The Value of Aspirin During a Heart Attack

If you believe that you or a loved one are having a heart attack, the single best thing you can do, aside from call 911, is to chew an aspirin. Time matters when it comes to heart attacks, the quicker the intervention the better. It will take a bit of time for help to get to you, so you need to do everything you can do to minimize the seriousness of what is happening during a heart attack. An aspirin might help. In fact, the 911 operator may tell you to take an aspirin or two.

I have heard of numerous cases where the simple act of taking an aspirin at the start of a heart attack made all the difference in terms of the amount of damage the person suffered. Understand, this does not mean an aspirin will always save a life, it does not mean an aspirin will always decrease the damage, but it does mean, according to numerous studies, that an aspirin might help.

Should You Take an Aspirin During a Stroke?

Strokes are different from heart attacks. While immediate intervention is extremely important, it is not always clear whether you should take an aspirin. Your stroke might be caused by a clot. Or your stroke might be caused by a burst blood vessel. If you take an aspirin while you have a clot-related stroke, the aspirin might help. If you take an aspirin while you are having a stroke due to a ruptured blood vessel, you actually could make things worse.

Ask Your Doctor Now

If you are at risk for a heart attack or stroke, you should ask your doctor if it would be appropriate for you to take an aspirin should such a serious medical event occur. If you are not at risk, you should still discuss this treatment with your doctor. Both strokes and heart attacks can strike someone who doesn’t have any of the normal risk factors. It is especially important that you ask your doctor now what you should do if you ever have a stroke. He can look at your risk factors and help you determine whether an aspirin might be appropriate for you, or could actual cause more harm.