No pain is ignorable in our bodies. Any pain can cause a person to get annoyed, depressed, out of focus, and tired. When there is acute pain in your body, it is obvious that you would try to find quick relief, and painkillers are the easiest option. Most of us know the side effects of painkillers, but we ignore the fact that pain relief became our main focus at that time. Pain management centers or pain clinics in OKC have come up with alternatives because they believe that thorough treatment is more effective and less harmful than painkillers, which provide temporary relief but affect our bodies in several ways.
Many doctors in OKC recommend surgery as a permanent solution to chronic and acute pain. Clearly, treating the root cause of the pain is more effective than treating the symptoms. Here, we will describe some of the ill effects of painkillers that you may not know.
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Whether you are taking painkillers for a short or longer period, it will damage your immune system. Several painkilling drugs, including oxycodone, codeine, hydrocodone, morphine, and fentanyl, are capable of blocking the immune system to combat viral and bacterial attacks. Morphine and heroin are the two most dangerous opiates that affect not only the immune system but also the nervous system because they are highly addictive.
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Acetaminophen, while considered a safe painkiller, can be hard on the liver with continued use for chronic pain. As a result, the liver cannot effectively remove toxins, and the body is vulnerable to several diseases.
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The same applies to the gastrointestinal system. Studies have shown that chronic users of NSAIDs most likely end up with damaged small intestines as a result.
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Another study shows that consuming painkillers in a high dose can affect the neurological system and evoke several neurological disorders like depression.
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Drugs, including NSAIDs and others like COX-2 inhibitors, are linked to cardiovascular risks.
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Apart from these prominent ones, there are issues like reduced fertility, neonatal risks, erectile dysfunction, kidney problems, joint damage, stomach bleeding, and many more.
There are more than 20 NSAIDs and 100 NSAID-containing products available on the market. The list includes Aspirin, Advil, Motrin, and Aleve household brands that millions of Americans take regularly. These types of drugs cause more than 100,000 hospitalizations and above 16,000 deaths a year.
Our pain management clinic in OKC recommends non-invasive treatments for managing pain. Come to us at Oklahoma Spine & Pain Management and learn more about the advanced options we provide to reduce or eliminate pain without the side effects of painkillers.
* * Disclaimer: This content should not be considered medical advice and does not imply a doctor-patient relationship.
