Hidden Dangers of Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers-Asprin
INTRODUCTION--
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| ASPRIN WITH WATER |
The story of aspirin can seem complicated when you think about it. It has been used as a medication for pain and inflammation for more than 200 years. But despite that, there are many reasons to believe its dangerous effects may be causing serious concern even now, especially with Covid-19 spreading.
This article will help you understand why this popular medicine probably isn’t good for you anymore, why it may have made your heart attack symptoms worse, and how even a single bottle could be deadly. Let’s dig into these risks and dangers together.
The Story Behind Aspirin--
Aspirin was created as a “flatulence reliever” by German chemist Albert Humphrey Nel in 1746. In 1825 Humphrey Nel discovered his ability to dissolve mucus — a key component of gum disease or chest congestion — in alcohol or methanol (better known now as wine alcohol). He also discovered alcohol had an antimicrobial effect and so he took alcohol by mouth and mixed it with other ingredients such as mint leaves
Later we know that cough syrup was made from alcohol and mint leaves, then distilled off and purified again in 1831 — only this time with the addition of cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn seeds, turmeric root and cloves. In 1830 Hans Reisig also added two herbs that have ever since become well-known and useful in treating gastrointestinal disorders (especially GERD), including echinacea, really, spirulina, and marshmallows. And in 1924 a German doctor named Erich Spreitzer combined this cure with a local species of coffee called caffeine, to create “caffeine-alcohol”. This mixture was considered effective against respiratory and digestive infections as well as colds. Caffeine-alcohol was also found to decrease fever, which was thought to ease people suffering from flu
But in 1927 the World Health Organization declared that cough syrup didn’t have any studies that were positive for its effectiveness. There were no positive results and nothing could be done to change the way it’s prescribed, it said
So on July 1, 1930, Germans began making their own cough syrup for themselves at home. They made a solution which they sold under brand name Aspirin to pharmacies and doctors all over Germany — an extremely successful business model.
The first Aspirin tablets were rolled out over five days in Berlin in 1936. Since then the company has built up a reputation for being very effective at relieving cough, cold and cough. After some trials, they claimed that they could relieve cough by 10 per cent. That meant that by 1930, almost 70 per cent of Aspirin prescriptions in Germany had been replaced with others that contained either methanol or ethanol. So the big question is:
Areas where Aspirin really seems to work?--
Aspirin really seems to work? {1}
To answer the question, it’s important to know the history of cough syrup before delving into the history of aspirin. A recent study published on May 8 (2020) in BMJ revealed that experts still don’t know enough about the benefits and negative side effects of cough syrup and what happened when it was removed too early. Researchers were looking for answers to the questions: who was the target group for cough syrup? Was it safe? How often should you take cough syrup over 24 hours in order to get similar results?
The Basics of Aspirin(NSAID)
Before taking aspirin you need to understand exactly how it works (i.e., it acts like a drug) and the difference between what happens when it’s taken alone and when it’s actually a part of a whole mix. You could take several doses of aspirin at once if you wanted. When trying to stop this, people tell you to increase or reduce it. An increased dose might give you chest pains and headaches, while a reduced dose might just give you nausea and a headache. So with that knowledge let’s go over each dose and what might happen.
First, when doing Aspirin first thing in your morning routine you’ll want to take a tablet of aspirin, like acetaminophen (a form of salicylates, which is a compound found in many foods that is also a component in some nonprescription medications but not necessarily a prescription). For example, one would have to take two tablets of acetaminophen and six of Aspirin to get the same result. If you’re getting multiple different tablets of aspirin, that’s called a double aspirin; however, it is also called a triple aspirin. Each tablet contains 60 milligrams of acetaminophen, 4 milligrams of Aspirin and 2 milligrams of ibuprofen (a common nonprescription painkiller).
If you’re already using cough syrup as a painkiller for chronic conditions like rhinitis, allergies and asthma, then Aspirin might be helpful there as well but it’s most likely going to be ineffective because it doesn’t meet the criteria for relieving inflammation and pain. Furthermore, cough syrup doesn’t contain any ingredients other than acetaminophen, so it’s unlikely to be harmful unless someone has allergies to it (which is rare but not impossible, and can happen). Also, although cough syrup can have adverse effects on your lungs, taking a day or two prior to a headache or sore throat, coughing syrup can also cause them to dry out and make your throat bleed. To put things in perspective, smoking cigarettes contains approximately 120mg of nicotine and can lead to increased heart rate and blood pressure. However, if you smoke while pregnant you’ll be much less susceptible to both nicotine and acetaminophen.
So for instance, if I ask you to take an acetaminophen pill every couple of hours or after a night of sleep, that means I’m increasing it by 30 mg. At that same dosage, you should be able to feel the headache start to subside because the pain will be behind me, but before too long it’s gone. At the same time, you should feel my stomach start to tighten up from the over-the-counter stuff. Obviously, in the past, I was able to experience those sorts of side effects, so it’s probably best to keep away from this one because of their possible consequences.
Now, there is nothing wrong with taking aspirin, but when it comes to cough syrup and coughs, it does seem like a no brainer. People might be more inclined to use cough syrup only when having a cough and they’ll be using acetaminophen alongside rather than without.
Is Aspirin Dangerous for Everyone?--
ASPRIN +LEMON
As we all know, we shouldn’t rely on anything for our health other than medical advice because it can vary from person to person. The risk of a higher death rate due to cardiovascular problems is greater when people take acetaminophen (as compared to when they do not). Also, we know that people who suffer from high blood pressure are at the highest risk of developing stroke when taking acetaminophen (as compared to people who aren’t and who are at risk if people who have never suffered from stroke take it). On top of that, according to the Heart Association Alzheimer’s disease is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide with an estimated 800 000 deaths annually among aged people and even though the overall percentage is significantly lower than rates of cancer and heart diseases. It still accounts for around 20% of all global deaths. Even though cardiovascular effects may affect only some people, people who have a family history of premature or recurrent cardiac events who took aspirin are at risk.
Bleeding, heart problems and other hidden dangers--
- The use of NSAIDs can cause bleeding in the stomach or in the digestive tract, which can come on without warning signs and can be serious. People who take NSAIDs every day or regularly are at increased risk for these adverse events
- .The risk is also higher for adults older than 65, people with a history of stomach ulcers, and people who take blood thinners.
- Adults with blood pressure problems should know that NSAIDs can raise blood pressure. And all NSAIDs, except for aspirin, can increase the chances of heart attack or stroke, even after the first few weeks of use.
- NSAIDs have also been linked to kidney injury in older adults
- NSAIDs carry the risk of potential skin reactions
CONCLUSION--
On top of that, there are some genetic, behavioural, social factors that may affect what sort of harm a particular drug has when you take it. According to research published in 2015, there are over 500 genes that interact to influence the severity of inflammatory diseases. These interactions have been described in detail in a 2017 book written by Professor David Simon and others, titled ‘Pathophysiology of Inflammation, Genetics, and Biology’
One major finding is that one of these genes is called CCR5. This gene is present in about 40 per cent of people who have a gene mutation called CFTR which causes a defect in the liver that can cause cirrhosis. About 80–90 per cent of people who have a deficiency in CFTR die, with symptoms ranging from muscle spasms to shortness of breath. People who inherit a defective variant of CCR5 are more likely to be diagnosed with Type II diabetes and many who develop diseases linked to high blood pressure such as high cholesterol which can be prevented by taking statins.
So what does all of this all mean? Does that mean that taking aspirin can be life-saving? Well, this depends on who you are. As a teenager, I struggled with migraines and was rushed to hospital when my doctor wasn’t able to provide me with treatment because I had a family history of migraines which affected my immune system. {1}
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