spirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is a salicylate medication, often used to treat

pain, fever, and inflammation.[2] Aspirin also has an antiplatelet effect by stopping the binding
together of platelets and preventing a patch over damaged walls of blood vessels. Aspirin is also
used long-term, at low doses, to help prevent heart attacks, strokes, and blood clot formation in
people at high risk of developing blood clots.[3] Low doses of aspirin may be given immediately
after a heart attack to reduce the risk of another heart attack or of the death of cardiac tissue.[4][5]
Aspirin may be effective at preventing certain types of cancer, particularly colorectal cancer.[6][7]
[8]

The main side effects of aspirin are gastrointestinal ulcers, stomach bleeding, and ringing in the
ears, especially with higher doses. While daily aspirin can help prevent a clot-related stroke, it
may increase risk of a bleeding stroke (hemorrhagic stroke).[9] In children and adolescents,
aspirin is not recommended for flu-like symptoms or viral illnesses, because of the risk of Reye's
syndrome.[10]
Aspirin is part of a group of medications called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),
but differs from most other NSAIDs in the mechanism of action. The salicylates have similar
effects (antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic) to the other NSAIDs and inhibit the same
enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX), but aspirin does so in an irreversible manner and, unlike others,
affects the COX-1 variant more than the COX-2 variant of the enzyme.[11]
The therapeutic properties of willow tree bark have been known for at least 2,400 years, with
Hippocrates prescribing it for headaches.[12] Salicylic acid, the active ingredient of aspirin, was
first isolated from the bark of the willow tree in 1763 by Edward Stone of Wadham College,
University of Oxford.[13] Felix Hoffmann, a chemist at Bayer, is credited with the synthesis of
aspirin in 1897, though whether this was of his own initiative or under the direction of Arthur
Eichengrn is controversial.[14][15] Aspirin is one of the most widely used medications in the world
with an estimated 40,000 tonnes of it being consumed each year.[16] In countries where "Aspirin"
is a registered trademark owned by Bayer, the generic term is acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).[17] It is
on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a
basic health system.[18]

Contents

1 Medical use
o 1.1 Pain
o 1.2 Fever
o 1.3 Swelling and inflammation
o 1.4 Heart attacks and strokes

o 1.5 After surgery

o 1.6 Cancer prevention
o 1.7 Other uses
o 1.8 Resistance
o 1.9 Dosage

2 Adverse effects
o 2.1 Contraindications
o 2.2 Gastrointestinal
o 2.3 Central effects
o 2.4 Reye's syndrome
o 2.5 Hives and swelling
o 2.6 Other adverse effects
o 2.7 Overdose
o 2.8 Interactions

3 Chemical properties

4 Physical properties
o 4.1 Synthesis
o 4.2 Polymorphism

5 Mechanism of action
o 5.1 Discovery of the mechanism
o 5.2 Suppression of prostaglandins and thromboxanes
o 5.3 COX-1 and COX-2 inhibition

o 5.4 Additional mechanisms

6 Pharmacokinetics

7 History
o 7.1 Trademark

8 Compendial status

9 Veterinary use

10 References

11 Further reading

12 External links

Medical use
Aspirin is used in the treatment of a number of conditions, including fever, pain, rheumatic fever,
and inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, pericarditis, and Kawasaki disease.[19]
Lower doses of aspirin have also shown to reduce the risk of death from a heart attack, or the risk
of stroke in some circumstances.[20][21][22] There is some evidence that aspirin is effective at
preventing colorectal cancer, though the mechanisms of this effect are unclear.[23]

Pain

Aspirin 325 mg / 5 grains for pain

Uncoated aspirin tablets, consisting of about 90% acetylsalicylic acid, along with a minor
amount of inert fillers and binders
Aspirin is an effective analgesic for acute pain, but is generally considered inferior to ibuprofen
for the alleviation of pain because aspirin is more likely to cause gastrointestinal bleeding.[24]
Aspirin is generally ineffective for those pains caused by muscle cramps, bloating, gastric
distension, or acute skin irritation.[25] As with other NSAIDs, combinations of aspirin and
caffeine provide slightly greater pain relief than aspirin alone.[26] Effervescent formulations of
aspirin, such as Alka-Seltzer or Blowfish,[27] relieve pain faster than aspirin in tablets,[28] which
makes them useful for the treatment of migraines.[29] Topical aspirin may be effective for treating
some types of neuropathic pain.[30]
Headache
Aspirin, either by itself or in a combined formulation, effectively treats some types of headache,
but its efficacy may be questionable for others. Secondary headaches, meaning those caused by
another disorder or trauma, should be promptly treated by a medical provider.
Among primary headaches, the International Classification of Headache Disorders distinguishes
between tension headache (the most common), migraine, and cluster headache. Aspirin or other
over-the-counter analgesics are widely recognized as effective for the treatment of tension
headache.[31] Aspirin, especially as a component of an acetaminophen/aspirin/caffeine
formulation, e.g., Excedrin Migraine, is considered a first-line therapy in the treatment of
migraine, and comparable to lower doses of sumatriptan. It is most effective at stopping
migraines when they are first beginning.[32]