What are anti-inflammatory drugs? | Ignition

What are anti-inflammatory drugs?

The term “anti-inflammatory” describes a group of drugs that can relieve the symptoms of inflammation. However, the active ingredients contained in the drugs sometimes differ greatly from one another, which is why the way in which the drugs inhibit inflammation also varies greatly. The area of application can also vary, depending on the group of active ingredients.

The number of different anti-inflammatory drugs is very long. The best known are inflammation inhibitors of the group of so-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also called NSAIDs. These drugs, whose group includes acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin®), ibuprofen or diclofenac, inhibit the production of certain substances that are responsible, among other things, for the symptoms of inflammation. In the case of more severe inflammation, immunosuppressive drugs that inhibit various components of the immune system can be used.

When is it necessary to take antibiotics?

Antibiotics are drugs that either inhibit the reproduction of bacteria or attack the bacteria themselves. Antibiotics can therefore help to treat a number of different inflammations successfully. It must be paid attention however to the fact that antibiotics help exclusively if the inflammation is caused by bacteria.

If it is not bacteria but a virus or foreign substances that are responsible for the inflammation, taking antibiotics will not help to treat it. To find out whether it is really a bacterial infection, a doctor should be consulted. With the help of the patient’s medical history, physical examination and the analysis of specific inflammation values in the blood, he or she can determine whether it is a bacterial infection and whether it makes sense to take antibiotics in the individual case. Since antibiotics are always prescription-only, the attending physician can prescribe a suitable medication once the diagnosis has been established. If necessary, a sample with inflammatory cells must be taken to adjust the antibiotic medication during the course of treatment.

Inflammations in the human body

In addition to an inflammatory reaction visible from the outside, an inflammation can also take place in the body. Depending on how and where the inflammation takes place, it can be an expression of serious disease patterns, or it can be gradual and without clear symptoms. Almost every organ system in the body can be affected, often the urinary tract, lungs, intestines or joints.

The inflammation can also spread to other systems. In addition to the specific symptoms in each case, an inflammation in the body is also manifested by symptoms such as fever or chills, and patients feel ill and their performance is impaired. A severe course of an inflammation in the body is sepsis.

This is an inflammatory reaction that occurs throughout the entire body and is caused by bacteria and can be potentially life-threatening. In order to clarify whether an inflammation is present in the body, the physician can use parameters from the blood in addition to the clinical examination. Inflammation is manifested here by an increase in white blood cells and an elevated C-reactive protein (CRP); chronic inflammation can also lead to anemia.

Inflammation in the mouth can occur in different places and be caused by a number of different factors. Frequently, it is gum inflammation and inflammation of the mucous membranes that occur in the mouth. All inflammations in the mouth can be caused by bacteria, viruses or certain fungi.

Injuries and allergic reactions can also cause an inflammation of the oral cavity. Frequently, inflammations of the mucous membrane are also common, which become noticeable with the development of so-called aphthae. These are very painful, white-yellowish spots on the oral mucosa.

Aphtae are very painful to touch, and a small local redness with a grayish center is visible. The origin is not exactly known, some people suffer more from aphtae than others. This inflammation in the mouth is harmless and heals by itself after a few days.

Ointments or lozenges containing local anesthetics can relieve the pain. Infection with a herpes virus can also cause unpleasant inflammation of the mouth. To prevent inflammation in the mouth, good oral hygiene should be ensured and injuries within the mouth should be avoided.

Depending on the underlying cause, an inflammation can be treated with antibacterial drugs, antiviral therapy or symptomatically. Since inflammation of the oral cavity is usually accompanied by severe pain, pain-reducing medication can alleviate the symptoms. Also, very sour or spicy foods should be avoided, as these can increase the pain.

Furthermore, other pathogens can cause an inflammation in the mouth, especially fungi. Here one sees then a whitish coating in the mouth. Fungal diseases in the mouth should always be medically examined and treated, since they can be an expression of an underlying, more serious disease.

Besides the development of caries, an inflammation of the gums is a relatively common reason for a visit to the dentist. The main cause of inflammation of the gums is a lack of oral hygiene. Especially in places that are difficult to reach with a toothbrush, tooth plaque or tartar can settle, which serves as a good breeding ground for bacteria and can lead to gum inflammation.Gum inflammation is usually caused by bacteria and affects the externally visible tissue surrounding the tooth.

When the gums are inflamed, signs of inflammation such as redness and swelling are typically visible, and gum bleeding can also occur frequently, for example when brushing teeth. In contrast, gum inflammation is usually painless. Even without bacterial overgrowth, plaque can cause the surrounding tissue to be affected and gum inflammation to develop due to chronic irritation.

Symptoms of inflammation of the gums are pain and significant redness, in some cases the gums may start bleeding. The removal of food residues even between the teeth as well as regular oral hygiene can help to prevent gum inflammation. In addition to brushing your teeth, you should floss the spaces between your teeth regularly to clean even hard-to-reach areas.

In case of inflammation, antibacterial mouth rinses are also used. In addition, the six-monthly visit to the dentist and a tartar removal should not be missing. Professional tooth cleaning and the removal of tartar can be suitable treatment methods to prevent the recurrence of the inflammation.

Less frequently, viruses, fungi and injuries to the gums can be blamed for an inflammation of the gums. An inflammation of the pancreas, known in medical terminology as pancreatitis, can take both an acute and a chronic course. Acute pancreatitis is often caused by diseases of the gallbladder, for example the presence of gallstones.

In acute inflammation of the pancreas, the ducts of the gland are blocked. The enzymes that the pancreas normally secretes into the intestine now remain in the gland and the organ digests itself. Since the pancreas can be severely damaged in an acute inflammation, acute pancreatitis is a life-threatening disease that must be treated acutely.

Chronic pancreatitis, on the other hand, is largely caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Since not all alcohol-dependent people suffer from chronic inflammation of the organ, alcohol abuse is only assumed to be part of the reason for the inflammation. The exact background of the development of the disease The symptoms of pancreatitis are not yet fully understood.

The main ones are severe pain, nausea and vomiting, sudden food intolerances, pain after eating, stool changes and diarrhoea. In the chronic course these symptoms are milder, but there is a recurring pain. Especially the chronic inflammation of the pancreas can also lead to a loss of pancreatic function, resulting in fatty stools, diarrhea and various food intolerances.

These patients can also develop diabetes mellitus. One of the main causes of inflammation of the pancreas is the chronic form of excessive and long-term alcohol consumption, while acute pancreatitis is often caused by obstruction of the pancreatic ducts, e.g. by gallstones. But infectious, autoimmune or genetic causes can also cause pancreatitis.

The diagnosis is made clinically and by imaging techniques such as ultrasound or CT, and the measurement of enzymes such as amylase and lipase supports the diagnosis. Acute inflammation of the pancreas is treated with intravenous fluids and painkillers, gallstones may be removed or antibiotics given in case of infection. The therapy of the chronic form consists mainly of alcohol withdrawal, in addition to painkillers and the administration of pancreatic enzymes, if the production of these is already limited.

Inflammation in the intestine is a quite frequent occurrence, which can be caused by various clinical pictures. The best known are inflammations of the small intestine, also known as enteritis. Often viruses or bacteria, but also fungi or the ingestion of toxic substances are the cause of inflammation of the small intestine.

Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting are typical symptoms of an inflammation of the small intestine. Children are more frequently affected than adults. The most common inflammation of the bowel and one of the most common reasons for consulting a doctor is acute appendicitis.It is characterized by pain in the right lower abdomen and requires a quick intervention, usually the appendix is removed surgically.

Strictly speaking, it is not the appendix, a part of the intestine shortly after the transition from small to large intestine, that is inflamed, but an appendage of it. The counterpart of an inflammation in the intestine in addition to it in the left lower abdomen is diverticulitis, which mainly affects older people. The inflammation takes place in bulges in the wall of the colon, since bacteria can settle here particularly well.

This type of inflammation is treated conservatively with antibiotics. In addition to acute inflammation, there are also chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (CED), which are not uncommon in an internal medicine ward and increasingly affect young women. These include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

These are autoimmune diseases in which the immune system turns against the body for some unknown reason and triggers an inflammation in the bowel. While ulcerative colitis is limited to the large intestine, Crohn’s disease can theoretically affect the entire digestive tract from mouth to anus. It leads to abdominal pain, sometimes bloody diarrhea and, in complicated cases, to fistulas, intestinal obstructions or colon cancer.

CEDs are treated with steroids and immunosuppressive drugs. Ulcerative colitis can even be cured by removing parts of the intestine. However, this is the ultima ratio.

The eye can be affected by a variety of different inflammations. The eye consists of a number of different structures, and the inflammation can affect one or more of these structures. The causes are often bacteria or viruses, but also allergic reactions.

Probably the most common inflammation of the eye is the so-called conjunctivitis. It is usually characterized by pronounced itching, redness and a strong foreign body sensation in the eye. If the cornea is inflamed, a deterioration of vision may also occur.

An inflammation of the eyelid is colloquially known as a barleycorn (hordeolum) or, if a sebaceous gland in the area of the eyelid is blocked, as a so-called hailstone (chalazion). The hailstone is a slowly developing inflammation of the eye with swelling without pain, which usually does not require any specific treatment. The barleycorn, which is painful in contrast, is caused by bacteria and should be treated with an antibiotic ointment.

Allergic reactions are often accompanied by a reddening of the eye and increased production of tears. In general, inflammation of the eye of unknown cause should be clarified by an ophthalmologist to avoid serious complications. The tear glands can also be affected by an inflammation of the eye.

Here, too, bacteria are the cause, and inflammation of the lacrimal glands can also occur as a result of mumps, mononucleosis or influenza. Some illnesses such as chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases or rheumatic incidents are often accompanied by inflammation of the choroidal membrane of the eye, known as uveitis, which can lead to complications and should therefore be treated by a doctor. It can be divided into anterior, intermedia and posterior uveitis and can be viral or bacterial.

Symptoms are dull pain, a red eye and photophobia, eventually the visual acuity decreases. Which might also be of interest to you: Pain in and around the eyeA frequent reason for visiting your family doctor or an orthopedic department is an inflammation in the knee, called gonarthritis. Inflammation of the knee is the description of a variety of different diseases.

A number of different structures in the area of the knee joint can be affected by an inflammation. In many cases, the causes of an inflammation in the knee are previous operations such as arthroscopy or knee surgery, which can lead to bacterial inflammation in the knee as a complication of non-sterile work. After excessive strain on the knee, the bursa sacs in the knee, which serve as pads, can also become inflamed (bursitis), and in some cases the gout can become noticeable as an inflammation in the knee.

In the case of an inflammation of the joint, physicians speak of a so-called arthritis. Both pathogens such as bacteria and non-infectious causes can be considered for the occurrence of the joint inflammation. These usually include rheumatic diseases, which can be accompanied by an inflammation in the knee.

A distinction from arthritis is the so-called arthrosis. Arthrosis of the knee joint refers to the wear and tear of the joint cartilage in the knee joint.This can also lead to an inflammation in the knee and cause pain. The bursae of the knee joint can also become inflamed.

The inflammation known as bursitis (inflammation of the bursa at the knee) is often caused by overloading the knee joint and manifests itself in the typical signs of inflammation at the knee joint. For diagnosis and also for therapy, a joint endoscopy must be performed immediately in order to assess the extent and to flush the joint. Subsequently, an antibacterial therapy is initiated with immobilization.

In case of overstrain, the focus is on protection, gout is treated in the long term with a low-meat diet and Allopurinol. If rheumatism is the cause of inflammation in the knee, a combination of cortisone, ibuprofen and other immunosuppressive drugs is used. In all cases one should consult a doctor as soon as possible if pain develops together with redness and swelling in the knee.

Which could also be of interest to you: Pain in the kneeAn inflammation in the ear is usually caused by bacteria. A distinction is made between inflammation of the outer ear (otitis externa) and inflammation of the middle ear (otitis media), where the separating structure is the eardrum. Otitis externa affects the auricle and the external auditory canal, causing stabbing pain and possibly itching.

Besides bacteria, an ear canal blocked by earwax can also cause this inflammation in the ear. Therapeutically, the cleaning of the auditory canal and the local application of antibiotics are of primary importance. Acute otitis media is an inflammation of the ear, which occurs more frequently in children and is promoted by ventilation problems in the middle ear.

It is also very painful and can be accompanied by fever. In some cases, hearing is also affected. This inflammation in the ear is treated with decongestant nasal drops and painkillers.

Oral antibiotics are also used to combat the inflammation. The inflammation of the middle ear must be treated, otherwise complications such as a perforation of the eardrum or an infection of the inner ear can occur. Inflammation of the shoulder joint as well as the structures surrounding the shoulder joint can be caused by various factors.

A general distinction must be made between inflammation caused by certain pathogens such as bacteria or viruses and inflammation with so-called non-infectious causes. Bacteria or viruses do not normally have the ability to infect the shoulder joint and cause an inflammation. However, if the joint is injured or opened by medical intervention, pathogens can enter the joint and cause inflammation.

Non-infectious inflammation of the shoulder can be caused by various diseases. Diseases of the so-called rheumatic form are mainly responsible for this form of inflammation. Overloading and anatomical factors of the shoulder can also be responsible for an inflammation of the structures involved in the shoulder joint.

Depending on the cause of the inflammation, taking anti-inflammatory medication, certain operations as well as physiotherapy and muscle building can help to treat the inflammation and prevent it from recurring. Inflammation of the foot can occur at different sites and can be caused by different factors. Both the joints of the foot and tendons, ligaments and muscles can become inflamed.

Superficial inflammation of the foot is also relatively common. Inflammations of the foot are usually manifested by the typical signs of inflammation. Inflammations of the foot often cause visible redness and swelling as well as pain and overheating of the affected area.

It is also possible that normal walking or standing on the affected foot is no longer possible due to the inflammation and pain. Superficial inflammation of the skin, can partially spread to the bone and is usually caused by bacteria. Especially people who suffer from diabetes mellitus should regularly examine their feet for superficial inflammation and injuries.

An attack of gout manifests itself mainly at the joint of the big toe and also causes severe pain. Overloading can also lead to inflammation of the foot.