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Almost two thirds of Poles, more often women, use painkillers. In many cases, these drugs are of great help. But you need to know how they work and when they can be downright dangerous.
We have a lot ofpainkillers on the market- you can buy them at the store, kiosk, gas station. As they have been approved on the marketwithout a prescription , we think they are completely safe. When something hurts us, we want to quickly get rid ofpainand take a pill. We forget that it only blocksbrainfrom taking signals, reducing the perception of pain, but not the cause of the ailment, such as disease (angina, appendicitis) or trauma.
Painkillers - when to see a doctor
Therefore, if the pain persists or recurs after 3-4 days of home treatment, you need to see a doctor. Pain accompanied by stiffness or swelling in the joints, temperature, nausea, vomiting and dizziness require consultation. Immediate help is needed when you suddenly develop severe pain in the chest, head, acute pain in the eye or abdomen. It is necessary to determine its cause and start treatment.
Pain - find out the cause first
The acute pain passes as the disease is healed. If this does not happen and the pain lasts for more than 3 months, it is called chronic (chronic) pain. It accompanies many diseases - overload and degenerative changes in joints, rheumatic diseases, migraines, neuralgia. It may appear daily, several times a week or a month. It always worsens the quality of life. Then you have to fight the cause and the pain itself.
There are various ways to relieve ailments, but as a rule, people who suffer from pain are stuffed with pills. Such behavior is most often a consequence of our ignorance that we can harm ourselves. Meanwhile, according to statistics, every year thousands of people suffer he alth damage due to the overuse of painkillers. This also applies to preparations to combat the symptoms of colds and flu. When choosing a drug on your own, you need to remember that what has helped someone can harm us. In order for the medicine to be effective and safe, it should be individually selected by the doctor.
Painkillers - before you take
- Read the leaflet carefully. You will learn when and how to take the drug, what they arecontraindications.
- Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. Most drugs achieve a ceiling effect, i.e. even after taking a higher dose, the effectiveness does not increase.
- Do not combine different drugs with the same effect, because it increases the risk of damage to the kidneys, liver, and gastrointestinal mucosa.
- Observe the times of taking the drug to maintain a constant level in the body.
- Use pain-relieving ointments and gels as recommended. Their long-term use may cause side effects.
- Check with your doctor to see if you can use a painkiller with other drugs you are taking.
- Limit your alcohol. When combined with pain medications, it increases the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and damage to the liver and kidneys.
Side effects of pain medications
Problems with the digestive tract, kidney and liver failure, cardiovascular problems - these are just some of the effects of an overdose of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects). They can cause abdominal pain, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and slight gastrointestinal bleeding that lead to anemia.
Particular caution is required with acetylsalicylic acid - when taken for a longer period of time and / or in high doses, more often than other NSAIDs, it destroys the gastric and duodenal mucosa and may contribute to the formation of ulceration. In addition, it disrupts blood clotting, so taking it increases the risk of bleeding from the gums, nose and urinary system.
Painkillers sometimes cause allergic reactions - hives, rash, erythema. People who are hypersensitive to salicylates after taking aspirin may develop attacks of dyspnea, bronchial asthma up to anaphylactic shock.
Long-term use of painkillers can lead to papillary necrosis, interstitial inflammation and renal failure, and may impair liver function. Even acetaminophen, which is considered safe and non-irritating to the stomach lining, causes nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and can damage the liver when taken in excess. Therefore, you should remember not to take several paracetamol preparations at the same time during a cold, because this way side effects accumulate.
Painkillers - dangerous habit
Excessive use of painkillers, including over-the-counter medications, is a straightforward pathway to addiction. The body gets used to the preparation, its potency decreases and to obtain the desired effect, it is necessary to take increasingly larger doses, which leads to the intensification of side effects.
Some sufferersfor chronic diseases, they take medications out of habit, not because it hurts, and it hurts themselves.
Natural methods instead of tablets
Gymnastics- relaxing, stretching, relaxing and strengthening muscles selected by a rehabilitation specialist. A passive form of gymnastics is manual therapy - the therapist sets the joints and muscles in motion. Kinesiotherapy increases strength and reduces muscle tension, improves the range of motion and the functioning of the nervous system (pain in the spine, joints, head).
Physical therapyuses various physical stimuli (impulse currents and direct current , magnetic field, heat, cold, physical properties of water, light radiation) to improve blood circulation, reduce muscle tension and relieve pain. Treatments are chosen by a doctor (overload, degenerative, rheumatic pain in the spine and joints, muscle pain, neuralgia, and injuries). A warm bath in a tub, jacuzzi or a session in the sauna will bring relief.
Patch therapy(kinesiotaping) - a new method. A trained therapist tapes selected places with tapes of a special structure that affect pain receptors, the lymphatic system, muscles, joints (it brings relief from any pain due to dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system).
Aromatherapy - the best results are achieved by using oil blends for massage and bathing, and applying compresses for local pains. Headaches and migraines are treated with inhalations, a warm bath with rosemary and marjoram oils will help in spine and muscle pains, in neuralgia - with geranium and basil oils, for migraines - inhalations with basil, grapefruit and lavender oils, and for tension headaches - inhalations with lavender and eucalyptus oil.
Herbal medicine- infusions relieve vascular spasms, have a calming and relaxing effect (menstrual cramps - valerian, mint, calendula, rosemary, abdominal pain - root dandelion, St. John's wort, muscle aches - ginger, migraine - torun pyrethrum, neuralgia - paprika).
Yogabrings inner harmony, relaxes, relieves pain (menstrual, rheumatic, headache).
Meditationslows down metabolism, reduces muscle tension, relaxes (headaches, face, back, neck, arms, abdomen).