Difference between Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen
There are certain medicines you should always keep at home in case of an emergency when you can’t go to a doctor immediately. Although it is highly recommended that you better to experiment with your health and start taking medicines without the prescription of your physician, taking pain killer medicines is not a big deal. In case of fever, high degree of pain or other minor health problems, you can take some medicines by yourself. For diminishing pain and fever, Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are the two most common medicines being used all over the word under different brand names. These two medicines might be used for a common purpose but they belong to a separate class of drugs. Both of these medicines are considered safe to use, provided you take controlled dosage, but you must also be aware of the fact that like any other medicine, a prolonged use of these two drugs might also result in some side effects. The basic purpose of Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen is almost similar but their suitability depends upon the condition of the patient.
Acetaminophen is purely designed as a pain killing drug, with paracetamol as its active ingredient. It helps to reduce pain and fever quickly with very limited side effects.
Ibuprofen is also used to relieve pain and fever but it is an excellent anti-inflammatory drug. It posses anti-platelet effects inside the human body but it is relatively short-lived within the human body than aspirin and other anti-platelet medicines available in the market.
Instructions
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Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen can be very effective drug to use if you are suffering from headache, toothache, sunburn, bruises, fever or pain in any part of your body. This drug directly effects the brain nerves and receptors to deteriorate pain rapidly and that is why it is considered to be ideal for headaches. Acetaminophen is equally suitable for children and adults and it can also be used along with other antibiotic medicines. However, it might take 40 to 60 minutes for Acetaminophen to have its full effect. It is also not much effective for swelling or bodily injuries, unlike Ibuprofen which is very effective for inflammation.
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Ibuprofen
This medicine belongs to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory class of drugs and is recommended in high fever, severe pain and inflammation. It acts rapidly for bodily injuries and reduces swelling significantly to provide instant relief. Ibuprofen takes mere 30 minutes to dissolve in the human blood and start reducing pain at its full effect, lasting for at least 6 hours after taking the first doze. However, prolonged use of Ibuprofen might cause stomach upsets.
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