Treating Pain
Pain comes in many different forms, and as such, the
treatment tends to be different in each one. Kidney stones,
for example, cause intense pain. This and menstrual pain
respond well to NSAIDs such as ibuprofen. Aspirin remains the
mainstay in most arthritis. In pancreatitis, morphine is a
good drug. Fears that it makes things worse have been
disproven. Eye pain responds well to Voltaren drops. Morphine
is the tradition in heart attack, but nitroglycerin is an
excellent drug for angina. Bone fractures should be given
narcotics. Cancer pain needs high dose narcotics.
There are many alternative methods of treating pain. We have
already dealt with this issue. Pain also is related to gender
and nationality. Females will request pain medication more in
the USA. Here in Israel it seems the opposite. The Orientals
are known to have a high pain tolerance, while Hispanics and
Arabs a lot less.
Pain clinics exist and specialize in the treatment of chronic
pain. Nerve blocks can be done, as can machines called PCA
pumps where pain relief is given via a pump controlled by the
patient as necessary.
Even newborns feel pain and are traumatized by it. In little
people, sugar water acts on the narcotic receptors in the
brain.
As a patient, you must be strong in demanding pain relief.
You should demand to be with your child during painful
procedures and be supportive. If you can not help fainting or
sighing loudly than you are better off leaving.
Know what you have been prescribed and it side effects. Be
involved.
Sedation can go a long way in helping prevent pain, and this
is our next discussion. All of us have been to the dentist
and had a nerve block, where half our mouth, tongue and lip
are numb. This is done with an old medication called
lidocaine. It causes the nerve to "sleep" for usually two
hours, but it burns a little when being administered. Using
bicarbonate (yes, that's baking soda) and warming the
solution causes less of a sensation. It also causes a little
more bleeding for a short time.
I believe all physicians should know how to do nerve blocks.
This includes teeth, cheeks, foreheads, fingers, toes, feet
and hands. They aren't hard to do and there is no danger.
Write me in care of the Yated.
A message from GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this
column. Zinnat is the standard in pneumonia therapy in
severe community pneumonia. Especially in smokers. This
medication performs well. It is safe in pregnancy -- an
advantage for treating urinary tract infections in pregnancy.
