Medical procedures such as anesthetic injections like epidurals and spinal taps are often accompanied by an undesirable side effect: headaches. Rather than the commonly recommended Advil or Tylenol, Doctors are suggesting patients try something new; a hot and delicious cup of coffee. Caffeine narrows the blood vessels in the brain, which helps reverse the vasodilatation that occurs when a puncture causes cerebrospinal fluid to leak. This theory has been long supported by medical texts but research says it doesn’t work.
Other studies suggest that it may not be the caffeine intake but the intake of fluids in general that may alleviate the headaches caused by these medical procedures. Many Doctors claim that the most effective treatment is one called epidural blood patching. Although the procedure can at times be invasive, it’s worth it; it relieves headaches in eighty-five to ninety-eight percent of patients.
This antidote to awful headaches may only just be a myth in the field of medicine. However, if Doctors have recommended it in the past it may indeed work. If not, at least you can enjoy the delicious java in your cup.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
i did hear about coffee leading to headaches but i just didn't give it so much attention.
Post a Comment