Self help and self medication are very common and seems an effective and inexpensive way of treating the majority of unwell symptoms. Yet current trends, including the influence of the expanding professional medical system and also legislation, seek to minimise this practice. In fact, detailed information on self care is limited particularly concerning perception of ill health, information sources and decision processes differentiating between self care and seeking health professional assistance. This paper reviews aspects of the practice of self care and concludes that research is needed to find out whether, and under what conditions, self care including self medication should be encouraged and how it can complement, supplement or indeed reduce the need for some types of professional health care.
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