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Arthritis Medicine |
Arthritis MedicineMedication plays an important role in the treatment of arthritis.
Arthritis medicine is used to achieve a number of goals such as easing the pain and inflammation and retarding the progress of arthritis. Let us look at some of the common types of medicines that are used in the treatment of arthritis.
Analgesics Pain is one of the most common symptoms of arthritis. It is also what makes this disease so dreadful and crippling.
Arthritic pain can render even the most common everyday task onerous and painful. Analgesics relieve pain and are one of the most widely prescribed arthritis pain medications.
Depending on the severity of the pain, your doctor will prescribe some analgesic medication for you to use. The se drugs are mostly taken orally, though in some cases, they may also be administered by injections or trans-dermal patches.
NSAIDs Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs as they are commonly called, are used to treat the inflammation associated with arthritis. They are also used to combat a number of other ailments such as muscle aches, headaches, minor pain and fever. Aspirin is probably the most well-known NSAID and is used all over the world.
Arthritis treatment utilizes many different kinds of NSAID medicines.
One major drawback of these medicines is that with prolonged use, they adversely affect the stomach lining and may lead to complications such as acidity, gastrointestinal bleeding, and kidney problems. Treating arthritis frequently requires large doses of these medicines over long periods of time, so there is a new kind of NSAID that has been developed for arthritis treatment: the COX-2 Inhibitor. These inhibitors help reduce pain and inflammation but are designed to be safer for the stomach.
DMARDs DMARD stands for disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug. These are prescribed for patients suffering from a chronic form of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and systemic lupus.
DMARDs retard the spread of arthritis throughout the body. They are slow acting medicines and should be started as soon as the appearance of chronic arthritis is confirmed; otherwise permanent damage to the joints may occur.
DMARDs suppress the immune system and leave the body vulnerable to other infections. Patients undergoing treatment with DMARDs should avoid putting themselves in situations where there is a risk of infection and should consult with their doctor at the slightest sign of chills, fever, sore throat or cough. It is also important to check with your doctor before getting any vaccinations.
Corticosteroids Corticosteroids are used to supplement arthritis treatment in cases of severe pain and inflammation. These are one of the quickest working drugs to ease arthritic pain and inflammation but come loaded with side effects. Excessive usage of corticosteroids may lead to osteoporosis, cataracts and elevated blood sugar levels. Corticosteroids may be administered orally or injected directly into the affected joint to control localized inflammation.
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