A tablet doesn’t know where the pain is — your body does.
Let’s explain it in simple, clear steps.
Why It Feels Like the Tablet "Finds" the Pain
When you have a headache or knee pain and take a painkiller, it feels like the medicine travels directly to that spot. But in reality, the tablet works everywhere in the body. Here's how:
💊 What Actually Happens
1. You Swallow the Tablet
-
The tablet dissolves in your stomach or intestine.
-
The medicine inside is absorbed into the bloodstream.
2. Medicine Circulates Everywhere
-
Blood carries the medicine to all parts of your body — brain, arms, legs, everywhere.
-
It doesn’t “target” a specific pain spot.
3. Body Signals the Pain Location
-
Your body sends chemical signals (like prostaglandins) from the painful area.
-
These signals cause inflammation and trigger nerve endings to feel pain.
4. Painkillers Block the Pain Signals
-
Painkillers (like paracetamol, ibuprofen) block the enzymes (like COX) that help make those pain chemicals.
-
So, wherever pain signals are being created, the medicine will block them.
-
That’s why it seems the tablet “knows” the pain location — it actually stops the cause of the pain signal, wherever it's coming from.
🎯 So, in short:
| Misconception | Reality |
|---|---|
| Tablet goes to pain spot | Tablet goes everywhere |
| Tablet finds pain | Body creates pain signals — medicine just blocks them |
| Tablet is smart | Your body is smart — it sends out pain signals, and medicine blocks them at those sites |
🔍 Analogy:
Imagine the pain as fires burning in different parts of a forest.
The painkiller is like a water sprinkler system that sprays water all over.
The fires (pain) will be put out only where they’re burning — but the sprinkler sprays everywhere.