Why is aspirin important?
Many arthritis drugs are used to decrease joint swelling. Swelling and warmth are the result of the body forming an immune response to fight off any foreign threat. In the case of arthritis, the immune system is confused and begins to fight its own tissues within the joints. This autoimmune response causes pain, swelling, heat, redness, and sometimes stiffness of the joint. Aspirin can decrease these symptoms. Small amounts of aspirin help relieve headaches, mild pain, and fever. Higher doses taken around the clock relieve some of the symptoms of pain, heat, redness, and swelling brought on by arthritis. For years aspirin was the only drug available to treat the symptoms of arthritis. Now all other arthritis drugs are compared to aspirin.
