Pediatric and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic, Quisisana Hospital, Ferrara, Italy.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.
Acta Biomed. 2020 Mar 19;91(1):182-192. doi: 10.23750/abm.v91i1.9242.
Self-medication (SM) is an important worldwide public health issue affecting children and adolescents. The pattern of SM varies in different communities, affected by factors such as age, sex, income, expense, self-care orientation, educational level and medical knowledge. It is a fairly common practice: for minor health problems, it often provides cheap, rapid, and convenient solutions, outside of the health care system of many countries. Painkillers, antipyretics, cough medicines, cold preparations, dermatological products, nutritional supplements and antibiotics are the drugs most frequently used. Potential risks include incorrect self-diagnosis, improper dosage, inappropriate choice of therapy, masking of severe disease and drug interactions. Lack of awareness of warnings and precautions, storage conditions, the recommended shelf-life and adverse reactions increase the risk of side effects. Little is known about the SM of dysmenorrhea by adolescent girls. Attitudes towards treatment are influenced by cultural, ethnic, and religious factors. Some girls discuss dysmenorrhea with family and friends, and the majority may not seek medical advice. As dysmenorrhea is a common problem for adolescents, it is essential that these girls be aware of the normal and abnormal symptoms of menstruation. In the light of these findings, the roles of family, school, health professionals and health authorities are of utmost importance for the implementation of measures to approach this health problem in a more efficient way.
自我药疗（SM）是一个全球性的重要公共卫生问题，影响着儿童和青少年。自我药疗的模式在不同的社区有所不同，受到年龄、性别、收入、支出、自我护理方向、教育水平和医疗知识等因素的影响。自我药疗是一种相当普遍的做法：对于轻微的健康问题，它通常提供廉价、快速和方便的解决方案，而不需要许多国家的医疗保健系统。最常使用的药物包括止痛药、退烧药、止咳药、感冒药、皮肤科产品、营养补充剂和抗生素。潜在的风险包括不正确的自我诊断、不当的剂量、不适当的治疗选择、掩盖严重疾病和药物相互作用。缺乏对警告和注意事项、储存条件、推荐保质期和不良反应的认识会增加副作用的风险。少女痛经的自我药疗情况知之甚少。对治疗的态度受到文化、民族和宗教因素的影响。一些女孩与家人和朋友讨论痛经，而大多数女孩可能不会寻求医疗建议。由于痛经是青少年的常见问题，因此这些女孩必须了解月经的正常和异常症状。鉴于这些发现，家庭、学校、卫生专业人员和卫生当局的作用对于实施措施以更有效的方式解决这一健康问题至关重要。
