- Paracetamol, known in the United States as acetaminophen, is commonly known under the brand name Tylenol in the United States, and under the brand name Panadol in the United Kingdom. Discovered and developed in the late 1800s, it wasn't until 1948 that it could be completely understood and its uses as a pain and fever reducer put on the market.
- Paracetamol works as a weak prostaglandin inhibitor. Prostaglandins are chemicals in the body that carry the message of pain to the brain. This is the major difference between Paracetamol and aspirin, and other pain relievers, that block pain at its source. It is also metabolized through the liver rather than the stomach, making it easier to use for those with stomach problems.
- As for fever reducing, Paracetamol is also an antipyretic, which means it can affect the part of the brain that regulates temperature, called the hypothalamus. This is what has made it a common ingredient in medications sold to reduce fever and pain associated with flues and colds. However, it has no properties that work on cough or the sinuses, so other drugs, like pseudoephedrine and Dextromethorphan, need to be combined with Paracetamol to control all symptoms of flues and colds.
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