Health risks associated with self-medication

Self-medication, such as taking analgesics or following family recommendations, poses significant health risks including adverse reactions, drug interactions, and delayed disease diagnosis.

Pedro Araguez, medical director at Leve Saúde, warns that medication choice must account for an individual's specific health history. He notes that self-medication can create a false impression of recovery without addressing the underlying cause of symptoms.

Key errors to avoid include repeating old treatments without guidance, increasing doses to accelerate effects—which raises intoxication risks—and mixing medications without checking for potential interactions.