Aspirin: Uses, Doses, Risks, and Safe Ways to Take It

Aspirin is one of the oldest and most common medicines people keep at home. You probably know it for pain and fever, but it also reduces blood clotting and can prevent heart attacks or strokes in certain people. That double role as a painkiller and blood thinner is why you need to use it the right way.

Common doses vary. For pain or fever, adults often take 325 mg every four to six hours as needed, not exceeding 4000 mg a day. Low dose aspirin for heart protection is usually 75 to 100 mg once daily; many doctors prescribe 81 mg. Enteric coated aspirin may cause less stomach upset for some people, but it does not remove bleeding risk. Always follow your doctor’s dose recommendation.

When aspirin helps most

Aspirin treats mild to moderate pain, reduces fever, and lowers inflammation for certain conditions. Its most important modern use is preventing a second heart attack or stroke in people who already had one. Evidence for using aspirin to prevent a first heart attack, called primary prevention, is mixed and depends on your age, diabetes status, and bleeding risk. That is why doctors decide on a case by case basis.

Risks and side effects to watch

The biggest risk with aspirin is bleeding, in the stomach or brain. Regular aspirin can also irritate the stomach lining and cause ulcers. Ringing in the ears or hearing loss are signs of high aspirin levels and possible overdose. People with asthma, nasal polyps, or an aspirin allergy can have severe breathing reactions. Never give aspirin to children or teenagers with viral infections because of Reye syndrome. People who are pregnant should talk with their provider; low dose aspirin is sometimes recommended to lower preeclampsia risk, but higher doses are not safe.

Practical tips and common interactions. Take aspirin with food or a glass of milk to lower stomach upset. Avoid mixing aspirin with other blood thinners like warfarin, apixaban, or clopidogrel unless your doctor says it is necessary. Nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen can interfere with low dose aspirin heart benefit if taken at the same time, so timing matters. Limit alcohol because it increases bleeding risk. Stop aspirin before surgeries as directed by your surgeon to reduce bleeding.

If you are unsure which pain reliever is right, ask your healthcare provider. For short term pain, acetaminophen may be safer for people with bleeding risks, while NSAIDs suit inflammatory pain but carry their own risks. Seek urgent care if you have serious bleeding, black stools, severe stomach pain, fainting, or sudden weakness. Use aspirin carefully and with a clear plan from your clinician.

Store aspirin in a cool, dry place away from children and check expiration dates. Generic aspirin works the same as brand options for most uses. If you will stop aspirin before a planned procedure, many surgeons recommend stopping seven days before to let platelets recover, but always follow your surgeon’s instructions.