{"id":2339,"date":"2026-07-26T01:41:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T00:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=2339"},"modified":"2026-07-26T01:42:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T00:42:00","slug":"silent-killer-on-campus-rising-self-medication-among-students-sparks-concern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=2339","title":{"rendered":"Silent Killer On Campus: Rising Self-Medication Among Students Sparks Concern"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Divine Ararile<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-medication is becoming an increasingly common practice among university students, raising concerns among health professionals who warn that the habit could have serious consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across campuses, many students now prefer to diagnose and treat themselves rather than seek professional medical attention, often citing financial difficulties, busy academic schedules, and easy access to medications as reasons for the practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Findings by this reporter reveal that self-medication has become widespread among students, with many relying on recommendations from friends, social media, or previous prescriptions to treat illnesses ranging from headaches and malaria to infections and stomach-related ailments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Egbamiye Regina, a 200-Level Journalism and Media Studies student at Delta State University, Abraka, admitted that she often purchases medication without consulting a doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Most students don’t have enough money to visit hospitals every time they feel sick. When I experience familiar symptoms, I simply buy drugs from a pharmacy or a nearby medicine store. It saves both time and money,”<\/em> she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although she acknowledged the risks involved, Regina maintained that many students consider self-medication the most convenient option available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, Jacob Victory, a 200-Level student of the Science Laboratory Technology (SLT) Department, said academic pressure discourages many students from seeking medical attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Sometimes we are occupied with classes, assignments, and deadlines. Going through the process of visiting the school clinic can be stressful and time-consuming. Many students simply buy drugs based on what worked for them previously,”<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lecturer at Delta State University, Mrs. Edoh Doreen, described self-medication as one of the leading contributors to drug misuse among young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The major danger is that students often assume they know what is wrong with them. Symptoms of different illnesses can appear similar. Treating the wrong condition can worsen a patient’s health and delay proper treatment,”<\/em> she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health professionals continue to warn that such practices may lead to severe complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pharmacist Michael Adesina also expressed concern over the growing trend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We see students every day requesting medications based solely on symptoms. While some cases may appear minor, others require proper medical evaluation. Self-medication can mask serious illnesses and create additional complications,”<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He emphasized the need for sustained awareness campaigns on campuses to educate students about the dangers of indiscriminate drug use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another health professional, Dr. Emmanuel, who owns a pharmaceutical outlet, described self-medication as “a plague in our society.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He warned that the indiscriminate use of painkillers such as Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, and Paracetamol without medical supervision could result in stomach ulcers and other health complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also condemned the misuse of antibiotics, explaining that taking drugs such as Ampiclox without proper diagnosis contributes to antibiotic resistance and poses a significant public health risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts identified the rising cost of healthcare, lack of health insurance, academic pressure, fear of hospital expenses, and unrestricted access to medications as major factors driving self-medication among students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public health advocates have therefore urged tertiary institutions to strengthen campus healthcare services by making quality medical care more affordable and accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health professionals warn that what appears to be a quick solution today could become a major health crisis tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They advised students to seek professional medical consultation and proper diagnosis before taking any medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many observers, the growing culture of self-medication remains a silent threat that continues to spread across campuses with potentially dangerous consequences for both individual and public health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Divine Ararile Self-medication is becoming an increasingly common practice among university students, raising concerns among health professionals who warn that the habit could have serious consequences. Across campuses, many students now prefer to diagnose and treat themselves rather than seek professional medical attention, often citing financial difficulties, busy academic schedules, and easy access to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"iawp_total_views":8,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,15],"tags":[25,637,65],"class_list":["post-2339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trendingnews","category-viewspoint","tag-delsu","tag-drug-abuse","tag-students"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2339"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2341,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339\/revisions\/2341"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}