Headaches are a real pain, literally. If they're bad enough they can literally incapacitate you for the entire day. Proof of how bad they are can be seen in your local drug store where there are rows and rows of pain relievers to get rid of headaches. The choices are beyond comprehension. But the problem with all these choices is that for the uninformed consumer, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to decide on what pain reliever to buy. While we can't possibly cover every pain reliever on the market, we'll cover some of the more common ones including the potential side effects, which is really what most people need to be aware of.
Back in the good old days before there were so many choices, you had aspirin and that was it. Yes, there were many brands such as Bayer, Bufferin, Anacin, etc., but for the most part they were pretty much the same, with the main differences being in the amount of pain reliever in each pill and any special additives. One of the most common additives to aspirin is buffering, which is where we get Bufferin from. This buffering is a coating placed over the aspirin to make it so that it is easier on your stomach. And therein lies the main problem with taking aspirin for headaches.
As medical science has progressed, we have discovered that there are certain things that common drugs, even over the counter drugs, can do to you. One of the most common side effects of taking aspirin is stomach problems, which can be as mild as an upset stomach or as serious as ulcers, or worse. It is because of these recently detected problems in taking aspirin for headaches that these other pain relievers have been invented. These alternatives are not hard on the stomach, but do have other side effects.
One of these alternatives is Tylenol, which is the brand name for acetaminophen. While this drug is a lot easier on your stomach than aspirin, it has been recently discovered that over time, this drug can cause liver damage. It should be pointed out that studies show that a person would have to take about eight Tylenol a day for about 30 years to do serious liver damage. Still, the possibility is there, so you have to be careful when taking Tylenol or another brand name containing acetaminophen for your headache.
On thing most people don't realize is that in addition to this pain reliever in Tylenol and drugs like it, another reason these drugs are effective in relieving headaches is because they contain caffeine. What the caffeine does is constrict the dilated blood vessels. This helps in relieving the pain in combination with the acetaminophen. Sometimes just having a couple cups of hot coffee can do just as good a job as the Tylenol. Just so you know, it is the acetaminophen that causes the liver damage, not the caffeine.
There are other drugs that can be taken for a headache but they are all either in the aspirin family or in the non-aspirin family which includes acetaminophen and ibuprofen. All of these drugs do have side effects, so please consult with your doctor before taking any of them.
HeadacheMichael Russell
Your Independent guide to Headaches [http://headache-guides.com/]