I.

Introduction

Aspirin, trade name for acetylsalicylic acid, the most widely used drug for treating fever, pain, and inflammation. Aspirin is a synthetic chemical compound that works by interfering with the body’s production of hormonelike substances called prostaglandins. Often called a wonder drug, it is now thought to have possible preventative effects against heart disease, stroke, forms of cancer, and other diseases and conditions.

Aspirin derives from salicylic acid, a compound found in the bark of the willow and in parts of other plants. The effects of plants that contain salicylic acid were known since ancient times in many cultures, ranging from ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks to the Chinese and Native Americans. The 4^th century BC Greek doctor Hippocrates, called the father of medicine, prescribed tea extracted from the bark of the willow tree for fever and pain.

Salicylic acid was isolated for use as a medicine in the 19^th century. However, salicylic acid is bitter and irritates the stomach. Attempts to derive a compound without such side-effects were largely unsuccessful. In 1897 the German chemist Felix Hoffman synthesized the acetyl derivative of salicylic acid in response to the urging of his father, who took salicylic acid for rheumatism. The compound was marketed under the trade name “Aspirin” by the German chemical company Bayer, and became a worldwide success as a pain reliever.

II.

Uses

The effects of aspirin depend on the dosage level. In small to moderate doses of one or more tablets, it helps reduce fevers and cold symptoms, and can relieve mild to moderate pain from common ailments such as headaches, toothaches, muscle sprains, or minor injuries. In higher doses it can help treat inflammation associated with conditions such as rheumatism and arthritis. For example, arthritis patients may take 10 or more doses of aspirin a day.

Aspirin can be combined with other analgesic drugs to provide stronger pain relief than a single drug would if used alone at a higher dose, and with fewer side effects, such as drowsiness or risk of addiction. Combinations of aspirin with butalbital, codeine, and caffeine are used for treating tension headaches and migraines.

In recent years, medical research has found that regular aspirin usage may have protective effects against a range of serious diseases. Low daily doses of aspirin can reduce the incidence of heart attack and stroke according to a series of studies, mainly from the drug’s anticlotting effects. Other research indicates that regular doses of aspirin may reduce the risk of colon cancer, and possibly breast cancer and prostate cancer. Aspirin use may also be helpful in preventing or treating diseases and conditions such as diabetes, adult asthma, and prostate enlargement.

III.

How Aspirin Works

Aspirin is thought to act by interfering with synthesis of prostaglandins, hormonelike chemicals in the body that have many functions. Prostaglandins are implicated in inflammation and fever. They also can induce pain and raise the sensitivity to pain, and they are responsible for making platelets stick together to form blood clots. British pharmacologist Sir John Vane, along with the Swedish researchers Sune Bergström and Bengt Samuelsson, shared the 1982 Nobel Prize in medicine for showing how aspirin works by blocking a particular enzyme needed to produce prostaglandins.

IV.

Side Effects and Risks

Aspirin causes a small amount of bleeding in the digestive tract that could result in iron deficiency or gastric ulcers with long-term use. Complications can be avoided by using enteric-coated aspirin, which does not dissolve until reaching the intestine. So-called buffered aspirin adds compounds that reduce the acidity of aspirin in the stomach. Because of its anticlotting effects, aspirin is generally avoided in treating pain from bleeding injuries or surgery. Aspirin should not be given to children who have chicken pox or influenza because it increases the risk of contracting the rare and frequently fatal Reye's syndrome, a disease of the brain and some abdominal organs.

As a rule, women who are pregnant should avoid taking aspirin. A number of pregnancy complications have been linked to the drug, including miscarriage and effects on the developing baby. In some cases, however, a doctor might prescribe low doses of aspirin to help treat certain medical conditions affecting the mother.

Ingesting very high doses of aspirin can result in poisoning. Symptoms of aspirin poisoning include rapid breathing, vomiting, bizarre behavior, and, in severe cases, coma. Immediate medical attention is needed. Aspirin was once of very common cause of poisoning in children. The introduction of child-resistant containers has greatly reduced the incidence of such poisonings, but aspirin, like any medicine, should be kept out of the reach of children.