As a community health care resource on the North Shore for the last 30 years, we provide the following useful drug and health tips. This is a collection of comments from Darryl Wing, Pharmacist at Davies Pharmacy, which have appeared in the North Shore News.
About 30% of patients stop taking their antidepressants within one month. It’s important to continue this type of drug for at least a couple of months for the positive effects to occur. Stopping early may deprive you of these effects.
It’s getting easier for diabetics to manage their disease. There are new blood glucose monitors on the market that allow storage of up to 2000 glucose readings. You can also plug the machines into your computer and with accompanying software, you can more easily monitor the progress of your disease. Talk to our pharmacy staff for more information.
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September is Arthritis Month in Canada. There are many myths surrounding this debilitating disease. Arthritis is not an “old person’s disease”. In fact, 60% of the 4.5 million Canadians with arthritis are under the age of 65. Arthritis is not a single disease. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis. Arthritis is a costly disease, costing more than $4.4 billion annually in healthcare expenses and lost work days.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition in which a nerve passing through the spaces in the bones in the wrist gets pinched due to inflammation in the area. See your doctor if you have 2 of these 3 symptoms: a tingling in at least 2 of the first 4 fingers; symptoms that are worse during the night or on awakening; symptoms get better when you shake your hand.
If all vaccinations were stopped, many diseases would once again become common. These diseases include polio, measles, mumps, meningitis, whooping cough (pertussis), pneumonia, Hepatitis B and chickenpox. Vaccinations against these diseases have saved much parental heartache and millions of doctor visits.
Tobacco smokers are exposed to first-hand smoke through inhalation and to second-hand smoke by breathing in again what they’ve exhaled. They also have third-hand exposure from the smoke embedding in their clothes, car upholstery and on walls and furniture. Smoking is a real triple threat!
Colorectal cancer is curable if caught early. Be aware of the symptoms: a persistent change in bowel habits; blood in the stools; severe abdominal pain; unexplained weight or appetite loss; fatigue; a sense of fullness in the rectum. These symptoms may not signify cancer but see your doctor and have it checked.
“Psychoactive” drugs are used to help people sleep, lower anxiety, treat depression, reduce pain and relax the muscles. These medications can increase the risk of falls in the elderly. If you or someone you know is a fall risk, have them check with their doctor. Perhaps a reduction in dose or elimination of a drug is indicated.
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Hypoglycemia (or low blood sugar) can occur when you skip meals. It is often associated with diabetes and can be a serious problem. Symptoms include shakiness, a feeling of weakness, confusion, fatigue, increased pulse rate, blurred vision, anxiety and perspiration. Hypoglycemia can be rectified by a half cup of orange juice, a half dozen jelly beans or a tablespoonful of honey or sugar.
The common cold is an amazingly democratic infection. It will infect even the healthiest and most fit of people– even those with the strongest immune system. The entry point of the virus is through the nose and once it gets there, 95% of all persons will get a cold.
There are three main ways that the cold virus can get into the body.
1) Touching skin or other surfaces that may be infected then touching your eyes or nose.
2) Inhaling droplets from someone’s sneeze or cough.
3) inhaling smaller droplets from coughs and sneezes that hang in the air for longer periods of time.
Conclusion: wash your hands often and stay away from people with colds.