Definition - What does analgesic mean?
An analgesic is a substance within a class of drugs that are prescribed to reduce pain and inflammation without the patient losing consciousness. It is the group of pain relief drugs that is typically used for patients who suffer from chronic or acute pain. The drugs alleviate pain either by changing the brain's perception of the pain or by obstructing the pain signals from being delivered to the brain.
SureHire explains analgesic
Analgesics are categorized according to their effect on the central and peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is affected where these drugs target the brain or spinal cord and the peripheral nervous system is affected where they target areas other than the brain and spinal cord. There are three groups of analgesics based on the severity of the pain they are designed to alleviate. These groups are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID's), narcotics, and acetaminophen. While all three groups have risks, the use of narcotics carries the risk of potential drug abuse, drug addiction, and drug overdose.
