Aspirin uses, benifits and side effects:
Introduction
Aspirin is known as an acetylsalicylic acid.Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a pharmaceutical drug used to reduce pain or inflammation. It is classified as a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Aspirin is known as a salicylate.
Aspirin's chemical name is 2-Acetoxybenzoic acid. Aspirin, a chemical called acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is widely used worldwide as an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drug.
Formula and structure:
The molecular formula for acetylsalicylic acid is C9H8O4 and the expanded formula is CH3COOC6H4COOH.
Chemical name of Aspirin is
2-Acetoxybenzoic acid.
Aspirin / IUPAC ID
Functional group in aspirin:
The common name of aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid and its IUPAC name is 2-Acetoxybenzoic acid. Between ester and carboxylic acid functional groups the highest priority functional group is carboxylic acid. Hence, in aspirin-COOH. carboxylic acid is the principal functional group.
Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylate or asprin, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as acylsalicylic acids. These are o-acylated derivatives of salicylic acid.
The uses of aspirin tablet:
Aspirin can be used to treat mild to moderate pain.
Aspirin is a painkiller.
Aspirin is an everyday painkiller for aches and pains such as headache, toothache and period pain. It can also be used to treat colds and flu-like symptoms, and to bring down a high temperature.
Aspirin is used to reduce fever and relieve mild to moderate pain from conditions such as muscle aches and common cold.It may also be used to reduce pain and swelling in conditions such as arthritis.
Use of aspirin 75mg:
Daily low-dose aspirin makes your blood less sticky and helps to prevent heart attacks and stroke. You'll usually take a dose of 75mg once a day.
In certain medical conditions, such as pregnancy, uncontrolled high blood pressure, bleeding disorders, asthma, peptic (stomach) ulcers, liver and kidney disease, one should not take aspirin.
Disprin is an aspirin:
Disprin tablets contain 300mg of aspirin, which reduces the production of prostaglandins in brain and so relieves pain and inflammation and brings down a fever.300 mg dose of aspirin has also been shown to increase the chances of surviving a heart attack.
Uses of Disprin : Disprin is used for the relief of mild to moderate pain in headaches including tension headaches, migraine headaches, toothache, neuralgia, period pains, rheumatic pain, lumbago and sciatica. To relieve the symptoms of influenza, feverishness, feverish colds and ease sore throats.
Use of Disprin 500mg :
It works to relieve pain and inflammation. Disprin Extra Strength can be used to • relieve mild to moderate pain (such as headache, toothache and nerve pain) • reduce temperature and inflammation, such as lower back pain.
Another drug Paracetamol is typically used for mild or moderate pain. It may be better than aspirin for headaches, toothache, sprains and stomach ache. Ibuprofen works in a similar way to aspirin. It can be used for back pain, strains and sprains, as well as pain from arthritis.
Crocin is not a aspirin but it is a paracetamol.
Dolo 650 is not an aspirin but it is a paracetamol.
Dolo 650 or paracetamol has a central analgesic action like aspirin. It raises pain threshold, not only used for fevers, it can be used for musculoskeletal pains like neck pains, backache, osteoarthritic, kind of pains as well as headaches like migraine.
One can take aspirin with paracetamol:
It's safe to take aspirin as a painkiller with paracetamol or codeine.
But do not take aspirin with ibuprofen or naproxen without talking to a doctor. Aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen belong to the same group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Disprin Plus tablet (Disprin Paracetamol) contains Disprin with Paracetamol. Disprin Plus tablet is a pain-relieving medicine.It is used for reducing fever and relieving pain including toothache, headache, migraine, muscle ache, period pain, etc. While taking this medicine you should not take other medicines containing paracetamol.
Crocin Pain Relief tablet (Paracetamol Caffeine) contains paracetamol, which is an analgesic and antipyretic, and caffeine, which acts as an adjuvant to the analgesic effect of paracetamol.
Crocin, Disprin, Paracetamol, Dolo: drugs with these brand names fall into the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The mechanism of action of these drugs works via same underlying pathways. As a result, there is greater risk of side effects that includes liver damage.
Benifits of Aspirin:
Antihypertensive effects of aspirin: Surprisingly, it has been suggested recently that aspirin lowers blood pressure and could be used for preventing hypertension
Aspirin can lower blood pressure in pregnancy.
"What aspirin does is relax blood vessels, which lowers the blood pressure, but also improves blood flow to the baby, to the kidneys, and to the brain, lowering the chance that the woman would have any complications to her pregnancy that would affect either her or her baby," says Doctor.
Pregnant Women can take baby aspirin (81mg)during pregnancy Although adult aspirin (325 milligrams) isn't considered safe to take during pregnancy, sometimes providers advise pregnant women to take baby aspirin (81 mg) to lower their risk of certain complications, such as preeclampsia.
Aspirin can't prevent all types of pregnancy loss. Many miscarriages are due to genetic causes, Taylor said. “Maintaining good health prior to and during pregnancy will have an even more profound effect than aspirin or any medical therapy for most women,” Taylor said.
Bleeding risk from Aspirin: Daily aspirin use increases the risk of developing a stomach ulcer. If you already have a bleeding ulcer or gastrointestinal bleeding, taking aspirin may cause more bleeding, perhaps to a life-threatening extent.
Low-dose aspirin has been used during pregnancy most commonly to prevent or delay the onset of preeclampsia. Other suggested indications for low-dose aspirin have included prevention of stillbirth, fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, and early pregnancy loss.
Aspirin side effects:
(1)ringing in your ears, (2)confusion, hallucinations, (3)rapid breathing, seizure (convulsions);
(4)severe nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain;
(5)bloody or tarry stools, (6)coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;
(7)fever lasting longer than 3 days; or swelling, or pain lasting longer than 10 days
.
(A)Aspirin side effects on skin:
The most common side effects of using topical aspirin are skin dryness and irritation. Peeling and redness may occur as a result. Mixing aspirin with salicylic acid can increase these effects. You may also be more prone to these effects if you apply topical aspirin often.
A harmful reaction after taking aspirin or an aspirin-type drug involves respiratory or skin symptoms (such as an itchy rash or hives). This is called aspirin sensitivity.
Aspirin may cause red spots on skin.Sudden unexplained bruising or blood spots under the skin or a sudden increase in the frequency of bruising may be caused by medicine, such as aspirin or blood thinners (anticoagulants).
(B) Side effects on Aspirin on stomach:
Aspirin can cause ulcers in your stomach or gut, especially if you take it for a long time or in big doses. Your doctor may tell you not to take aspirin if you have a stomach ulcer, or if you've had one in the past.
In most cases, the damage is minor and your stomach heals completely about five days later. Still, regular doses can cause dyspepsia, lingering pain, or discomfort in the stomach. And if your stomach doesn't heal quite as quickly as it should, you could easily develop an ulcer or serious internal bleeding.
Aspirin can exacerbate ulcers or other abdominal pain. It's even possible for aspirin to cause ulcers. The majority of these negative side effects result from the acidity of the aspirin and how it affects the stomach's lining.
When you take aspirin on an empty stomach can cause bleeding in stomach
Chewable tablets may be chewed, dissolved in liquid or swallowed whole.Taking your aspirin with a meal also may help. Always take aspirin with food. If the stomach is empty, aspirin can cause nausea, upset stomach, vomiting or stomach bleeding. If taking aspirin to prevent blood clots, take the same amount at the same time every day.
It is important to drink water immediately after taking aspirin.Always take a half-glass of warm water before and after. This helps dissolve the pills faster, decreasing chances for gastrointestinal irritation and bleeding.
Strategy to protect your stomach with aspirin:
Taking aspirin with food may help; so do drugs to treat heartburn, which help protect your stomach. These include simple antacids like Tums, acid blockers like famotidine (Pepcid, Fluxid, generic), or proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid, generic)
(C) Aspirin and kidney damage:
Kidney is damaged by taking too much aspirin.
Severe disease can cause acute kidney injury and kidney failure. Kidney failure is the inability of the kidneys to adequately filter metabolic waste products from the blood.
(D)Side effects of Aspirin during pregnancy:
Taking higher doses of aspirin during the third trimester increases the risk of the premature closure of a vessel in the fetus's heart. Use of high-dose aspirin for long periods in pregnancy also increases the risk of bleeding in the brain of premature infants.
Aspirin can cause birth defects:Three studies found that use of aspirin in the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of overall congenital malformation.
Eight studies found no statistically significant association between the use of aspirin and risk of overall congenital malformations.
Stopping aspirin at 36 or 37 weeks' gestation will ensure that the majority of women are not taking aspirin at delivery.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs including Aspirin are known to increase blood pressure and blunt the effect of antihypertensive drugs.
(E)Aspirin make you bleed more:Aspirin can put you at risk for bleeding:
Aspirin thins the blood (that's how it prevents blood clots), so it's no surprise that taking a daily aspirin increases the risk of internal bleeding.
Based on annual bleeding rates expected in a community based population, excess major bleeding events with very low-dose aspirin were projected to average 2 per 1,000 person-years for younger persons, females, and those with no other bleeding risk factors.
Like most medicines, aspirin has side effects. It irritates your stomach lining and can trigger gastrointestinal upset, ulcers and bleeding. And, because it thins your blood, it can be dangerous for people .
To stop Aspirin bleeding from wound:
Put a clean towel, cloth, or bandage on the wound.
Press on it firmly until the bleeding stops (don't press on something stuck in your skin)
Keep it in place with medical tape or your hands.
Raise the injury above your heart if you can.
That's because aspirin has a long-lasting effect on platelets, helping thin the blood for days after it is taken, Fonarow said"That's why, prior to surgery, patients are told to hold off on aspirin for five to seven days, and why it continues to thin your blood even when you miss a dose,"
The first signs of internal bleeding:
The signs and symptoms that suggest concealed internal bleeding depend on where the bleeding is inside the body, but may include:
pain at the injured site.
swollen, tight abdomen.
nausea and vomiting.
pale, clammy, sweaty skin.
breathlessness.
extreme thirst.
unconsciousness
Intra-abdominal bleeding may be hidden and present only with pain, but if there is enough blood loss, the patient may complain of weakness, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and other symptoms of shock and decreased blood pressure. Once again, the symptoms depend upon where in the abdomen the bleeding occurs.
(F)Long term side effects of Aspirin:Side effects and complications of taking daily aspirin include:
Stroke caused by a burst blood vessel. While daily aspirin can help prevent a clot-related stroke, it may increase the risk of a bleeding stroke (hemorrhagic stroke).
Gastrointestinal bleeding.
Allergic reaction.
In addition to bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, daily aspirin therapy can increase the risk of a bleeding stroke. It can also cause a severe allergic reaction in some people. This is especially worrisome for people who are 70 and older, health experts say.Many guidelines recommend long-term use of aspirin for prevention of cardiovascular events among patients with prior cardiovascular disease or multiple risk factors. However, aspirin is associated with increased risk of major gastrointestinal bleeding.
(G) Aspirin can cause several forms of liver injury:
In high doses, aspirin can cause moderate to marked serum aminotransferase elevations occasionally with jaundice or signs of liver dysfunction, and in lower doses in susceptible children with a febrile illness aspirin can lead to Reye syndrome.
Medication: Aspirin (4.8 g daily)
Severity: 1 (enzyme elevations without jaundice) The symptoms of liver toxicity :
The symptoms of toxic hepatitis can include the following:
Nausea,Vomiting,Loss of appetite,Fever,Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes),Pain or swelling in the upper right abdomen,Fatigue,
Dark-colored urine.
Aspirin produces hepatotoxic reactions as a cumulative phenomenon, requiring days or weeks to develop. Patients with active rheumatic or collagen disease, as well as children, are especially susceptible. Blood levels of salicylate higher than 25 mg/dL are particularly likely to lead to hepatic injury.
A liver transplant is currently the only way to cure irreversible liver failure. A liver transplant may be considered if: you develop progressive liver failure, despite not drinking alcohol. you're otherwise well enough to survive such an operation.
How long to take aspirin for. If you're taking aspirin for a short-lived pain, like toothache or period pain, you may only need to take it for 1 or 2 days. If you've bought it from a shop, supermarket or pharmacy and need to use aspirin for more than 3 days, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
Although daily aspirin use has been shown to lower the chance of having a first heart attack or stroke, it can also increase the risk for bleeding in the brain, stomach, and intestines.
Information compiled by Dr. Bhairavsinh Raol
