In today’s world of quick solutions and easy answers, we’ve become accustomed to accepting whatever is presented to us as factual and 100% correct while forgetting to read the fine print. And who can blame anyone who does so? Getting rid of a headache or some other nuisance plaguing your health by simply drinking a tiny pill is extremely tempting, but sometimes, exerting the extra effort and just finding out the real extent of what these supposed “wonder drugs” do to you can well be worth it. Ironically, all those presumed “effective” medications get most of the credit for improving your health when, in fact, it is your own basic awareness that might even help save your life.
Aspirins, and other similar pain killers, are also known as Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs, for short) which have traditionally been heralded not only as an effective way to relieve your pain, but are actually also good for your heart and cardiovascular system. The daily intake of aspirin in low doses, or aspirin therapy as it is more popularly called, supposedly helps avert the formation of blood clots that can obstruct the arteries and cause strokes and heart attacks. Aspirin has also been touted as crucial to reducing the incidence of colon and breast cancer. On the lighter side, the anti-inflammatory properties of aspirin have allowed it to take its place among beauty and anti-aging products which keep wrinkles, acne, facial puffiness and even scarring and discoloration at bay.
A Heart Shocking Discovery
With so many supposed health benefits attested to by many users, it is difficult to entertain doubts about this celebrated lifesaver. However, a recent study presented at the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism by Dr. Carl Orr has revealed that aspirin, given the right circumstances and contrary to popular belief, can actually contribute to cardiovascular issues such as heart attacks and strokes. Other studies have reinforced the fact that “wonder pills” such as aspirin may increase the risk of heart failure and even induce gastrointestinal issues.
With all the mounting evidence against the use of aspirins, perhaps it would be a good idea to look into what aspirin really does to your body and what other possible, healthier alternatives exist.
Popular Ideas and Misconceptions About Aspirin
With the frequency that doctors recommend their patients to take aspirin and how easily available it is in practically any drug store, as well as the fact that it has come to enjoy its status as a sort of “one size fits all” type of drug that can cure almost anything, there is understandably a lot of ill-informed beliefs about aspirin.
Possibly one of the most risky and consequential myths about aspirin is that it can even be used as a form of contraceptive to prevent pregnancy, which is just outright false. No amount of aspirin will ever be enough to prevent the occurrence of pregnancy. Another myth is that taking an aspirin before you go out drinking will stop you from getting drunk and quell any possible hangovers the next morning. This is also untrue and should be noted that consuming alcoholic drinks with any form of medication can possibly be dangerous and may lead to many adverse side effects.
Perhaps the biggest irony about talking aspirin is that many people believe that consuming one aspirin a day will actually help you prevent any possible heart diseases, when we’ve found out that actually the opposite is true. While aspirins and other similar pain killers are anti-inflammatory in nature and aid in relieving any pain felt from inflammation, there are times that this type of medication only treats the symptoms (the pain felt) without actually getting to the root of the problem (any possible heart condition that may yet be undetected). At best, taking an aspirin a day may help people, but in varying degrees, and doing so should not be taken as an appropriate substitute for maintaining actual cardiovascular health. This stems from the misconception that since aspirin is used to medicate those who have suffered heart attacks, people who have no previous history with heart problems take it as a preventive measure, which should not be done.
The Dangers of Aspirin
The daily consumption of aspirin has no real quantifiable benefits to the heart health of those who have no history of cardiovascular complications. Moreso, aspirin, when taken every day, can even lead to a lot of side effects that are difficult to determine, such as gastronomical bleeding. This means that aspirin actually causes bleeding in the lining of your stomach, at times to a possibly fatal extent. Even the kinds of aspirin that have special coating to render it harmless while it is in the stomach has been proven to be non-effective in preventing the risk of gastronomical bleeding, a fact that even the most staunch advocates of aspirin admit is just one of those things that aspirin-takers will have to deal with.
There have also been claims that taking aspirin can help reduce the risk of the development of cancer, but studies have shown that these claims, if not completely baseless, actually result in the opposite. The risks for pancreatic cancer and breast cancer actually increase with daily aspirin intake. Some people also mistakenly believe that aspirin can be taken to help in the prevention or the maintenance of Type 2 diabetes, but aspirin actually has no effect on this disease.
It is still true, however, that aspirin can be beneficial to people, but that only applies to people who fall under the proper conditions. At the end of the day, it is up to you, the consumer who puts his or her body at risk, to decide whether the possible benefits of aspirin outweigh its possibly dangerous side effects.
Aspirin Alternatives
If you have come to the realization that taking aspirin is just not worth the risk anymore, or you find yourself allergic to aspirin and other NSAIDs, you need not worry as there are many other healthy, natural alternatives available to you. You probably already know of numerous procedures and homemade remedies that help relieve pain, such as drinking a certain type of herb tea or inhaling special incense, but those cures are, unfortunately, rather slow to take effect. If you find yourself in need of immediate pain relief, then there are some natural herbs out there that can do the trick for you. It should be noted, however, that the effectiveness of these alternatives only go as far as how consumers do not overuse or abuse them.
Kratom is a natural herb that seems to have had an unfair association with drug abuse and vice, because of the fact that opium users were using it. However, the truth is that opium users were only using kratom because of its effectiveness in soothing anxiety and relieving pain that was brought upon by their withdrawal from opium. Despite apprehensions that still linger on, there is no denying the fact that kratom is a medicinal herb that might have only suffered a bad reputation due to knee-jerk reactions with regard to its effectiveness.
If you want an alternative that is free of any legal ramifications or lingering doubts, then curcumin might be the alternative for you. Commonly found in the spice turmeric, curcumin can help relieve pain and inflammation rather quickly. Since it can actually be used as a spice, figuring out ways to give yourself a dose of curcumin might not only be good for your health, but could be an enjoyable experience as well.
You can still take other types of synthetic medication if you’ve found yourself uncomfortable with taking aspirin, but you should remember that any type of medication usually brings with it a lot of unexpected side effects that cannot be preemptively detected because of the unpredictable nature of drugs and chemicals and their relationship with our body.
Ultimately, whether or not to take aspirin and the frequency in which you do, as well as the trust you put in something whose side effects still aren’t completely mapped out and understood, is completely up to you. Just be sure to be as conscious, aware, and well-researched as you can so that you can always do the best for your body.
Sources:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)60900-9/abstract#sthash.UsYSgSDc.dpuf
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130614082637.htm#sthash.UsYSgSDc.dpuf
Author:
Rachel Rain is an author and food detective that find out the truth about food, medications, and nutrition. Which wonderful friends in your life would appreciate this information about aspirin? Please help them by sharing this eye-opening article with each of them using any of the social media and email buttons below.
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