophagitis .  Many patients who suffer from heartburn, as self for a long time may take alginates, and these drugs are the only drugs "first aid" with heartburn, and a course of treatment is not suitable, chronic administration of a therapeutic effect is weakened, and the side effects are worse (up to toxic kidney), "- says the doctor-gastroenterologist multidisciplinary clinic" Alpha Health Center "Svetlana Chulkova from Perm . 

At least with stories of self-taught physicians and otolaryngologists faced: "To me I treated patients who engaged in self-medicate on the advice of various magazines. So, for example, have had to be removed from the ear canal stuck there garlic cloves, which patients used "in order to treat the common cold, headache, toothache." More often in our clinic we had to be removed from the ear canal decayed leaves geranium, causing an allergic reaction and inflammation of the walls of the passages - some patients used them "to treat ear pain and hearing loss" - shares the history of their patients otolaryngologist, Elena Kozlova working in the same Permian Medical Center.

Proctologists can share stories of how they had to be removed from the object of his attention, and raw carrots, pumpkin and salt - so "the people" are trying to treat hemorrhoids ... Grandma risk health grandchildren, trying to save them from an allergic cough using superallergennoy radish with honey.

But there are some situations where self-literally deadly. Remember them:

1. "Acute abdomen" - the state, accompanied by acute pain in the abdomen.
Outside zavisimoti matter in which part of the stomach hurts, you must immediately call the "fast" and demand surveys. In some diseases (inflammation of the appendix, acute pancreatitis, acute cholecystitis) require immediate medical attention, and sometimes - surgery.
2. Shortness of breath.
  There are many reasons shortness of breath - heart failure before an asthma attack. In any case, this condition is life-threatening. Doctor - is needed.
3. Bleeding from the genitals.
Urgent call an ambulance, bleeding outside the menstrual cycle (and during it, when suddenly there was a bright scarlet blood stream)
deadly.
4. Rake or abrasion.
Even if you are very well-washed and treated the wound with antiseptic, as soon as possible to show her trauma surgeon and find out whether it is necessary to enter the tetanus toxoid.
5. tick bite.   If you want to remove the tick traditional methods (salt, oil, duct tape, acetone), give up this idea: if the tick on the way out of your skin breaks down, you have to pull it surgically. In addition, any need to check the tick encephalitis: this deadly disease, which can be avoided if the time to introduce special preparations.

This is certainly not a complete list of dangerous conditions in which the self is not allowed. But in other situations - use common sense: it is sometimes better to be safe and trust the certified physician, than to try to heal itself known from what vegetable oil, burdock and enema with fennel ...

Treatment and prevention

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