Aspirin - benefits and harm to the human body

Acetylsalicylic acid, or how everyone is used to hearing the name of this drug - aspirin, was developed by Felix Hoffman in 1897. The well-known name “Aspirin” was given to the drug due to the name of the plant in Latin, from which at one time scientists isolated salicylic acid - Spiraea ulmaria. The first letters of the name “spir” were assigned “a” in order to emphasize the role of the acetylation reaction, and “in” at the end was added more for a good sound. And so it turned out a light and consonant name - Aspirin. At the very beginning, when only aspirin was discovered, it was made from willow bark. Today, this medicine is produced chemically. Until the 20th century, aspirin was considered an exclusively antipyretic, but later doctors and scientists began to discover other properties of this wonderful drug, which was so simple.

For many years, acetylsalicylic acid has been considered an absolutely safe medicine, but today the opinions of doctors on this subject are divided. What is harmful and beneficial aspirin? To which groups of patients is it contraindicated? Can they get poisoned? We will answer these and other questions in this article.

How does aspirin work?

To date, aspirin does not have such properties and qualities that would not have already been studied. Over the decades, enormous experience has been accumulated in medicine regarding the action of this drug. Aspirin has long occupied its niche and is among the indispensable drugs, both in the Russian Federation and abroad.

What can explain the incredible popularity of acetylsalicylic acid? The secret is simple, this drug contains a minimal amount of side effects and at the same time copes with such ailments as fever, pain, inflammation, rheumatism and so on. Aspirin is a member of the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It reduces the synthesis of thromboxanes, but unlike other drugs of the same group, this process is irreversible when using aspirin.

Drug properties

1. The key property of aspirin is antipyretic. This process occurs because, thanks to acetylsalicylic acid, the vessels of the brain expand and, thereby, perspiration increases, and this, as everyone knows, leads to a decrease in human body temperature.
2. The effect of anesthesia is achieved by the influence of acid on the central nervous system of a person, as well as by directly affecting the area of ​​inflammation.
3. Antiplatelet effect on cells of the human body. Aspirin helps to thin the blood, and thereby prevents the formation of blood clots in the patient's body.
4. Anti-inflammatory effect. This effect is achieved by reducing the permeability of small vessels in the area where the inflammatory process takes place.

In the Russian Federation, aspirin is produced primarily in tablets; in Europe - in powders and (or) candles. Also, acetylsalicylic acid is often used as the basis for no less well-known drugs.

Indications for use of aspirin

Acetylsalicylic acid should be used when you have:

• high temperature, as a result, infectious or inflammatory diseases;
• there are mild pains;
• for the prevention of heart attack;
• in order to prevent the appearance of blood clots in the body;
• rheumatism.

Important! Medication for long-term use should be prescribed exclusively by a doctor!

The correct dosage of acetylsalicylic acid for the patient

If a long-term intake of this drug is planned, then a preliminary consultation with the doctor is necessary, since the dosage is selected individually due to the huge range of therapeutic effect of the drug.

Adults are prescribed a dosage of 40 milligrams and up to 1 gram per dose. For a day, the maximum dosage can reach 8 g. It is necessary to take a medicine from two to six times a day, after a meal. The tablets must be crushed to a powder mass and filled with an impressive amount of water, doctors also recommend using milk for these purposes. With prolonged treatment, in order to reduce its negative effect on the stomach, doctors recommend drinking aspirin with mineral water.

In the event that the drug is taken without a prescription and medical supervision, the course should in no case be longer than seven days, if the drug is taken as an anesthetic, and the period should be no more than three days, if it is taken as an antipyretic a drug.

Contraindications that aspirin has

Does aspirin harm our body? Like any other medicine, aspirin has a number of specific contraindications for use. Let's analyze them in detail:

• peptic ulcer of the stomach (intestines);
• bleeding
• previously manifested allergic reactions to this component;
• the platelet count in the blood is below normal levels;
• lack of vitamin K in the body;
• violation of the process of blood coagulation or in other words hemophilia;
• pregnancy;
• lactation period;
• hepatic or renal failure;
• portal hypertension;
• not recommended before surgery.

With special attention and caution, the medicine should be taken by people who are predisposed to gout, that is, the accumulation of urine in the body. This is due to the fact that even in minimal amounts, acetylsalicylic acid strongly prevents the removal of substances from the body, which in turn will provoke an attack of gout.

The harm that aspirin can bring

Cases in which acetylsalicylic acid causes significant harm to the human body is the wrong dosage or as a result of interaction with incompatible drugs. Let's look at how negatively acetylsalicylic acid can affect the human body.

1. Aspirin adversely affects the stomach in case of prolonged use of the drug.
2. Acetylsalicylic acid reduces blood coagulation and in some cases leads to severe bleeding. It can also be detrimental to the body during surgery, or during the copious period of the menstrual cycle.
3. Aspirin has an extremely negative effect on the developing fetus and can cause a violation of embryonic development (the likelihood of developing pathologies is high), therefore it is forbidden for women in the position to use it.
4. Causes Reye's Syndrome. It appears in children no older than 12-15 years old, if the remedy was taken during the course of a child's illnesses such as measles, smallpox or flu. Reye's syndrome manifests itself through the appearance of hepatic encephalopathy, that is, a disease that destroys the cells of the liver and brain. This cider was first disclosed and described in the United States of America.

"Aspirin Cardio" during pregnancy

It happens that doctors prescribe acetylsalicylic acid to women during pregnancy. Usually a separate variety of aspirin is prescribed - the drug "Aspirin Cardio".This medicine differs from ordinary aspirin in that it is coated with a membrane that does not allow the drug to dissolve in the stomach, but dissolves and is absorbed only in the intestine. Doctors prescribe this remedy for pregnant women in order to reduce their blood coagulation, as well as for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Aspirin and alcohol

It is worth remembering that the combination of aspirin with alcohol is strictly prohibited. This combination can easily lead to intestinal bleeding. But after, with a hangover, aspirin is recommended to be taken as a means that can quickly and efficiently thin the blood.

It is also worth noting that taking aspirin can cause an allergic reaction that resembles bronchial asthma with its symptoms.

Benefit or harm - what wins?

In the debate about what wins - the benefits of aspirin or its harm, various factors are voiced. For example, studies have recently been conducted in the USA that have shown that taking this drug on a continuous and continuous basis reduces the risk of developing cancer cells in the lungs (30%), intestines (40%), throat (60%), and esophagus (60%) .

Quite the opposite data was obtained from scientists in the process of other studies. They showed that in people aged 50-80 years who are predisposed to cardiovascular disease, with the constant use of aspirin, their lifespan increases and mortality decreases by 25 percent.

Cardiologists around the world say that the benefits of aspirin in cardiovascular diseases are much greater than its alleged harm. This statement applies more to the female sex through menopause. They take aspirin improves blood circulation, reduces the likelihood of blood clots.

So what is really more in aspirin - good or harm? Like any other drug, it should be taken only in cases where there is a prescription and recommendation of a doctor. With a number of diseases, such as high blood coagulability, a tendency to the appearance of blood clots, taking aspirin for a long time is quite logical and justified. But do not forget that the dosage must first be discussed with your doctor.

Avoid the use of aspirin is necessary during pregnancy, children under 15 years of age, with serious viral diseases that occur along with high fever, as well as with ulcers. And remember that it is absolutely impossible to combine the intake of acetylsalicylic acid and alcohol - this combination enhances the detrimental effect of the drug on the stomach and intestines of the patient.

Video: the benefits and harms of aspirin