How Does Ibuprofen Actually Work?

Ibuprofen — brand name Advil, Motrin, and more — belongs to a class of drugs that physicians call nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. In practice, this means that ibuprofen relieves pain by blocking cells’ production of prostaglandins, one of several compounds responsible for inflammation — which is the <a href="https://elemental.medium.com/why-does-inflammation-seem-to-underlie-all-sickness-64a2bef84f99" rel="noopener">body’s response to injury</a>. After an injury, the <a href="https://elemental.medium.com/is-there-anything-i-can-do-to-improve-my-immune-system-392f9139a509" rel="noopener">immune system rallies</a> to prevent infection. As part of the body’s inflammatory response, damaged cells begin releasing arachidonic acid, a natural chemical that latches onto cyclooxygenase, an enzyme that helps create compounds necessary for blood flow. Together, they produce what’s called prostaglandin H2 — ibuprofen’s primary target. <a href="https://elemental.medium.com/how-does-ibuprofen-actually-work-eb296f179f43">Visit Now</a>