Nobody loves drugs, but once in a while, we find ourselves taking them. All drugs have side effects, and your vulnerability towards them depends on several factors. Prescription drugs ease our pain and heal us when sick. However, they have side effects.
Side effects can occur after taking any medications. They are popular in everything, from chemotherapy drugs to typical pain killers. Most prescription drugs have side effects like diarrhea and nausea, and most people constipate as these drugs go through the digestive system.
The health department has rapidly developed whereby doctors know how a patient’s genetic attributes affect their response to particular drugs. This genetics brand is called pharmacogenomics, and the article below will discuss how to manage drug side effects.
What are the Risks of Getting Side Effects?
Everybody is unique, but certain people are more likely to experience these effects than others. Age is the primary determinant as older people are more prone to experiencing these conditions. The main factors that increase the risk of experiencing these effects are;
- Genetics
Pharmacogenetics is the study of how your genes affect your reaction to certain medications, and genetic factors are significant determiners of how your body reacts. This field is evolving rapidly, and these tests have become more popular.
- Gender
Women have a smaller activity of particular hepatic enzymes because their body fat ratio is higher than their water ratio. This means they have a smaller drug clearance via the kidneys, which can cause side effects. Research has proven allergic skin reactions and liver toxicity is more common in women than men.
- Smoking
Cigarette smoking induces hepatic enzymes that metabolize most clinically essential drugs like methadone and olanzapine. This metabolization means excessive smoking causes these drugs’ blood levels to increase, increasing their side effects.
How to Handle Side Effects
Below we discuss how you can handle a drug’s side effects;
- Ask for Help
You are advised to ask your doctor about a drug’s potential side effects when they administer them to you. You and your doctor should be on the same page to ensure you do not experience these effects.
You should also raise any issues whenever you witness a side effect after taking those drugs. The medical officer might ask you to stick to the dosage or give you a better alternative. Some side effects diminish with time, and you can also lower the dosage if they do not stop.
- Have a List of Your Drugs
When talking to a pharmacist, you should have a list of all your medications to enable them to determine where the effects are coming from. Remember, a new symptom might be a drug’s side effect, and failure to produce clear records might make your doctor misdiagnose you.
It is also advisable to inform your doctor regarding your lifestyle changes to enable him to make a better decision.
Final Thoughts
Most drugs have side effects, and many reasons would make you more prone to them. The above article has discussed how to deal with side effects caused by medications.