Opioids, as traditional analgesics, have become an indispensable part of anesthesia and analgesia. However, a lot of clinical evidences show that opioid‑induced hyperalgesia (OIH) seriously affects the postoperative recovery and quality of life of patients. In recent years, the mechanism of OIH has been dissected and many new drugs and treatment methods have been developed. However, the diagnosis and treatment of OIH is still a major concern in clinical practice. Therefore, this review summarized research advances in the mechanism, diagnosis method and prevention and treatment measures of OIH in order to provide new ideas for basic research and guidance for clinical application of opioids.