Self-Medication May Aggravate Headaches and Increase Frequency, Study Warns

Next May 19th is National Day to Combat Headaches and the Maio Bordô Campaign raises awareness of headaches, a medical term used to designate these pains. Experts warn that more than three pains in this location per month is a warning and reinforces the importance of seeking professional help. Professor Gabriel Taricani Kubota, coordinator of the Pain Center of the Department of Neurology of the Hospital das Clínicas (HC) of the Faculty of Medicine (FM) of USP, reinforces the importance of paying attention to the signs.

According to the specialist, a study published in 2018 showed that around 3 billion people in the world suffer from recurrent headaches and he says that the most frequent causes are migraines and tension headaches, which are often understood as synonyms by population, but there are different diseases that cause headaches. The professor explains that people often get used to this routine of pain and treat it on their own, through self-medication, when, in fact, they are illnesses that require specific medical treatment.

“Self-medication, at first, can generate relief, but, if done too frequently, it generates another condition, which is called medication overuse headache. This condition occurs when the analgesic medications used at the time of pain, when taken very frequently, increase the frequency with which the pain occurs”, he explains.

Three is too much

According to the professor, migraine is the second biggest cause of headaches in the population, but it is the one that has the greatest impact, as it results in reduced productivity, absences from work, in addition to being able to trigger other problems such as insomnia, depression, anxiety and obesity. . In Brazil, medical costs for exams and consultations for this disease exceed the mark of R$67 billion per year. 

According to Kubota, individuals often end up blaming these diseases as being responsible for the pain, when in fact the opposite is happening. He reports that the campaign adopted the phrase “three is too many”, as patients who have less than this number of days with pain per month can be treated by doctors with just medication. However, those with more than three days of headaches during the period experience a worsening of the situation over time if they do not receive adequate medical follow-up.

The professor states that the treatment for chronic migraines has three pillars: the first is the need to alleviate the disorders that arise from this problem, such as sleep problems; The second is treatment with analgesics to reduce pain, but he reinforces that these medications must be prescribed by a doctor and alone will not resolve the situation. “The third and most important pillar is preventive prophylactic treatment, which are medications taken every day, with or without pain, to reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches. This treatment generally takes place over two to three years and, in most cases, it is enough for the patient to improve significantly, but it is important that a professional medical evaluation is carried out”, he explains.

Normalization

For Kubota, headaches are still very common among the population because there is a normalization of these symptoms, as people become accustomed to this disorder and often ignore adequate medical treatment. He says that, often, individuals end up blaming themselves for the pain, for some specific habit in their daily lives.

“So, in fact, it is a disease like any other, like high blood pressure, diabetes or cholesterol problems, which can be treated and can improve quality of life. This is the main message: people need to look for a neurologist more and listen to their opinion to decide on treatment together. This makes it possible to improve the patient’s quality of life, functionality and productivity”, he concludes.