Aspirin: Uses, Risks, and What You Need to Know Before Taking It

When you think of aspirin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for pain, fever, and heart protection. Also known as acetylsalicylic acid, it’s one of the most taken pills in the world—used for everything from headaches to preventing heart attacks. But just because it’s cheap and available over the counter doesn’t mean it’s safe for everyone. Many people pop aspirin like candy, not realizing it can cause stomach bleeding, worsen asthma, or interact dangerously with other meds.

Aspirin works by blocking enzymes that cause pain and swelling, but it also thins your blood by stopping platelets from clumping. That’s why doctors prescribe it for people at risk of heart attack or stroke. But if you’re on blood thinners like warfarin, or have ulcers, kidney problems, or are over 65, that same effect can turn deadly. And here’s the thing: even low-dose aspirin isn’t harmless. A 2022 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that healthy older adults who took daily aspirin had no lower risk of heart disease—but did have a higher chance of major bleeding.

It’s not just about heart health. NSAIDs, a class of drugs that includes aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. Also known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, it are linked to kidney damage and high blood pressure. If you’re taking multiple pain relievers, you might be doubling up on aspirin or ibuprofen without knowing it. That’s why medication safety pages here warn about hidden ingredients in cold pills, sleep aids, and even some arthritis creams. And if you’ve ever been told to stop aspirin before surgery, that’s because it can cause uncontrolled bleeding—something your surgeon needs to know weeks in advance.

People with diabetes, liver disease, or gout need to be extra careful too. Aspirin can mess with blood sugar control and raise uric acid levels. And if you’re a parent, don’t give it to kids or teens with viral infections—it’s linked to Reye’s syndrome, a rare but deadly condition. There are safer options for kids, like acetaminophen, which doesn’t thin blood or irritate the stomach the same way.

So what’s the real story? Aspirin saves lives in some cases—like after a heart attack or for people with known artery disease. But for most healthy people, the risks outweigh the benefits. The latest guidelines from the American Heart Association say daily aspirin is no longer recommended for prevention unless you’re at very high risk and your doctor specifically says so. That’s a big shift from just 10 years ago.

What you’ll find in these posts isn’t just a list of facts. It’s real-world advice from people who’ve been there: someone who bled internally from daily aspirin, a nurse who caught a deadly drug mix-up because of hidden NSAIDs, a diabetic who didn’t know aspirin was hiding in their cold medicine. You’ll learn how to spot dangerous interactions, when to ask your doctor about alternatives, and how to tell if aspirin is helping you—or quietly hurting you.