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.
Even though we sell vitamin products in our pharmacy, we are cautious in our recommendations. Recently, it has been found that vitamin B supplements containing higher amounts of folic acid, B6 and vitamin B12 may have detrimental effects on kidney function in diabetics and may increase the risk of heart problems. Even vitamins can be double-edged swords. Get advice before beginning any vitamin therapy.
Smoking tobacco does not help people who have glaucoma, a condition of the eye where the pressure inside the eye rises. Smokers tend to have higher intra-ocular pressure than non-smokers. Since glaucoma can lead to blindness, if you have this condition and smoke, it is best to stop.
There are many health frauds out there. Examples include cancer cures, AIDS cures, instant weight-loss cures, fraudulent sexual aids, baldness cures and false nutritional schemes. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
There was a time when hydrogen peroxide was used to clean and treat wounds. The bubbling action on the skin did help with cleaning the wound but mild soap and warm water would do as well. Peroxide can cause skin irritation so isn’t recommended as a first-line treatment anymore.
For some people, heat or cold rubs work well to relieve muscle aches and pains. They work by “counter-irritation,” which means an ingredient in the rub causes a mild inflammation of the skin which distracts the pain responses from the muscles. These rubs also create heat which increases the blood flow to the area. Do not use a heating pad on the areas you apply the rub to.
Keeping our blood pressure in normal ranges is very important for our continued good health. Having a home blood pressure monitor is a good idea to keep tabs on this important vital sign. Take your pressure with your arm in a relaxed position (usually in line with your heart) and take it at least a half hour after exercising, a cup of coffee (which raises BP) or a meal (which lowers it).
Gout affects certain joints in the body causing almost unbearable pain. It primarily affects men and is not caused by excessive eating, drinking and obesity. Gout is caused by too much uric acid circulating in the blood stream and being deposited in the joints and forms crystals. Some foods contain high purine content however only 10% of all uric acid in our bodies comes from diet. Purines are precursors of uric acid. There are good drugs available to prevent attacks.
Keep a list with you of all the medications you are taking. Include nonprescription products and herbal remedies. Share the list with all your healthcare providers. This is important because sometimes these products can interact with each other or with other medications you are taking.
When putting drops in a child’s eyes, have the child lie back and close her eyes. Place 1-2 drops on the lids where they meet in the hollow at the nose side of the eyes. Ask the child to blink and the drops will run into her eye as the lids open.
Congested sinuses respond well to water vapour. Using humidifiers or vaporizers help stimulate the flow of mucus and bring temporary relief. Actually, standing in a hot shower for ten minutes also helps. Adding smelly substances to the water doesn’t enhance the effect. Increasing your fluid intake will also help to thin the mucus secretions.
Nosebleeds occur often in the winter months when air indoors is overly dry. To reduce this problem, increase the humidity in your home, and rub a little Vaseline in your nostrils. Saline nasal sprays are also useful.