Aspirin: To Take Or Not To Take

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Once upon a time, easing pain was relatively simple: take two aspirin and call the doctor in the morning. Aspirin has been available for more than 100 years, and is used to treat pain, and reduce fever or inflammation.

“If people are suffering with bad pains, I want them to take pills because it’s a temporary relief. If you don't feel better, your quality of life is going to be horrible,” says Lee Memorial Health System cardiologist, Dr. Murali Mupalla.

Aspirin is also used to treat or prevent heart attacks, strokes, and chest pain.

“We always advise patients to take aspirin if you think you are having a heart attack or a stroke because it decreases the risk of clogging up your blood vessel,” says Dr. Mupalla.

Another advantage in the aspirin column: it doesn’t come with some of the risks associated with other over the counter pain relievers – specifically non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – like Aleve or Motrin.

“When you take these medications you can have increased risk of stroke or heart
Attack even in the first few days after you take these medications,” says Dr. Mupalla.

Despite its many uses and advantages, aspirin isn’t always the answer. You shouldn’t use aspirin if you have a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia or a recent history of stomach or intestinal bleeding. And aspirin should never be given to children under the age of 2.

“You need to take those pills to make you feel better, but at the same time look for the other options. Those include doing exercise programs or physical therapies and try to take the smallest effective dose that can make you feel better for the shortest duration of time,” says Dr. Mupalla.

Whatever you choose to ease your pain, if you are unsure about your options always check with your doctor or pharmacist.

View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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