What are Muscle Strains? Let us first understand how a person develops a muscle spasm. When a muscle or a group of muscles suddenly contract without any voluntary involvement on the part of the individual then the result is a muscle strain or a muscle spasm. In a muscle strain there is minor wear and tear of the muscle while in case of a muscle sprain there can be serious injuries to ligaments. Much of these injuries can be avoided if we lead a healthier lifestyle where we put our bodies through exercise so that the muscles are relaxed and flexible. Although it is not a hundred percent guarantee that you will not develop a strain or a spasm if you have been exercising. Even sportspeople do get these. Basically, whenever you are pushing the muscles beyond the limit, you stand a risk. The Side Effects As many of us do actually take muscle relaxants, it would be wise to know the side effects of such medicines. It is not to discount the fact that these medicines do actually have beneficial effects. But when it is overdone, there can be some serious side effects. Research has indicated that some people do develop a dependency on these kinds of drugs and it has also been well-documented that these drugs have often been abused as a street drug. Like most other drugs, muscle relaxants also have their own set of side effects. While some of these are pretty common ones, there are other side effects which are not so common and need to be brought to the notice of the medical practitioner who has suggested the medicine. In the following section of the article we will discuss some of these side effects. The Common Side Effects of Muscle Relaxants Of the various side effects of muscle relaxants, the most common ones are changes to the vision which an involve blurred vision or double vision, slight dizziness, feeling of lightheadedness, drowsiness and some people even complain of a dry mouth. Over a period of time the body adjusts to these common effects and it gets used to the drug. So such effects need not be taken that seriously and you can do without visiting the doctor. However, if the problems persist even after the initial period then it is advisable to consult the doctor. Some special groups of muscle relaxants may cause a change to the color of the urine. Chlorzoxazone may lead to patients having a orange or reddish-purple urine and Methocarbamol may cause green, purple or brown urine. However the effects tend to fade away as the consumption of the drug stops and the original normal color returns. The Serious Side Effects of Muscle Relaxants Some of the serious side effects of muscle relaxants are swelling of the face, problems in breathing, burning sensation, a tightness of the chest, slow heartbeat, trembling, rashes, fainting, red eyes, etc. These need immediate medical attention and should not be ignored.
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