Elderly eating more than five medicines during the dayImage Credit Source: Getty Images
63 -year -old Tejpal Sharma, who hails from Delhi, has high BP, diabetes, high cholesterol and arthritis disease. For all this, he eats 6 different types of medicines daily. He had stomach ache for the last few days. For this too, the doctor gave medicines, but when there was no rest for a week, then ultrasound was done, which saw kidney damage. While there was no kidney disease already. One possible reason for this, the doctor cited more intake of medicines. Tejpal has been eating medicines for these diseases for the last 10 years. In the meantime, the treatment of kidney has also started. Now eating more than five medicines in a day has become their compulsion, but it is as much as the harm to their health as it is.
This kind of story is not about Tejpal alone, but 1 out of three elderly elders in the country are eating more than 5 medicines per day. Of these, 20 percent are also those who bring medicines from medical story by themselves without the advice of doctors. Eating so many medicines in a day is also harming health. This information has come out after a study on 600 elderly people in 6 cities of the country. In this study, the elders of Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Patna, Ujjain, Guwahati were included.
This research has been published in the Journal Scientific Report as PolyPharmacy and Self-Medication Among Older Adults in Indian Urban Communities-A Cross-Sectional Study. Many other medical college doctors have done doctors in the country including Dr. Jugal Kishore, Professor of Community Medicine Department at Bhagwan Mahavir Medical College, Netaji Subhash Medical College Patna, Professor of Professor of Medical College Chennai, Satish Kumar, Professor of Chennai. Doctors doing research have named it polypharmacy. Polyphormacies means 5 to consume more medicines than them.
(Source- Scientific Reports)
Why do you have to take so many medicines together?
Dr. Jugal Kishore, Professor of Community Medicine Department at Bhagwan Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital It is said that some elders take medicines from different doctors, but no doctor reviews all medicines simultaneously. Some private doctors prescribe more medicines and they continue for months.
Dr. Kishore says that instead of combination medicines (a medicine for two diseases), a separate medicine of every disease is also being written, due to which more than 5 medicines are eating elderly in a single day. One reason is that in some cases new medicines are added for any disease without removing the old medicine, which increases the number of medicines.
It is a matter of concern that instead of reducing the consumption of drugs, they are being given more attention to eating, while good catering and lifestyle can be less or some of the drugs can be released.
(Dr. Jugal Kishore)
How these medicines of diseases are harming health
Dr. Kishore says that by eating excess medicines, it damages health. Liver and kidney are the most affected. Diarrhea also occurs in some cases. By taking more medicine, registration is made in the body towards them. Which does not affect the medicines. Medications can reduce or reduce the effects of each other. It also damages the body. Some elderly also take sleeping pills, there is a risk of having a problem like forgetting and depression.
How the kidney is threatened
Dr. Kishore says that all medicines have chemicals, then when someone takes a lot of medicines, the kidney has to filter several chemicals simultaneously. This affects the ability of the kidney. The functions of the kidney to do more work for the long time start getting messed up. In some cases, kidney tissue is also affected and kidney damage starts. Eating more medicines affects the kidney.
Can less medicines work?
Dr. Subhash Giri in the Department of Medicine at RML Hospital in Delhi It is said that the number of drugs can be reduced. For this, it is important that if any two medicines are doing the same kind of work, then one can be removed. If you can get two benefits from one medicine, then combination medicine should be adopted. That is, one medicine can be taken for two diseases.
For example, Glyxambi Met can be taken to control diabetes and cholesterol. This same medicine controls these two diseases, although it is important that you must consult your doctor before taking or leaving any medicine.
What is the role of exercise and catering?
Dr. Subhash says that no matter how much you can eat medicine for the disease and in some cases it can also harm the body, but try to take care of diet for this. It is important for the elderly to reduce the flour, more salt and fat items from their diet and keep the protein, vitamins more. Walk at least 5 thousand steps daily. If there is addiction to smoking and alcohol, the sooner you leave it, the better it is.