Earache- Advice
Administrate medication for fever if required (see below) and go to the nearest health centre / hospital immediately or dial 9-1-1.
Most people are familiar with Aspirin and Tylenol. These are the
brand names of the very common medications ASA (acetylsalicylic acid)
and acetaminophen. These medications are used to treat pain and fever.
ASA, but not acetaminophen, can also relieve inflammation (swelling,
heat, or redness).
One of the new medications you can buy at
your pharmacy without a prescription is Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and
others). This medication belongs to the same family of medications to
which ASA belongs. These are Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs or,
as they are sometimes called, NSAIDs. These medicines can relieve pain,
lower a fever, and also reduce inflammation. You might think that these
medicines are the best overall, for they can be used for both pain and
inflammation. Unfortunately, they can cause stomach ulcers and kidney
problems in some people. Sometimes they upset your stomach if not taken
with food.
NSAIDs are not recommended for children under 12. ASA should not be given to people under the age of 20 when they have a viral illness.
There is a liver disease called Reye's Syndrome which may be caused
by taking ASA during influenza infections and the chicken pox. ASA,
which stands for acetylsalicylic acid, is from a drug group called
salicylates. Another member of this group of medicines is bismuth
subsalicylate (Peptobismol). We recommend that you do not give these
medicines to those under 20 years of age.
Ibuprofen (Advil,
Motrin and others), an NSAID as described above, does not carry the
same risk of causing Reyes Syndrome. It can be used alone or
occasionally along with acetaminophen in those whose pain and fever do
not respond well to acetaminophen. Ibuprofen may also relieve discomfort
for a longer time (6 to 8 hours versus 4 to 6 hours for acetaminophen).
Ibuprofen is also sold in childrens strength. Acetaminophen remains
the first choice for pain and fever in children. We feel acetaminophen
has the best overall safety profile.
You may have heard
people say that one or another of these medications works better for
their pain. Although this may have been the case, often the problem
in controlling pain is that the appropriate dose of the medicine has not
been taken. This is especially true in treating childrens
illnesses. The instructions on the package usually suggest dosages
based on age and as a result only the lightest people in an age group
get the right dose. You can manage pain better if you take the correct
dosage based on your weight. Adults require between 600 and
1000 mg of acetaminophen every 4 hours to relieve pain.
Regular acetaminophen tablets contain 325mg and the extra strength
tablets contain 500mg. Serious pain will require 2 to 3 regular tablets
or 2 extra strength tablets. You should look carefully at the bottles
and price them by the number of effective doses available in the bottle.
Ibuprofen dosage should be individualized at 10mg per kg body weight
every 6 to 8 hours. Adults can takeup to 800mg every 8 hours, but
should use the lowest dose that is effective.
There are
several pain medications which add caffeine to ASA. This combination can
help to improve the effectiveness of the ASA, but it is not necessary
in most situations. The caffeine content is equivalent to about a half
cup of coffee.
Sometimes a narcotic-type medication is added
to ASA or acetaminophen to improve the pain-relieving effect. Usually
codeine is added. Adding 8 mg of codeine to the regular tablets produces
a medicine which is stronger but still available without a prescription.
You will have to ask your pharmacist for this type of medication.
Remember:
When you are using a medicine for relieving pain or for controlling a
fever, you will be most successful if you give the medicine at regular
intervals. If you wait until the pain is really bad or until the fever
has crept really high again, it will take longer to get it under
control.
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