आ बैल मुझे मार !

शरीराम रोग मंदिरम !

देह देवालयम |
It is quite natural for our body to grow, attain strength and fulfill our day to day needs
and attain the goal of life. It is also natural that the body which gets nourishment and growth
from the foods and drinks consumed is bound to attract diseases, ill health, sickness and
weakness etc from the same foods and drinks. Nature is like a chain of changes. Even if you sit
idle doing nothing, still you will be affected with one or the other ailments. Health is no
guarantee to stay with our body constantly and continuously. For example, if you pluck a fresh
and beautiful mango from the tree and keep it on the table for three or four days. Then, you
will observe the decay and loss of nutritional value slowly and after five or six days you have to
throw it away into the dustbin with the same hands which plucked the tender fruit from the
tree.

Having understood the laws of nature at least we can help to preserve the food grains,
fruits and food etc. by keeping them in cold storage, godowns, refrigerators etc. to increase the
life span and reclaim and put to use.

In the same way, though we cannot avoid the inevitable decay and malfunctioning of
our body and mind we have to take some simple and elementary steps to keep ourselves hail,
healthy and fit.

If we play with nature and go against the natural laws then we cause harm to ourselves.
Here is the view point to ponder and judge with reasoning from my own experience and
observation of the behavior of my friends and relatives I understood that by not following the
directions given by the Doctor at the time of our sickness is the real reason for not getting
respite from the ill health or disease.

If you take laws into your hands law will take its own course. If you break the law it will
catch you at any place and at any time. This is all with reference to self medication. There is a
proverb “शरीराम रोग मंदिरम ! देह देवालयम |” means the human body is the temple of diseases
and the same body is sanctum sanatorium through which man can realize the real truth of life
like Bhagawan Buddha, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Sri Ramana Maharshi and many others.

Self medication is no less evict than inviting a bull to hit you. For example there is a
slight discomfort in the ear like itching sensation or an insect roaming in the ear and so on.
What one will do? He will take a match stick and try to rotate it to get the itching subsided. One
may use a tooth pick, match stick or an ear bud to clean the wax in the ear. In case the bud is of
cheap quality the plastic piece may come out of the ear while, leaving the cotton inside the ear.
To remove the cotton one may resort to use a safety pin, a match stick or a tooth pick etc. All
are as dangerous as they are. The best thing could have been to go to the nearest doctor and
get the cotton removed while checking and cleaning the ear otherwise the cotton may damage
the ear drum.

The most common mistake is while taking the medicine from the pharmacist counter.
He will be going on dumping the strips with the speed saying this you should take with empty
stomach, this after the breakfast and yet another before sleep. If you don’t note them properly
one is bound to disturb the order in which the medicines should be taken. This will be the main
reason for reaction after taking the medicine. One should take note immediately the order in
which they should be taken and keep separately. One should also check the date of expiry of
the medicine. Whenever one will go to the medical shop for purchasing a medicine it will
always be better to show the old strip for giving the correct medicine.

I read an article in “Readers Digest”, Sep 2006 Page 56 about “Secrets of great Doctor
(An insider’s guide to getting the best treatment – Point 5 – Learn the shorthand)”. I am
reproducing below the contents of Point 5 for the benefit of the readers to refresh memory
about the usage of medicines.

Point 5: Learn the shorthand.

When your doctors hands yow a prescription he or she knows you can’t understand the
arcane Latiny squiggles and abbreviations. Doctor’s typically write the name of the medicine
first, then the form (say capsule or tablet), dosage, amount (say 30 tablets), directions for
taking it and finally the number of refills. Here’s the international medical short hand (Your
doctor may have different short forms. So you ask him if you don’t understand.)

Ac Before meals
 alt die Alternate days

Bid Twice a day

C With

dol urg When pain is severe

Hs At bed time

Prn When needed

Stat Immediately

Sos If necessary

Tid Three times a day

This is our common understanding.

In Short

OD Once in a day

Bd Twice a day

TDS Thrice a day

QD Four times a day

Now let us revert back to our main topic “Self Medication”. This is the most common
among us to use medicines as per previous prescription without submitting oneself before a
Doctor for check up and revised dose of medicine to be taken in future. Let us take an example
of High Blood Pressure. Some patients may think by reducing the intake of salt may
automatically reduce the level of BP. My friend Mr. Subhash (name changed) was purchasing
the medicines as per old prescription. He told me that the same medicine which was prescribed
two years ago is quite ok and why should I go to Doctor and waste time and money? I could not
convince him to visit the Doctor at least every six months. He further told me “You reduce your
intake of food along with zero salt or labile then where BP is?”, I cautioned him that sudden low
BP is more dangerous than normal high BP one may get either heart attack or paralysis.

As a well wisher I again advised him to go to a Doctor without fail while handling over a
chart outlining. “Generally accepted normal blood pressure of the Indians”.

Generally Accepted Normal Blood Pressure of the Indians

Sl No. Age SYSTOLIC DIASTOLIC

In Years In mm of Hg In mm of Hg

1. 15-20 110 70-0

2. 20-30 112 72-0

3. 30-40 115-120 75-0

4. 40-45 125 75-0

5. 45-50 125-130 75-0

6. 50-55 130-135 80-0

7. 55-60 130-140 80-90

8. 60-65 140-145 90-95

9. 65-70 145-150 95-100

10. 70 and above 150 100-0

Source: Extract from the Doctor’s Exhibit

Same is the case with patients suffering from Diabetes. Some patients specially ladies (I
may be forgiven for this) habitually skip the morning or evening medicine either due to
domestic work or lack of interest to consume medicine in time. When they go to the Doctor
next time they will not reveal the truth that they have not taken the medicine regularly. The
Doctor may increase the dose of medicines which may cause much more harm than normal
benefit.
 1. There are common points to be remembered by everybody to keep ones health
in perfect condition. For example whenever you go to a Doctor show him the left
over medicines as per his last prescription (unconsumed). He may be angry with
you but it is good for your health and follow faithfully his instructions from next
time.

2. The eye drops you purchase may cure your ailment within a week or ten days.
Don’t use it after two months because the normal instruction is that when we
open the eye drops bottle, then there is a warning written on it as “Use the
solution within one month after opening the vial”. Here the trouble is that there
is a manufacturing date and expiry date printed on the pack. But one should
write the date of opening the vial so that he should not be tempted to use after
one month even though the date of expiry may be up to one more year. This is
the same case with mouth wash, ear drops etc. when we are not sure whether to
use or not we may take the help of the pharmacist or medical practician.

Before concluding the article let me draw the attention of readers the good news
item reported in the Hitwada (Raipur) dated 12-06-2015 at Page 12 “Government to
ask Doctors to write the prescription in capital letters” for clarity and legibility one
should read this particular nws item regarding “Illegible Prescriptions” TO AVOID
WHILE TAKING Digeplex Tab and Digine Tablets. The first one is to be swallowed
while the other one is to be chewed.

Last but not the least let us remember that “larger the waist shorter the life” and
“Less luggage - more comfort” be it in terms of Physical Possessions or Mental
Worries. Let everybody lead a happy, healthy and prosperous life.

AMIN…………..

Date: 11/06/15

Feedback Email:- rrkrao15@yahoo.com R. Ramakrishna Rao

Certificate

This is to certify the above article has been written by me and not sent to any other paper for
publication.

R. Ramakrishna Rao
To,

The Editor,

The Hitawada,

Raipur.

Sir,

I am attaching here with an article titled “आ बैल मुझे मार !”, for favor of publication in

the Hitawada. I will be thankful if it is published at your earliest convenience.

Thanking You

Yours Sincerely

R. Ramakrishna Rao

Block 39-A, Ruabandha Sector,

Bhilai, 490006.

Feedback Email:- rrkrao15@yahoo.com