There are many different classes (/ˈklæsɪz/) of drugs, and each class has its own purpose and effect in the human body.
The tables below also include examples of common drugs. When you see a drug name written with a capital letter, that is the brand name (/brænd neɪm/) — the name sold by a company.
When it begins with a small letter, it is the generic name (/dʒəˈnerɪk neɪm/) — the scientific name of the medicine.
Analgesics (/ˌæn.əlˈdʒiː.zɪks/)
An analgesic (/ˌæn.əlˈdʒiː.zɪk/) is a drug that helps to relieve pain or make pain go away.
The word analgesic comes from alges/o, which means “sensitivity to pain.”
Some analgesics are mild (/maɪld/), meaning they are used for light or moderate pain, such as muscle (/ˈmʌs.əl/) pain or a headache.
Other analgesics are much stronger and are called narcotics (/nɑːrˈkɒtɪks/) or opioids (/ˈoʊ.pi.ɔɪdz/) because they are made from, or related to, opium (/ˈoʊ.pi.əm/), a natural substance from the poppy plant.
These stronger painkillers make the body feel very relaxed and sleepy — almost like being half-asleep or in a dream — a state called stupor (/ˈstjuː.pɚ/).
They are used only when the pain is very strong, for example after surgery or a serious injury, because they can cause dependence (/dɪˈpen.dəns/), which means the body starts to need the drug regularly, and tolerance (/ˈtɒl.ər.əns/), which means that over time, the same amount of medicine no longer works as well.
Morphine (/ˈmɔː.fiːn/) is a typical example of a narcotic analgesic.
There are also some non-narcotic analgesics, which can reduce pain, lower fever, and decrease inflammation (/ˌɪn.fləˈmeɪ.ʃən/) — that is, swelling or redness in body tissues.
They are often used to treat problems in the joints (/dʒɔɪnts/), such as arthritis (/ɑːˈθraɪ.tɪs/) or rheumatic (/ruːˈmætɪk/) diseases.
These medicines do not contain steroid (/ˈstɪə.rɔɪd/) hormones like cortisone (/ˈkɔː.tɪ.zəʊn/), so they are known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (/ˌnɒn.stɪəˈrɔɪ.dəl ˈæn.ti ɪnˌflæm.ə.tɔː.ri drʌɡz/), or NSAIDs (/ˈɛn.seɪdz/) for short.
They work by blocking certain chemicals in the body called prostaglandins (/ˌprɒs.təˈɡlæn.dɪnz/), which are substances that make the nerves more sensitive to pain.
By stopping prostaglandins, these drugs help you feel less pain.
Examples of different kinds of analgesics are shown in the table below.
Anesthetics (/ˌæn.əsˈθet.ɪks/)
An anesthetic (/ˌæn.əsˈθet.ɪk/) is a drug that reduces or completely removes sensation (/senˈseɪ.ʃən/) — in other words, it stops you from feeling pain.
It can affect the whole body or just one small area, depending on the type used.
A general anesthetic (/ˈdʒen.rəl ˌæn.əsˈθet.ɪk/) affects the entire body.
It slows down the activity of the brain and the central nervous system (/ˈsen.trəl ˈnɜː.vəs ˈsɪs.təm/), causing a deep sleep or complete loss of consciousness (/ˈkɒn.ʃəs.nəs/), so that the patient feels no pain at all during surgery.
A local anesthetic (/ˈləʊ.kəl ˌæn.əsˈθet.ɪk/), on the other hand, affects only one part of the body.
It blocks the nerve signals (/nɜːv ˈsɪɡ.nəlz/) that carry messages of pain from that area to the brain.
This means the person stays awake but cannot feel anything in the treated region.
Local anesthetics are often used in dental work or minor skin operations.
Analgesics and Anesthetics – Examples
| Analgesics | Anesthetics |
|---|---|
| MILD | GENERAL |
| Acetaminophen (Tylenol) | ether (/ˈiːθər/) |
| Aspirin | halothane (Fluothane) (/ˈhæləθeɪn/) |
| nitrous oxide (/ˈnaɪ.trəs ˈɒk.saɪd/) | |
| NARCOTIC (opioid) | thiopental (Pentothal) (/ˌθaɪoʊˈpen.təl/) |
| Codeine (/ˈkəʊ.diːn/) | LOCAL |
| Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) (/ˌhaɪdroʊˈmɔːr.foʊn/) | hydrocortisone acetate (Orabase) |
| Meperidine (Demerol) (/məˈper.ɪ.diːn/) | lidocaine (Xylocaine) (/ˈlaɪ.də.keɪn/) |
| Morphine (/ˈmɔː.fiːn/) | procaine (Novocaine) (/ˈproʊ.keɪn/) |
| Oxycodone (Percodan) (/ˌɒk.siˈkoʊ.doʊn/) | |
| Propoxyphene (Darvon) (/prəˈpɒk.sɪ.fiːn/) | |
| NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDs) | |
| diclofenac (Voltaren) (/ˌdaɪ.kloʊˈfen.æk/) | |
| ibuprofen (Naprosyn, Aleve) (/ˌaɪ.bjuːˈproʊ.fən/) |
Brand names are shown in parentheses.
Antibiotics (/ˌæn.ti.baɪˈɒ.tɪks/) and Antivirals (/ˌæn.tiˈvaɪ.rəlz/)
An antibiotic (/ˌæn.ti.baɪˈɒ.tɪk/) is a chemical substance made by very small living things called microorganisms (/ˌmaɪ.krəʊˈɔː.ɡə.nɪ.zəmz/) — such as bacteria, yeast, or mold.
Antibiotics can either stop harmful bacteria from growing, or kill them completely.
They can also fight some fungi (/ˈfʌŋ.ɡaɪ/) and parasites (/ˈpær.ə.saɪts/).
Since the first antibiotic, penicillin (/ˌpen.ɪˈsɪl.ɪn/), was introduced into general use in 1945, antibiotics have saved millions of lives.
They have been very effective in controlling diseases such as pneumonia (/njuːˈmoʊ.ni.ə/), rheumatic fever (/ruːˈmæt.ɪk ˈfiː.vər/), and mastoiditis (/ˌmæs.tɔɪˈdaɪ.tɪs/), which is an infection of the bone behind the ear.
However, because antibiotics are very strong, they must be used carefully.
If people use them too often or in the wrong way, the bacteria can change and become resistant (/rɪˈzɪs.tənt/) — meaning that the same antibiotic will no longer work against them.
When this happens, the medicine loses its power to fight disease.
Antiviral drugs (/ˌæn.tiˈvaɪ.rəl drʌɡz/) are different — they are used to fight viruses (/ˈvaɪ.rəs.ɪz/) instead of bacteria.
Viruses are tiny organisms that can only live and reproduce inside human cells.
Antiviral medicines help control infections caused by viruses such as the herpes virus (/ˈhɜː.piːz ˈvaɪ.rəs/), Epstein–Barr virus (/ˈep.staɪn bɑː ˈvaɪ.rəs/), cytomegalovirus (/ˌsaɪ.toʊˈmeɡ.ə.loʊˌvaɪ.rəs/), and human immunodeficiency virus (/ˈhjuː.mən ɪˌmjuː.noʊ.dɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si ˈvaɪ.rəs/), which causes AIDS.
A. Vocabulary Practice
- An analgesic is a drug that…
a. causes inflammation
b. increases blood pressure
c. makes you sleepy
d. relieves pain - Myalgia means…
a. fever
b. joint stiffness
c. headache
d. muscle pain - Narcotics are also called opioids because…
a. they reduce fever
b. they are derived from aspirin
c. they increase energy
d. they are derived from opium - Dependence refers to…
a. habit formation
b. becoming stronger
c. immediate pain relief
d. curing infections - NSAIDs are used to…
a. reduce pain, fever, and inflammation
b. increase steroid hormones
c. make you unconscious
d. relieve only severe pain - Prostaglandins are…
a. a type of analgesic
b. drugs that induce stupor
c. narcotics
d. hormone-like substances that sensitize pain receptors - General anesthetic…
a. reduces tissue inflammation
b. causes loss of consciousness by depressing the CNS
c. relieves only joint pain
d. inhibits prostaglandins - Local anesthetic…
a. works on the whole body
b. blocks nerve impulses in a specific area
c. induces stupor
d. causes dependence - Stupor means…
a. a type of fever
b. a condition of near unconsciousness and low activity
c. joint pain
d. a non-narcotic analgesic - Morphine is an example of…
a. narcotic analgesic
b. NSAID
c. prostaglandin inhibitor
d. local anesthetic
B. Reading Comprehension
- Mild analgesics are used to…
a. induce stupor
b. relieve moderate pain such as headaches or myalgias
c. relieve severe pain only
d. reduce fever only - More potent analgesics…
a. reduce inflammation
b. are local anesthetics
c. are narcotics or opioids
d. are non-steroidal - Narcotics are used only for…
a. muscle inflammation
b. severe pain
c. fever reduction
d. mild headaches - Non-narcotic analgesics…
a. block sensory nerves
b. induce stupor
c. are not steroid hormones
d. are steroid hormones - NSAIDs work by…
a. making patients unconscious
b. inhibiting prostaglandins in tissues
c. increasing CNS activity
d. inducing dependence - General anesthetics are used for…
a. surgical procedures
b. reducing inflammation
c. mild pain
d. joint disorders - General anesthetics act by…
a. depressing central nervous system activity
b. stimulating prostaglandins
c. forming tolerance
d. relieving only local pain - Local anesthetics…
a. inhibit nerve impulses in a particular region
b. are narcotics
c. affect the whole body
d. are examples of NSAIDs - Analgesics include drugs that…
a. relieve pain of varying severity
b. only act on the brain
c. always produce stupor
d. are only steroid hormones - Morphine is classified as…
a. prostaglandin
b. local anesthetic
c. narcotic analgesic
d. NSAID
C. Application / Higher Thinking
- A patient has mild headache and muscle pain. The most appropriate drug is…
a. paracetamol (mild analgesic)
b. morphine
c. general anesthetic
d. local anesthetic - A surgeon needs to perform an operation. The drug he will use is…
a. mild analgesic
b. general anesthetic
c. NSAID
d. morphine - To relieve severe postoperative pain, a doctor prescribes…
a. narcotic analgesic
b. ibuprofen
c. acetaminophen
d. local anesthetic - For joint inflammation and pain, the most suitable drug is…
a. NSAID
b. morphine
c. local anesthetic
d. general anesthetic - Which statement is correct?
a. Local anesthetics block nerve impulses in a small area
b. Narcotics are safe for daily mild pain
c. Prostaglandins are drugs
d. NSAIDs induce stupor - Which drug reduces pain, fever, and inflammation but does not affect consciousness?
a. NSAID
b. morphine
c. local anesthetic
d. general anesthetic - A patient shows signs of stupor. The doctor suspects…
a. mild headache
b. local pain
c. narcotic overdose
d. muscle pain - Which is true about prostaglandins?
a. They sensitize peripheral pain receptors
b. They block anesthesia
c. They induce stupor
d. They are narcotics - During dental work, the dentist injects a drug to numb a small area. This drug is…
a. local anesthetic
b. NSAID
c. narcotic
d. general anesthetic - Morphine is prescribed carefully because…
a. it can cause dependence and tolerance
b. it reduces inflammation quickly
c. it does not relieve pain
d. it is non-steroidal
