The science of painkillers as explained by Aussie scientist, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
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Chronic aches and pains are a bother for everyone, especially as we get older. Whether it’s caused by surgery, an injury, or an underlying health problem, managing the pain gets a little bit tricky with age.
The good news is painkillers are readily available at the local chemist, just be sure to get one that’s safe for you to take and has been approved by your GP.
While on the subject of painkillers, isn’t it amazing how the medicine just ‘knows’ where to go? How does it target the pain in our bodies, anyway? Well, popular Aussie scientist, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki discussed this in a TikTok video a couple of days ago, if you’d like to watch it, we’ve popped the video below!
Dr Karl explained how painkillers, such as ibuprofen and paracetamol, ‘find’ the pain in your body and temporarily stop it. He starts by saying that when his daughter was little, she asked him ‘how does the medicine know where it hurts so it can go there and fix it?’ Dr Karl explained that painkillers actually do not know.
Dr Karl explains how painkillers ‘find the pain’ in our bodies. Credit: Daily Mail.
He also said that after getting injured, chemicals known as prostaglandins are created by the body. While prostaglandins also have healing effects, these chemicals cause pain and inflammation in injured areas.
Dr Karl gave Nurofen, a pain killer for adults, as an example of how painkillers work. ‘It blocks certain enzymes and pathways that stop prostaglandins from being made. Fewer prostaglandins, less pain.’ The doctor explained. He took the discussion further and provided a scenario for the viewers.
‘If you have a sore foot,’ he said, ‘Nurofen doesn’t magically travel only to your foot and start working there. Instead, the medicine travels all over your body to block prostaglandin pathways everywhere.’ Dr Karl explained that it is through this process, the medicine can stop the pain in the area.
He mentioned that side effects from medicinal intake happen because the medicine travels all over the body. Dr Karl also warned that Nurofen also blocks the body’s production of prostaglandins in our stomach. ‘Which is why,’ he explained, still referring to Nurofen, ‘That long-term use can cause stomach ulcers.’
By the end of the video, the celebrity scientist reiterated that medicine doesn’t mysteriously ‘travel’ to certain areas of our body. Instead, it has effects all over the body.
Dr Karl warns that overuse of painkillers can lead to stomach ulcers. Credit: JESHOOTS.com from Pexels.
Dr Karl’s TikTok video has since garnered 32,000 views, with many people thanking him for his concise explanation. One person commented: ‘It wouldn’t matter if you had 2 or 3 different sore bits. It would just be as effective.’ Dr Karl affirmed this statement. ‘I reckon so – if all painful bits of your body had the same level of pain.’
One user asked, ‘What about antibiotics? Legit question.’ The popular doctor replied that ‘Antibiotics spread through the whole body – but kill bacteria only where the bacteria are.’
While another curious person asked, ‘Why does blocking prostaglandin in your stomach cause ulcers…?’ Dr Karl explained that ‘Prostaglandins have different actions that reduce the mucus layer, which stops stomach acids from dissolving the stomach wall.’
So, there you have it! What a great fun fact to learn, courtesy of Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. If you had the chance to ask the celebrity doctor himself, which questions would you ask? Do you have any more questions about which painkillers are safe to use for seniors? Perhaps more lessons on how certain medicines can affect your body? We want to hear your thoughts so comment down below!
The good news is painkillers are readily available at the local chemist, just be sure to get one that’s safe for you to take and has been approved by your GP.
While on the subject of painkillers, isn’t it amazing how the medicine just ‘knows’ where to go? How does it target the pain in our bodies, anyway? Well, popular Aussie scientist, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki discussed this in a TikTok video a couple of days ago, if you’d like to watch it, we’ve popped the video below!
Dr Karl explained how painkillers, such as ibuprofen and paracetamol, ‘find’ the pain in your body and temporarily stop it. He starts by saying that when his daughter was little, she asked him ‘how does the medicine know where it hurts so it can go there and fix it?’ Dr Karl explained that painkillers actually do not know.
Dr Karl explains how painkillers ‘find the pain’ in our bodies. Credit: Daily Mail.
He also said that after getting injured, chemicals known as prostaglandins are created by the body. While prostaglandins also have healing effects, these chemicals cause pain and inflammation in injured areas.
Dr Karl gave Nurofen, a pain killer for adults, as an example of how painkillers work. ‘It blocks certain enzymes and pathways that stop prostaglandins from being made. Fewer prostaglandins, less pain.’ The doctor explained. He took the discussion further and provided a scenario for the viewers.
‘If you have a sore foot,’ he said, ‘Nurofen doesn’t magically travel only to your foot and start working there. Instead, the medicine travels all over your body to block prostaglandin pathways everywhere.’ Dr Karl explained that it is through this process, the medicine can stop the pain in the area.
He mentioned that side effects from medicinal intake happen because the medicine travels all over the body. Dr Karl also warned that Nurofen also blocks the body’s production of prostaglandins in our stomach. ‘Which is why,’ he explained, still referring to Nurofen, ‘That long-term use can cause stomach ulcers.’
By the end of the video, the celebrity scientist reiterated that medicine doesn’t mysteriously ‘travel’ to certain areas of our body. Instead, it has effects all over the body.
Dr Karl warns that overuse of painkillers can lead to stomach ulcers. Credit: JESHOOTS.com from Pexels.
Dr Karl’s TikTok video has since garnered 32,000 views, with many people thanking him for his concise explanation. One person commented: ‘It wouldn’t matter if you had 2 or 3 different sore bits. It would just be as effective.’ Dr Karl affirmed this statement. ‘I reckon so – if all painful bits of your body had the same level of pain.’
One user asked, ‘What about antibiotics? Legit question.’ The popular doctor replied that ‘Antibiotics spread through the whole body – but kill bacteria only where the bacteria are.’
While another curious person asked, ‘Why does blocking prostaglandin in your stomach cause ulcers…?’ Dr Karl explained that ‘Prostaglandins have different actions that reduce the mucus layer, which stops stomach acids from dissolving the stomach wall.’
So, there you have it! What a great fun fact to learn, courtesy of Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. If you had the chance to ask the celebrity doctor himself, which questions would you ask? Do you have any more questions about which painkillers are safe to use for seniors? Perhaps more lessons on how certain medicines can affect your body? We want to hear your thoughts so comment down below!
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