Most people are familiar with headaches and migraines firsthand. What do they do in such cases? Suitable analgesics are taken. In many situations, headache pills help. If they canāt cope, then you must make an appointment with the doctor. Usually, medical specialists prescribe an examination to determine the type and type of headache, the subsequent selection of adequate treatment tactics. Unfortunately, it can take a long time to establish the true cause. What else can the patient do? Buy a new painkiller, which the doctor will advise him.
Typology of headaches
The International Classification of Headaches (ICGB) was introduced in 1988. The second option appeared after 15 years. Specialists combined the most common ailments into 14 groups. The classification helps doctors diagnose the type of health disorder and prescribe appropriate headache pills. The list of causes that can cause seizures includes various internal and external factors. Pain is caused by head injuries, vascular and non-vascular intracranial disorders, the use of certain substances or refusal of them, infections, metabolic disturbances, pathologies of the skull, neck, sinuses.
Types of Headaches
Doctors, when prescribing medicines, adhere to the recommendations of organizations of international and national level. The type and sequence of use of various analgesic agents depends on the type of headache.
Primary (according to the ICGB):
- Migraine.
- Headache of tension (GBN).
- Beam (cluster).
- Other primary species.
Secondary - cranial and other types - include less common ailments associated with trauma or vascular lesions due to infection, intake of various substances or their withdrawal. Health disorders can be caused by a change in the body's homeostasis, cranial neuralgia, and mental disorders.
Headache pills: active ingredients
For each ailment, the doctor and patient choose a strategy and tactics of struggle. For spasms of cerebral vessels, medicines containing analgin and vasodilators are suitable. For hypotension, caffeine analgesics are chosen. In the case of hormonal disorders, stresses that cause a primary headache, other drugs are needed. Headache pills complement the main treatment in case of changes in blood pressure, colds, osteochondrosis. Many painkillers contain one or two components from the following list:
- paracetamol;
- acetylsalicylic acid;
- metamizole sodium;
- ketorolac;
- nimesulide;
- ibuprofen.
Variety of drugs
Leading pharmaceutical companies produce various pills for headaches, a list of which is counted in hundreds of trade names of medicines. The most common are non-narcotic analgesics, as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A single dose of the second gives the patient the necessary analgesic effect. Many NSAIDs have a large list of contraindications and side effects.
Trade and International generic tablets for headache (name) (active ingredients are indicated in brackets) :
- "Askofen" (acetylsalicylic acid, caffeine, phenacetin);
- Benalgin (metamizole sodium, caffeine, thiamine);
- āBaralgetasā, āMaksiganā, āSpazmalgonā, āSpazganā (metamizole sodium, pitophenone hydrochloride, fenpiverinium bromide);
- āKetanovā (ketorolac);
- Novalgin (paracetamol, propiphenazone, caffeine);
- "No-shpalgin" (drotaverine, codeine, paracetamol);
- Nurofen (ibuprofen);
- āPanadol Extraā, āMigrenolā (paracetamol, caffeine);
- "Pyramein" (aminophenazole, caffeine);
- āSolpadeinā (codeine, paracetamol, caffeine);
- "Tylenol", "Efferalgan" (paracetamol);
- āCitramonā (acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol, caffeine, citric acid).
What to take with tension headache?
With physical, mental activity, in stressful situations, tension occurs in the muscles of the neck and scalp. Blood flow in the vessels is disturbed, cells and tissues lack oxygen, metabolic products accumulate and are not removed. This is one of the mechanisms of the occurrence of HDN. There is a feeling of heaviness, pressure in the forehead and eyes, which is often transmitted to the back of the head, temples, face and neck. Both headaches and adults are affected. A child, a pregnant and breast-feeding woman can be given pills for headaches and suspensions, the active substance of which is paracetamol. Its admission is permitted from infancy.
Adults in such cases take different analgesics and NSAIDs. But priority in patients with HDN is paracetamol-containing drugs. In case of failure of this therapeutic method, second-line drugs are used - NSAIDs (Ibuprofen, Nimesulide).
Migraine? Help yourself, eliminate the triggers
Among the most likely factors for the occurrence of the disease, doctors call genetic disorders. There is a hereditary predisposition to such a physiological reaction of the body to changes in external conditions and fluctuations in the internal parameters of the human body. Keeping a diary of observations will help establish factors (triggers) and take the medicine on time. But it is better to avoid provocative situations in everyday life. These include:
- stress and distress;
- hormonal changes;
- food products (cheese, chocolate, nuts, pickles, citrus fruits);
- dehydration of the body;
- coffee, alcoholic beverages;
- violation of diet and sleep;
- excessive physical activity;
- uncomfortable posture during work;
- weather change;
- irritating odors and substances.
What drugs help with migraines?
Classical migraine begins with an aura - visual disturbances, darkening in the eyes. The simple form is manifested by a one-sided pulsating headache of moderate intensity. An ailment attacks a person unexpectedly, but he has precursors to which he should pay attention. It is necessary to take pills for a headache on time, the list of drugs for migraine is quite extensive. It includes remedies designed to relieve various symptoms. Medicines are also used to eliminate nausea, vomiting. There are specific active ingredients that are part of the drugs for the treatment of migraine attacks: naratriptan, ergotamine. But itās precisely these drugs that cause drug-induced headache more often than others.
With migraine, the following drugs are used:
- "Naramig."
- "Acetophene".
- "Kalpol" ".
- "Panadol".
- Tylenol.
- Efferalgan.
- Tempalgin.
- Nurofen
- Advil.
- Nimesil;
- Citramon
Overcoming Chronic Headache
For most patients, headache pills purchased at the pharmacy are effective and safe. But prolonged use of analgesics can cause drug-induced headache. Excessive use of aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen leads to this effect. Excess caffeine, ingested with drinks and tablets, often leads to similar conditions. There is also a headache of drug withdrawal. It appears when the effect of the drug ends. A sick person in this case needs to increase the intake of pills. The chronic form often develops in those people who use painkillers more often 12-15 times a month. The onset of the disease may be due to GBN or migraine. There is a vicious cycle: increased symptoms, increased intake of drugs. Cancellation of the drug that caused this type of addiction leads to a significant improvement in the condition.
Alternative (non-drug) therapies
Conventional headache treatment may be ineffective. In this case, you should resort to non-pharmacological methods, for example, physiotherapy, acupuncture. Patients with the most severe seizures are advised to combine headache pills and alternative treatments. For many people, their condition improves during church service. Others help oriental practices, breathing exercises.
Headache Prevention Methods :
- full sleep and rest;
- alternating loads on different muscle groups;
- change of activities;
- proper breathing;
- regular diet.
One of the main recommendations applies to all cases of headache without exception. One should not endure malaise, expect when it will pass by itself. There are many affordable and effective drugs, alternative methods, folk remedies, with which you can feel much better.