Heartache is no joke, and chances are, you have had experienced that distressing emotional pain that comes with getting your heart broken for whatever reason. And while it has been said that only time is able to heal all wounds, a new research has found that over-the-counter painkillers also help to ease these feelings of hurt.

The review by the University of California discovered that women taking medicine such as ibuprofen and paracetamol reported back with less emotionally painful experiences, on top of alleviating their headaches. However, this wasn’t the case for men, whose emotions were heightened by taking the same pills.

Photo: Eehealth

These painkillers were found to affect how people process information, react to evocative photos and experience feelings of hurt. In addition, the painkillers helped people feel less sensitive in some scenarios, such as reading heartbreaking articles about strangers.

As it turns out, the painkillers block feelings to the brain on top of mitigating physical discomfort and even impacts the way someone empathises with the pain of others. It also manipulates reactions to emotional objects, as well as altering discomfort from parting with possessions one may be sentimental to.

Guess we need some of those, stat..


Carmen Chong