Table of contents:
- What are painkillers?
- Long-term side effects of using painkillers
- Painkillers cause erosion of the stomach wall
- There are certain conditions that make people more susceptible to stomach pain
Most people are accustomed to dealing with various complaints of aches and pains by taking painkillers that can be easily found in drugstores without requiring a doctor's prescription. However, don't eat it too often. The reason is, if consumed continuously and in the long term, this drug can have serious impacts on health. Including increasing the risk of stomach pain. Why is that? Check out the full explanation in this article.
What are painkillers?
Painkillers or it can also be called NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are drugs that are generally used to reduce mild to moderate pain and reduce inflammation. NSAIDs are often used to treat headaches, menstrual pain, arthritis, and joint injuries. Examples of the most common NSAIDs are paracetamol, aspirin, and ibuprofen. You can find this drug at the nearest drugstore without or with a doctor's prescription.
Painkillers work by blocking the effects of chemicals in the body that increase pain. Unlike many other painkillers, this medication also reduces swelling which can ultimately reduce pain.
Although pain medications are very useful and have been used widely, they have a number of side effects that should not be underestimated if used continuously for a long period of time.
Long-term side effects of using painkillers
Reporting from WebMD, according to gastroenterologist Byron Cryer, MD, the most common side effect of using all types of painkillers in the long term apart from increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke is damage to your digestive tract, which includes your esophagus, stomach and small intestine. In fact, more than half of all bleeding cases in the stomach are caused by long-term use of painkillers. Ulcers and bleeding can occur without warning symptoms and in some cases can lead to death.
Bleeding in the stomach is a serious problem. But unfortunately, many people underestimate this condition. Several types of painkillers that increase the risk of stomach pain include ibuprofen, aspirin, indomethacin, piroxicam, ketoprofen, ketorolac, diclofenac, and so on.
Painkillers cause erosion of the stomach wall
The side effects of painkillers on gastrointestinal damage are caused by the mechanism of this drug in inhibiting COX (cyclooxygenase) enzymes in the stomach. In simple terms, this COX enzyme is an enzyme that is responsible for pain stimulation.
But it turns out, apart from being responsible for the pain mechanism, the COX enzyme is also responsible for the defense of the skin layer in the stomach. The reason is, the inhibition of the COX enzyme in the stomach from painkillers will cause the erosion of the stomach wall.
As a result, the stomach becomes susceptible to irritation by stomach acid if exposed continuously. Thus, gastric bleeding can occur. If this condition continues, the stomach will be perforated. In medical conditions, this condition is known as gastric perforation.
Gastric perforation can cause stomach contents to leak into the abdominal cavity and cause infection. Now, if the abdominal cavity is infected, this will cause peritonitis, which is an infection of the tissue that lines the inside of the stomach. This infection can lead to complications that make various organs in the body stop functioning. This condition is considered a medical emergency and can be life threatening.
There are certain conditions that make people more susceptible to stomach pain
Anyone can run the risk of stomach pain from taking long-term painkillers, but this risk is higher if you:
- Have a history of stomach pain, active stomach ulcers (pain in the lining of the stomach)
- Drink more than three glasses of alcoholic beverages every day
- Taking anti-inflammatory steroids, such as prednisone
- Having kidney and liver disease
- People with high blood pressure
- It is more than 60 years old
- Smoke
If you have any of the above conditions you should tell your doctor or pharmacist before using painkillers for your treatment.
Make sure you follow your doctor's advice and recommendations, remember that pain medication in addition to having many benefits also has various potential side effects, especially if used long term and in people who are at higher risk.
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