Show MEDICALLY MEDICAL Y YI I SPEAKING i r I By ny pro Dr David Evans Evans I I Vernal Family Health Centeri Center i The oldest crippler known to Arthritis man I have rheumatoid arthritis and my doctor gave me aspirin Arent Aren't there better drugs L. L M M. Vernal Verna Your doctor has many drugs to select from in his treatment of your arthritic condition whether it be arthritis gout or orone orone orone one of the rarer forms of ar ar- One of the most commonly commonly com com- used drugs is aspirin There are many other drugs to use but aspirin is the first line drug Because this drug is so wl widely Jy used for such minor ailments as simple headache and the common cold many people donot do donot donot not realize how important it can be in the treatment of arthritis In fact when someone with arthritis first sees a physician he may be disappointed to learn that his doctor wants him to take lake aspirin a drug so common that it can be purchased without a prescription Why Aspirin is so Effective Most people know that aspirin is used to relieve pain B But t aspirin is also highly useful in reducing the inflammation associated with certain forms of arthritis arthritis In fact aspirin was originally invented for use in treating this disease As an inflammatory anti-inflammatory agent aspirin helps helps' to reduce the damage to affected joints It also helps to reduce the swelling stiffness and pain caused by the the- inflammation Thus aspirin can help the arthritis ar- ar arthritis arthritis ar ar- patient feel better and function better beller One of the things your our physician will have to determine determine determine deter deter- mine is just how much aspirin you will need on a daily basis He lie will also have to discover just how much aspirin your system can tolerate In a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis for example the physician will want to keep the level of aspirin intake as high as possible And he will want this dosage continued continued con con- on a daily basis even when the condition begins to improve so he can maintain the inflammatory anti effect Aspirin can have side effects As he begins treatment the will soon learn how much aspirin his patient can tolerate If the dosage is too high the patient may report a sensation like a ringing in the ears or experience slight deafness Aspirin may also cause headache dizziness dizziness diz diz- diz dimness of vision mental confusion nausea vomiting diarrhea and gastric irritation These symptoms will usually disappear when the dosage is reduced Some patients however will not be able to tolerate aspirin at atall all It may cause an upset stomach Or the patient may have another condition such as peptic ulcers which would be aggravated by taking aspirin Some patients are also allergic to aspirin There are varieties of aspirin which are coated tomake to tomake tomake make it more tolerable Physicians have found that aspirin is a safe and reliable drug for the great majority of arthritic patients It is sometimes used alone but it itcan itcan itcan can also be used in combination with other drugs when prescribed by a physician Caution dont don't tf treat at arthritis yourself Contact your physician and follow his instructions in in- |