{"id":2691,"date":"2026-07-30T08:33:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T07:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=2691"},"modified":"2026-07-30T08:33:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T07:33:59","slug":"self-medication-among-university-students-raises-health-concerns-as-experts-warn-against-drug-misuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=2691","title":{"rendered":"Self-Medication Among University Students Raises Health Concerns As Experts Warn Against Drug Misuse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Isabella Awana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-medication is becoming increasingly common among university students, with health professionals warning that the growing practice poses a serious threat to public health. Across many Nigerian tertiary institutions, students are treating illnesses such as malaria, headaches, coughs, and stomach pain without seeking professional medical advice. Medical experts say the trend, driven by financial challenges, academic pressure, and easy access to drugs, is contributing to drug resistance, delayed diagnosis of diseases, and avoidable health complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking in an interview, Dr. Denedo, a medical practitioner, described self-medication as one of the most dangerous habits among young people. He explained that many students wrongly assume they can diagnose and treat themselves simply because they have experienced similar symptoms in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Dr. Denedo, symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, and body pain may indicate different illnesses that require proper medical examination before treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Many students believe that because they have had malaria before, every fever they experience must be malaria. That is a dangerous assumption. Proper diagnosis is essential because similar symptoms may point to different health conditions,”<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Denedo warned that taking medicines without medical supervision often masks the real cause of an illness, making treatment more difficult and increasing the risk of severe complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further expressed concern over the widespread misuse of antibiotics among young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Antibiotics should never be taken without a doctor’s prescription. Their misuse contributes to antimicrobial resistance, making infections increasingly difficult and expensive to treat. This is becoming a major public health concern,”<\/em> he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Findings gathered from students around a university community showed that many undergraduates prefer buying medicines directly from pharmacies and patent medicine stores instead of visiting healthcare facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several students attributed the practice to long waiting hours at clinics, the cost of medical consultation, and pressure from academic activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rebecca, a 100-level student, admitted that she sometimes buys medication without seeing a doctor whenever she experiences symptoms she believes are related to malaria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Sometimes I have lectures throughout the day, and I cannot afford to spend several hours at the clinic. I usually visit a pharmacy and describe how I feel before buying medicine. It saves time, although I now understand there may be risks,”<\/em> she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another 100-level student, Wealth, shared a similar experience, explaining that financial difficulties influence the decisions many students make regarding their health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Most students don’t have enough money for medical consultations. We often depend on recommendations from friends or pharmacists because it seems cheaper than going to the hospital,”<\/em> Wealth said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health experts, however, insist that convenience should never replace professional medical care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Denedo noted that while some illnesses may appear minor, self-treatment without proper diagnosis can delay the discovery of serious medical conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Persistent headaches could indicate hypertension or neurological problems, while repeated stomach pain may be a sign of ulcers or other gastrointestinal diseases. Treating symptoms without identifying the actual cause can place patients at greater risk,”<\/em> he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The medical practitioner also expressed concern over the growing influence of social media, where many people obtain health advice from unverified sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Dr. Denedo, misleading online information has encouraged many young people to experiment with herbal mixtures, supplements, and prescription medicines without understanding their possible side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Not every health tip circulating online is accurate. Students should always verify medical information through qualified healthcare professionals instead of relying on social media posts or advice from friends,”<\/em> he advised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, Dr. Denedo warned against sharing prescription medicines among students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explained that medicines prescribed for one individual may not be suitable for another because treatment depends on several factors, including age, body weight, allergies, medical history, and the severity of the illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to him, excessive use of painkillers may damage the kidneys, liver, and stomach, while the indiscriminate use of antibiotics continues to increase antimicrobial resistance across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some students who spoke on the issue admitted they had experienced negative effects after treating themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A final-year student, Esther Oghenekaro, said attending a health awareness programme completely changed her attitude towards self-medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I realised that not every fever is malaria. Sometimes what we think is a minor illness may actually require proper medical attention. Since then, I have made it a habit to visit the clinic whenever I feel seriously unwell,”<\/em> she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Denedo stressed that universities have an important responsibility to educate students on responsible healthcare practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He recommended regular health awareness campaigns, medical outreach programmes, and easier access to affordable healthcare services within university campuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to him, reducing waiting time at health centres and ensuring adequate medical personnel would encourage more students to seek professional medical care instead of relying on self-medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also urged community pharmacies and patent medicine vendors to educate customers on the dangers of drug misuse rather than dispensing medicines indiscriminately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public health experts believe that addressing self-medication requires collaboration among educational institutions, healthcare providers, regulatory agencies, and students themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They maintain that while medicines remain essential in treating diseases, they should only be used responsibly and under the guidance of qualified healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Denedo further advised students to maintain healthy lifestyles by eating balanced meals, exercising regularly, observing good personal hygiene, getting adequate rest, and seeking medical attention whenever symptoms persist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that prevention remains one of the most effective ways to reduce illness and unnecessary dependence on medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the rate of self-medication continues to rise among university students, healthcare professionals are calling for urgent action to reverse the trend before it develops into a more serious public health crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They argue that increasing awareness, strengthening campus healthcare services, and encouraging students to seek professional medical advice will significantly reduce avoidable illnesses, prevent drug resistance, and improve the overall well-being of young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts conclude that while self-medication may appear to offer a quick and inexpensive solution, proper diagnosis and treatment by qualified healthcare professionals remain the safest and most effective approach to protecting lives and promoting a healthier society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

By Isabella Awana Self-medication is becoming increasingly common among university students, with health professionals warning that the growing practice poses a serious threat to public health. Across many Nigerian tertiary institutions, students are treating illnesses such as malaria, headaches, coughs, and stomach pain without seeking professional medical advice. Medical experts say the trend, driven by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"iawp_total_views":25,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,7,14],"tags":[33,723,65],"class_list":["post-2691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abrakametro","category-healthcorner","category-trendingnews","tag-health","tag-self-medication","tag-students"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2691","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=2691"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2694,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2691\/revisions\/2694"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}