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Archives

Archive for September, 2012

It’s That Time of Year….Prepare Yourself! By Our Well Prepared Pharmacy Student, Michael Salem.

As the summer season winds down and we move into fall and winter, there is a lot to look forward to—leaves changing color, the fun of Halloween, and holidays spent in the company of friends and family. Unfortunately, this time of the year is not only football season, but flu season, as well! I have put together some information so you can prepare yourself and your family to stay in good health this flu season.

Symptoms:

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by a virus that infects the nose, throat, and lungs. The most common signs and symptoms people experience due to flu virus are:

1. fever or feeling “chills”

2. cough

3. sore throat

4. runny or stuffy nose

5. muscle or body aches

6. headaches

7. fatigue

It is important to note that not all people with the flu develop a fever. Also, some people experience nausea and/or diarrhea- but these are far less common than the symptoms listed above.

How flu spreads:

Flu virus spreads primarily via droplets made when infected people cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can be taken up by others, causing them to contract the virus. The flu can typically be passed on by an infected person for one day before symptoms develop and up to seven days after becoming ill.

Prevention:

The best way to deal with the flu is to avoid it all together! The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is by getting vaccinated. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all people over the age of 6 months receive a flu vaccine each year. Here at Plain City Druggist we have already received our supply of vaccinations and have begun administering them to patients. Give us a call and we can let you know the best time to come and get your flu shot!

Good health habits for further prevention:

1. Avoid close contact: Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick, too.

2. Stay home when you are sick: Stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent others from catching your illness.

3. Cover your mouth and nose: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It will prevent those infectious droplets from becoming airborne.

4. Clean your hands: Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is also a great option and can be conveniently carried with you throughout the day.

5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth: Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

6. Practice other good health habits: Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

If you follow these guidelines and healthy habits, you and your family will have the best chance of staying flu free this season!

Source: http://www.cdc.gov

Image source: http://www.sheridanmedia.com/files/image/flu-season.jpg

Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite! By Our September Pharmacy Student, Michael Salem.

Bed bugs have been a household pest for thousands of years. These bugs are small, elusive, difficult to detect, and can be very tough to eradicate from your home. Here are some tips for the detection, eradication, and prevention of bedbugs.

Signs of a bed bug infestation are brown fecal and blood spots on clothing, bedding, or furniture. Additionally, bed bugs have a distinct sweet, musty smell. If you suspect an infestation, it may be wise to inspect the area with a flashlight about an hour before dawn, as these bugs are nocturnal and most active at this time. The picture to the right gives you a perspective on the size of an adult bed bug, so you know what you are looking for.

Bed bugs, just like mosquitoes, feed on human blood. The appearance of the bite is similar to that of mosquitoes. One characteristic of the bites to look for is if they are in a series of three bites in a straight line- they call this “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” bites. The picture below does a good job of depicting this, you can see four distinct sets of bites.

Treating the bites is really just treating the itch associated with it, so oral antihistamines (i.e Benadryl®) and topical steroids (i.e Cortisone®) will usually do the trick.

Getting rid of bed bugs is a real challenge, and requires both physical removal and chemical eradication. What you can do at home is vacuum any infested mattresses/furniture daily until the bugs are removed. Then the mattress/furniture should be sealed with an encasement for at least one year, as a bed bug can survive one year without a meal. Bedding, clothing, curtains, children toys (i.e stuffed animals) should be washed in HOT water and dried for 30 minutes on the HIGHEST HEAT setting. Chemical treatment by a licensed pest control company is also necessary to ensure complete eradication of the bugs.

Measures can be taken to prevent these little pests from entering your home. To start, eliminate clutter in the house and seal any cracks or crevices. Next, regular inspection of mattresses, headboards, bedding, and linens can go a long way to prevent an infestation. Any used furniture, clothing, or linens should be thoroughly inspected before bringing them into the house. If you can, make it a policy to never purchase a used mattress!

Finally, when spending the night in a new place, do a quick check of the bedding for those fecal and blood spots and that sweet, musty smell mentioned earlier. Nothing would be worse than bringing the bugs home with you after a trip or vacation! If you want more information, two great internet sources are listed below.

And remember, SLEEP TIGHT!!!

http://www.centralohiobedbugs.org/index.html

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/bedbugs/faqs.html

Sources:

McKenzie MC, DeSimone EM. The Rise in Bed Bugs; Prevention, Management, and Treatment. U.S Pharmacist. 2012;37:47-50.

Photos Sources:

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/wp-content/uploads//2009/09/bedbug_tarra.jpg

http://www.bedbugs.org/images/bedbug-bites.jpg

2012 Union County Covered Bridge Bluegrass Festival Features Pottersburg Bridge in North Lewisburg and Lots Of Great Music from September 21-23.

The 2012 Covered Bridge Bluegrass Festival will run from Friday, September 21 through Sunday, September 23. This year, the featured bridge is the Pottersburg Bridge and you can even have dinner on the bridge on Friday evening. Additionally, there will be tons of great music, food, and history.

Make sure you take a tour of the bridges. You can find out about the bridge tours HERE.

When Joe and I attended Mechanicsburg Junior High School, one of our super history teachers was Mr. Bill Purk. Mr. Purk was also my Junior High basketball coach (he sadistically loved to make us run sprints and I can still hear him telling us to line up for one more gut busting sprint down the gym–“On the line!”).

Mr. Purk is also a wonderful musician who performed at my and Joe’s wedding reception. Mr. Purk and The Muleskinner Band will be playing at the Covered Bridge Bluegrass Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Mr. Purk and friends will also be at the festival on Friday evening from 5:30 to 8 pm. For a full musical line up, go HERE.

This is the fifth year for this festival and it only continues to get better and better!

To find out more, visit the web site HERE.

For a schedule of events, please go HERE.

For a printable flyer with events listed for each day, go HERE.

The Orchard and Company Opens This Weekend and Will Be Open Every Weekend Through the End of October!

Looking for a place that will entertain children, while also allowing adults to enjoy a beautiful Ohio autumn weekend? Look no further than The Orchard and Company, a family friendly destination that will be open from 11am-6pm, September 22 and 23, 29 and 30, and weekends the entire month of October.

The Orchard and Company features, not only an apple orchard, but also many exciting activities meant to entice visitors from Plain City and across the state. With a gift shop, bakery, and “Pigadeli Café” on site, shoppers and “foodies” alike will find seasonal treasures and edible goodies galore.

For children, there are tons of fun activities that will keep them on the move, including a pedal car track, tire climb, jumping pillow, zip lines, wagon rides, and more. If the kids aren’t tired after a day at The Orchard, they must be robots!

The Orchard and Company is currently hosting “Scarecrows for Charity” as part of their Fall Festival. Scarecrows, created by local charitable organizations, will be on display throughout The Orchard. Visitors can vote for their favorite scarecrow after viewing them on a tractor drawn hayride. The winning scarecrow’s creators will receive a monetary prize.

Come out to The Orchard and Company and vote for Black and Orange Cat Foundation’s scarecrow as the best scarecrow in the Scarecrows for Charity event. If the Black and Orange scarecrow gets the most votes, the group will win $500 for Plain City kitties.

I want to thank Willi Rivenburg and Angie Austin for choosing Black and Orange as the charity they wanted to honor with a scarecrow. And thank you to Ron Winn for suggesting Black and Orange for the contest. This is the B and O scarecrow that Willi and Angie made in the photo! Thanks so much to everyone at The Orchard for this awesome looking cat scarecrow (of course, who better to scare away crows than a giant cat!?).

The Orchard and Company is located south of Plain City at 7255 US Highway 42 North, just a short, scenic drive from Columbus, London, Marysville, or Dayton. The Orchard and Company would also like to encourage bicycle aficionados to ride out and drop in for a bowl of chili or a slice of pie. The Orchard and Company is only a few miles from The Heritage Rail Trail’s endpoint on Cemetery Pike in Plain City.

An Orchard day pass is $8.00. The tractor drawn wagon hayride, as well as fishing in The Orchard’s pond, requires an additional $2. To see the scarecrows and vote on them, you have to take the wagon hayride.

Children two and under and adults over fifty-five receive free admission.

The Orchard and Company can also accommodate large groups and parties. Contact The Orchard for a place to host school outings, birthday parties, reunions, weddings, company meetings, and other special occasions.

For more information on The Orchard and Company, visit their web site: www.theorchardandcompany.com

Become a fan on Facebook HERE.

For a coupon that will give you one free fishing or hayride pass (a $2 value) with the purchase of an Orchard Pass Admission, stop by the pharmacy. We have them at the drive up window or on the front counter!

6th Annual Darby Dash is Saturday, September 22.

The Darby Dash, the 4 mile run/walk, that is held each year by UPCO, the Uptown Plain City Organization, will fall on Saturday, September 22 this year. The main race will begin at 8 am with a Kid Fun Race starting at 9 am for those 14 years and younger. The Kid Fun Race includes both a 440 yard and a one mile race. The registration is $2 for the 440 and $5 for the one mile. Both of these races stay within Pastime Park and all participants receive a Fun Run Award.

Registration the day of the race is $30 and will begin at 7 am, ending promptly at 7:45 am. The Kid Fun Run Registration will end at 8:45 am. You find out more about registration by going HERE.

The first 150 registrants receive a race t-shirt and goodie bag. There will be awards for the top finishers, as well as awards for age categories.

The race this year is being sponsored by the Masonic Lodge of Plain City, UPCO, and the Columbus Running Company. All proceeds from the run/walk will go for the charitable efforts of the Masonic Lodge and UPCO.  For more info, contact Shannon Weigand at 614-873-0233 or info@uptownplaincity.com

For more information on the run/walk, go HERE.