Dangerous painkillers

People in the 21st century use pills for everything - irritability caused by work, trouble sleeping, cellulite or an increased desire for sweets. The statistics are terrifying - Poles spent over PLN 11.4 billion on over-the-counter drugs last year, buying 680 million packages, according to the research company IMS. Why do we look for tablets for all ailments, while the current fashion for being eco? What are the consequences of overuse of certain pain medications?

Painkillers - read leaflet

Overworked, tired, sleepy - we have no time for pain. Therefore, without thinking, we reach for over-the-counter painkillers, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. Unfortunately, we often do not realize that widely available pharmaceuticals can be dangerous for us.

Before reaching for a tablet:

• let's not forget that pain is quite often a signal of a general disease, e.g. when we notice recurring headaches in the frontal area, it may be a signal of an uncorrected or poorly corrected vision defect;

• remember that even over-the-counter pills can be dangerous if we do not follow the recommendations contained in the leaflets. It is particularly dangerous to take painkillers and use pharmaceuticals that the doctor prescribes for specific diseases. Quite often it turns out that by taking these two types of drugs at the same time, we run the risk of damaging the liver or kidneys;

• let's check what the maximum dose of a given drug can be taken in good. For example, tablets containing paracetamol, such as Apap or Panadol in the standard version, have 500 mg of this substance in one pill, and we can take 3000 mg of paracetamol in a maximum of 24 hours. Worse, when we do not pay attention to the content of the medicinal substance in tablets marked "max" and "fast", which quite often contain a double dose of the drug and thus, we can take a maximum of 3 tablets a day instead of 6;

• let's not forget that drugs are addictive in the same way as cigarettes or alcohol. Prescription-only opioid drugs, such as the popular Tramal, are particularly dangerous. Doctors quite often prescribe highly addictive pain medications without blinking an eye, without informing the patient about side effects and possible interactions. It happens that doctors rely only on the words of the patient to ensure that this type of medicine helps him;

• remember that taking medications does not have a neutral effect on laboratory tests, the color of urine changes under the influence of painkillers;

• Note that some painkillers impair psychomotor performance and should not be used on them - especially those from the aforementioned group of opioids. Over-the-counter drugs that contain acetylsalicylic acid or paracetamol do not significantly affect the reaction time, but drinking them with Coca-Cola or coffee will strengthen their effect and thus extend the driver's response.

Natural methods of dealing with pain

Aromatherapy for headache

Herbs and oils of plant origin can soothe the headache. Peppermint oil works on the circulatory system and supports blood flow. Lavender oil, on the other hand, is perfect for migraine headaches and those caused by upper respiratory tract inflammation, sometimes a short inhalation is enough to deal with the pain.

Herbal teas and walnut tincture for stomachaches

In the case of gastrointestinal problems, it is worth reaching for mint or chamomile tea first, which has a relaxing effect, and flaxseed will also soothe the unpleasant effects of heartburn. A proven idea of ​​our grandfathers is also drinking a walnut tincture, which soothes stomach aches, prevents vomiting and inhibits diarrhea.

Nature's remedy for joint pain

Wraps will help with rheumatic pains:

• from cabbage leaves (smashed, fresh cabbage leaves are applied to the sore spot, wrapped in foil and left overnight)

• agave (crushed agave leaves are poured with 100 ml of spirit and left for 2 weeks, then you can apply them to the sore spots)

In addition, it is worth reaching for an infusion of horsetail (pour 2 sachets of tea with boiling water and after 10 minutes you can drink the resulting infusion), but you must remember that this treatment should be used for 2-3 weeks. Vegetable juices can also have a beneficial effect on rheumatic pains - drink half a glass of celery, cabbage, parsley and carrot juice before a meal.

To sum up - before reaching for a painkiller, read the leaflet that comes with each package. We can also try natural methods that often work faster than commonly available pharmaceuticals.