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Over the counter drugs Over-the-counter drugs, or OTC drugs, are perhaps the safest medicines that one can buy. These drugs can be purchased directly without the necessity of submitting a prescription. Over-the-counter drugs are mainly used to cure symptoms that are related to common ailments and diseases that do not seriously require a physician’s attention. There are thousands of over-the-counter drugs available in the market. The most general types of over-the-counter drugs are: Pain relievers: There are various OTC products that relieve your muscular aches, fever and headaches. The pain relievers are different for each ailment. Most of the drugs that you will see in your local pharmacy are either the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or the acetaminophen. The NSAIDs include aspirin, naproxen, ibuprofen and ketoprofen. The NSAIDs work in a different manner than the acetaminophen. The NSAIDs prevent the formation of the prostaglandins (that irritate the nerve endings thus causing pain) and the acetaminophens reduce fever and alleviate the pain. Cough medicines: There are two types of cough medicines: antitussives (or cough suppressants), and expectorants. Antitussives hinder the cough reaction. Dextromethophan is the most common antitussive available over-the-counter. Expectorants act by thinning the mucus. This way it is easy for the mucus to find its way out and in turn the lungs get cleared. Only the expectorant guaifenesin is available over-the-counter. Antihistamines: Anti-histamine is used to eradicate the allergies. It stops the receptors which initiate itching, nasal irritation, sneezing and mucus formation. There are three kinds of anti-histamines: Diphenhydramine, Brompheniramine and Chlorpheniramine that are obtainable as over-the-counter drugs. OTC drugs are easily found in the market but if ingested in a wrong way, they may produce more harmful results. Therefore always follow the guidelines of the manufacturers of these drugs.
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