Headaches: Are painkillers effective?

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.

Painkillers & Hearing Loss Among Women

A headache or a back pain are some of the reasons why most people take painkillers—ibuprofen, paracetamol, and others—without knowing the consequences that this simple but risky decision may have, in this case, for women.

According to a recent study made by Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, United States, in which 62.000 women between 31 and 48 years old were surveyed, the ones who took two or more of these pills per week had more chances to develop a hearing loss than women who took only one painkiller per week.

Women were monitored for over twenty years: for the first fourteen years there was not any sign of hearing loss, but by the end of the study, around one in six women had shown some degree of hearing loss.

The reasons why certain painkillers have this side effect and how the chemicals in the drugs affect hearing are still unknown by scientists. However, it is thought that hearing loss is related to reduced blood flow produced by the anti-inflammatory properties of painkillers.

It is important to mention that not all painkillers are associated with hearing loss: the study made by Brigham and Women's Hospital (which is going to be published in American Journal of Epidemiology with the name "Analgesic Use and the Risk of Hearing Loss in Women”) proved that aspirin, for example, did not have the same effect as ibuprofen or paracetamol.

Many of us have gotten used to taking painkillers to get rid of headaches, back pains and even sore throats. Also, there are other people who abuse of painkillers and use them as the only way out of their pains. But are we aware of the risks that the use (and abuse) of these drugs may have?