How to «tame» pain and make it your friend?

Pain from a sunburn makes you leave the dangerous area and hide in the shade.

Pain from a rubbed foot tells you that the shoe size is not suitable and forces you to remove the damaging factor — take off your shoes.

In case of a knife cut, you instantly react to the pain and run for a bandage — to stop the bleeding.

A prick from a rose thorn suggests that you need to be more careful about where to pick the flower with your hands.

Imagine if we didn’t feel pain in these cases. We would notice injuries only visually, and most likely — too late. We would die from bleeding, burns, infections and not even understand what is happening.

How does pain occur? The pain «signal» in the body is transmitted through special chemical substances — inflammation mediators. They appear in the blood when tissues are damaged.

How does it work? Imagine a brick house. This is a cell of the body. An explosion occurs in the house and it is destroyed — this is the death of the cell. Bricks scatter on the street and now every passerby understands — the house is destroyed. The news spreads instantly throughout the city, and in 5 minutes they know about it in the city hall. Bricks are inflammation mediators, passers-by are the nervous system that carries the news to the brain — the city hall.

Therefore, pain is your friend, and you need to listen to it. If you often feel it in your heart, intestines, stomach, head or any other place — trust the «signal» and be sure to see a doctor for examination! Important: do not take painkillers before visiting a doctor so that he can make a quality diagnosis!

But what if there is a «malfunction»? The head hurts just like that, the joints ache from arthritis, and the back — from lifting weights yesterday? Agree, it only spoils the mood and does not carry useful information.

In such cases, pain needs to be «turned off». Ibuprofen — widely used in the USA, known in Ukraine. It blocks the formation of inflammation mediators and the flow of pain impulses to the brain decreases. According to FDA data, it is one of the best options for treating the following types of pain:

headbackwith arthritisMuscleToothMenstrual

The drug also has antipyretic activity. It is effective and safe for short-term use, it should not be taken for more than 3-5 days in a row. Like all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs — diclofenac, acetylsalicylic acid, etc.) ibuprofen can cause damage to the gastric mucosa. This side effect is significantly weaker in ibuprofen than in others, but it is there. It is better not to violate the dosing regimen from the instructions. Use with caution when:

Age over 60 yearsStomach diseases (including frequent heartburn)Frequent alcohol consumption (increases stomach damage)High blood pressureHeart and kidney diseasesAllergies to other NSAIDs

There is a wide choice of ibuprofen forms for children, which will come in handy when teething, in case of injuries and colds.

By the way, we wrote about compiling a home first aid kit according to American recommendations, ibuprofen is on this list. You can learn more here.

Want to feel confident and safe when buying medicines? We have compiled a list of tips for you on how to save money, health and nerves in a pharmacy!

If you think you need this drug — you can familiarize yourself with the trade names of ibuprofen and prices in pharmacies at the link.