Nowadays, due to modern lifestyle, increasing stress and various health problems that develop in the body with age, most of the people have started taking many types of pills and medicines daily. Some need medicine for blood pressure, while others have to swallow many different pills every morning and evening for diabetes, thyroid, joint pain or heart disease. In medical language, this condition of regular intake of several medicines simultaneously is called 'Polypharmacy'. However, have you ever wondered how all these medicines taken together for different diseases react with each other inside our body? Do you know that taking medicines together without doctor's advice or prescribed by different specialists can create a very dangerous and deadly risk of 'Drug Interaction', which can have adverse and fatal effects on the body instead of being beneficial? Let us know in detail what drug interaction is, how it works and what precautions should be followed to avoid it. #1. What is drug interaction and how does this dangerous combination work inside the body? When a person consumes two or more medicines at the same time, those medicines come into contact with each other in our digestive system and bloodstream. Many times it happens that one medicine either completely nullifies the effect of another medicine, or increases its effect so much that it becomes toxic for the body. This process is called 'drug interaction'. Apart from this, not only English medicines, but many times people start consuming Ayurvedic powders, homeopathic medicines, vitamin supplements and even certain types of foods or fruits along with English medicines without informing the doctor, which due to chemical reaction puts huge pressure on the body organs like liver and kidneys. #1. The biggest and hidden dangers of polypharmacy and drug interactions: This problem is most common in the elderly because as they grow older, many types of chronic diseases start affecting them and they keep taking many pills simultaneously without medical supervision. Drug interactions can cause many serious side effects in the body. For example, if a person takes some common painkillers or antibiotics along with blood thinners, then the risk of internal bleeding increases manifold. Similarly, wrong combination of blood pressure and depression medicines can lead to emergency conditions like dizziness, sudden drop in blood pressure to dangerous levels, fainting and sometimes multi-organ failure. #1. Why is it very important to tell your complete medical history to the doctor? The most important and safest way to avoid such risky drug interactions is that whenever you visit a new doctor, show him a complete list of all your past or ongoing diseases and the medicines you take regularly. Often people consult different doctors (e.g. cardiologist, orthopedics, general physician) for different ailments, and no doctor knows what other heavy medications the patient is already taking. This gap becomes the biggest danger. Always try to have all your medicines prescribed under the supervision of a single family doctor or a consultant who is well-versed with your complete health history. #1. Avoid indiscriminate use of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and supplements. Nowadays, this bad habit has become common among people that in case of headache, body ache, cold or stomach upset, they buy and consume any over-the-counter (OTC) painkiller or antibiotic directly from the medical store without a doctor's prescription. They have no idea that the pill they are taking voluntarily can react with their already existing diabetes or BP medicine. Apart from this, nowadays, in the pursuit of fitness, taking heavy doses of protein shakes, herbal supplements and vitamins without thinking can also harm the internal organs of the body. Health experts strongly advise that you should never mess with your body and always consult a qualified doctor or pharmacist before starting any new medicine or supplement, so that you and your family can remain completely safe.