6 dangerous health impacts of abusing painkillers

Even though the modern age has brought so many comforts with it, we are still struggling to keep ourselves afloat, especially in terms of living a healthy life. Almost every person is suffering from a range of medical conditions from as benign as a headache to as dangerous as cancer.

Resultantly, we are hooked to various types of medications that make us dependent, and one of the most dangerous culprits are the painkillers. Although there exist many natural painkillers, we still are adamant about popping painkillers like candies for something as harmless as a common headache. Therefore, we have listed here six health impacts of abusing painkillers so that you can feel encouraged to minimize their usage.

1. Liver damage

The liver is the organ that breaks down and processes all the drugs; therefore, excessive consumption of painkillers has a direct impact on the liver because it starts to store toxins. One such toxin is called acetaminophen, which is incredibly dangerous to the liver and is present in most of the painkillers in unknown amounts. Therefore, you can never be sure about the dosage, and if you continue to take it in the long run, you are exposing your liver to a life-threatening situation.

2. Rhabdomyolysis

Excessive consumption of painkillers can lead to a person lying in a comatose position, and it leads to a condition called Rhabdomyolysis. In this condition, muscle tissues start to break down under the compression induced due to the continuous immobility. As a result, substances released during the breakdown, flood the system, and cause irreparable damage to major organs like kidneys.

3. Blood thinners with painkillers

Painkillers like ibuprofen and aspirin can have a mild blood-thinning effect, which does not substantially affect a majority of the people. But, hypertensive people are already on blood thinners; therefore, when they make the mistake of coupling their blood-thinning medicines with painkillers, catastrophe can ensue, because over thinning of blood can lead to massive internal bleeding episodes.

4. Hormonal imbalance

Painkillers that belong to the class of opioids can have a significant impact on the sex hormones of both males and females. As a result, people end up experiencing reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, constant fatigue, and infertility issues.

5. Lungs malfunctioning

Opioids and other similar painkillers suppress the breathing system of human beings such that they intervene in the normal functioning of the lungs. Recent research has concluded that those who take opioids regularly have a higher risk of developing pneumonia, and inhalation of painkillers can also result in the build-up of fluid in the lungs.

6. Miscarriages

Women are reported to be more prone to develop joint pains, and therefore, they are the biggest consumers of NSAIDs. But, little do they know that these drugs can have incredibly damaging effects if they are pregnant because statistically, women who take NSAIDs regularly have 20 percent more chance to have a miscarriage.

These side effects are not only limited to painkillers, but most of the prescription drugs have a whole range of side effects that keep on swelling as these drugs are spending more and more time in the market. As a result, many companies like the ones who manufactured Zantac lost a lot of money in legal battles when every victim filed a Zantac Lawsuit because they experienced undocumented side effects.