Suddenly, all Ugandans have become certified herbalists. Each coming up with a remedy, recommending it to friends and family, and even vouching for how potent it is. Well, this is due to the severe coronavirus that has led to the loss of countless lives, hence the invention of various concoctions. If not all, most people around the country have resorted to using different remedies, mainly traditional and herbal treatments, for the cure and prevention of COVID-19.
Here are some of the things that have been used by most people around the country.
Steaming with herbs and oils
The renowned lemon, ginger & garlic concoction
Cooking and drinking leaves and stems
Covidex
Aloe Vera etc
As much as these and more remedies have been used, they have not been proven to cure the virus. However, due to the high hospital bills, a lot of people have resorted to Self-medication. Self-medication is bad and can cause more harm than good to your body if you don’t use the right prescription.
Here are some of the bad outcomes from the recently most used remedies;
Ginger can cause mild side effects including heartburn, diarrhea, burping, and general stomach discomfort. Some people have reported more menstrual bleeding while taking ginger.
Aloe latex/Aloe vera; or whole-leaf extract taken orally might be unsafe, and is likely unsafe in high doses. Taking 1 gram a day of aloe latex for several days can cause acute kidney failure and can be fatal. Aloe vera might also have the potential to cause cancer. Other side effects include abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
Drinking lemon water regularly can cause tooth decay because of the acid in the citrus fruit. Too much lemon can also lead to heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and other gastroesophageal reflux symptoms.
Steaming can cause swelling of the eye, redness of the eye, dry eye, continuous watering of the eye, etc. Skin: Due to steam, face and neck skin become dry and causes many fungal or bacterial skin infections. Face and neck skin exposed to continuous steam inhalation can cause burn injury. These and more have been used, but probably not in the right way.
As per the fact that we want to prevent or cure the virus locally, we must beware of the dangers of self-medication.
Self-medication is the practice of an individual user’s available medications or substances to treat self-diagnosed symptoms or conditions. In general, the practice of self-medication applies to any ailment or condition that a person may treat without the help of a healthcare professional. This includes minor injuries or illnesses such as the common cold.
Understanding the reasons why someone might self-medicate, and the risks associated with self-medication can help ensure that you or your loved ones are receiving the appropriate medical care and preventing potentially dangerous outcomes.
Therefore, we need to be more cautious of the things we take because they might cause more harm than good. After exposure to someone who has COVID-19, do the following; call a health care provider or dial *284*15#, get yourself tested and if you test positive cooperate with contact-tacting procedures to stop the spread of the virus. Take treatment from a proven health hospital/worker and avoid self-medication. Let’s join to fight this virus.
Written by Kiwumulo Charity.
