Side effect | medicine | Britannica (original) (raw)
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chemical injuries
In human disease: Drugs …used today that have no side effects (i.e., effects unintended when the drug is administered). Although these side effects may be harmless and inconsequential, certain drugs have side effects that are potent. Similarly, a drug may be useful in a certain dose range but harmful when larger doses are taken.… Read More
clinical trials
In clinical trial: Clinical trials design …small groups of participants until side effects are noted. The trial is terminated when either the highest dose that can be given to humans with acceptable side effects has been reached or, in the absence of side effects, an effective dose has been achieved. Read More
psychotropic drugs
In therapeutics: Antianxiety agents …morning hangover effect and other side effects. The distinction between antianxiety drugs and hypnotics is not clear, because many can serve both functions. Small doses of hypnotic benzodiazepines are effective antianxiety agents, and in many persons, especially the elderly, antianxiety benzodiazepines can induce sleep. Read More
radiation and chemotherapy
In cancer: Radiation therapy The undesirable effects of radiation therapy are divided into acute and late effects. Acute effects occur in rapidly renewing tissues, such as the linings of the oral cavity, the pharynx, the intestine, the urinary bladder, and the vagina. Late effects, which are related to the total dose… Read More
In cancer: Chemotherapy The side effects of chemotherapy vary greatly among individuals and among drug combinations. Side effects arise because many chemotherapeutic agents kill healthy cells as well as cancer cells. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, anemia, loss of ability to fight infection, and a greater propensity to bleed… Read More
anticancer drugs
In anticancer drug …in reducing the severity of side effects associated with the drugs’ use. Indeed, because cancer cells are similar to normal human cells, anticancer agents are generally toxic to normal cells and can cause numerous side effects, some of which are life-threatening. Such side effects include hair loss, sores in the… Read More
bladder cancer
In bladder cancer: Treatment The side effects of radiation treatment may include vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, or skin irritations resembling a sunburn. Read More
brain cancer
In brain cancer: Treatment …localized, however, radiotherapy can cause side effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, or skin irritation. Radiation to the brain may cause scar tissue to form and potentially cause future problems. Memory loss may also occur. Read More
breast cancer
In breast cancer: Treatment Side effects of radiation include swelling or thickening of the breast, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea, or skin irritations resembling sunburn. Chemotherapy, the use of chemicals to destroy cancerous cells, is commonly employed. Chemotherapeutic agents also attack normal cells to some degree, causing side effects that include… Read More
cervical cancer
In cervical cancer: Treatment In addition to the side effects normally associated with radiation treatment, pelvic radiation therapy may also cause premature menopause, bladder irritation, or a narrowing of the vagina due to scar tissue buildup. Read More
esophageal cancer
In esophageal cancer: Treatment The side effects of radiation treatment include vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, and esophageal irritation. Chemotherapy is also used for some esophageal cancers. It is not curative, but it can relieve some symptoms and may be able to shrink tumours prior to surgery. Side effects resemble those of… Read More
lung cancer
In lung cancer: Treatment Side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, or additional damage to the lungs. Chemotherapy uses chemicals to destroy cancerous cells, but these chemicals also attack normal cells to varying degrees, causing side effects that are similar to radiation therapy. An experimental technology that has shown promise… Read More
therapeutic drugs
In therapeutics: Cough …almost equal effectiveness but fewer side effects. Most cough preparations containing dextromethorphan also contain a decongestant and an expectorant. Because coughing is an important defense mechanism in clearing secretions from blocked airways, a productive cough (one that produces secretions) should not be suppressed. Read More
In antihistamine: Side effects of antihistamines Used in sufficiently large doses, nearly all antihistamines produce undesirable side effects; the incidence and severity of the side effects depend both on the patient and on the properties of the specific drug. The most common side effect in adults is… Read More
antimicrobial agents
In antimicrobial agent: Side effects and drug resistance A number of antimicrobial compounds produce significant toxic effects in humans, but they are used because they have a favourable chemotherapeutic index; that is, the amount required for a therapeutic effect is below the amount that causes a toxic effect.… Read More
therapeutic index
In therapeutic index …produces unwanted and possibly dangerous side effects. This relationship is defined as the ratio LD50:ED50, where LD50 is the dose at which a drug kills 50 percent of a test group of animals and ED50 is the dose at which the desired effect is produced in 50 percent of a… Read More
vaccines
In vaccine: Adverse reactions …some risk of reaction, though adverse effects typically are very rare and very mild. The most common reactions to vaccines include redness and soreness around the vaccination site. More severe adverse reactions, such as vomiting, high fever, seizure, brain damage, or death, are possible for some vaccines. Such reactions are… Read More
