Introduction
Aspirin is a widely used over-the-counter medication that is used to treat a variety of ailments, including headaches, muscle pain, and fever. However, experts warn that taking aspirin can have serious side effects, including stomach bleeding and increased risk of stroke. Therefore, it is important to understand the risks and benefits of taking aspirin before deciding to use it. In this article, we will discuss the potential risks and benefits of taking aspirin, as well as provide some tips on what to eat and what to avoid when taking aspirin.
Know This Before Taking Aspirin, Experts Warn
Aspirin is a widely used medication for pain relief, fever reduction, and prevention of blood clots. However, experts are warning that there are certain things to consider before taking aspirin.
What Are the Risks?
Aspirin can cause serious side effects, including stomach bleeding, ulcers, and allergic reactions. It can also interact with other medications, such as blood thinners, and can cause serious health problems if taken in large doses. People with certain medical conditions, such as asthma, kidney disease, or bleeding disorders, should not take aspirin.
Who Should Take Aspirin?
Aspirin is generally recommended for people who are at risk of heart attack or stroke. This includes people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or a family history of heart disease. Aspirin can also be used to reduce the risk of a second heart attack or stroke in people who have already had one.
What Are the Alternatives?
If you are not at risk of heart attack or stroke, there are other medications that can be used for pain relief and fever reduction. These include ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen. Talk to your doctor about which medication is best for you.
Eat This Not That
If you are taking aspirin, it is important to eat a healthy diet. Avoid foods that are high in saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium. Instead, focus on eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Also, limit your alcohol consumption and avoid smoking.
If you feel like aspirin has been around forever, you’re close: It’s been dispensed since 1899 as the nation’s first over-the-counter painkiller. An NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), it’s very effective in reducing pain and swelling. But despite its familiarity and widespread use, taking aspirin has serious risks—one so serious that an expert panel just warned that certain people should not take it. Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You May Have Already Had COVID.
This month, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPTF) drafted a recommendation that doctors should no longer prescribe low-dose daily aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke. Why? Taking daily aspirin increases the risk of serious bleeding, including in the stomach, intestines, and brain. That risk already increases with age, and the experts determined that the risk of bleeding outweighs any potential benefits. (The recommendation doesn’t apply to people who are already taking daily aspirin or have already had a heart attack.)
Aspirin is a strong drug, and it can irritate stomach lining, causing pain, ulcers, and bleeding. The risk increases in people who are older, have stomach ulcers, take blood thinners or drink alcohol.
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The FDA has approved aspirin for use in children over age 3. But kids and teenagers who are sick or recovering should never take it. In some cases, it can cause Reye’s Syndrome, a condition in which the brain and liver become inflamed and result in permanent damage or death. To treat fever or pain in children, use acetaminophen or ibuprofen instead.
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In 2016, the USPTF recommended that people take low-dose aspirin daily to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Now they plan to reverse that guidance. The panel cited data from a study which found that aspirin use was associated with a near-doubling of colorectal cancer deaths after about five years. (Other experts disagree, saying there is good evidence aspirin can prevent colorectal cancer by reducing inflammation.)
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It’s worth repeating: Taking aspirin with anticoagulants (blood thinners) increases the risk of a serious bleeding incident. According to Harvard Medical School, some of the medications that interact this way with aspirin include:
- Apixaban (Eliquis)
- Dabigatran (Pradaxa)
- Enoxaparin (Lovenox)
- Heparin
- Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)
- Warfarin (Jantoven)
(This is not a complete list. Always tell your doctor about all the drugs and supplements you’re taking, and ask if taking aspirin is right for you.)
Supplements are considered less powerful and dangerous than prescription drugs, but taking some formulations with aspirin can also increase the risk of bleeding. They include bilberry, capsaicin, evening primrose oil, ginkgo, kava, ma-huang and omega-3 fatty acids (a.k.a. fish oil). And to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don’t miss these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.