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More and more experts report about increasing tendency of painkiller abuse in modern people. Inspired by Dr. House, people believe that painkillers, either natural pain relievers or pharmaceuticals, can be an answer to any sort of health alert of ours. We pop a pill in case if our head starts aching, in case if we have a colic, or some pain of unknown origin in the abdomen, or when we have discomfort in the lungs and can not take a breath, etc. etc. Painkiller abuse has become a trend in many people, especially the young who are certain that they are yet healthy enough and their body can stand on such huge doses of synthesized substances. Thinking that painkillers can not bring too much harm to our body and our health is quite wrong, and the findings of a recent study published this spring in many world’s leading newspapers and journals have proven the fact.
A group of scientists of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Chaim Sheba Medical Center carried out a research and found out that using painkillers, both prescription or over-the-counter ones, is closely linked with increased chances of having hypertension (or elevated blood pressure), which is a very common health condition in our times. It has been believed that hypertension can be caused by endocrine tumors, kidney function irregularities, or other reason, and it is the first time when the links between painkiller abuse and increased risks of hypertension were discovered and studied.
“In diagnosing the causes of hypertension, over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen are often overlooked,” says Professor Ehud Grossman, one of the study leaders.
Certainly, drug-induce hypertension can be caused not only by painkillers but other medications as well, especially by anti-inflammatory medications, anti-depressants, antibiotics, or birth control pills. However, as the scientists found out, people tend to believe that over-the-counter painkillers should be considered relatively harmless and can not cause serious problems to our health. However, in contrast to, for instance, the most known natural pain relievers, both prescription and over-the-counter painkillers cause hypertension, a condition which is strictly linked to increased risks of such serious cardiovascular problems as a stroke, a heart attack, aneurisms, and many others.
It was also found out that in a great number of modern drugs and medications, there are certain substances which can not only elevate our blood pressure along with all the mentioned risks to our health, but also block the activities of the medications which we can use for lowering our blood pressure. Israeli experts warn us about the dangers behind using too much painkillers and underline that it is very important for both medical doctors and patients be aware about the risks linked to painkiller abuse, and use both synthesized and natural pain relievers with a great caution. It is highly advised to weigh all the treatments options and be very cautious. You can read here about the findings of Grossman‘s team and their conclusions, published recently in one of the issues of the American Journal of Medicine.
Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.
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