Use of painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have become a common phenomenon for most people. These are types of drugs called analgesics, which are used to treat pain.
Painkillers function by targeting the levels of pain the body is feeling and interrupt the pain signals before they get to the brain.
NSAIDs help in managing pain and fever mostly by reducing inflammation.
Though painkillers are very important for doctors and patients, they also come with serious side effects when care is not taking in using them.
Some of the common side effects when they are abused
Stomach Bleeding
Some painkillers and NSAIDs can cause your stomach to bleed if you take them for a long time. This can cause problems from simple indigestion to stomach ulcers.
Kidney Damage
Taking a lot of NSAIDs and painkillers can lead to kidney damage.
Some of the painkillers used by adults can severely harm children because of the risk of a life-threatening condition called Reye’s syndrome, which attacks the brain and liver.
Interference with breathing
Taking large amounts of opioid painkillers can stop your breathing. When you become addictive, they have become widely abused, and deaths from opioid overdose is can set in.
Low doses of painkillers and NSAIDs can result in side effects such as: headaches dizziness ,stomach pains, sickness, diarrhoea, and indigestion bleeding, swollen ankles, problems when you pee, chest pains and difficulty breathing and so on.
On the other hand, long-term use of NSAIDs, can cause problems with the liver, kidney, heart, and blood circulation.
Use prescriptions from your doctor.
