Why does my doctor want me to take a baby aspirin every day?

Why does my doctor want me to take a baby aspirin every day?

Having a heart attack or stroke increases your risk for having another heart attack or stroke. Your doctor may tell you to take a daily aspirin as a preventive measure. It works the same way as preventing a first heart attack—it thins the blood and prevents blood clots.

Is it safe to take baby aspirin every other day?

You shouldn’t start daily aspirin therapy on your own, however. While taking an occasional aspirin or two is safe for most adults to use for headaches, body aches or fever, daily use of aspirin can have serious side effects, including internal bleeding.

Do you have to take baby aspirin every day?

Get your doctor’s approval to take Baby Aspirin daily or as needed for pain. Don’t take Baby Aspirin until your doctor has told you to. Your doctor may tell you to take it daily as a preventative measure against stroke or heart attack or they may suggest you only take it for pain.

Can a child take low dose aspirin after heart surgery?

Children are sometimes treated with low-dose aspirin after heart surgery or to treat a rare illness called Kawasaki disease. Children should only take low-dose aspirin if their doctor prescribes it. Taking low-dose aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes is not the same as taking aspirin as a painkiller.

Are there any side effects to taking aspirin daily?

Although aspirin can prevent clotting and, therefore, prevent strokes and heart attacks, it can also result in dangerous bleeding and other side effects, Cutler adds. In addition to bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, daily aspirin therapy can increase the risk of a bleeding stroke. It can also cause a severe allergic reaction in some people.

Why is it called baby aspirin when it’s only 81 mg?

It’s just called “Baby” because it only has 81 mg of acetylsalicylic acid (the active ingredient in Aspirin) as opposed to 325 mg in regular Aspirin. If you have confirmed cardiovascular disease or, in rare cases, if you’re pregnant and have confirmed cardiovascular disease, your doctor may recommend a low daily dose.

When is the best time to take baby aspirin?

The best time to take a baby aspirin is 30 minutes before your flight departs, though any time within three hours before departure is fine.This gives the aspirin time to start working and ensures it lasts a long time — perhaps even for your flight home, though you can take another baby aspirin before your return flight, if it’s on a different day.

Should you take a baby aspirin daily?

Consult with your doctor about aspirin therapy. Aspirin is such a familiar product that it may seem harmless to just take a “baby” (81 mg) tablet daily on your own; however, for all the good that little daily aspirin can potentially do, it can also cause serious, even possibly fatal, problems.

Can you stop taking baby aspirin daily?

If you’re healthy and have no family history of heart disease or stroke in your family, stop taking a baby aspirin daily. The risk of bleeding is too great.

When is the best time to take aspirin?

Studies show that the best time to take low dose (81 mg) aspirin is at bedtime. It reduces the chance of morning clots. This information comes from WebMD, the Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association.