HEALTH GOSSIP: Self-medication can cause liver damage says Dr. Atohengbe

A Benin-based physician, Dr Quincy Atohengbe, on Monday, advised Nigerians to stop self-medication whenever they experienced headaches to avoid liver damage. Atohengbe, who is of the Department of Family Medicine, Central Hospital, Benin, advised that people consulted doctor for proper diagnosis before taking medicines.



The physician, who is also the secretary of the Edo branch of Nigeria Medical Association, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin, on Monday.



He said there were different types of headaches which could be related to different illnesses, adding: "If you have slight headaches, you should see a doctor.



"Headaches could be as a result of malaria, typhoid, hypertension or any other condition that can stress the mind and the body.



"People take several drugs for headaches without doctor's prescription, which is not supposed to be."



He noted that headaches could be one of the first signs for hypertension. Atohengbe said: "Many people do not have symptoms when they have severe hypertension.



"The headaches people have between the ages of 30 and 40 could be the first sign of hypertension." The doctor said people should be educated on the need to see a doctor when they had headaches.



"Most times, people resort to treating the symptom of a disease which could be headaches, rather than treating the disease itself.



"When you resort to self medication for headaches, you might be treating the wrong ailment and there might be serious complications.



"The drugs might damage the liver; there might be severe side effects of the drugs and there might be more complication of the original illness, which the patient did not know about,'' Atohengbe said.

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