Painkillers, we use them everyday, headache? Backache? Toothache? You reach to the medicine cupboard for an aspirin, paracetamol or fix. However, the highly concentrated drug form of painkiller can have unwanted side effects, especially when used regularly, or for more serious and long-term pain relief.
The ease and increasingly regular use of painkillers can result in slight tummy upset, to addiction (except SSRI -selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor painkillers often used as anti-depressants) or build a tolerance to the pain reliving affects resulting in further unwanted side affects and necessary increases in dosage. From addiction prone <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682065.html> Codeine, Percocet and <http://www.addiction-treatment.com/research/oxycontin/> Oxycontin painkillers (the latter a longer lasting pain killer derived from the same opiate as Percocet), to the more obvious analgesics paracetamol and morphine, addiction and other side effects are risks you swallow unknowingly with each pill.
Most <http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/tc/pain-management-side-effects-of-pain-medicines> over the counter painkillers are generalized – they are meant for general pain and come in a strapped down medicinal form, this can cause nausea, dizziness and rashes, drowsiness and most common: digestion problems. Digestion problems are often why labels advise taking painkillers with a meal: your gut is not naturally supposed to digest pills!
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), which include ibuprofen and Aspirin, can cause heartburn and upset stomachs, stomach ulcers and internal bleeding, and increase the chance of heart attacks.
Opioids such as morphine, methadone and oxycodone can cause breathing difficulties, nausea and itching as well as addiction.
One of the most obvious natural solutions to avoid reaching for the painkillers is avoiding dehydration and poor diet. As the body is made up of 61.8 per cent of water, 80 per cent of headaches are caused from not drinking enough water, so always try a pint of fresh water before reaching for the aspirin! Regular exercise (which increases endorphins, a natural feel-good hormone), a balanced diet, good sleeping habits and general self-care are the best ways to avoid general aches and pains – but if you would like to ease your pain with a specific, natural remedy, just take a look around your kitchen.
Severe Pain
Include more curcumin (also called turmeric) in your meals, this magical ingredient acts against pain inducing hormones and can be found in mustard and many Asian dishes and spices.
Additionally, studies prove anthocyanin is more effective than ibuprofen and aspirin at reliving inflammatory pain such as arthritis. Anthocyanin is often found in dark, rich (red or purple) colored foods such as blackberries, cherries and wines.
Chronic pain can also be elevated with regular vitamin D – that means sunshine! Or if you really like your paracetamol, but not the side effects, go straight to the source and get some willow bark. The natural source of everyday paracetamol, but without the grumbling tummy! Also similar to ibuprofen, is oleocanthal: a powerful anti-inflammatory linked to reducing heart disease too, and no side-affects, it is found in olives (and olive oil).
Another well-known painkiller used as an ointment to relive pain from arthritis and shingles is capsaicin, from chilies – although very effective and powerful, pain relief is not always immediate.
Anesthetic
Toothaches and other specific pains that need anesthetic to soothe sore symptoms, can be treated with eugenol, a strong natural anesthetic found in cloves, chewing cloves could relive gum inflammation and toothaches.
Muscle cramps
Caused by a lack of potassium, you can <http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php>increase your potassium intake with bananas and leafy dark greens. For menstrual cramps or endometriosis pain, magnesium can be used to reduce regular pain; oats are high in magnesium, as are beans and nuts.
Upset Stomach
You can increase your <http://www.livestrong.com/article/278997-foods-high-in-proteolytic-enzymes/>proteolytic enzymes (these break down protein in your tummy) with pineapple, ginger or grains. Or put out heartburn with malic and tar-taric acids. Malic acid is found in most fruits especially berries. Tartaric acid is mostly found in wine, cranberries and bananas. Indigestion can be fought by eating more EPA and DHA – anti-inflammatories completely free from side affects and found in fish, peanuts and leafy green vegetables.
Painful Bacteria
Many infections are caused by unwanted bacteria, using foods or oils containing germanium, selenium, and sulfur compounds on the infected area naturally fight the bacteria. Garlic is well known for containing all these as well as amino acids and other vitamins. Germanium can also be found in tuna and beans, selenium can be found in Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds, and sulfur compounds in onions.
If you don’t regularly need painkillers, but want to avoid future ailments, from the above list, regularly eating fish, seeds, nuts, fruit and dark green vegetables and of drinking lots of water can keep your body naturally resilient to pain and reduce the likely hood of asking around for a quick fix painkiller!