How pain killer works: understanding the mechanism.



Pain and pleasure are two significant aspects of life. Good news, success, good health, and wealth bring joy, while heart-break, losing a loved one, or getting a physical injury causes pain and grief.

Pain is a sharp sense of discomfort due to an internal or external stimulus. It can be mild such as a pinprick, mild burn, or a small cut, or it could be excruciating, such as blast injuries, severe infections, or chronic illnesses.

Pain is divided into two types: physical or emotional. Being disheartened or being sad can be emotional pain, which cannot be cured by medicine alone. But when the body gets injured by any foreign object, it experiences physical pain and may require assistance for recovery and rehabilitation.

Pain can also be acute (Appendicitis pain) or chronic (Migraine pain). 

How Does Pain Work?

When a body is subjected to an external or internal stimulus, a special cell called nociceptor sends a signal to the brain. The brain then perceives the signal as pain and reverts to the pain receptor located at the point of damage. These pain receptors identify the pain signals and help to release hormones, such as epinephrine, to counter the pain and help the body recover. 

However, pain receptors may not always be able to counteract pain and may require assistance from external agents known as pain killers. Ibuprofen and paracetamol are some examples of painkillers. Most painkillers are scheduled drugs and require a prescription for purchase. These painkillers are available in retail and online pharmacies in India.

Note: US FDA has banned the drug Ibuprofen because prolonged use of this medicine can lead to kidney and liver failure, ulcer, or pancreas damage. However, it is not banned in India and sold by many pharmacies across the country.

What is Painkiller?

A painkiller is a drug that is specially designed to treat pain. When the body is in pain and needs instant relief, painkillers help by providing relief. Painkillers can be consumed orally (tablets or capsules) or through injection. They are also available in the form of an ointment or cream.

There are several painkillers available in the market. Ibuprofen, paracetamol, and aspirin are some examples of painkillers. Three major types of painkillers available are:

1) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): These drugs help the blood from clotting. It blocks the cox enzyme that restricts further development of the prostaglandin compound and eventually results in the reduction of pain and inflammation. The concerned doctor generally prescribes these painkillers to the heart patients pursuing a history of a heart attack.

2) Paracetamol: Paracetamol is used for treating pain as well as high body temperature. It works as same as NSAIDs.

3) Opioids: Opioids painkillers are divided into two parts, week and strong opioids. Week opioids help in treating severe pain, which can make the patient significantly addicted to it with an adverse effect. Strong opioids are used for treating hospital in-patients.

How Do Painkillers Work?

When a sharp object damages the body, the nociceptor releases arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid molecules attach to the enzyme known as cox, forming prostaglandin compounds. These compounds enhance the sensitivity of the nociceptor that increases the pain. In this situation, the painkiller works by attaching to the cox enzyme, restricting the invasion of arachidonic acid. This action controls the prostaglandin compound to produce sensitivity to the nociceptor. Eventually, the pain subsides by not receiving any signal from the defused nociceptor cells.

Conclusion

Painkillers are helpful when used in moderation and under a doctor’s supervision. Prolonged and excessive use of painkillers can lead to serious, sometimes life-threatening, health conditions such as liver and kidney failure. Home remedies can help in effective pain management without side effects. 

 

Popular posts from this blog

Anorexia Nervosa, a Silent Killer - Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Image
Understanding Anorexia Nervosa Most people suffer from eating-related disorders. Often these disorders do not pose any serious health concern; however, some disorders, if left untreated, can be life-threating sometimes. Anorexia nervosa is an eating-related disorder in which the patient is constantly trying to reduce their body weight either by exercising excessively or reducing to their food intake to reduce their daily calorific requirement. Patients suffering from anorexia show signs of physical and emotional discontent and may suffer from chronic depression, which if unchecked can lead self-destructive tendencies. Anorexia nervosa is generally observed in teenage women; however, it has also been observed in middle-aged women and men. This disorder can lead to severe weight loss and life-threatening consequences in some cases. In this condition, a person develops fear of weight gain. To counter this, try decrease their food consumption to intake as less calories as possible. For a n...
Read more

What is Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS?

Image
Introduction Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly contagious and sometimes fatal respiratory disease caused by a viral infection affecting the human respiratory organs. The first reports for SARS came from China in November 2002. In the next few months, SARS spread within China and other countries via unsuspecting travellers. A collaborative international effort and advances in medical sciences helped in containing the first outbreak of SARS. In December 2019, the second outbreak of SARS was reported in the Wuhan district of Hubei province, China. The delay in information relay about the SARS outbreak to the world governments led to a global pandemic situation worldwide as the traveling ban was not implemented on time. Vital information on the disease progression has developed, and health experts are trying to find a cure for SARS worldwide. Unfortunately, no vaccine or medication has been developed yet. There are several vaccines on trial. Some of the vacci...
Read more

Kidney Stone: Treatment and Home Remedies

Image
The human body is sensitive and needs special care to keep it in a safe zone. Maintaining a balanced diet, regular exercise, and healthy habits are key factors to live a healthy life. But it is not possible to adhere to the strict norms or checklist all the time. People have tendencies to avoid minor pains and body irregularities that often lead them to face trouble in the future. A kidney stone is one such issue that does not shows any signs or symptoms in its initial stage, and little pain does not call for medical help. Therefore, people do not care about the issue. This issue may later develop into a severe ailment with each passing day and the patient might take long to get cured. Understanding Kidney Stone: Symptoms and Cause When crystalline minerals and salts get deposited within the Kidney and the Urinary tract, it develops into a kidney stone. Kidney stone does not show any symptoms in its initial stage, but once the stone starts moving down the ureters, it causes sev...
Read more