Since the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise, people have been subjected to constant attacks from thousands of various diseases. And therefore, for many centuries, mankind has been in search of universal remedies that would help cope with cruel diseases. Sometimes these searches are surprisingly successful. So, for example, on one blessed summer day of 1897, a substance called “acetylsalicylic acid” was first synthesized in the Bayer laboratory. From what she can save the world, very soon all of humanity was to learn.
What is acetylsalicylic acid?
What is this substance - acetylsalicylic acid? It looks like a white crystalline powder, sparingly soluble in water, but soluble in alcohol, as well as in alkaline solutions. This substance is obtained by the chemical interaction of salicylic acid with acetic anhydride.
Acetylsalicylic acid can be considered the first synthetic drug. Before its discovery, only natural decoctions, extracts and extracts from plants were used as medicines for the treatment of various diseases. And for the first time in the world, a substance was synthesized that could be released on a massive industrial scale.
The new drug was called Aspirin and very soon became the most sought-after drug among doctors and patients alike. By the way, in the common question: "Which is better -" Aspirin "or acetylsalicylic acid?" - there is no point, because it is one and the same.
Acetylsalicylic Acid Precursor
Before the appearance of the Aspirin drug, doctors widely used the natural substance contained in willow bark - salicylic acid. Its healing properties have been known since antiquity. Another legendary healer Hippocrates noted that a decoction of willow bark helps to cope with fever and various inflammatory processes, lower body temperature or remove pain.
But pure salicylic acid could be obtained much later - at the beginning of the XIX century. True, that drug was expensive and was available in very limited quantities. In 1860, a method was developed for the production of salicylic acid using the interaction of sodium phenolate and carbon dioxide.
Despite the fact that this drug has proven effective in treating many diseases, it could not be widely used, as it had a lot of side effects. Not many patients could endure the unpleasant bitter-acid taste of the drug, in addition, salicylic acid caused severe irritation of the oral mucosa and stomach due to too high acidity. Acetylsalicylic acid will be synthesized very soon, which will make the treatment of many diseases much easier, faster and more enjoyable.
What diseases does acetylsalicylic acid help with?
Acetylsalicylic acid or "Aspirin" is considered a practically universal drug. Judge for yourself: the medicine "Aspirin" well lowers the temperature, anesthetizes, quickly contributes to the cessation of various inflammatory processes in the body. And this tool also has the ability to thin the blood, which can help if there is a risk of blood clots.
Want to know how else acetylsalicylic acid works, what does it help from? For people prone to heart and vascular diseases, doctors often recommend prolonged use of small doses of Aspirin, which significantly reduces the risk of stroke or myocardial infarction.
In case of headache, and also when teeth are sore, acetylsalicylic acid can have a good operative analgesic effect. This remedy also helps with painful menstruation and pain caused by neuralgia, osteoarthritis, or arthritis. The advantage of this drug is that it does not develop addiction, which distinguishes it from other analgesics.
But acetylsalicylic acid is not so harmless! The doctor should always prescribe a prescription for it; independent uncontrolled use of Aspirin can lead to undesirable consequences.
Side effects of acetylsalicylic acid
Many people through their own bitter experience were able to make sure that self-medication is fraught with trouble. Acetylsalicylic acid, of course, can be used independently, but not in all cases. And drinking this drug in handfuls, not following the recipe, is generally dangerous. The fact is that “Aspirin” has a rather strong irritating effect on the lining of the stomach. In order to reduce the harmful effects of acid, it is necessary to take acetylsalicylic acid only after eating and drink plenty of fluids. It is especially important for expectant mothers to know how acetylsalicylic acid can act. When pregnancy is not worth the risk!
An overdose of “Aspirin” is fraught with poisoning, which may be accompanied by nausea or even severe vomiting, pain in the stomach and dizziness. And in the most severe cases, it can lead to a disorder of coordination of movements, convulsions, toxic damage to the kidneys and liver, and hemorrhages. Acetylsalicylic acid, from which it would not be used, should be taken strictly according to the instructions with the obligatory observance of the exact dosage and contraindications.
Contraindications
Do not take the medicine "Aspirin" if there are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Bronchial asthma and hemorrhagic diathesis are also contraindications to the use of this drug. Tendency to bleeding, angina pectoris, enlarged thyroid gland, arterial hypertension, the period of breastfeeding, as well as the presence of hypersensitivity to acetylsalicylic acid are also contraindications.
Especially worth mentioning about the children! The drug "Aspirin" should not be taken for children under 15 years old in the presence of acute respiratory diseases caused by viral infections. This prohibition is caused by the risk of Reye syndrome.
Acetylsalicylic acid during pregnancy
Many doctors believe that it is better to avoid taking acetylsalicylic acid during pregnancy. Of course, a single dose of this remedy can hardly seriously harm the baby and the expectant mother, but regular use of Aspirin in usual dosages for a pregnant woman is completely unacceptable.
It is believed that in the early stages of pregnancy, preparations containing acetylsalicylic acid can cause a miscarriage. Some scientists believe that the continuous use of Aspirin can inhibit fetal growth and increase the risk of placental detachment. And the regular use of this drug in the last trimester of pregnancy can delay childbirth, adversely affect their course (the threat of bleeding) and makes possible the appearance of complications in the newborn from the heart and lungs.
Acetylsalicylic acid - analogues
The drug "Aspirin" has a lot of analogues. You may be surprised to learn that such drugs as Thrombo ACC, Cardiomagnyl, Cardiopyrine, Upsarin Upsa, Ecorin, Therapin, Reocard, Acecardine, Aspecard "," Anopyrine "and many other drugs sold in pharmacies are analogues of acetylsalicylic acid. They differ from "Aspirin" only in price and in where they were produced.
Which is better - tablets or solution?
A few decades ago in our pharmacies it was possible to buy only one single variety of the drug "Acetylsalicylic acid" - tablets. But now the assortment has expanded and Aspirin is also sold in the form of effervescent soluble pills. The latter option is much preferable.
The fact is that traditional hard tablets are difficult to dissolve in the stomach and therefore harm it more. And the effect of such a drug is slower, unlike an effervescent solution, which is absorbed by the body almost instantly, without causing any harm to the gastrointestinal tract or the oral mucosa. Especially when you need good analgesics, Aspirin preparations in the form of instant tablets are able to provide the person needed help most quickly.
The use of "Aspirin" to get rid of acne
Recently, masks based on Aspirin tablets, which help to quickly get rid of acne, have come into fashion. Acetylsalicylic acid for the face is indeed a cleansing, anti-inflammatory agent. It tightens pores, eliminates black spots, acting like a good expensive scrub, and also dries out small acne rashes.
To prepare such a mask, you need a base in the form of clay, honey, coffee, yogurt or olive oil and the usual Aspirin pills. Effervescent tablets for a cosmetic procedure are not worth buying. The healing effect of an acetylsalicylic mask against acne is based on the anti-inflammatory effect of this agent. But do not think that only with such masks you can completely cure problematic skin, rather, they can be considered as an additional tool.