Self-Treat? Or See a Doctor?

When you’re sick, knowing whether you should treat yourself at home or see your doctor can save you time and hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars a year.

For example, you could treat a head cold by taking an over-the-counter (OTC) medication for a cough. The bill just for walking in the door of your doctor’s office could be $50 to $80 or more.

These tips can help you decide when to self-treat and when to seek medical care.

Treat at home

Many illnesses, including colds, flu, diarrhea, stomachaches and headaches, can be safely treated at home by getting extra rest and taking appropriate OTC medications that treat such problems.

These are cases in which you can probably treat yourself:

• You’re not very sick

• Your symptoms are mild and familiar and haven’t been going on for very long

• You ask your pharmacist for advice on which OTC medications to take

See a doctor

You do need a doctor’s care at times, even for everyday health problems.

These are the times when you should see a doctor:

• A cold, the flu or a stomachache that’s getting worse even though you’re resting and taking OTC medicine

• Unusual symptoms that are chronic, painful or worrisome

• A sinus infection, a bad sore throat with a fever or other symptoms you think may require antibiotics

• A temperature of 101 degrees F or higher

• Diarrhea or constipation for longer than a week

• Joint pain that’s chronic and affects your normal activities

• Back pain that’s chronic or accompanied by pain that travels down your leg or arm

• Feelings of worthlessness, helplessness and depression for at least two weeks

• An injury you can’t treat yourself but that’s not an emergency

If you decide to see your health care provider, make the most of the visit by giving your doctor a list of your symptoms, including when they began, how they’ve changed and if anything you eat or do makes them worse. Doing so can help your provider diagnose and treat you appropriately.