BuzzFeed Science answers your science questions! This time we tackle this awesome question:
Advil (aka ibuprofen) is part of a group of painkillers called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
NSAIDs are the most common painkillers worldwide and include other drugs like aspirin and naproxen (Aleve). There are, of course, other types of pain meds out there. Tylenol (acetaminophen in the U.S., paracetamol in other parts of the world) is also an over-the-counter painkiller.
Another group of meds are the narcotic painkillers (oxycontin, etc.) that work in an entirely different way and carry more risk of addiction and overdose. For the purpose of this post, though, we will be focusing on NSAIDs, which all work in the same general way.