Frequent aches are a common issue for older adults. The frequent pain can signal serious health issues that require a special doctor’s attention. If you or any of your relatives experience frequent pains, you can help your beloved person to identify the causes of the pain with professional doctors’ help.
When in the medical office, it’s always a good idea to ask the healthcare specialist about the over-the-counter analgesics that are the safest for older adults.
For most adults, the safest oral OTC painkiller for frequent daily use is acetaminophen (Tylenol). If you are outside the USA, acetaminophen is often called paracetamol. Older adults should be cautious with the doses. High doses can cause serious health problems, especially in the liver.
The tricky thing about acetaminophen is that it’s included in many popular medications, like Nyquil and Theraflu. So, people taking many different types of medications can consume more acetaminophen than they think.
However, when taken at recommended doses, acetaminophen has few side effects and rarely harms old adults. Unlike non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen doesn’t put older adults at risk of internal bleeding.
When choosing pain medicine for seniors, you should be especially careful with alternatives to acetaminophen, like ibuprofen (brand names Advil and Motrin) and naproxen (brand names Aleve, Naprosyn, and Anaprox). Both are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but older adults should be especially careful when using NSAIDs regularly. These can cause problems with kidney function, stomach lining, high blood pressure, etc.
