All of us have suffered from headaches at
some point, and some of us take painkillers when we do. But, are we sure it’s the way
to go when suffering from a headache? Some experts claim exactly the opposite,
that in fact, painkillers might be the reason for even more frequent headaches.
It is well-known that our bodies and immune
system are capable of managing almost any kind of health condition, but you
have to give it some time to start working. But in the lifestyle most of us are
living in, we cannot afford staying in bed for a couple of days, so we usually take
handfuls of different painkillers, being the most common ones: Ibuprofen,
Paracetamol, or codeine-based pills. What many don’t know is that many of these
painkillers have side effects, as Ibuprofen can cause gastric irritation, and codeine
is constipating and habit-forming.
What many experts recommend is that we
should stop relying on painkillers, and we can do it suddenly or gradually. It’s
going to be hard at first, as headaches will worsen, but they will improve over
time. If they persist, we should try to find out the source of them, and we
need to identify and avoid what’s triggering them.
So, next time you are suffering from a headache,
do not jump right into the first pills you find. Just move away from all
screens, try to close your eyes for a few minutes in a quiet place and get some
fresh air, and eventually you’ll start feeling better.
I have always suffered from terribles headaches since I was three years old. Nowadays, I decided to avoid taking pills, as paracetamol, are very harmful to our system! I prefer taking a nap or be alone and in the dark. Pills are not the solution for everything!
ReplyDeleteI suffer from headaches every now and then. I take pills just because I think they are like a "faster solution" for it. But as Pablo said, I try to avoid them too. It is true that they have side effects, you take a pill to recover from one discomfort, but you will get another one because of the pills you are taking, so... what's the point?
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ReplyDeleteThe intake of medication, in this case, painkillers for headaches is a very serious thing. My girlfriend is studying what is called here in Chile "Quimica y Farmacia" so she is very close to these problems.
ReplyDeleteOnce I had a terrible headache, and I was about to take a pill in order to feel a little better. She noticed I was looking for the pills, and she stopped me right there, and she explained to me that headaches can be caused by two biological reasons. One of these reasons is vasodilatation, and the other one is vasoconstriction.
At first, I didn't know what was the relation between what caused a headache and the pills. Then she told me that the medication used for this problem, also caused vasodilatation or vasoconstriction, and that the combination of the wrong pills with a headache can worsen your problem, or it can lead into something way more serious than a simple headache.
So just like you guys, I try to avoid taking painkillers...