Should I Take Aspirin or Not?
If you have had heart trouble at any point during your life, or if you know someone who has, you’ve probably been exposed to the idea of using aspirin to help manage the condition. This idea has become so pervasive that some people assume it is just a standard part of heart-health treatment. But is that the case? Should you be taking aspirin if you have heart trouble? Well, as you might imagine, the answer to that question is rather complicated, and something that can’t be answered with a blanket statement in a blog post.
The Basic Idea
Before we talk about whether or not you’ll be recommended to take an aspirin each day to protect your heart, let’s talk about why this is even an option in the first place. What is it about aspirin that allows it to help prevent against a heart attack? The idea here comes back to the issue of blood clotting. If a clot forms and blocks an artery, you could have a heart attack. Since aspirin gets in the way of your blood clotting, it has been used for many patients to reduce the odds of a heart attack. This is not a fool-proof solution, of course, but it can help to tilt the odds away from a heart attack, since it will be harder for your blood to clot.
Commonly, it is recommended that a patient who has already experienced a heart attack should take a daily aspirin to make a reoccurrence of that event less likely. Or, even if you have not yet had a heart attack, an aspirin may be suggested because you’ve had a stent placed or you have had coronary bypass surgery. Whatever the specifics of your case, if you have had trouble with your heart in some form or fashion, it may be recommended that you start to take an aspirin each day.
The Appeal
It’s easy to see why this is an appealing step to take. For one thing, it’s a very simple step, as taking an aspirin each day will only take a moment of your time. You don’t have to make any large lifestyle changes in order to take a daily aspirin, and this is a very affordable treatment. If you can do something this quick and easy to reduce your odds of having a heart attack, the decision to do so seems like a virtual no brainer.
Some Considerations
So far, everything seems pretty good with regard to taking a daily aspirin, but as with everything in medicine, it’s just not that simple. There are some other things to consider here, which is why doctors don’t just recommend this kind of treatment to everyone across the board. For one thing, some people are allergic to aspirin, so those individuals will obviously need to avoid this kind of therapy.
Aside from allergies, there are other issues to consider. For one thing, those who already have a bleeding ulcer could be put in danger by taking a daily aspirin. Since the aspirin reduces the clotting ability of your blood, that existing ulcer may bleed even more. The extra bleeding can cause a number of problems and could even be a life-threatening condition in some cases. The odds of a bleeding stroke may go up as well when taking aspirin.
It should also be said that those who have a relatively low risk of a heart attack may find that aspirin presents more negatives than positives when taken as daily therapy. Given the potential drawbacks, someone who was already relatively unlikely to have a heart attack might not be a good candidate for this approach.
Ask to Stop
If you are put on an aspirin regimen by your doctor, you’ll get into the habit of taking one aspirin every day. Should you happen to decide in the future that you’d like to stop this treatment for one reason or another, don’t just do so on your own without first speaking with your doctor. There is the possibility that stopping your aspirin regimen will increase your odds of a heart attack. Blood clots may be more likely in the aftermath of stopping your aspirin therapy, meaning it is crucially important to discuss any changes with your doctor before they go into effect. When it comes to your heart, you need to be careful, and you need to get advice from those with the knowledge and experience necessary to point you in the right direction.
At Beverly Hills Cardiovascular, we offer a long list of services to make sure our patients receive the best in heart-health care. Led by Dr. David Filsoof, who works with a talented and experienced team here in our office, you can be sure you’ll be in good hands at Beverly Hills Cardiovascular. Whether you simply want an overall checkup for your heart, or you are in need of a specific service, we’ll be happy to help. Some of the many services we offer include electrocardiogram, echocardiography, treadmill exercise stress tests, and much more. Contact us today to learn more or to make an appointment. Thanks for visiting!
