Medication can help your body fight disease in many different ways. They destroy abnormal cells, replace vital hormones, and interfere with germs. There are many different medications available to treat numerous conditions. Take a look at some of the primary ways that medication affects your body.
It Fights Infections
You get an infection when bacteria or viruses invade your body. Medication helps by killing germs or neutralizing them. There are many drugs that can help, such as augmentin, which can treat infections. Bactrim is a drug for urinary tract infections, and Valtrex treats the herpes virus.
It Targets Cancer Cells
Medications that target cancer cells come in three different types. Chemotherapy goes after cancer cells to stop them from growing and spreading. Another type is biological therapy, which helps the immune system fight the cancer. The third is an antiangiogenic therapy that stops new blood vessels from growing to a tumor, which prevents it from getting nutrients and oxygen that it needs to survive.
It Replaces Vital Substances
Everyone’s bodies need proteins, vitamins, and minerals so that they work properly. When you are lacking any of these, you can develop different illnesses and be at a greater risk of other diseases.
Hormones are also important for keeping your body functioning properly, and some medications replace them. For example, when you don’t produce enough insulin, you get diabetes. You can get hypothyroidism from a lack of thyroid hormone, and more.
Medications Can Change How Cells Work
There are quite a few diseases that are caused by cell abnormalities, and medications can help with this. Asthma, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease are great examples of this. The medications will target the cell and target the abnormalities.
For example, anti-depression drugs may increase the chemical messengers sent out from your brain, or beta blockers help with hypertension by making cells in the heart less sensitive to adrenaline.
How Are Drugs Introduced to the Body?
Drugs are introduced to the body in different ways. They can be taken orally or they can be ingested sublingually by placing them under the tongue. They can be absorbed between the gums and the cheek or they can be injected. You can inhale them into your lungs or you can have them delivered transdermally through your skin with a patch. They can be placed in orifices such as the eyes, the ears, the nose, or the vagina or rectum.