Aspirin is a registered trademark that, over time, became a common noun for acetylsalicylic acid . This drug is used as an antipyretic (to reduce fever) and as an analgesic (to relieve pain).
A Bayer product
The Aspirin brand belongs to Bayer , a pharmaceutical and chemical company based in Germany . Bayer , like many other laboratories , presents aspirin in different formats (such as tablets, granules, effervescent tablets, effervescent granules, etc.).
It is believed that humans began to take advantage of the salicylic acid found in the leaves of willows (genus Salix ) more than 2,400 years ago. Much closer in time, in 1853 , the Frenchman Charles Frédéric Gerhardt managed to synthesize acetylsalicylic acid from the combination of sodium salicylate and acetyl chloride.
Free sale
Aspirin is generally an over-the-counter remedy : that is, a prescription signed by a doctor is not needed to purchase it in a pharmacy. It is common for a person to take aspirin when their head, back, or muscles hurt or when they have cold or flu symptoms. In any case, it is best to always consult a doctor before resorting to any type of remedy.
In certain cases a doctor may suggest developing a therapy with daily aspirin consumption , as it could help reduce the risk of a heart attack. However, this recommendation is not valid for every individual: those who have a history of bleeding or have certain allergies should not adopt a therapy of this kind, for example.
These and other recommendations regarding the consumption of aspirin have led many people to develop a kind of dependence on this product. It is not uncommon for people of a certain age to have the habit of taking an aspirin a day, justifying this with a long list of supposed benefits . Although it is a true remedy, as mentioned above it is important to inform yourself before ingesting it.
One aspirin a day
This therapy may not be beneficial for everyone, and that is why we must know if we are in the right group, which depends on factors such as cardiac history, age, health, and risk of heart attacks or cardiovascular accidents. . Furthermore, we must not forget that even if this treatment benefits us, the longer it lasts, the less effective it will be.
Only when our doctor gives us the go-ahead can we begin this peculiar therapy of one aspirin a day. If our body is not compatible , the consequences can be serious , leading to gastrointestinal bleeding, for example. In any case, even if they advise us against the daily dose , we can always take one or two occasionally, to treat pain or fever.
Degrees of prevention
One-daily aspirin therapy has two possible goals: primary and secondary prevention . The first is for those people who have never suffered or gone through: a cardiovascular accident; a heart attack; blockage of arteries in the extremities or neck; bypass surgery; angioplasty with stent. Precisely, the daily consumption of aspirin in this case is to prevent the first appearance of some of these disorders.
On the other hand, we have secondary prevention, which is precisely intended for people who have experienced any of the health problems that we mentioned in the previous paragraph. While the benefits of primary are not recognized by all medical professionals, those of secondary do enjoy a wide degree of acceptance.