Amber Truhanovitch Dec 11, 2007

Aspirin Essay Group – C

To cease pain humans immediately turn to drugs. Some drugs are harmless but are weaker than others. Most of these drugs are over-the-counter medications and are recommended by doctors for pain relief. The aspirin is an over-the-counter medication that has been around for thousands of years. The basic concept of aspirin has been around since the fifth century. Today the medicine has been known for saving lives. But, once known for harmlessness and immediate pain reduction, the aspirin is no longer recommended to children due to safety hazards.

The Aspirin was originally discovered by a German chemist, Felix Hoffmann, in 1897 when he was trying to find a treatment for his father’s arthritis. But even before Felix Hoffmann, the father of modern medicine in the fifth century used ground willow bark to ease pain. Willow bark contains salicin, the basis of a class of drugs called salicylates. And in the 1800 it became the standard drug for arthritis. But salicylates were irritating to the stomach, so Hoffmann set out to produce a less irritating medication, which turned out to be synthesized acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) which came to the birth of the aspirin. The aspirin was used for many years and finally in 1971 the British pharmacologist Sir John Vane discovered that the aspirin was extremely effective in relieving pain. Vane received the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1982 for the discovery and ever since the aspirin has been used for different varieties of pain relief. (http://www.aspirin.org/prof03.html)

Aspirin is recommended for pain and inflammation relief. Aspirin works by inhibiting the body’s production of a hormone-like substance called prostaglandin, which is one of the building blocks that cause pain by stimulating muscle contractions and blood vessel dilation. Which helps reduced inflation and swelling that is commonly associated with injuries and arthritis. Aspirin is also known for fighting cardiovascular disease. It prevents blood clots by preventing platelets from releasing the prostaglandin thromboxane, which causes platelets to clump together in a blood clot. Also, aspirin’s anti-coagulant action which in turn helps prevent potentially fatal circulatory problems. (http://www.aspirin.org/prof03.html)

Aspirin provides fast and proven pain relief for injuries, such as muscle strains, headaches, arthritis and it is know for saving life during cases of heart attacks and strokes. More than 90 % of people have a tension-type headache, that is caused by stress, that occurs about once a year and almost 50 million people suffer from sever and debilitation migraines. The tightening of muscles in the base of the neck and along the scalp is relieved with basic aspirin. Aspirin reduces the pain and swelling associated with rheumatoid and osteoarthritis arthritis. Osteoarthritis, known as degenerative joint disease that wears down of joint cartilage that normally cushions bones, is the most common form of arthritis, affecting almost 16 million people in the United States and Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune form of arthritis that can affect a person's entire body. It is characterized by an inflammation of joint membranes which causes swelling, pain and stiffness. Aspirin saves lives by reducing the risk of heart attacks by diminishing the clotting action of blood platelets. It is the only over-the-counter medication that has been proven to help prevent cardiovascular disease in persons who have suffered a first heart attack, or a transient ischemic attack, or who have unstable angina by stopping or severely reducing the blood supply to the myocardium (the heart muscle). Aspirin reduces the risk of a second heart attack by 20 percent and for patients suffering from unstable angina, the risk of a heart attack decreases by 51 percent. In 1980 the U.S. Food and Drug Association approved the use of aspirin to help reduce the risk of stroke after a transient ischemic attack (TIA- a mini stroke), and it reduced the risk of subsequent TIA by 19 percent and the risk of a second stroke by 31 percent. A cerebral thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms around a blood-vessel deposit (known as a thrombus) in a vessel that serves the brain and it blocks the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. A cerebral embolism occurs when a blood clot forms in the body (known as an embolus), usually in the heart, and travels through the blood stream to the brain. Once in the brain, the blood clot will lodge itself in a smaller blood vessel and block the flow of blood. Both common cases induce a stroke. (http://www.aspirin.org/prof03.html)

Forms of aspirin have been used for thousands of years, even by the Greeks 2,500 years ago. The main ingredient in aspirin is salicylic acid which is found in willow tree bark. It is used for basic treatments of injuries, inflammation, arthritis, and headaches. Aspirin is also known for saving thousands of lives. It supports and saves weak hearts while the body shuts down during heart attacks and strokes. Aspirin provides the temporary relief of pain by blocking the body's production of prostaglandins, hormone-linked substances that are the building blocks of pain and it is the only over the counter pain reliever approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for prevention of cardiovascular disease in persons who have suffered a first heart attack or a transient ischemic attack (TIA-stroke) or who have unstable angina. But unfortunately aspirin is no longer recommended to children. Aspirin that is taken for pain reliefs over periods of time can have long term effects and produce a bad habit. The suggested dose of aspirin is 4 times a day but people suffering long term pain take much more. The over-dosing of aspirin can cause dizziness, mental confusion, and bleeding. Too much can also result in small blood clots and the deteriorating of the stomach lining. Some people even take aspirin to get “high” and in 1985 it was the drug of choice during suicide attempts. Now in Australia you must be 18 to buy aspirin. Needless to say, aspirin is the number one over-the-counter medication that lowers pain by relaxing the nervous system, eliminating pain and saving lives. (http://www.aspirin.org/prof03.html)