Aspirin is one of the oldest analgesic or pain relieving drugs around. Tylenol and Advil are two other pain relieving drugs that are well-known. In fact Tylenol and Advil could be said to be synonymous with pain relief for most people because they are the most prescribed and advertised pain killers or reliefers.
In recent years aspirin has been recommended for the treatment, management and prevention of heart disease and heart attacks. Why is this so? It is because aspirin has blood thinning capabilities so when given to patients prone to heart attacks it keeps their blood thin so they can avoid blood clots which can lead to blockage and hence heart attacks.
But aspirin has other properties that are not so desirable because it tends to upset the stomach linings of some people causing discomfort and even heart burn. There is a way of going around this in the form of enteric coated aspirin. This is one of the side effects of aspirin. Some people have aspirin allergy. But when all is considered the benfits of taking aspirin far outnumber the downside fo taking it.
There are many drug companies that make different brands of aspirin. The most well known one is the Bayer aspirin by Bayer pharmaceutical company. Some pharmacy chain stores also make their own brands of aspirin. One can purchase either kind of aspirin as there are really no differences in their efficacy. Store name brands tend to be cheaper than the pharmaceutical company brands.
