How does the painkiller know where I hurt? Do you knock on my whole body and ask?

Surprise check: Do you have any painkillers in your bag?

Who doesn’t have a few “favorite” painkillers these days? Take a pill when you have a headache, menstrual cramps, or toothache, and you can get back to work. (For frequent and abnormal pain, be sure to see a doctor first!)

Wait, how does the painkiller know where I'm in pain? If I still feel pain after taking one pill, can I take another? Are there any risks if I take it too often?

We have compiled 7 questions about painkillers, just read this article!

How do painkillers know where I feel pain?

Is it true that after the painkillers enter the body, they knock on the door of each organ one by one to interview:

That's not the case!

Painkillers don’t know where you’re in pain, and they don’t need to know. Painkillers are effective in different parts of the body, but you just can’t feel any changes in the parts that don’t hurt.

The painkillers we can buy in drugstores are called " antipyretic analgesics ". The effect of this drug is to inhibit the synthesis of a substance called "prostaglandin" in the body . Although it is called prostaglandin, it is not only found in the prostate. This molecule is distributed throughout the body's tissues and plays an important role in inflammation and pain.

Opioid analgesics such as morphine and fentanyl act on the central nervous system and can inhibit the transmission of pain nerve signals.

How to choose between different painkillers?

There are so many kinds of painkillers available in pharmacies. Which one is your favorite?

Several common over-the-counter analgesics, such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen, etc., are safe and effective, and it is difficult to say which one is absolutely better. The efficacy and side effects vary from person to person, and you may have to try it to know which one is more suitable .

Some old antipyretic and analgesic ingredients, such as analgin and aminopyrine, have poor safety and may cause blood system damage. These drugs have been gradually phased out, and if there are still stocks at home, it is best not to take them anymore .

In addition, when choosing painkillers, you should also pay attention to:

1. If the pain can be relieved by topical medication, there is no need to take oral medication .

2. Do not give aspirin to children unless the doctor allows it in special circumstances. This is to prevent a rare disease called "Reyes syndrome".

If you still feel pain after taking one tablet,

Can I have another slice?

Do not take it continuously in a short period of time! Be sure to take it according to the dosage and time interval on the instructions, otherwise it is easy to overdose. In addition, do not take multiple antipyretic and analgesic drugs at the same time .

The effectiveness of antipyretic and analgesic drugs has an upper limit. Increasing the dosage will not necessarily make the analgesic effect stronger, but the side effects will continue to increase and may even lead to dangerous toxicity.

Among antipyretic and analgesic drugs, acetaminophen overdose is the most dangerous . Although it is safe enough at normal doses, overdose may cause acute liver damage. The cumulative daily dose of acetaminophen should not exceed 2 grams.

If you have headaches, toothaches, menstrual cramps, or any other pain, you cannot eat more.

As mentioned above, after taking analgesics orally, the active ingredients are distributed throughout the body and can act on different parts of the body at the same time . However, different types of pain react differently to medications, so taking the medication may not completely relieve all pain .

But no matter how many places you hurt or how much it hurts, you must remember not to increase the dosage and frequency of medication without authorization . If the pain relief effect is not good, you can ask the doctor to adjust the treatment plan .

Is there any pain that painkillers can’t relieve?

It is quite common that painkillers are not effective. For example, common painkillers are not very effective for neuralgic pain such as trigeminal neuralgia . There are other treatment options for these pains. If taking medicine doesn't work, go see a doctor .

There are some precautions when taking painkillers

As long as painkillers are taken strictly according to the instructions, they are very safe, and some pain can be safely left to painkillers. However, you can't take them carelessly, and you should pay attention to these matters.

The most important thing is to be careful about acetaminophen overdose . As mentioned above, taking too much of this drug can easily damage the liver and may have serious consequences.

Carefully check the ingredient list of each analgesic, antipyretic and cold medicine (including Chinese patent medicines), as they may contain acetaminophen. Only one acetaminophen-containing medicine can be used at a time, and it must not be used at the same time. The dosage and frequency of use must not exceed the instructions .

Some Chinese medicines may also contain acetaminophen

In addition, there are other precautions for antipyretic analgesics:

1. Read the instructions carefully . If there are any precautions marked therein (such as liver and kidney dysfunction, peptic ulcer, asthma), you should consult a doctor before taking the medicine.

2. When giving medication to children, the dosage should be calculated carefully according to the instructions.

3. You don’t have to wait until the pain becomes unbearable before taking the medicine. The earlier you take it, the better the effect will be .

4. Do not drink alcohol while taking the medicine!

5. If the pain does not subside, you must see a doctor immediately.

Are there any disadvantages to eating it frequently?

If you only take it a few times a month, it's not a big problem. But taking antipyretic and analgesic drugs frequently for a long time does have risks, such as gastrointestinal ulcers or chronic kidney disease .

In addition, simply taking painkillers without seeing a doctor will also delay treatment. If the pain is not well controlled, you should actively seek medical treatment to find out the cause and seek better treatment . Many pains have better solutions than simply taking painkillers, such as taking medication targeting the cause or solving it through surgery. Seeking medical treatment as soon as possible can reduce pain and reduce the side effects of drugs .

If you don’t know which department to go to for this kind of pain, you can go to a specialized pain clinic .

Can painkillers cause dependence?

Will the effect of the medicine become weaker the more I take it?

These problems mainly occur only with opioid pain relievers; there is less concern with over-the-counter antipyretics and analgesics .

Opioid painkillers such as morphine can cause dependence. However, under appropriate medical conditions, dependence and addiction are actually relatively rare. These drugs are very useful for conditions such as cancer pain, and there is no need to be too afraid of them.

In addition, opioid analgesics can also become tolerant. With continued use, the dose required to achieve analgesic effects becomes larger. In this case, a professional doctor needs to adjust the treatment plan.

As long as they are used properly, painkillers are still a good partner to improve the quality of life. But remember to check the expiration date of your stock regularly, as it may expire if you keep stockpiling...

Author: Window Knocking Rain

Editor: Heijio sister

Cover source: Illustration/Wang Pichai

Guokr ( ID : Guokr42 )

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