Everyone knows a drug such as paracetamol, but not everyone knows what it helps. After all, it acts simultaneously as an analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent.
How does paracetamol work?
This medicine has an effect on the human brain, namely, on its painful and thermoregulatory centers.
Paracetamol is the result of the metabolism of phenacyrin. It has almost the same chemical properties, that is, an analgesic effect and a slight anti-inflammatory activity. The drug blocks two forms of the enzyme involved in the synthesis of cells that perceive pain sensations (prostaglandins), promoting such images to their suppression.
Thanks to this principle of action, paracetamol helps from different types of pain:
- headache (including migraines );
- dental;
- when menstruating;
- with injuries (especially burns);
- neuralgic origin;
- in the muscles (myalgia).
But, using this drug as an analgesic, it should be borne in mind that it helps only with mild and moderate pain. With very strong, it is more rational to use other drugs: Nurofen, Analgin, or Tempalgin.
Due to the effect of thermoregulation on the center, paracetamol also helps with temperature, but, since the anti-inflammatory effect is very low, it will not work for the basic treatment of diseases associated with inflammation of the tissues. It can only be used to fight fever.
Therefore, the question: "Does paracetamol help with colds?", The answer is "No!", Only on the temperature. After all, in order to cure a cold or a viral disease, it is necessary to take medicines with a well-marked anti-inflammatory and antiviral effect.
How long does paracetamol help?
If paracetamol is used in hard-coated tablets, relief (reduction in temperature or pain reduction) should occur after 30 minutes. When using water-soluble tablets or powders, it is earlier - in 15-20 minutes, since the active substance is absorbed more quickly into the walls of the gastrointestinal tract and enters the blood.
If paracetamol does not help
There are situations when, taking the drug paracetamol, a person does not feel the effect, it can mean that:
- The dose of the medicine was inadequate.
- At the same time, a medicine neutralizing its action was taken: for example, an absorbent.
- There is not enough fluid in the body, so a person can not give it away in the form of sweat to lower body temperature.
- The rise in temperature is due to the overly hot climate.
- A person has a viral-bacterial infection, against which paracetamol is ineffective.
It is very important to remember that, despite the slight toxic effect on the paracetamol body, with prolonged use of this medication, it increases several times at once. Therefore, in order not to harm your body by taking it, it is worth following such recommendations:
- Do not drink the drug on an empty stomach, and do not eat for half an hour after drinking coffee, tea, juice, you can only water.
- Do not consume longer than 3 days in a row. Paracetamol does not cure the cause, therefore, if pain is repeated, it is necessary to consult a doctor to determine the cause of it and to prescribe the necessary treatment.
- Do not use for problems in the work of the kidneys, liver, chronic alcoholism or after drinking alcohol, as well as for any blood disease.
Paracetamol is worth having in each medicine cabinet to reduce the temperature and reduce pain, not having a chronic nature.