Let's take a minute to talk about your medication. 

This is aspirin. Many patients use aspirin to reduce a fever, or to treat minor aches and pains. In these cases, you should always follow the instructions on the package. You should know that children and teenagers should NOT take aspirin if they have flu-like symptoms or chicken pox, or if they are recovering from them. This is because it could cause a serious illness called 'Reye's syndrome'.

Sometimes, doctors prescribe a daily aspirin for more serious health conditions, such as strokes and heart attacks. Doctors may also prescribe high-dose aspirin to treat pain from certain types of arthritis. If you are taking daily aspirin or high-dose aspirin, you should take it exactly as directed by your doctor. You should only take daily aspirin or high dose aspirin if your doctor tells you to.

At low doses, most people tolerate aspirin well. Side effects can happen, like mild stomach upset. To reduce this, you should take each dose with a full glass of water and food, if possible. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that does not go away or that bothers you.

As with any medicine, more serious side effects can occur. With aspirin, these include allergic reactions, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, or bleeding in the stomach. Certain factors increase the risk of stomach bleeding, such as being older, drinking alcohol, taking other medicines, or having stomach or bleeding problems. You should read the label for more information, and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you still have questions.

Women should talk to their doctors before taking aspirin while pregnant or breast-feeding.

For best results with aspirin, take it only as instructed.