If you’ve done any research on adverse drug interactions, you probably understand that they’re incredibly dangerous and worrying. They’re the fourth most common cause of death in America, and that should tell you all you need to know.

Sometimes it can feel really overwhelming, being put on a drug regimen of multiple different pills at different times in the day, all with long, medical names. However, if you know how to do your research, and stay calm and logical, it doesn’t have to be worrying. Here’s how to avoid adverse drug interactions.

Understand What You’re Taking

            First of all, regardless of what your medical condition is, you need to be asking your doctor or pharmacist what each medication is and what they’re for. Simply making sure that you know what you’re taking isn’t a particularly hard thing to do, but it is important. You should never just take prescription medication without first knowing exactly what it is for, and the risks or side-effects.

Keep a Dialogue with Your Doctor

            It’s important to remember not to be intimidated by your doctor, and to have an open dialogue with them. Remember, it’s their job to keep you healthy, and putting you at ease about your medication is part of that.

So ask all the questions you can think of, and make sure you understand every element of your treatment. Make notes, and feel free to get in contact with your doctor whenever something occurs to you. It’s your health, and that’s super important.

Do Some Research

            Now you know exactly what you’re taking, and why you’re taking it, as well as the inherent risks or side-effects, you can start doing some of your own research. You can find out more about it, and make sure you’re absolutely certain you know its purpose and what it’s for.

Then you can look at side-effects and adverse drug interactions, making sure you know all the potential risks. That way you can feel safe and comfortable taking them.

Use Your Phone

            If you’re not into the whole research and communication side of things, or simply don’t have the time, there’s another option. You can download a drug interaction checker app, which you can scan the different drugs into, and it will look them up in its database of over 30,000 drugs.

From there, it can tell you about risks and potential adverse drug interactions. This is especially useful if you’re on a lot of different medications simultaneously.

Be Sensible

            Lastly, in any conversation about prescription medication, you need to finish on the most important point. You have to be extremely sensible and logical with any drugs you’re taking. Make sure you’ve spoken to your doctor, done your research, and aren’t incorporating any other over-the-counter medications into your drug regimen without prior research.

The dangers of adverse drug interactions are huge. They’re the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and as such should be taken extremely seriously.