How Do Painkillers Work?
Do you frequently take pain medications such as paracetamol, acetaminophen, or aspirin? When you have a headache, fever, abdominal pain, or various other pains that arise in your body, you may buy some painkillers and take them, hoping that all your aches and pains will go away.
Like their properties, the drugs mentioned earlier are a group of painkillers. Have you ever wondered how painkillers can relieve your pain? Then will the effect last long? Do all painkillers have the same properties?
Nowadays, there are many drugstore brands that contain various types of painkillers. Actually, painkillers are divided into several parts, depending on their ability to relieve pain, namely:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Paracetamol
- Opioids
These three types of medication work in different ways to heal you from pain. Some are intended for pain that only occurs for a short time, but sometimes painkillers are also needed in the therapy and treatment of diseases whose healing takes a long time.
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How do painkillers work?
Pain medication can indeed relieve aches and pains, whether it’s mild, moderate, or severe pain. Each different pain requires a different type of medication. This difference also determines how the painkiller works.
1. Paracetamol
Paracetamol is well-known for relieving headaches or dizziness. Indeed, this drug is targeted to treat the part of the brain that causes pain. This drug will stop the production of chemicals that cause this part of the brain to become inflamed. Actually, the chemicals that cause this inflammation can be produced by all parts of the body, but these substances are indeed more abundant in the brain. Paracetamol is also useful for treating fever and headaches.
2.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
These types of drugs are such as aspirin and ibuprofen. The two drugs work differently from paracetamol. Ibuprofen and aspirin both stop the chemicals that cause inflammation, but not the chemicals that are produced by the brain that they stop producing. Chemicals that cause inflammation, also known as prostaglandins, are spread throughout the body and these two drugs are responsible for stopping prostaglandins from forming in any part of the body, except the brain.
3. Opioids
Opioids work by eliminating pain receptors in the body. These pain receptors are found in all parts of the body, but are most commonly located in the central nervous system and intestines. This type of drug has a very high dose, so it is commonly used to relieve very severe pain. Examples of opioids include morphine, methadone, buprenorphine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone.
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How do you take pain medication?
When you feel aches and pains, you can take painkillers for a while until the pain goes away. Drink according to the recommended and the dose that has been determined. And don’t forget to eat something first before taking painkillers like paracetamol and NSAIDs. This type of drug is very strong and can cause stomach inflammation and bleeding if you don’t eat any food before.
How long should I take painkillers?
Even if you are in pain, taking painkillers for a long time is a bad thing. Long-term consumption can cause the body to experience various health-related conditions. If your pain has started to decrease, then you should immediately stop taking the drug.
However, there are some conditions that require long-term painkillers such as arthritis. Of course this must be consulted and discussed with a doctor.
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What are the side effects of pain medications?
Every drug of any kind has its own side effects. Most of the side effects occur because the drug is consumed in high doses and without a doctor’s recommendation. Sometimes a combination of 2 or 3 drugs taken at once, can cause bad side effects. The following are the side effects that can arise if you take painkillers:
NSAIDs, this type of drug has no side effects that can endanger health, only side effects with mild symptoms. But in extreme cases, you may experience symptoms such as stomach bleeding, intestinal bleeding, and heart problems.
Paracetamol are over the counter drugs that you can get everywhere even without a doctor’s prescription. This drug is a safe drug if consumed in accordance with existing recommendations and regulations. However, if you take paracetamol in excessive doses then this can be dangerous for your liver.
Opioids, can cause several symptoms such as, nausea, vomiting, constipation, dry mouth, drowsiness, and confusion. In this case, opioids have a higher dose compared to paracetamol and NSAIDs, therefore the use of these drugs must be recommended by a doctor.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
