Pain relief for headaches. Is self-medication a problem?
Recent survey results show that 3.2 million Canadians suffer from migraine attacks. Among those responding to the survey, 36% were currently consulting physicians for their headaches, 45% had discontinued consulting physicians, and 19% had never sought medical help. About 90% of these migraine sufferers used over-the-counter drugs. Risks associated with improper use of OTC medications include addiction, gastric irritation, liver toxicity, and rebound headache syndrome.
Robinson
R G
RG
University of British Columbia.
D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003625:Data Collection; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D004366:Nonprescription Drugs