How killing are painkillers?
Wednesday - May 2, 2018 10:29 am ,
Category : WTN SPECIAL
May 2 (WTN)- Painkillers are popped like candies these days. Youngsters in particular are reckless when it comes to living on painkillers for every heck of a pain they are face to face with.
Awareness is poor and they mostly don’t care about the consequences such unstudied and frequent use of painkillers have on long term health.
Medical shops in India still continue to sell medicines without valid prescriptions despite laws stipulating so and as a result of this, youngsters have easy access to painkillers. In the US, every year at least 17,000 people die due to overuse of painkillers.
Apart from the medical implication of the excess, painkillers also cause addiction and after a period of time, no pain heals without medicine.
Or in other words, a person becomes so dependent on drugs that even for the most ordinary of pains, he goes for a painkiller, whereas in normal circumstances such pain would heal on its own in a matter of hours. No strong painkiller should be taken for any period of time without the consultation of a qualified medical practitioner.
Even under a doctor’s supervision, people end up using more than the prescribed doses and cause harm to themselves. Liver damage is a very potent and common consequence of excessive use of painkiller. Those who take alcoholic drinks are more vulnerable to such damage.
Drowsiness, constipation and respiratory depression are also not so uncommon results of painkiller excesses.
The only way to minimise the risks of painkiller addiction is simply to avoid painkillers as long as it doesn’t become inevitable. Casual consumption is the deadliest habit.
Any unbearable or prolonged pain must be taken up with a doctor and medicine must be taken strictly as per his guidelines. There should be no leniency or liberty taken with medication. A little lapse can take a big toll.
The boom in painkiller abuse started tentatively in the late 90s when wider availability and access to the drugs made them must-haves with any youngsters.
Often painkillers are started as fun, without giving much concern for its consequence as youngsters are impulsive and want easy shortcut solutions which provide immediate relief. But this immediacy and urgency is detrimental to their health which they realise only when it gets too late.
Several of the painkilling drugs are opiate variants and give an instant high which is the first step towards dependence and addiction.
Such painkillers stop or regulate the release of dopamine in the body, which then floods the brain and gives the high. The soothing effect in turn also soothes the sensibilities and reduces reaction time, affecting alertness and control of movements and reflexes.
Parents must be cautious about their children’s habits and should play an active role in stopping them from doing anything that can pose a potential health hazard.
Early intervention is one of the best ways to nip a bad habit in the bud. Delay can be fatal because an addiction is hard to come out of once it sets in.
-Window To News
Awareness is poor and they mostly don’t care about the consequences such unstudied and frequent use of painkillers have on long term health.
Medical shops in India still continue to sell medicines without valid prescriptions despite laws stipulating so and as a result of this, youngsters have easy access to painkillers. In the US, every year at least 17,000 people die due to overuse of painkillers.
Apart from the medical implication of the excess, painkillers also cause addiction and after a period of time, no pain heals without medicine.
Or in other words, a person becomes so dependent on drugs that even for the most ordinary of pains, he goes for a painkiller, whereas in normal circumstances such pain would heal on its own in a matter of hours. No strong painkiller should be taken for any period of time without the consultation of a qualified medical practitioner.
Even under a doctor’s supervision, people end up using more than the prescribed doses and cause harm to themselves. Liver damage is a very potent and common consequence of excessive use of painkiller. Those who take alcoholic drinks are more vulnerable to such damage.
Drowsiness, constipation and respiratory depression are also not so uncommon results of painkiller excesses.
The only way to minimise the risks of painkiller addiction is simply to avoid painkillers as long as it doesn’t become inevitable. Casual consumption is the deadliest habit.
Any unbearable or prolonged pain must be taken up with a doctor and medicine must be taken strictly as per his guidelines. There should be no leniency or liberty taken with medication. A little lapse can take a big toll.
The boom in painkiller abuse started tentatively in the late 90s when wider availability and access to the drugs made them must-haves with any youngsters.
Often painkillers are started as fun, without giving much concern for its consequence as youngsters are impulsive and want easy shortcut solutions which provide immediate relief. But this immediacy and urgency is detrimental to their health which they realise only when it gets too late.
Several of the painkilling drugs are opiate variants and give an instant high which is the first step towards dependence and addiction.
Such painkillers stop or regulate the release of dopamine in the body, which then floods the brain and gives the high. The soothing effect in turn also soothes the sensibilities and reduces reaction time, affecting alertness and control of movements and reflexes.
Parents must be cautious about their children’s habits and should play an active role in stopping them from doing anything that can pose a potential health hazard.
Early intervention is one of the best ways to nip a bad habit in the bud. Delay can be fatal because an addiction is hard to come out of once it sets in.
-Window To News
