How to Use Aspirin to Prevent Heart Attacks

Perhaps you've seen the television commercials where a life is repeatedly saved in 30 seconds by giving a potential heart attack victim an aspirin. Can something as simple as aspirin really prevent heart attacks? According to the experts, yes. If you've already survived a heart attack, or are at high risk for one, then you should learn how to use aspirin to prevent heart attacks in the future.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Guidance from your doctor

Learn How to Use Aspirin to Prevent Heart Attacks

1. Discover that the American Heart Association recommends daily aspirin use for those who have been previously affected by heart attacks, blood clots (ischemic strokes) or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). However, this advice is only recommended under the guidance and administration of the individual's physician.
2. Recognize that aspirin is not a cure for a heart attack, nor will it necessarily stop a heart attack in progress. However, providing you are not known to have an allergic reaction to aspirin, you may take one tablet if you believe you are having a heart attack. There is strong evidence that doing so may increase your chance of survival.
3. Do not delay in calling for medical help if you believe you are having a heart attack but feel safe just because you took an aspirin. However, note that the 911 operator may instruct you to take an aspirin while waiting for help to arrive if you haven't already done so.
4. Tell the emergency response team if you have already taken an aspirin before their arrival. This is important because it will allow the team to convey this information to the emergency room staff in the event you lose consciousness during transport.
5. Advise your doctor of your alcohol intake if he or she suggests aspirin therapy to help prevent future heart attacks. Frequent alcohol consumption, combined with daily aspirin intake, is known to cause damage to the liver and stomach.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use aspirin therapy without getting the go ahead from your doctor first. Continuous use of aspirin does have some negative side effects, such as gastrointestinal bleeding.
• If you expect to be undergoing any kind of dental surgery or procedure, you should advise the dental surgeon of your aspirin therapy dosage beforehand. Being a blood thinner, aspirin can lead to excessive bleeding from gums.
• Do not take aspirin if you think you may be having a stroke. Some strokes are caused by ruptured blood vessels, not by blood clots. The use of aspirin in that case would only escalate the bleeding from the rupture site.

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