Most Latvians ignore doctors.
At the first signs of illness, most Latvian residents do not rush to seek medical help. According to the results of a new study, 77% of respondents first try to deal with the symptoms on their own.
The study showed that 38% of the respondents, when the signs of the disease appear, first use home or traditional methods, wait for the symptoms to disappear on their own, or continue their normal lifestyle.
Another 39% take non-prescription drugs that are already available in the home medicine cabinet.
7% of the respondents reported that the first thing they do is go to the pharmacy to buy medicine or contact the family doctor.
A separate part of the study was devoted to how long people are willing to wait before contacting a doctor or pharmacist. Only 2% of respondents do so immediately after the onset of symptoms. Another 19% first observe the development of the disease and only then decide what to do.
12% admitted that they turn to a specialist only when their health condition worsens significantly. Another 2% usually do not consult a doctor or pharmacist at all.