Paracetamol or ibuprofen are the two resources par excellence to relieve specific pain. Its use extends to the typical morning headache, stomach discomfort or even to alleviate a hangover caused by alcohol. The reality is that choosing one of these two when opening the first aid kit is usually the big dilemma and you end up choosing one indiscriminately.
Broadly speaking, the first is recommended for the treatment of ailments related to flu, headaches or the presence of fever. On the other hand, the second is anti-inflammatory and has very diverse approved indications: menstruation, sprains, teeth, contractures or for the back, among others.
Although they may serve different purposes, sometimes they can be used for the same medical problem, which is where the uncertainty comes from. However, it is advisable to consult the leaflet or consult a professional to know exactly which of the two would be the most recommended for a specific treatment.
How a medicine works
Once the medication to take has been selected, another big question arises: How do you know where the pain is? This issue generates so much curiosity among patients that some even joke with the existence of a little inner elf that guides the pills to their final destination. However, the reality is very different.
The short and quick answer is that they don’t know. None of them have the ability to identify which part of the body they should act on, but they still end up relieving a certain discomfort. This process has a medical explanation that can be summarized in the following steps: absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion.
To illustrate this process, let’s assume that the pain to be treated is located in the knee. Regardless of which pill you decide to take, the ‘trip’ is similar. Firstly, when taken orally, the pill gradually releases the diclofenac from the capsule and dissolves in the medium.
Subsequently, the drug is absorbed in the stomach or intestine and enters the blood circulation. The next step consists of its distribution throughout the body, which is carried out through the blood. In this way, it travels throughout the body, crossing the different tissues, until it reaches the exact area where it should stop.
Thus, when passing through the knee area it will act in one way or another depending on the type of medication that has been taken. This is because receptor molecules are found in that place that allow the interaction to occur with the chemical structure of the drug. In this way, the drug stimulates these receptors to trigger the cell’s response. Finally, it is transformed so that it can be eliminated from the body.
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