Define Side Effects

Side effects are symptoms that occur due to the consumption of medication. Most medications have different side effects that can range in severity.

Common Side Effects

• Some side effects are more common that others, depending on the medication. The most common are nausea, fatigue, headache, dizziness, and diarrhea.

Rare Side Effects

• Rare side effects are defined as a side effect that occur in less than 1 percent of patients taking the medication. These side effects are completely dependent on the medication.

Causes

• Side effects occur due to the body's reaction to certain ingredients in the medications. Some patients may react differently to the medications and have different or unknown side effects due to their body's reaction to the ingredients.

Expert Insight

• According to the FDA, all medications are tested through clinical studies for side effects before they are approved to be prescribed by a doctor. The severity of the side effects are tested in order to keep patients safe and informed about their medications.

Treatment

• More often than not, side effects are not treated unless they make daily activities difficult. If they do need to be treated, a doctor may switch medications or lower the dose of the medication to reduce or eliminate the side effects.