Have you ever tried to estimate the role of pain relieving medications in the life of every civilized human being on Earth?
I say civilized because those negligible amounts of aborigines, who have no idea about air pollution, stresses, bad habits and other remarkable examples of human ingenuity, are less subjected to pains destructive influence on their lives. Besides, living in unison with nature provides them with natural means to relieve pain.
In the meantime, living in modern developed society and using its multiple fruitions requires certain sacrifices. As the result, there is hardly a person nowadays, whose comfort living would never be disturbed by pain. People experience headache, back pain, arthritis pain and many other pain types that attack human body with such frequency and persistence, that medieval Holy Inquisition seems to be a complete ignoramus in making people suffer physically.
But do not underestimate modern people. They are ready to fight back any kind of pain with all possible and impossible means. They maintain a monthly supply of the most widely promoted pain killers in their houses with the accuracy, which may be compared only to the accuracy of maintaining the sufficient quantity of drinks in the bar.
Very often people do not think about the origin and reason of pain, forgetting that it is the natural alarm system of the organism, warning about some disease or injury. They usually simply decide to relieve (= kill) pain with the help of the first pain reliever, they come across in the nearest supermarket. Even if it provides only temporary effect people still ignore medical examination to find the actual reason of pain and choose the appropriate medication. Such humans attitude to pain is the first mistake in understanding it.
The second mistake is peoples approach to pain relieving medications. Treating such pills as the toothpaste or hair shampoo leads to situation when people choose them, pushed by TV ads advices and ignore reading the instructions and description.
However, understanding the basics of pain relievers, their types and principles of acting is the first step in using the right pill for every certain painful situation. Pain relievers are like guns: there are certain classes and calibers; each to strike the target in every particular situation.
Pharmaceutical industry looks more conservative in making analgesics (pain relieving medications) than military industry in making guns, because there are only two classes of such medicines: opioids and non-opioids.
1) Opioids are also called narcotics. This is a group of medications either derived from opium poppy (morphine, codeine) or synthesized artificially (oxycodone, hydromorphone, methadone). They are used to relieve severe acute pain, such as post-operative or cancer pain. Opioids work by blocking the feeling of pain in brains or by altering this feeling, so that a patient feels deep euphoria instead of pain.
These drugs are very effective not only in fighting pain, but also in turning people into the drug addicted persons. That is why opioids are available only with a prescription and should be taken under doctors control.
2) Non-opioids this group of pain relievers has no narcotic effect and includes medications, based on three major generic drugs: aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Actually, there are hundreds of brand names available on the market, but the majority of them have one of these three substances as the main working agent.
Aspirin and ibuprofen are so called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which decrease the inflammation process in organism, thus decreasing the pain, caused by it. NSAIDs are effective to relieve muscle, bone or arthritis pain.
When there is no inflammation, it is better to use pain relievers, based on acetaminophen, which is effective to fight mild or moderate pain.
Though this is rather short and simplified information about pain relievers, it is undoubtedly enough not only to read the drugs description, but also to understand what it says, at least in general.
The point is in trying to choose the pill for the certain pain type that will be effective and corresponding to the situation at the same time. Otherwise, you may be at risk of buying a machine gun to kill a mouse, spoiling your lifes comfort and that is, no doubt, not only a waste of money, but a serious source of danger for your associates and yourself.
Nick
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