It would be fair to call aspirin a wonder drug. For almost a century now, we have been using aspirin as a painkiller. It is one of the commonest drugs available in the market. In fact, it will be hard to find an educated person who has never heard of aspirin. The main effect of aspirin is on headaches and fever. Aspirin is the best painkiller when it comes to headache and body pain that happens due to fever.
But, aspirin has other health benefits too. Aspirin can be used as an emergency drug to stall a heart attack. The effect of aspirin on the heart is instant because it thins the blood and makes it flow quickly. With many years of research, it has been found that aspirin has many health benefits; apart from being a painkiller and emergency drug. For example, aspirin's effects on cancer were recently discovered. This drug helps prevent cancer and also stops its spread in the body.
Now all these health benefits of aspirin makes it seem like a God-sent drug. But aspirin has some dangers too. It was banned for children below the age of 16 years because of its association with Reye's syndrome. Also, people with respiratory disorders cannot that aspirin.
Here is a list of the good and bad effects of aspirin on the human body. Then you decide whether it is a wonder drug or a killer drug.
If there was one magical drug that got rid of headaches instantly, then it would have to be aspirin. There is no better or quicker drug to cure headaches.
The best first aid for a person who is having a heart attack is to put an aspirin under his/her tongue. The aspirin effectively dilutes the blood and breaks up clots.
When you feel feverish and your whole body is aching, a single aspirin tablet can make you feel much better. It can deal with minor fever and soreness due to cold.
Powdered aspirin can be applied on nasty pimples to get rid of them quickly. Aspirin has salicylic acid that is very effective for treating acne.
Bug bites or insect bites are very troublesome. As aspirin is anti-inflammatory, it can soothe bug bites easily.
No matter how often you wash your hair, dandruff just keeps coming back. Just try mixing some powdered aspirin with your shampoo to keep dandruff at bay for long.
An experiment on rats showed that a regular but low dose of aspirin can protect the liver against damage. This could be particularly useful to alcoholics.
A low dosage of aspirin is supposed to be a preventive medication against cancer. Some research also suggests that aspirin may also stall the spread of cancer.
Any person who has respiratory disorders like asthma cannot have aspirin. Aspirin causes lungs spasms that are bad for asthmatic patients.
Some people are allergic to certain substances and medications. Aspirin allergy is uncommon but not unheard of.
Regular intake of aspirin could cause internal bleeding. As aspirin thins the blood, it is dangerous for people who have problems of blood clotting.
Kids below the age of 16 must not be given aspirin. Aspirin could be associated with Reye's syndrome in children that leads to severe inflammation on the liver and brain that can be fatal. So give aspirin to kids on when the doctor prescribes it.