1. Health

Discuss in my forum

Analgesics and Analgesia Explained

By , About.com Guide

Updated August 22, 2009

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

See More About:
Definition: Analgesics are the category of drugs that are used to relieve pain. There are many types of analgesics, ranging from over the counter medications (Tylenol, Advil) to prescription medications that are given intravenously (by IV).

Analgesics provide analgesia, which is the medical term for pain relief.

More than one type of analgesic may be combined in one medication, for example, a prescription pain reliever may contain both Tylenol and Morphine, to improve pain relief.

Pronunciation: Ann-Uhl-Gee-Zick
Also Known As: Painkillers, Pain Relief, Pain Medications, NSAIDS, Opioids, Narcotics,
Common Misspellings: Analgezic, analgesik, Analgezia,
Examples:
The analgesic medication was given to the surgery patient to relieve his pain.

©2012 About.com. All rights reserved.

A part of The New York Times Company.

We comply with the HONcode standard
for trustworthy health
information: verify here.