How does aspirin

Aspirin works to prevent the platelets in your blood from clumping and clotting in your arteries, thereby reducing these risks by improving blood flow to your heart and brain. Aspirin is the only OTC pain reliever known to have these lifesaving benefits. Aspirin is not appropriate for everyone, so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. How Aspirin Works. Your health care provider will likely discuss what aspirin dose is right for you.

Low doses of aspirin — such as 75 to milligrams mg , but most commonly 81 mg —can be effective at preventing heart attack or stroke. Health care providers usually prescribe a daily dose between 75 mg and mg a regular-strength tablet. If your health care provider has told you to take an aspirin every day, contact him or her before stopping it.

If you've had a heart attack or a stent placed in one or more of your heart arteries, it's important to keep taking daily aspirin and any blood-thinning medications exactly as directed by your health care provider. Stopping daily aspirin therapy can have a rebound effect that may trigger a blood clot and lead to a heart attack. If you need to take ibuprofen or other NSAIDs, talk to your health care provider about alternatives that won't interfere with daily aspirin therapy, such as acetaminophen Tylenol, others.

If you're taking aspirin and you need surgery or dental work, be sure to let the surgeon or dentist know so they can take steps to prevent excessive bleeding.

Don't stop taking aspirin without talking to your health care provider. Combining aspirin with a prescription blood-thinning medication anticoagulant may greatly increase the risk of major bleeding. Anticoagulants include:. Sometimes, it may be appropriate to combine a low-dose aspirin with warfarin or another anticoagulant. Such combination therapy always needs to be carefully discussed with your health care provider.

Certain herbal and dietary supplements can also increase the bleeding risk when combined with aspirin. These include:. Drinking alcohol while on daily aspirin therapy may increase the risk of stomach bleeding. Talk to your health care provider about how much alcohol is safe to drink. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.

Taking aspirin during a heart attack is safe and recommended. If you think you're having a heart attack, call or emergency medical services. Don't delay calling for help. Aspirin alone won't save your life if you're having a heart attack. When you call for help, the emergency operator may tell you to chew an aspirin, but will first ask if you have an aspirin allergy or other health conditions that would make taking an aspirin unsafe.

It's OK to chew an aspirin if your health care provider has previously told you to do so if you think you're having a heart attack — but always call or emergency medical services first.

Coated aspirin is also called enteric-coated aspirin. It is designed to pass through the stomach and not dissolve until it reaches the small intestine. Coated aspirin may be gentler on the stomach and may be appropriate for some people who take a daily aspirin, especially those with a history of gastrointestinal inflammation or ulcers.

But there's no evidence that taking coated aspirin decreases the chance of developing gastrointestinal bleeding. Also, coated aspirin may not work as well as plain aspirin when taken at the time of a possible heart attack. Talk to your health care provider if you're concerned about ways to decrease your bleeding risk. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.

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Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised. Learn more. Erin Donnelly Michos, M. The answer for most individuals is probably not. In addition to relieving pain, lowering fever and reducing inflammation, aspirin can prevent blood clots from forming. Blood clots, the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes, form when a plaque cholesterol and other substances deposited on artery walls ruptures and your body tries to contain the damage by creating a clot.

When arteries are already narrowed by the buildup of plaque, a clot can block a blood vessel and stop the flow of blood to the brain or heart. Called platelets, they bind together when they encounter damaged blood vessels.