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of Consumer Guide, the Editors. "How to Cope with Medication Side Effects." 02 March 2006. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/how-to-cope-with-medication-side-effects.htm> 17 May 2008.
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Subtle Side Effects
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Subtle Side Effects
As previously mentioned, subtle side effects are typically only discernable through laboratory tests or examinations. In fact, you may not be aware of any symptoms at all. Here are a few of the common areas that are subtly affected by medication.
Blood
Many drugs affect the blood and circulatory system but do not produce noticeable symptoms for some time. Some drugs decrease the number of red blood cells, the cells responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.
If you have too few red blood cells, you become anemic; you appear pale and feel tired, weak, dizzy, and perhaps hungry. Other drugs may decrease the number of white blood cells, the cells responsible for combating infection. Having too few white blood cells increases susceptibility to infection and may prolong illness.
If a sore throat or a fever begins after you start taking a drug and continues for a few days, you may have an infection and too few white blood cells to fight it. Call your doctor.
Kidneys
If one of the side effects of a specific medication is to reduce the kidneys' ability to remove chemicals and other substances from the blood, then these substances begin to accumulate in body tissues. Over time, this accumulation may cause vague symptoms, such as swelling, fluid retention, nausea, headache, or weakness. Obvious symptoms, especially pain, are rare.
Liver
Since the liver is responsible for converting many medications and body chemicals into compounds that can be eliminated by other body organs (such as the kidneys, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract), drug-induced liver damage can result in a buildup of these substances. Because liver damage may be quite advanced before it produces any symptoms, periodic blood tests of liver function are recommended during therapy with certain medications.
As you can see, medication side effects range from minor, bothersome problems like skin irritation to major, potentially life-threatening conditions, such as liver damage. Because of this, be sure to discuss any side effects with your doctor.
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Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:
of Consumer Guide, the Editors. "How to Cope with Medication Side Effects." 02 March 2006. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/how-to-cope-with-medication-side-effects.htm> 17 May 2008.
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