Mehram Khaiser

Imagine this, you’re sitting in class, tissues stacked like a fortress, eyes watering like you just watched the saddest anime scene ever, and your nose is running like it has a personal vendetta. Every five minutes it’s another “achoo!” You wonder, “Am I cursed, allergic, or just catching a cold AGAIN?” Knowing the difference actually saves you a ton of suffering. A person sneezing. Allergic rhinitis and common cold are often confused. People take the wrong meds, suffer unnecessarily, or make...

Sana, a 28-year-old marketing executive, felt a mild headache after a long day at work. Without thinking much, she grabbed an OTC painkiller from the corner store. ‘It’s just a headache,’ she thought. But over the next few days, she started experiencing stomach cramps, dizziness, and fatigue that interfered with her meetings and workouts. “I didn’t think an OTC pill could do this,” she admitted. She isn’t alone. Millions of people treat OTC medications as harmless quick fixes, unaware that...

Emma woke up with a sore throat and a mild fever. A friend told her, “I have some antibiotics left from last time, take them, you’ll feel better fast.” Trusting the advice, Emma took the pills without a doctor’s prescription. What she didn’t realize was that her sore throat was most likely caused by a virus, which antibiotics cannot treat. This small choice, repeated by millions worldwide, is adding fuel to one of the greatest health challenges of our time. A hand holding a half-used blister...