A few years ago there was a flurry of activity in the medical community and in the news regarding the dangers of over-the-counter drugs that relieve pain.

What many of the stories focused on was the accidental overdose problem that was occurring with vary small children, because the infant formulas are a much higher concentration than the junior elixirs.

Studies of adults who find themselves in trouble after taking too many tablets in one dose were also circulated heavily because there were several deaths as a result of the overload.

Many people who were hospitalized with kidney failure, stomach bleeding, and other complications reported that they thought that since it’s an over-the-counter medication that over-dosing wasn’t an issue.

Packaging instructions were amended to make clear that there are consequences to taking too much of not only acetaminophen but also, and especially, NSAIDs or non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The dangers don’t stop there, though.  Many people taking these drugs for head, muscle or joint ache are also at increased risk of heart attack and other heart-related problems.

A Danish study released recently by a cardiologist at Copenhagen University Hospital compared the medical records of thousands of patients who were admitted for acute myocardial infarction, or AMI.

One of the specific items the researchers looked at was the frequency of re-admittance for a second heart attack and whether or not the patients reported using NSAIDs.

What they found was that patients using ibuprofen –related medications were at significantly increased risk of a second heart attack within a matter of days compared to patients who didn’t use that type of drug.

What’s more, they also discovered that even healthy people saw an increased risk of heart attack when using NSAIDs regularly.

A collaborative study between American and Danish researchers found that that risk of atrial fibrillation also increased in NSAID users as well, and was especially pronounced in elderly patients and those with kidney problems.

Many of the physicians commenting on the studies noted that there really is no safe amount of the drug, even the over-the-counter varieties, and that recommending its use should only be offered after all other less risky pain relief measures have been exhausted.

Given that ibuprofen is generally the go-to painkiller for arthritis, sore muscles, and other inflammation-related problems, it would seem that instead of chasing after pain with medications that maybe a better plan is to get in front of it to prevent it.

Inflammation and the process behind it have been gaining more press time lately, and that’s a great thing.  It can be hard to compete with the advertising campaigns of the big drug companies, so the more people know about inflammation and prevention, the better off they will be.

Natural methods of combating inflammation can be as easy as adding a handful of sets with light weights to your daily exercise routine, or increasing the vitamin D you consume.

Many times, natural inflammation-busters like these will have positive effects all over the body as well, which frequently end up halting the inflammation cycle in the first place.

For more information on natural inflammation-busters, order the Arthritis guide or our beat Diabetes guide today.

To Your Health,

Shelly Manning

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