Types Of Medications (according To Their Use And Side Effects)
Medicine is one of the sciences that has had the greatest impact on humanity. Thanks to it, the average life expectancy of men and women has lengthened. The ability to study and understand many of the disorders, infections and diseases that have affected us throughout history has allowed us to search for means to achieve better health. Among them is the use of medications
Drugs are a chemical compound that is made up of one or more active ingredients (that carry out the action within the body) and excipients (elements that are there to facilitate the administration of the active ingredient). Today, there is an extensive catalog of different types of medications, an entire industry is behind them. And its usefulness has become very common, which has forced campaigns for rational use of drugs.
There are various criteria to classify drugs, such as the ATC code (Anatomical, Therapeutic, Chemical) used by the WHO or other simpler ones, such as those guided by their pharmaceutical form (solid, liquid…), depending on the route. of administration (oral, rectal,…) or according to your indications. The latter may be the easiest to begin to differentiate types of medications, because it focuses on their use without going into much more detail.
Even so, The list of medications is very extensive so the best option is to focus on the most commonly used drugs to simplify the classification.
In this group of types of medications are all drugs that are intended to relieve physical pain, whether it be the head, the joints or anything. Its catalog can be divided into two large families: opiates and non-opiates.
The former have a more powerful action, are not allowed in self-medication and can generate dependency (like morphine); while the latter are quite the opposite, and include both Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and aspirin or paracetamol. Among the general side effects of NSAIDs are that they promote the development of ulcers, can cause kidney complications and increase blood pressure.
2. Antacids and anti-ulcers
Two different groups of types of medications, but which share similar functions: decreased gastric secretions If the acidity decreases, the appearance of ulcers is prevented. A well-known example is Omeprazole.
In these drugs, the most important side effects are alterations in intestinal transit (diarrhea or constipation).
3. Anti-allergy
This category includes drugs that are intended to combat the negative effects of allergic reactions or hypersensitivity.
The most popular are drugs from the antihistamine family, whose mechanism of action influences histamine, which plays an important role in allergies. Its adverse reactions are minimal, but it can cause diarrhea, drowsiness, fatigue or headaches.
4. Antidiarrheals and laxatives
Antidiarrheals are types of medications that are intended to relieve and stop the effects of diarrhea The most commonly used currently are drugs that inhibit intestinal motility, which promotes retention to achieve greater consistency and volume in the stool. The adverse reactions of these drugs are minimal, although some such as abdominal pain or constipation have been recorded.
On the other hand, laxatives are prescribed for the opposite case, in other words, to resolve constipation problems by increasing bowel movement or lubrication. Its use should be moderate and as a support, because prolonged treatment causes the intestine to not work correctly, reducing its capacity to absorb nutrients.
5. Anti-infectives
These types of medications are prescribed to deal with infections Depending on the infectious agent, they are classified as antibiotics (against bacteria), antifungals (against fungi), antivirals (against viruses) and antiparasitics (against parasites).
Self-medication is not recommended, so a prescription is always needed. The biggest side effect, especially in the case of antibiotics, is that they exert artificial selection on infectious agents.
For example, in the case of bacteria, within the same type of bacteria, there may be strains that resist the effect of a specific antibiotic. When this antibiotic is used excessively, all the bacteria die except those that are resistant, so in the end it will no longer have any effect.
6. Anti-inflammatories
As the name itself indicates, They are drugs that aim to reduce the effects of inflammation The most prescribed are those classified as NSAIDs, which in addition to reducing inflammation, have analgesic effects.
7. Antipyretics
Antipyretic drugs are a type of medication that has the ability to reduce fever Among the best known are aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol, which also have other functions.
In general, like NSAIDs, which are the first two, they can cause problems in the digestive system, unlike paracetamol.
8. Antitussives and mucolytics
These are drugs prescribed to try to reduce non-productive coughs, that is, it does not release mucus. Extreme care must be taken with their dosage, since some of them, such as codeine, are addictive.
As for mucolytics, they are medications that are recommended when mucus makes it difficult to breathe correctly. Its side effects are minor, such as headaches or allergic reactions.
