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How Does Aspirin Work?

By Brandi Waters You might have taken an aspirin to stop a headache or ease the pain of an injury. You take a pill. It makes you feel better, but why? How can one pill do so much? It makes your foot feel better when you sprain your ankle. It also helps stop a fever when you are sick. Aspirin helps because it stops pain before it begins. To understand how, you have to look at your body's cells. Your body is made up of millions of cells. They are the smallest pieces of your body. When you stub your toe, some of your cells are damaged. The cell sends out signals to the rest of your body. It is asking for help to repair itself. Your body makes different substances that will help you to heal. Prostaglandins (pros-tuh-GLAN-dins) are one of those substances. Prostaglandins do many things. They cause fevers. They also increase pain. It is your body's way of telling you to slow down and take care of yourself. This is important for serious injuries, but when you have a headache or stub your toe, it can be irritating. In times like these, aspirin can help. Aspirin helps you feel better by stopping your body from making prostaglandins. Prostaglandins don't last long in the body. The ones that were made before you took the aspirin will go away quickly. The aspirin stops new prostaglandins from being made. This means less pain. It also can stop a fever and prevent swelling. Aspirin helps you feel better. How Does Aspirin Work?

Questions
1. Pain from an injury begins at your ______, the smallest pieces of your body. A. blood B. skin C. cells D. bones 2. ______ are substances made by your body that increase pain and cause fevers.

3. Aspirin will help ease the pain of a sprained ankle by ______. A. stopping your body from making prostaglandins B. sending out signals to the rest of your body C. stopping damage to your cells D. causing swelling

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4. Aspirin helps stop ______. A. pain B. swelling C. a fever D. all of the above 5. Even though they cause pain, how can prostaglandins be helpful to your body?

Explain why aspirin works even if you take it after the pain has started.

Write a descriptive paragraph about the last time that you hurt yourself. Explain what you were doing, how you felt, and what made you feel better. Use lots of descriptive words.