Analgesics

Analgesics:

Injury, burn, pressure from sharp objects and other conditions cause pain in our body. The unpleasant feeling may be a burning sensation in the tissue around the injury, throbbing headache or ache of arthritis. Back pain, neck pain, joint pain, headaches, pain from nerve damage, pain from an injury and pain related to diseases are some of the most common pains.

The unpleasant emotion of ‘pain’ is created in the brain and not at the spot of the injury. If the pain is severe, say from burn, the impulse sent to brain trigger immediate response. Reacting to the signal from the brain, muscle pull our hand from the fire.

Reacting to the message received from the pain spot, the brain sends back messages that initiate healing process. It can trigger to release pain suppressing chemical and additional flow of additional white blood cells and platelets to help repair tissue at an injury site.

Analgesics or pain killers are the pain-suppressing chemicals released by the body. They suppress the feeling of ‘pain’. This analgesics drug selectively relieves pain by acting either in CNS (Central Nerves System) or on peripheral pain mechanism, without significantly altering consciousness.

When we are affected by fever, often we are administered Paracetamol. Paracetamol interact with the receptors and reduce the intensity of pain signals to the brain, also suppresses the release of substances, called prostaglandins that increase pain and body temperature.

Anesthetics

The first local anesthetic was cocaine was isolated from coca leaves by Albert Niemannin

Traditional anti inflammatory agents

These are classified as follows,

i. Non – narcotic (Non – additive) analgesics Eg.Aspirin

ii. Narcotic drugs. E.g. codeine