Which Pain Reliever Is Better For Your Liver?

The liver in your body runs continuously when compared with other organs. It is because it helps in exclusion of toxins, dead cells, and other chemicals from the bloodstream consistently. Apart from this, the organ is also responsible for producing bile that plays a significant role in the digestion of the food that you consume. It also supports the production of chemicals, proteins, and vitamins that improve the functionality of the entire operation of the body.

There are several foods that are harmful to the functionality of the liver. For instance, alcohol is the primary reason behind the scarring of the tissue. The reason is that the liver produces an enzyme that is helpful in breaking the compounds of alcohol before releasing it into the bloodstream. When you are consuming in excess, the liver fails to produce the required quantity of enzyme. During this procedure, scarring of the liver occurs due to the failure of the cells or death of the cells. However, the organ is the only element in the body that is capable of healing automatically. But, continuous consumption of the alcohol deteriorates the capability of the self-heal of the liver. It thus leads to depletion of the functionality, making it vulnerable, which further affects the overall health of the body.

It is common for you to find a pain reliever in your medicine cabinet to bring down fever, muscle pain, or aches. The chances are that you are using acetaminophen as the pain reliever. If you are following the dosage level prescribed on the label of the pill bottle, you are in the safe zone and not causing any upset to the stomach when compared with other medicines. However, if you are increasing the dosage level or consuming it more often, the chances are that you can cause inflammation/scarring of the liver or even liver failure.

There are a few misconceptions related to the use of NSAIDS such as naproxen, ibuprofen, Advil, and Motrin. For treating mild to moderate pain, fever and muscle aches, around 200 mg or 400 mg of ibuprofen is suitable. The maximum dose that you can consume is 2400 mg per day with at least a gap of six hours between the doses.

Unlike acetaminophen, ibuprofen and a few other medications belonging to the list of NSAIDS are safe and have a negligible hepatic metabolism. In simple words, they rarely affect the functionality of the liver. According to an estimation, only one in 100,000 prescriptions of NSAIDS results in liver injury. In general, NSAID medications are liver safe.

It is imperative to comprehend the instructions of the physician or as prescribed on the table of the pill bottle. Exceeding the dosage level of the recommended quantity will increase the chances of affecting the functionality of the liver. If you still experience pain or fever after consuming pain reliever medicines, it is preferable to seek medical assistance.

If you are using acetaminophen, do not exceed 4000 mg in a single day. Also, do not consume it continuously for seven days. When it comes to children, the limit of using the pain reliever depends on the age and weight of the child. You can check the label for information related to the dosage level for children.

The common mistake that people do to pass the daily limit is that they do not wait for enough time between each dose. Consuming the medicines continuously will make it difficult for the liver to break down the particles of the drug.

Also Read:

• Liver Cancer or Hepatic Cancer: Classification & Types, Causes, Risk Factors, Symptoms, Signs, Investigations, Treatment, Prevention
• Liver Disease In Pregnancy: Definition, Causes, Types, Diagnosis, Symptoms, Signs, Treatment, Factors To Consider In Pregnancy
• Fatty Liver Disease (FLD): Causes, Risk Factors, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention
• Cirrhosis Of Liver: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Complications
• Liver Damage or Liver Failure: Causes, Signs, Symptoms, Prevention
• What is a Liver Abscess & How is it Treated?