Archive for August, 2014
Enjoy A Restful Labor Day and Celebrate a Joyous Summer!
We want to wish everyone a relaxing and enjoyable Labor Day. Please remember that we are allowing our staff to celebrate the holiday, so the pharmacy will be closed on Monday, September 1.
We will re-open on Tuesday, September 2, at 9 am and will be open regular business hours.
If you have an emergency over this Labor Day weekend, Joe can be reached by calling his after hours number at 614-240-8421.
White Feather Offers Unique Gifts and Events! Visit Their Grand Opening, August 30!
White Feather Gallery-Boutique is a new business located at 179 East Main Street in Plain City. Combining a boutique and an art gallery with a venue for events, White Feather was started by our mayor, Sandy Adkins, and her good friend, Melynnda.
White Feather will be holding their Grand Opening on Saturday, August 30 with an Art Fair from 11 am-4 pm.
The day actually gets started at 8 am with a bake sale and specialty coffee on the patio (Hot Spot Coffee Café mobile bus and local baker goodies).
From 11 am to 2 pm, there will be a street food truck ready to serve a great meal.
From 11 am to 4 pm, there will be artists’ booths on the lawn along with live music and artist demonstrations. Some of the demonstrations by gallery artists will include: 11 am Indigo dying, 12 pm cement casting, 1 pm loom work, 2 pm jewelry design, and at 3 pm glass lamp work! Stop by and learn something new and interesting!
From 2 pm to 4 pm, Miller’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream truck will be scooping out sweet treats.
The shop features original pieces by Ohio artists, as well as local Plain City artisans who produce gorgeous jewelry, handmade hats, scarves, purses made from recycled materials, and beautiful photographs and artwork. Melynnda also creates lovely centerpieces and floral arrangements, which she tags with a single white feather.
I stopped in the shop just before Mother’s Day and bought Mom a pair of earrings and a lovely wreath that Melynnda had made. The shop is full of light and decorated so that each piece catches your eye and pulls you in for a closer look.
Please stop in when you get a chance and support local business! White Feather is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 am to 6 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm.
For more information, go the White Feather web site HERE.
To see many of the lovely things they have for sale, visit the White Feather Facebook page HERE (and please Like them on Facebook, too!).
Asthma Attacks! By Our August Student Pharmacist, Joshua Kretzer.
With school back in session, fall is just around the corner. Autumn brings changing, colorful leaves, crisp air, football season, harvest festivals, and allergies of course!
Many of us suffer from seasonal allergies with one of the most common times being in the fall. These allergies are usually triggered by ragweed. It is estimated that up to 75% of North Americans are sensitive to ragweed. For most of us, exposure to ragweed results in itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, and runny nose. All of these symptoms are easily treated with an anti-histamine. However, for millions of others, these symptoms can trigger something much more deadly: asthma.
Asthma affects up to 25 million Americans and the numbers are growing. Asthma is caused by the constriction and inflammation of airways in the lungs. Not only do the airways become smaller, but they also produce excess mucus, clogging the airways. The combination of reduced airway size and clogged airways makes it extremely difficult to breathe.
Symptoms of asthma include:
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness
- Shortness of breath
There are two main classifications of asthma: intermittent and persistent.
Intermittent asthma only occurs occasionally and/or under special circumstances. Persistent asthma happens frequently. Persistent asthma can be further broken down into severity of symptoms. Classifications of asthma are dependent on age, type, and frequency of symptoms.
The table lists some of the criteria for asthma classification:
- Intermittent Asthma
- Daytime Symptoms occur in all ages two or less days per week.
- Nighttime Awakenings occur in children 0-4 years old with no real frequency.
- Nighttime Awakenings also occur in children 5 and older two times or less per month.
- Usually no interference with normal activity.
- Mild Persistent Asthma
- Daytime Symptoms occur in all ages more than 2 days per week (but not daily).
- Nighttime Awakenings occur in children 0-4 years old 1-2 times per month.
- Nighttime Awakenings also occur in children 5 and older 3-4 times per month.
- There are minor limitations on normal activity.
- Moderate Persistent Asthma
- Daytime Symptoms occur in all ages daily.
- Nighttime Awakenings occur in children 0-4 years of age 3-4 times per month.
- Nighttime Awakenings also occur in children 5 and older more than once a week.
- There is some limitation on normal activity.
- Severe Persistent Asthma
- Daytime Symptoms occur throughout the day for all ages of asthma sufferers.
- Nighttime Awakenings occur in children 0-4 year of age more than once a week.
- Nighttime Awakenings also occur in children 5 and older 7 times a week.
- Normal Activity is extremely limited.
A person can increase or decrease in severity of asthma classification throughout their lifetime, but they will never be cured. Asthma is a life long disease that requires frequent monitoring.
Though there is no cure for asthma, there are several treatments such as: inhalers, nebulizers, and tablets, which can reduce and almost eliminate symptoms. The type of treatment varies based on the severity of the asthma.
If left untreated, asthma can be extremely debilitating, even deadly. This is why it is extremely important to have a rescue inhaler available at all times. A rescue inhaler can be used when someone is suffering from an asthma attack to temporarily relieve the symptoms. So as children head back to the classroom this fall, make sure they not only have a rescue inhaler at home, but one at school, as well.
References:
http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/asthma/
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-pro/guidelines/current/asthma-guidelines/
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/eczema/ss/slideshow-eczema-overview
Lovejoy’s Ad for September 1-7.
This week, we wanted to make sure everyone saw the Lovejoy’s ad for September 1 to 7.
For more information on Lovejoy’s IGA, visit their web site HERE.
Remember, we hope you will shop locally and support locally owned businesses here in our community!
Click on each of the pages of the ad to enlarge them. When they show up on a separate page, click again to make the pages even bigger. You can also print them out and take them with you when you go shopping!
Improve Your Health: Stop Smoking! By Our August Student Pharmacist, Eli Puckett.
We all know that smoking is bad for a person’s health. We also know that smoking can be an incredibly difficult habit to kick. For this reason, I have decided to write about quitting smoking.
There are over 392,000 people a year who die from tobacco-caused diseases. Another 50,000 people die every year from secondhand smoke.
There are many advantages to quit smoking. These benefits include reduction in the risk of cancer and heart disease. Smoking cessation also helps people with high blood pressure and those with respiratory problems such as COPD or asthma.
There are many different ways that people quit smoking and there are a lot of valuable resources available to help a person quit. There are several websites which give advice to help quit smoking. There are also hotlines people can call to help them quit. Additionally, healthcare professionals, like pharmacists and doctors, can provide guidance to make quitting easier.
It is often recommended that people make a plan for quitting before they try to quit. The best method is to plan ahead and pick a date when the person wants to stop smoking. The smoker should also let those close to them know that they are going to stop smoking so that they have a support system around them to help them quit.
Additionally, it is recommended that smokers think about what type of things make them feel like they need to smoke. When they decide to quit smoking, they need to try to avoid these triggers. Many people also say that it is helpful to come up with ways to cope with any cravings or withdrawal symptoms when they stop smoking.
A couple of treatment options that people use to help them stop smoking are nicotine replacement therapy and prescription medications.
The idea behind nicotine replacement therapy is using smaller amounts of nicotine than are in normal cigarettes (or whatever form of nicotine a person uses) to help a person avoid withdrawals when trying to stop smoking. The amount of nicotine that a person uses from nicotine replacement therapy reduces over time until it reaches a point where they no longer need nicotine and do not have any withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine replacement therapy can include patches, gum, lozenges, and inhalers. The amount of nicotine that a person is used to using determines the level a person will start at with nicotine replacement therapy. A physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider can help a person get started with nicotine replacement therapy.
There are also prescription only medications that doctors will prescribe people to help them quit smoking. The two most common medications doctors prescribe are Chantix and bupropion. This is an option that can be discussed with a doctor.
Stop by the pharmacy and let us know if there is anything we can do to help you quit smoking. Ask us any questions you may have about stopping.
http://smokefree.gov/quit-plan
http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/about-smoking/health-effects/