Humans create many things that help them make their lives better, and one of the best inventions in medicine.
Medicines have been used for thousands of years to treat wounds and illnesses, only that we have vastly improved the quality and effectiveness they offer.
Painkillers, in particular, are very helpful to military personnel, players, and any sick people with severe pain since it helps relieve it and give them a chance to rest. One of the most common painkillers is ibuprofen so let us look at how it affects you;
Does Ibuprofen Make You Sleepy?
Ibuprofen will work well with reducing your pain, headaches, fever, and a long list of mild pains, but it will not make you sleepy. If you feel tired, it might be because of other medication you took along with the ibuprofen or exhaustion when you are sick.
How Does Ibuprofen Work?
When something gets in your eye, you can’t see it, but you feel pain. You will rinse your eyes and know it is okay when you don’t feel pain anymore. Some people can’t feel pain, which is dangerous to hurt yourself.
Pain is the body’s warning system that protects you from environmental dangers. We develop Nociceptors around our bodies; they are specialized nerve cells that stretch through all your organs, muscles, and teeth.
They work like all nerve cells to send information to the brain, but they only send information if something damaging is happening at their location. If you softly feel the tip of a needle, you get touch without pain, your regular nerve cell system.
If you push harder onto the needle, you trigger the Nociceptors, and they send a signal to the brain to stop pushing. Certain chemicals can tune the point at which Nociceptors get started in the body.
When cells are damaged, they produce these tuning chemicals. Thus the Nociceptors become more sensitive, and you feel pain with the slightest triggers; this is where painkillers come in. They block the production of these tuning enzymes to inhibit the whole process.
When the cells are destroyed, they secrete Arachidonic acid, acted on by an enzyme called COX, into Prostaglandins, leading to pain, fever, inflammation, etc. Ibuprofen inhibits the action of the COX enzyme on Arachidonic acid.
This means that there would be reduced production of Prostaglandins which reduces enzymes causing pain, fever, and inflammations.
Ibuprofen also affects your brain’s hypothalamus to cause vasodilation which means your blood vessels become more expansive.
Vasodilation brings the blood vessels closer to your skin surface; hence the blood cools down, and it helps you reduce fever.
COX also produces enzymes that could cause your platelets to become sticky and lead to a blood clot in your bloodstream. By inhibiting COX, ibuprofen reduces the possibility of a blood clot. Thus it can save your life.
Conclusion
Ibuprofen is a common pain killer, and it works well for most people. It has some side effects, but it won’t make you sleepy; you might get a headache, feel nauseated, get diarrhea, or itchy skin if you are allergic to the medication.
