ASA is a drug caution code referring to aspirin. ASA literally stands for acetylsalicylic acid and when it is included in drug labels, it is intended as a warning for people who may have specific sensitivities to this substance. Aspirin is a known over-the-counter drug for the treatment of pain and headaches but some other drugs also contain this component in varying doses which could be a health risk for some people. When a particular drug is labelled with ASA as one of the ingredients, people must take caution if they are specifically warned by their doctors about it.

Aspirin is also known as a blood-thinning agent. This property is considered an effective way to prevent blood clots that may lead people to have CVA’s or cardiovascular accidents. Low doses of aspirin taken daily or on a regular basis can help promote the right consistency for blood. Many CVA or stroke patients had their disease because of clotting in their blood. Mild cases of stroke for example may be relieved by the action of aspirin with its blood-thinning components. The use of aspirin in the prevention of blood clots should only be prescribed by doctors especially in terms of frequency and doses. Too much aspirin in the system may lead to more serious illnesses and even death. For this reason, people are typically cautioned when taking other drugs with aspirin content. The ASA label should then be put on all drugs that has this ingredient.

There are also studies that daily aspirin intake may lead to eyesight problems like macular degeneration. This eye condition can basically lead to blindness which is very much a concern in the medical and/or pharmaceutical industry. For this particular side effect and other reasons, many drugs that contain aspirin have the ASA caution code or label to effectively warn people about it. Other side effects of aspirin include heartburn, abdominal pain, dizziness and other allergic reactions which warrant the ASA caution label in some drugs.