At the slightest discomfort, especially during the winter, people turn to the famous Tylenol . As many of you know, paracetamol has analgesic and antipyretic properties.
Unfortunately, especially recently, this drug has been overused, as if it were a panacea for all ills. But is that really the case?
Should we always use it, or are there some cases where it’s not necessary because it’s not effective? Given its widespread use, many experts are ready to explain what to do.
To avoid abusing paracetamol , especially when it is not needed, they provide us with a detailed list of situations in which it should and should not be administered.
The website nonsprecare.it, for example, offers its readers valuable advice to clarify the many doubts that sometimes plague patients. Let’s see what they suggest.
The website nonsprecare.it provides two examples where Tylenol is being wasted. The first is fever in children. You won’t believe it, but all pediatricians agree that paracetamol should only be given to children with a very high fever, that is, over 39 degrees Celsius. Indeed, if the child, despite having a high fever, is in a good mood, eating, sleeping, and playing regularly, it may be unnecessary.
Unless the temperature exceeds 40 degrees. Obviously, it’s always a good idea to consult your pediatrician regarding administration, as the dosage is proportional to the child’s body weight. Perhaps you didn’t know, but a recent study in the prestigious journal Lancet found that paracetamol is absolutely useless for treating osteoarthritis; in fact, it’s completely ineffective.
At most, it can have a placebo effect. The key to osteoarthritis is good prevention, following three fundamental rules: combating excess weight and obesity, not smoking, and avoiding abnormal knee loading. Although paracetamol is an over-the-counter medication, it is suitable for adults and children aged 15 and over.
For them, it’s useful for relieving fever, headaches, or a stiff neck. Paracetamol is available in tablets (including effervescent tablets), drops, and suppositories: a wide range of options, confirming the widespread use of this drug.
There are some cases in which it should absolutely not be used . When? For anyone who is hypersensitive to paracetamol , or who suffers from allergies, hemolytic anemia , or liver failure . Several studies have shown that paracetamol, taken in very high and excessive doses, risks being a drug that produces hepatotoxicity , and therefore liver damage. Therefore, be careful not to overuse it when unnecessary!
