Nonsteroidal
Antiinflammatory Drugs and Antihistamines
Drugs are also classified according to their major
actions
rather than the organ systems to which they are targeted. Nonsteroidal
antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve), and ketoralac (Toradol). These drugs reduce pain by reducing the painful stimulus at the site of tissue damage such as in an abscessed tooth, rather than altering the perception of pain, as do stronger analgesics. The NSAIDs and the analgesic acetaminophen (Tylenol) also reduce fever by acting on the region of the brain that controls the body temperature and decrease inflammation caused by chemicals released into wounds by certain blood cells. Aspirin can also reduce the ability of the blood to clot, which is one reason aspirin is given to prevent heart attacks.
Antihistaminic drugs block the
actions of the chemical histamine, which is responsible for allergies such as hay fever. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and terfenadine (Seldane) are among the large number of drugs in this group.