Aspirin For Heart Attacks

Dr. Virend Somers, is a Cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic, was the lead author of a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Most heart attacks occur in the day, generally between 6 A.M. and noon. Having one during the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that something unusual happened. Dr. Somers and his colleagues have been working for a decade to show that sleep apnea is to blame.

1. If you take an aspirin or a baby aspirin once a day, take it at night. The reason: Aspirin has a 24-hour "half-life"; therefore, if most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morning, the Aspirin would be strongest in your system.

2. Aspirin lasts a really long time in your medicine chest for years, (when it gets old, it smells like vinegar). Thus, discard the old and purchase new. Something that we can do to help ourselves, and good to know. Also, Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve instantly on the tongue. These would work much faster than the tablets.

Why keep Aspirin by your bedside? It's about Heart Attacks

There are other symptoms of a heart attack, besides the pain on the left arm. One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating; however, these symptoms may also occur less frequently.

Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack.

The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep. If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.

Afterwards:

- Call 911

- Phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by

- Say "heart attack!"

- Say that you have taken 2 Aspirins

- Take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and ... DO NOT LIE DOWN!

Take Aspirin With Caution

"Take an aspirin a day” is likely the most irresponsible habit we have been led to accept as fact. We're told to believe we should take it for prevention of heart disease and strokes. Aspirin companies are not even able to lay claim to this gibberish, and that, is according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The problem is that aspirin is NOT effective on everyone and it can cause other health problems, including prolonged bleeding ulcers, high blood pressure and allergic reaction. Bottom line? Taking an aspirin a day can actually increase your chance of strokes.

Aspirin interferes with your blood's clotting mechanism. When you bleed, your blood's clotting cells, called platelets, build up at the site of your wound. The platelets help form a plug that seals the opening in your blood vessel to stop the bleeding. However, this clotting can also happen within the vessels that supply your heart and brain with blood. If your blood vessels are already narrowed form atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries) a fatty deposit in your vessel can burst. Then, a blood clot can quickly form and block the artery. This prevents flood flow to the heart or brain and causes a heart attack or stroke. The aspirin might then be recommended, but take it with CAUTION!

Studies prove over and over again that diet and exercise, along with overall active healthy lifestyle choices; have proven to reduce your risk of heart disease. This a much better option than taking a quick fix, and increasing your chance of stroke without any proof of benefits.

While aspirin can be a useful treatment for some people, it is NOT a substitute for a healthy lifestyle.