Pharmacotherapy, which is also known as drug therapy , is a general term for using medication to treat different diseases. Drugs interact with receptors or enzymes in cells of human body to promote healthy functioning and cure illnesses. Regardless of the problems in the last 50 years, great steps have been taken to produce effective medications for treating many different diseases. Scientists believe that human brain is the most complicated organ of the body and so far, modern science has only been successful in understanding its chemical and nerve system through which it is working. Frequently, in current century we are experiencing a great deal of improvements in developing and testing new medicines which are useful for treating various physical and mental disorders.

The benefits of drug therapy

Drug therapy has many benefits. Medicines can cure many different diseases such as infections and rare illnesses, as well as treating the symptoms of a wide range of diseases. Patients should consult with their doctors to determine whether using drugs is appropriate for them or not?

What disorders can be cured with medicines?

These days several medical conditions of different diseases can be treated with drugs. Even those patients who have no incentive to take medicines may show symptoms which are treatable with medications. Examples of these medicines include:

• Antibiotics for treating a simple condition
• Pain killers after surgery or accident
• Short-term or long-term medications to fight addiction
• Antidepressant to eliminate symptoms of depression

The side effects of drug therapy

All the medications are tested and studied extensively and carefully for several times before being prescribed to patients. However, they may have unpredicted effects due to being taken with certain foods, herbal medications or other drugs. The drug usage depends directly on the patient and his or her situation. Medicines can be prescribed in the form of tablets, capsules, liquids which can be taken as oral drugs and Subcutaneous or Intramuscular injections.

The main task of medicines is to eliminate diseases, however many of them have side effects which can be mild or severe. If you read the information which is provided on the medicine’s box or bottle, you would find a list of alerts on drug interactions, allergies and side effects. So far, scientist could not develop a medicine completely free of side effects. In many cases, side effects are temporary and fortunately they do not last more than the duration of drug therapy itself.

Some of the side effects are :

Drug therapy side effects can include both mental and physical symptoms. Some of the common side effects of different medicines include: digestive problems, dry mouth, weight change, headache or dizziness. Some of the medicines can trigger depression or anxiety. All of these side effects can differ in terms of development and duration based on the dosage of drug, age, weight and differences in other factors regarding the patient’s condition.

It is interesting to know that medical research has revealed many useful medications for treating psychiatric disorders. Scientist are still trying to increase the effectiveness of these medications and eliminate their side effects.

Summary:

Drug therapy or pharmacotherapy means taking medicins for treating different diseases. In treating diseases such as cancer, HIV and diabetis, different type of medicins with variety of ingridients are prescribed which are known as combination drugs. Usually drugs have their own side effects which are mostly short term and can vary from person to person.