My own prescription for health is less paperwork and more running barefoot through the grass. Leslie Grimutter
Headaches - Aspirin
A version of aspirin has been treating humans for over 2,500 years. Hippocrates was a renowned Greek doctor that was using a form of aspirin in 5th century B.C. Hippocrates treated fever with an extract from willow tree bark. Salacin is the primary chemical and once in the body it is transformed into salicylic acid.
At the end of the 19th century the German company, Bayer, began marketing a modified manufactured form, acetylsalicylic acid (otherwise known as aspirin), devised by chemist Felix Hoffman. The product turned out to be one of the most successful drugs in the history of the world.
For such a simple molecule it has some of the most amazing properties in the biochemical world.
Aspirin has few side effects at the proper dosage and is used to treat dozens of conditions, such as inflammation, heart disease, fever and - of course - headaches. How it does this is in one way well understood, in another way quite a mystery. It is known that when injury occurs to tissue, prostaglandins are released that generate signals down nerve cells to the brain. What happens then is less clear.
Prostaglandins not only contribute to the pain signal, but to the swelling that follows. But how exactly those conditions translate into something we perceive as pain is still a matter of leading edge research. What is 'injured' in the case of a headache is not known.
For decades it was believed that tension headaches, for example, were the result of muscle tension typically in the neck, back or face, hence the name. But contemporary research sees that as less likely. What's more likely, according to the evidence, is that muscle tension is involved but the interaction of serotonin (a neurotransmitter) with nerve cells is more important.
Whatever the ultimate cause, aspirin works by suppressing the cells from making prostaglandins. It interferes with a enzyme (known by the acronym COX) needed to make them, by binding with it. Eventually the combination is filtered out by the kidneys and more aspirin is needed to continue the process.
One possible side effect is that aspirin may do its job too well and remove needed prostaglandins from the stomach, making the lining too thin and leading to stomach upset or even ulcers. Aspirin also interferes with the creation of blood clots (prostaglandins play a part there, too). That can be helpful when used to prevent heart attacks, but is not helpful when you receive a cut or get a bloody nose.
While generally safe, it is possible to overdose on aspirin. The effects are not the same as overdose from other drugs, but in large doses it can interrupt proper kidney function, for example. To combat these effects, drug companies have designed alternatives, such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen and naproxen.
Aspirin is a very valuable component in treating headaches. With the undisputable clinical evidence, aspirin is safe and effective at treating headaches. There are nearly 80 billion aspirin pills taken each year. When taken correctly by patients who are not sensitive to adverse side effects, aspirin is a good tool in treating headaches.
They also have enormous resources to devote to creating and monitoring their manufacturing processes.
Ulcerative Colitis/Stercoralis Infection Although exacerbation of UC usually poses little diagnostic dilemma, physicians should remain cognizant to the possibility of an alternative cause for patient symptoms. An article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this report. The research team led by Prof.
Migraine With Aura May Be Linked To Increased Risk Of Stroke And Heart Attacks And Must Be Taken Seriously By GPs Doctors need to pay special attention to people with migraine with aura as they could be at increased risk of stroke or heart attack, a London conference heard today. Professor Tobias Kurth, a leading neuroepidemiologist from Harvard Medical School, USA, has found the links between migraine with aura and cardiovascular events are now so strong that GPs need to take them seriously.
Children With Hay Fever More Likely To Experience Headaches, Facial Pain Children who suffer from bouts of allergic rhinitis (hay fever) are also more likely to suffer from headaches, facial pain, and ear aches than children without these allergies, says new research presented at the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in Chicago, IL. Allergic rhinitis is a collection of symptoms predominantly in the nose and eyes, caused by airborne particles of dust, dander, or plant pollens.
Oxygen Therapy Might Ease Pain Of Migraine, Cluster Headaches Two types of oxygen therapy could offer some relief to adults who suffer from disabling migraine and cluster headaches, according to a new research review from Australia. Migraine headaches are severely painful and usually occur with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and painful sensitivity to light. Cluster headaches cause sharp, burning pain on one side of the head.
Even ordinary or tension headaches can be treated with surgery in some cases. As distinguished from so-called prophylactics which are used to prevent them. They're treated with analgesics or just endured until they fade. They're used to prevent a certain result, in this case headache pain, before it occurs rather than treating it afterwards.
|