Pain is an ‘unpleasant sensory and emotional experience¹ That we would like not to know. But if we want to see it stop as soon as possible, its vital function of “warning signal” should not be ignored.

Some pain are of low to moderate intensity and reflect a aggression easily identifiable: they are perfect candidates forself-medication. Others may, on the contrary, be symptomatic of a disease more serious and must be consultation.

For which pains to consult?

Do not manage your pain yourself when it:

• is intense and suggests a serious illness
• occurs suddenly and unexpectedly, like a pain “squeezing” the chest violently.
• returns repeatedly without apparent causes. The pain must be isolated and give way to adequate treatment.
• is accompanied by other signs such as a general state of malaise, a high fever, an unusual swelling of the painful area, a decrease in strength in a limb …

Absolute contraindications:

Do not take treatment without medical advice if you have serious illness of the waist du liver or coeur ! Likewise, a known risk of bleeding (haemorrhagic disease, taking an anticoagulant treatment) constitutes an absolute contraindication to taking analgesics in self-medication.

When to consult?

Certain situations should lead you to make an appointment with your doctor in order to adapt your treatment:

• if the pain persists for more than 5 days
• if the fever lasts for more than 6 days
• if symptoms worsen
• if the treatment analgesic seems insufficiently effective to you
• if pain wakes you up at night

Source: National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) “Pain: treat yourself well with drugs available without a prescription” – July 2008 Source: National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) “Pain in adults: treat yourself well with drugs available without a prescription ”- July 2008. Definition of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)