Think twice before taking a painkiller

24 September, 2012

The leading cause of deaths in the US is not the car accidents or drugs like heroin. According to a new study, prescription painkiller deaths have become the leading cause of deaths in the country.

THE EXPERTS from the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programme (PDMP) Centre of Excellence at Brandeis University have systemically accessed the PDMC and found that prescription painkillers have become an epidemic, which are killing more people in US, than combined deaths due to heroin and cocaine.

The painkillers are widely used for relieving pain like minor aches, toothache, back pain, joint pains, headache, muscular ache, arthritis, migraine, and for speedy recovery from surgeries. But according to some studies the painkiller overdose is becoming responsible for many deaths. These deaths due to the overdose are contributed by almost all the pain killers, but the drug which is playing a central role in this epidemic is methadone, reported Zee News. It is commonly prescribed as a painkiller because it is a generic-drug that provides a long lasting relief from pain. The Food and Drug Administration of the US has also warned about the risks of this drug.

The addiction to painkillers worsens gradually when the prescribed painkillers used for chronic pain stop to show their effect. This forces an individual to increase the dose than prescribed by a medic, and this leads to the development of tolerance to the drugs in the body. The addicted individual soon finds himself revolving around the medicines. Now, the individual consults a different doctor every time for a different prescription, but this is not the solution for the problem; rather it is dangerous for the individual's health. A person addicted to painkillers also tries to use the drugs that are prescribed for someone else.

According to the study, the new generation teens are at a high risk of using prescription pain killers. They are using the painkiller as a means of getting high. And about eighteen percent of the teens admit that they are using it to get high. But they still don't know that they are getting addicted to the painkillers which can cause severe health hazards. They need to go for a addiction treatment as soon as possible.

As the painkillers are very easily available in the market with or without the prescription, so it is very important to communicate the adverse effects of painkillers to the general public. Some of the adverse effects of painkillers are:

Improper digestion – the proper digestion can be hindered because of taking painkillers; this is a very common side effect of painkillers.

Vision problem – it can sometimes lead to blurred vision and uneven line formation.

Respiratory and heart problems – one of the causes for respiratory and heart problems. It adversely affects the heart rate and leads to heart problems like heart attack.

Weakness – painkillers weaken the body and affect the functionality of body. They can also cause nausea and fever.

Skin issues – painkillers can cause dry, itchy and patchy skin, which gradually becomes rough and scaly.

Using painkillers once in a while is not an issue, but making it a habit and getting addicted to them can cause much damage to your body. So try to keep yourselves away from these painkillers unless unavoidable.