On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your pain? This is a question frequently used by healthcare providers all around the world. Doctors, nurses, even the robot nurse Baymax from Big Hero 6 asked this question to his patient every single time. Apart from pain, symptoms like fever and headache are among the basic complaints that we usually get from a sick person. Luckily, we do live in a time where symptomatic reliefs from various brands are widely available – from Panadol for fever relief to Myonal medicine for body pain.
When we talk about headache, there are several things to be considered in order to find the suitable remedy. We are aware that there are different types of headache with different pain causing mechanisms. Some people have tension headaches while others have migraine headaches or even sinus headache. For individuals suffering from tension headaches, pain relievers such as acetaminophen of Panadol or Tylenol brand can be helpful. It is also postulated that tension-type headaches might be muscular in origin. Therefore, eperisone from brands such as Myonal, an antispasmodic medication can also relieve the pain. Medications like eletriptans (Relpax) can be used for migraine while simple decongestants and antihistamines may be useful in sinus headache.
As far as illnesses go, fever is, without question, one of the commonest symptoms. It goes without saying that most people alive today had probably taken some form of fever reliefs at some point in their lives. Fever can happen in response to infection, drug use, or even due to the presence of malignant mass. This symptom, while can be reduced through non-pharmacological ways such as tepid sponging, is often managed by fever medications or antipyretics. The use of antipyretics is also preferred in case of urgent need for fever relief. Again, acetaminophen like Panadol is the one commonly used. Other medications include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and Myonal.
Another common symptom is pain. Body pain or any other pain affect a lot of people in general. Pain can be categorized by the nature, the onset, or the severity, whether it is affecting one’s daily activity or not. In terms of managing the pain, the most important part is the severity or the pain scale. This will determine which pain reliever to be used. While weak and strong opioids can be used for moderate to severe pain respectively, NSAIDs such as Celebrex, Voltaren and Myonal are used for mild pain, together with acetaminophen if needed
Yes, when it comes to relieving pain and fever, aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid can also be used. However, the use of aspirin should warrant some caution among healthcare providers, or even the public. As aspirin can easily be obtained as over the counter medicine, the public should be advised that the use of aspirin, especially in children can lead to Reye’s Syndrome. This syndrome is serious and can cause brain and liver damage. It can come with features such as seizures, loss of consciousness and also confusion. Therefore, to treat fever or pain in children, it is best to choose other safer alternatives mentioned earlier, compared to aspirin.
As modern medicine advances, it is becoming easier for anyone to get their hands on over the counter medications to provide some symptomatic relief when they get sick. While there are varieties of medications and brands to choose from, a proper assessment is still needed to choose medication that suits a condition the most. A consultation with a doctor is still advised to answer any concerns that you might have.
