Difference Between Medicine and Medication

Medicine vs Medication

Every individual at one time in his life has experienced being ill or have contracted an ailment which can be as mild as a cold or mild diarrhea to a more serious influenza or asthma. Some illnesses are allowed to run their course in which case they just disappear without requiring to be treated while others would require medication to heal the person.

The body is equipped with a natural disease and infection fighting mechanism called the immune system. The human body is composed of organs that can ward off infections such as the white blood cells of the body which fight off any bacteria, virus, or parasite that enters the body.

For ailments that the body cannot fight with its natural immune system, medicines are used. “Medicine” and “medication” are two words that are usually interchanged. Although they may mean the same thing, they are two different words.

The word “medicine” is defined as the science of treating diseases with curative substances or surgical operations. It involves the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases that can affect both the body and the mind.

On a different context, it is defined as a substance or substances that are used in the treatment of diseases. It is something that is used to remedy an illness, ailment, or injury. Medicines are usually taken orally in tablet, capsule, or liquid form, but they can also be administered intravenously.

The term “medicine” came from the Latin word “medicina” which means “of a doctor” and “medicus” which means “physician.” Two Latin words that refer to medicine, “medicatura” which means “medical treatment” and “medicinatio” which means “medicine or drug” have not made it into the English language.

Medication, on the other hand, is defined as the process of treating an illness with medicine. It refers to the administration or application of medicine to remedy an illness or injury. It may also refer to the chemical substance either natural or synthetic which has a pharmacologic effect on the body.

The word “medication” was first used in the 1600s. It came from the French word “medication” which is from the Latin word “medicationem” which means “healing or cure” which is in turn derived from the Latin word “medicus” or “physician.”

In a sense, medicine and medication are synonymous yet they are also two different words depending on how they are used. The term “medicine” is more commonly used than the term “medication.” People often say, “Take your medicine” instead of “Take your medication.”

Summary:

1.Medicine is defined as the science of treating diseases with drugs while medication is defined as the act of administering drugs.
2.Medicine is also used to refer to the chemical substance that is used to treat diseases while medication is also used to refer to the natural or synthetic substance that has a pharmacologic effect on the body.
3.Both words are from the Latin root word “medicus” which means “physician,” with “medicine” derived from “medicina” which is the Latin word for “of a doctor” while “medication” is derived from the Latin word “medicationem” which means “cure.”

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