Aspirin

There are several types of over the counter pain medications that people can buy. The common class of over the counter pain medications is nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. Aspirin is part of the NSAIDs class of medications. The abbreviation for aspirin is ASA.

Most people take aspirin as a pain reliever or anti-inflammatory medication. Aspirin treats fever, pain and other inflammatory conditions that include arthritis, tendonitis and bursitis.

Aspirin is also an antiplatelet agent. Antiplatelet agents block the formation of blood clots because they prevent the clumping of platelets. Due to aspirins ability to block the formation of blood clots, some doctors prescribe a small daily dose of aspirin to help prevent heart attack and stroke in patients who may be at risk of blood clot development. Taking aspirin at the first sign of a heart attack can help to prevent serious damage to the heart and can help to prevent the death of the person suffering the heart attack.

Aricept Warnings and Precautions

Not everyone should take aspirin whether it is to treat pain or as part of heart attack and stroke prevention program. Patients who have active ulcers, are pregnant or breast feeding, teenagers and children suffering from the flu or chicken pox, patients with kidney disease, people at risk of intracranial hemorrhage and people undergoing elective surgery should not take aspirin.

People who are allergic to NSAIDs should not take aspirin. Aspirin allergies are rare, but can cause the swelling of tissues, difficulty breathing and anaphylaxis, which can be a life threatening condition when it occurs.

Aspirin Uses

People take aspirin to relieve fever or treat mild to moderate pain caused by inflammation of muscles and tendons. People also take aspirin rapid pain relief of minor aches and pains such as headaches and minor injuries. Aspirin is also effective in helping to prevent the formation of blood clots in people at risk of developing blood clots. Aspirin can cause gastrointestinal issues so people should take aspirin with food and should follow the dosing instructions their doctor provides or follow the dosing instructions on the aspirin bottle.

Aspirin Side Effects

Side effects from aspirin are rare and usually only occur when large doses of aspirin are taken. Gastrointestinal issues are the most common side effects of aspirin usage. Side effects of aspirin use include ulcers of the stomach, nausea, abdominal pain, gastritis, bruising easily, vertigo and tinnitus. Aspirin can also be toxic to the liver in some cases.

Serious side effects such as intracranial bleeding and bleeding ulcers are rare, but do occur. Symptoms of bleeding ulcers that can develop with long-term aspirin use include black stools, weakness and dizziness.

Aspirin Interactions

Aspirin is an antiplatelet agent so taking aspirin with an anticoagulant can make it very difficult for the body to form a blood clot, which can result in excessive bleeding spontaneously from procedures and ulcers.

Aspirin can also increase levels of uric acid in the blood of some people. For people with gout or who already have high levels of uric acid in their blood, it is best to avoid aspirin. Aspirin can also cause lower blood sugar levels in people who have diabetes. Aspirin can loose its antiplatelet effects when taken with some other NSAIDs.

Aspirin Overdose

An overdose of aspirin can be harmful and even deadly if not treated. The type of treatment a patient needs depends on the amount of aspirin that a patient took and how long they waited to seek medical treatment. Aspirin overdose treatment can include fluids, laxatives to help remove the aspirin from the body and charcoal treatments that soak up excess aspirin from the body. In rare cases hemodialysis may be necessary to remove aspirin from the blood.