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Hi Richard Hollingworth, >Ibuprofen (IBF) inhibits prostaglandin synthesis (sp) which is one of the >mechanisms of pain associated with swelling. I can add a little more to that. The mode of action of some prostaglandins in the promotion of [localised] swelling is by vasodilation, the response is the bodies mechanism for fighting what the body perceives as injury or infection; increased vasodilation to promote blood / serum flow into areas where these fluids normally don't flow too readily, hence the swelling. Its interesting to note that histamine is involved as well. Its not a simple remedy, tho', just to take an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), such as Ibuprofen, because there are a number of different types of prostaglandin to which certain parts of the body are sensitive whilst others parts are not. For instance, and I don't want to sound gory here, but a woman's menstrual cycle is hugely affected by specific prostaglandins... prostaglandins that promote vasoconstriction/muscle contraction (just to muddy the waters even more). The complication of different tissue sensitivities to different prostaglandins is compounded by the fact that each class of NSAID is specific against particular types of prostaglandin. That said, I don't know how realistic it is to consider taking any specific NSAID to counter expected swelling in a specific part of the body... after all the swelling might appear elsewhere *and* it might occur in areas of the body where there are no prostaglandin receptors... hence the swelling is not prostaglandin mediated. Relatively speaking Ibuprofen is a 'weak' NSAID, which is why its widely available OTC. HTH a bit more. >Some divers will take IBF pre and post dive to reduce the possible tissue >swelling typical of long deco dives. I'm curious, can I ask what form the swelling takes when experienced as described above? Is it general "bloatedness"? Does anyone know if this might be associated with fluid retention? I'm thinking along the lines that maintaining fluid balance is the role of the kidney in order to maintain blood pressure. Fluid collection in tissues, if its not prostaglandin-mediated, might occur because of a loss of control of blood pressure... Does anyone have a greater knowledge in this direction? -- Steve... -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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