Aspirin: contraindications, reception rules and side effects

The active substance in aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid, synthesized at the end of the 10th century. Initially, it was a powder, in a tablet form, the drug was produced later. In addition to acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin tablets contain auxiliary substances - starch and cellulose.

This medicine has been successfully applied for many decades with various pains - dental, joint, headaches. Its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties were discovered later - initially the drug was used as an antipyretic. Until now, with febrile conditions, doctors, especially practitioners for many years, often prescribe aspirin. Contraindications to its use, however, are serious enough, so in recent years, experts have increasingly recommended in these situations to replace this drug with another, safer antipyretic.

Especially it concerns diseases accompanied by high temperature, in small children. This is due to the possibility of developing a so-called Reye syndrome (Reye) - a life-threatening condition in which the fatty infiltration of the liver develops and cerebral edema occurs. The infant mortality rate for Reye's syndrome is 20-30% of the total number of cases. It is observed in children under 12 years of age and is associated with the use of acetylsalicylic acid against the background of an acute viral illness (influenza, acute respiratory viral infection, chicken pox, measles). Since not all parents can distinguish a bacterial infection from a viral infection, it is by no means necessary, without the doctor's advice, to give aspirin to small children to lower the temperature. To eliminate feverish conditions in childhood, preference is given to ibuprofen and paracetamol. Adults may in this case take 1-3 tablets of aspirin per day (100-300 mg), as prescribed by the doctor.

Aspirin, contraindications to the use of which can not be ignored, is traditionally used in the treatment of rheumatism - it was during the search for an effective cure for this disease that it was discovered. The use of aspirin in rheumatism can significantly alleviate the condition of the patient, but the drug only makes the symptoms of the disease less pronounced, but does not treat it. The daily dose of the drug in each case is selected individually. Usually it is 2-3 g per day for adults, and for children it is calculated based on the age and weight of the patient. Treatment with aspirin for rheumatism can last several months.

Taking aspirin, you should remember about the ability of this drug to "dilute" the blood, that is, to prevent its coagulation. For this reason, his reception should be stopped one week before the forthcoming operations of any complexity - even if it is only a matter of removing the tooth. Aspirin, the side effects of which are well studied, are not prescribed to pregnant women in the first trimester, as a teratogenic effect of acetylsalicylic acid on the fetus has been established. During the rest of the pregnancy, especially shortly before birth, it is used with great care in connection with the danger of bleeding in the mother and newborn baby.

The maximum safe daily intake of aspirin for adults is 4 g. If it is exceeded, an overdose may occur. Aspirin should not be treated concomitantly with many drugs, in particular other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, since it can enhance their side effects. When it is taken in parallel with glucocorticosteroid drugs, the risk of gastric bleeding increases. Aspirin, contraindications to the reception of which are quite extensive, do not use simultaneously with anti-gout and hypotensive drugs. It is contraindicated in peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum. With caution, prescribe aspirin to allergic patients, especially if they have previously been allergic to medications, in particular, the penicillin group. Take the drug after eating, squeezed milk or a lot of water.

Thus, aspirin, contraindications to the use of which should not be ignored, is capable of producing a noticeable curative effect, but with unauthorized, uncontrolled admission may pose a serious danger to health. Therefore, it should not be used without a doctor's recommendation.