Anti-inflammatory drug
Anti-inflammatory drug
Anti-inflammatory drugs (pronunciation: /ˌæntiɪnˈflæməˌtɔri drʌɡ/) are a type of medication that are used to reduce inflammation.
Etymology
The term "anti-inflammatory" is derived from the Latin words "anti" meaning against and "inflammare" meaning to set on fire. The term "drug" is derived from the Old French "drogue", possibly deriving later into 'droge-vate' from Middle Dutch meaning 'dry barrels', referring to medicinal plants preserved in them.
Types of Anti-inflammatory drugs
There are two main types of anti-inflammatory drugs: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Corticosteroids).
- NSAIDs - These are drugs that provide analgesic (pain-killing) and antipyretic (fever-reducing) effects, and, in higher doses, anti-inflammatory effects.
- Corticosteroids - These are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex of vertebrates, as well as the synthetic analogues of these hormones.
Related Terms
- Inflammation - A localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot, and often painful, especially as a reaction to injury or infection.
- Medication - A substance used for medical treatment, especially a medicine or drug.
- Pain - An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.
- Fever - A temporary increase in body temperature, often due to an illness.
- Steroid - Any of a large class of organic compounds with a characteristic molecular structure containing four rings of carbon atoms.
- Hormone - A regulatory substance produced in an organism and transported in tissue fluids such as blood or sap to stimulate specific cells or tissues into action.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Anti-inflammatory drug
- Wikipedia's article - Anti-inflammatory drug
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