People have become pretty much aware of pain medications and their side effects. The worst situation crops up when you get addicted to them in spite of knowing the side effects. Addiction of anything is not a healthy trend, and as such, addiction of painkillers is not a very pleasant idea. This article provides information regarding the same.
Painkillers or analgesics work by way of acting on the peripheral and central nervous system. They basically reduce the strength of the pain signals to the brain from the body, and the response of the brain to those signals. As pain relievers directly work on the brain, they are bound to produce side effects. Following are the side effects of addiction to these pain medications:
Side Effects
Nausea
Prescription pain medication when consumed in a wrong way can result in nausea and vomiting. This is especially the case with painkillers containing morphine. Such morphine-containing painkillers will surely make you feel nauseous.
Constipation
These drugs can have a significant impact on the bowel movements. One consequence of this is constipation. This is a very problematic condition as it can give rise to other health problems as well.
Dizziness
Dizziness is another side effect of the pain relievers. These medicines relax the pain messages which are sent to the brain and in reaction to those signals. The result is a totally relaxed state of the body and a certain amount of drowsiness. This state could really put your life in danger while driving and would create problems in doing anything which requires logical judgment.
Cardiovascular Issues
In case someone already has a specific health condition where she has to take a certain medicine, the pain relievers can wreak havoc on the cardiovascular and respiratory system. Addiction to these drugs in this situation, could lead to respiratory depression which could be fatal. This is one of the very serious side effects.
Dryness of Mouth
Pain suppressants given for pain control obstruct the working of the salivary glands, causing dry mouth.
Amongst other things, long term side effects of painkillers could be constricted pupils, menstrual irregularities, moodiness, and severe constipation. To talk about side effects of pain medication, in fact addiction is one of the side effects of the pain killers, along with all the others mentioned above. More than over-the-counter pain medications, the prescribed pain relievers have that quality of inducing addiction. Some of the addiction effects and side effects are as follows:
- Hallucinations
- Hives
- Delirium
- Muscle Rigidity
- Bradycardia – slow heart rate
- Tachycardia – rapid heart rate
- Flushing
- Hypothermia
- Elevated intracranial pressure
The aforementioned side effects are the most primary side effects, and they are more often than not experienced with regards to any kind of pain medication. Still, all these drugs do not have similar side effects. They may vary depending on what kind of pain relieving medicine it is.
Painkillers should be avoided as much as possible. It is okay if you pop a pill for headache once in a while. But, if you are doing it often, probably you need to introspect and see if you are getting addicted. If that is the situation, please consult a doctor and avoid the side effects of pain medication.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
