Medications that selectively inhibit pain are called analgesics. They are able to temporarily remove not only pain but also fever and muscle tension. Moreover, analgesics do not cause any sickness, but only facilitate the human condition if the pain is unbearable, and returns the life its rhythm.
Is anybody able to cope with pain on their own?
It all depends on the duration and intensity of pain and its origin. Notice that the pain impulses that originate in organs and tissues are transmitted along nerve fibers into the brain. The appearance of discomfort is a signal to the body: sore spot requires careful treatment. Muscles near the source of pain relax, changing metabolism and circulation. The body begins to release its own painkillers and sending them to the damaged site. However, if pain is severe or prolonged, we may not have the internal resources of pain. Then comes the turn of analgesics.
Is it true that analgesics affect the brain? Can they in this case be safe?
Indeed, there are analgesics that “disconnect” pain from the brain. These are synthetic and semisynthetic drugs similar to the natural painkillers. They are called opioids and are very addictive. These are strictly prescription drugs that are prescribed in extreme cases. For example, to prevent painful shock after trauma, chronic pain or in cases of failure of other drugs. Narcotic analgesics all contain morphine, codeine, fentanyl and other similar substances.
Familiar to us are such analgesics like aspirin or paracetamol. They influence mostly on the peripheral nervous system that inhibit pain at the site of deployment. They do not cause any addiction and are considered relatively safe.
Analgesics are the means to reduce or suppress sensitivity for pain, without significantly affecting consciousness (Analgesia – ‘loss of pain sensitivity’; ‘an’ – ‘denial’, ‘algos’ – ‘pain’). Since ancient times, doctors have been trying to bring relief to the patient. Hippocrates 400 BC once wrote: “… removal of pain is a divine work.” Based on the pharmacodynamics of the drugs, the modern anesthetics are divided into two groups:
I – narcotic analgesics, or group of morphine. This group is characterized by the following affects:
- has a strong analgesic affect which makes them as effective painkillers
- may cause addiction, that is drug dependence associated with their effects on the CNS and the development of the disease state (withdrawal)
- overdose develops a deep sleep, rolling series of anesthesia, coma and finally ends with a stop of the work of the respiratory center. Therefore, they received their name – narcotic analgesics
II-nd group of the medicine is non-narcotic analgesics, which are the classical representatives of aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid. The drugs of the II group are not addictive, because the have different mechanisms of action.