In today's time, many people take medicines for minor illnesses, but do you know that some popular medicines can cause serious diseases if used for a long time?
Skin cancer is a serious disease, which can prove fatal if not identified on time and precautions are not taken. But do you know that some commonly used medicines can also increase the risk of skin cancer? Yes, research has revealed that some of our everyday popular medicines can damage the skin and cause skin cancer if taken for a long time.
The same precautions we take for sun protection and healthy skin are necessary for taking medicines. Many times, without knowing, we take such medicines which make our skin more sensitive to the sun rays, causing damage to the skin cells. Let us know which are those 4 popular medicines, whose long-term use can increase the risk of skin cancer and how it can be avoided.
1. Antibiotics
The main function of antibiotics is to eliminate bacterial infections. But some antibiotics increase the body's photosensitivity (sensitivity to sunlight). This causes irritation, rashes and damage to skin cells due to sunlight. Repeated use of this can increase the risk of skin cancer.
2. Diuretics (drugs that increase urination)
Diuretics are used to treat problems like high blood pressure and swelling. But these medicines also increase the sensitivity of the skin to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Continuous use of these drugs causes sunburn on the skin, which increases the risk of skin cancer manifold.
3. Immunosuppressants
Immunosuppressant drugs are usually given after an organ transplant so that the body does not reject the new organ. These drugs suppress the immune system, reducing the body's ability to fight infection. This increases the risk of serious diseases like skin cancer, because a weakened immune system cannot stop the growth of cancer cells.
4. NSAIDs (Pain killer medicines)
These medicines used as pain killers provide relief from pain and inflammation. But using NSAIDs for a long time increases the risk of skin damage from sunlight. Studies have found that people who consume these medicines excessively are more likely to get skin cancer.
