The idea of dosage is linked to the administration of doses of a medication as part of a treatment.
Dosage is the act and effect of determining a dose : a portion or amount of something. Generally the term is used with respect to medications .
Drug administration
Dosage, therefore, usually refers to the administration of individual doses of a remedy within the framework of a treatment . It is common for the dosage to be expressed as a specific amount per unit of time.
Suppose a doctor prescribes a patient 50 milligrams of a medication by mouth every twelve hours for seven days . The established dosage, in this way, implies that the person must take 50 mg of the drug in question twice a day for a week.
Depending on the condition we have, it is normal for the doctor to prescribe a medication and tell us the recommended dosage. Even if it is not a serious health problem, this procedure is already part of the way the relationship between the patient and health professionals works. For example, a simple cold is enough to set in motion this mechanism that helps the affected person recover by following the instructions of someone with the appropriate knowledge .
At this point we must make a distinction between a mild and temporary illness, like the one mentioned in the previous paragraph, and a serious or chronic one. The dosage of medications is mandatory , whatever the case may be. If it is an over-the-counter drug or with a mild action , then compliance with the indications should not always be so rigorous; However, for patients with degenerative or mental illnesses, among other serious conditions, they should do so carefully.
From dosage to overdose
If the dosage involves a higher dose than usual or administration at shorter than adequate intervals , an overdose is incurred. In the event of an overdose, the person can suffer various types of health problems and even death .
A medical professional may prescribe someone a certain anti-anxiety medication , telling them to take one pill per night. If the subject does not pay attention to this dosage and decides to take five pills together, this overdose can cause poisoning with breathing difficulties and a drop in consciousness, to mention two possibilities.
Administration medium
The medium through which a medication is administered is known as a dosage form , on the other hand.
A capsule , a pill , an injectable ampoule , and a syrup are dosage forms.
Dosage can be understood as the amount of a drug that must be ingested per unit of time.
Dosage as proper proportions in a mixture
The idea of dosage also refers to the use of appropriate proportions to make a mixture . This meaning covers several areas, since it can be used in cooking, art and construction. Preparing a dough can be almost automatic for a person with a lot of experience, but even for them there will be a dosage of the ingredients , even if it occurs at an unconscious level.
The dosage of concrete or concrete, for example, indicates the necessary levels of cement, water and sand to achieve the desired finish. Today, this work is not only carried out by experts, not even by construction professionals, but thanks to the existence of "easy-to-use" products, many people prepare quick cement at home to cover cracks, mixing it with the indicated amount of water.