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Analgesics are medications used to relieve pain, with various types including opiates and anti-inflammatory drugs. Methods of administration vary, and side effects can occur if not taken as directed. It is important to use pain relievers only as recommended.
Analgesia is pain relief, and an analgesic is something designed to relieve pain, usually in some medication used to relieve swelling or pain. There has long been a search for substances or treatments that will help make the pain go away. Ancient pain relievers included things like the leaves and bark of willow trees, which had a substance called salicin. Salicin derivatives eventually became one of the common painkillers called aspirin.
Sometimes people describe a pain reliever as a drug designed only to mask pain but not to address its cause. This is an imprecise definition. There are some medications that relieve pain without curing or alleviating its source, such as many opioid pain relievers and over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen. Other medications can address the root cause of the pain; anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce the swelling that causes discomfort and do not simply mask the pain or make it less noticeable.
There are numerous types of pain relievers and a myriad of methods of drug delivery. Types of medications include opiates, such as codeine and hydrocodone, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Other drugs have been found to be effective pain relievers, even though that was not their original intent in designing them. Some tricyclic antidepressants may be useful in treating chronic pain, and some anticonvulsants have also been shown to benefit in this regard.
Methods of administering drugs vary, from the simple task of taking an over-the-counter pill or suppository, to using skin patches that help drugs reach the bloodstream faster, or injecting drugs intravenously. Depending on the type of pain being treated and its severity, one of these methods may be preferred over another. Alternatively, several methods may be used together to produce the most analgesic effect.
Because of the many different types of medications that have analgesic properties, it’s difficult to talk about any side effects or potential benefits taken together. All medicines and most medical treatments have side effects. Putting an ice pack on the skin can also cause pain or tingling.
It’s easier to sort drugs by group. It can be said here that NSAIDs can cause excessive bleeding and are inappropriate for some people, and drugs like acetaminophen have been linked to liver damage when used excessively. Opiates tend to have high dependency rates and care must be taken to prescribe only what is needed and they also tend to create constipation. Some pain relievers such as morphine can reduce breathing and should be used very carefully with adequate respiratory support for sick or injured patients.
For people who are prescribed pain relievers or who buy over-the-counter pain relievers, it is important not to use more than recommended by a doctor or on package labels. Side effects can increase when the drugs are used outside the recommended dosage and some can prove to be dangerous. They are still helpful, and when taken as advised, many help promote greater comfort.
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