When Tolerance Becomes a Threat

There is something that bothers me about realising that a drug that once healed us suddenly loses its power. When thinking about drug tolerance, it’s just the same as familiarity. You know, when something becomes too familiar, too useful, and abused, that can become dangerous.

The body adapts too quickly, especially when medication is taken for too long or without proper care. For instance, when you take paracetamol too often to cure a headache, as time goes on, you might develop something similar to a headache and assume paracetamol would do the work, only to discover that the body has changed and no longer tolerates such a drug. When used, it becomes something else in one’s body system.

The relief that once came easily begins to fade, and suddenly it loses its power completely. What was meant to heal now becomes ineffective. This isn’t because it was bad, but because it was overused or misused.

Back then at the University. I was always sick, and my friend would help me prepare herbs because I prefer them to taking drugs or injections. Herbs always work effectively for me. It changed when, one day, I was sick as usual and asked my friend to help me prepare the herbs as she always does.

I had become familiar with herbs, but for this sickness, instead of getting better, it became worse, until I was told to visit the hospital, where I was diagnosed with typhoid and malaria. I was asked if I ever took anything. I explained to them and was advised to always go for a test first. When I was treated, everything became normal.

This is where the darker side of evolution reveals itself. Illnesses, bacteria, and viruses all respond to pressure by becoming stronger, more resistant and difficult to treat. It doesn’t mean scientists are failing, but that it’s the work of nature learning new ways.

I think what needs to get us worried is our mindset, not just the resistance itself. In a world built on change, we often want a permanent solution, which is not possible. It’s like requiring a pill to solve everything, one treatment to fix every sickness, but life doesn’t work that way, same with the human body. When we depend too much on one method without restraint, its power becomes weakened over time.

So, where is our hope when sicknesses keep evolving? For me, it all boils down to wisdom, not panic. It lies in striking a balance and respecting that medicine and the way the body works have limits.

This is why science will never stop researching for medical guidance. It is also our responsibility to avoid shortcuts and understand that healing is not an instant cure but a process that needs patience.

On this note, it isn’t that tolerance is becoming a threat, but we need to take some lessons from it: good things, someday, will lose their ineffectiveness as nothing lasts forever, especially when taken for granted.

We need to do better with care and remember that our health is important. We must not rely on self-medication or the misuse of drugs or even being impatient to fix things, as these things unintentionally help diseases evolve faster.

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_{Image Credit to Gemini}