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Archive for June, 2015

Motion Sickness: How to Become Vomit-Free Since 2015! By Our June Student Pharmacist, Mark Buenger.

Car Trip

As the peak travel season approaches, many of you will be travelling to destinations across the country and the world by land, air, and sea. Being stuck in a vehicle for hours on end can be uncomfortable for everyone involved, especially if you are experiencing motion sickness.

Most people associate motion sickness with an upset stomach, but the inner ear is actually to blame. The inner ear helps to control balance and when the ear is stimulated too much by the movement you experience during travel you will begin to experience motion sickness symptoms.

Another cause for motion sickness can be contradictory information that the brain receives. An example would be if your ears are sensing that there is movement, but your eyes are looking ahead at something that is standing still. Typically people will feel nauseous, dizzy, and experience some vomiting.

Motion sickness is more likely to affect women, children who are between the ages of 2 and 12, people who experience migraines or have a disorder affecting the inner ear (known as labyrinthitis), or people who are pregnant or use hormonal contraceptives. Fear and anxiety can also contribute.

The first step in prevention is to know and plan for how you are travelling:

  • By ship: Request a cabin in the front or middle of the ship near the water level.
  • By plane: Ask for a seat over the front edge of a wing and as soon as possible, direct the air vent to blow on your face.
  • By train: Claim a seat near the front and next to a window. Look forward while the train is in motion.
  • By car: Drive, if you can, or sit in the front passenger seat.

Other options you can try include:

  • Focusing on the horizon or a distant object that is stationary.
  • Do NOT read.
  • Keep your head still by resting against a head rest.
  • Do NOT smoke. This limits your ability to breathe and can lead to motion sickness.
  • Do NOT overeat. Avoid spicy and greasy foods and alcohol.
  • Eat dry crackers or drink a carbonated beverage to settle your stomach.
  • Sleep.
  • Open a window, if able.

Meclizine

If you are looking for medications to help out there are a couple options you can try without needing to get a prescription. One is meclizine (Bonine) and the other is dimenhydrinate (Dramamine). Both of these medications are antihistamines and should be taken 30-60 minutes before travelling. These medications will likely cause drowsiness, so do not drive until you know how these will affect you.

If these two medications do not provide the relief you are looking for, you may want to talk to your doctor about getting a prescription. There are a few prescription options, but the most commonly prescribed medication is scopolamine (Transderm Scop). This medication is available in a patch that is placed behind the ear 6-8 hours before travel. The effects of this medication can last up to 3 days and side effects may include dry mouth, drowsiness, blurred vision, and disorientation.

So travel safe, have fun, take this advice, and you can become vomit-free since 2015!

References:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-motion-sickness/basics/art-20056697

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176198.php

https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/injuries-poisoning/motion-sickness/motion-sickness

https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/injuries-and-poisoning/motion-sickness/motion-sickness

Images:

http://www.glogster.com/tanakh10/elisheva-rambam-mashiach/g-6kpb7ignh13dqkqt6degqa0

http://www.clipartpanda.com/categories/family-car-trip

Motion Sickness 1

Dimenhydrinate2

Lovejoy’s Ad for June 29-July 5.

Take a look at the Lovejoy’s ad for June 29 to July 5.

Get ready for your Fourth of July party needs. All your favorite grill items are on sale, as well as produce and ice cream!

A Four Day Sale begins on Wednesday, July 1 and runs until July 4. 

10 for 10 Mix and Match deals are here. Buy one or buy ten. Each item is only $1! There are hundreds of items in the the 10 for 10 Mix and Match! Look for them.

Also check out the “Pick 5 Value Bundles.” Buy 5 packages of quality meat with the “Pick 5” label for only $19.95.

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!

6:29-7:5 Ad

Ad 6:29-7:5, page 2

6:29-7:5, Ad page 3

6:29-7:5, ad page 4

6:29-7:5 ad page 5

6:29-7:5 ad, page 6

Happy Birthday on June 27 to Our Mom, Roberta Timmons.

IMG_2368 - Version 2

We want to wish our mom, Roberta Timmons, a very happy birthday on Saturday, June 27.

Even though Bobbie and I are her biological children, we always say that her favorite child is Joe.

Have a great day, Mom. We love you.

Diabetes: Don’t Sugar Coat It! By Our June Student Pharmacist, Brittany Roy.

According to 2010 statistics taken from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), Diabetes Mellitus was the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. and affected approximately 25.8 million Americans. This number increased to 29.1 million in 2012 and has continued to rise. Because of the long-term complications that can result from diabetes, it is important that patients are educated about what the disease is and how to recognize symptoms so that they know when to seek help from their doctor.

So let’s start by talking about what exactly is happening in the body when you have diabetes.

Insulin and sugar overview

Your body is entirely made up of individual working units called “cells.” These cells make up your skin, bones, blood, and organs that are responsible for keeping you alive. In order for the cells of your body to function properly, they need energy in the form of sugar. The food that you eat is changed into a type of sugar called “glucose,” which then travels in your blood stream to all of the different cells in your body to be utilized as energy. However, in order for this sugar to move from your blood into the cells, your body needs insulin, which is a hormone produced by the pancreas. You can think of insulin as the “key” that unlocks the cells and allows glucose to enter.

In patients with Diabetes Mellitus, their body is either unable to produce enough insulin (most commonly associated with Type 1) or unable to properly utilize the insulin that it produces (Type 2). Because of this, cells remain “locked” and glucose (sugar) is unable to get in. This results in patients having too much glucose in their bloodstream (referred to as “hyperglycemia”) and not enough in their cells.

Consistently high blood glucose levels can cause damage to the blood vessels in the eyes, kidneys, and heart, and can also cause nerve damage. High glucose levels can also lead to slow wound healing, vision loss, kidney failure, stroke, heart attacks, numbness or tingling in your extremities or, in severe circumstances, amputation of extremities.

diabetes-symptomsIncluded is a diagram that shows symptoms associated with high levels of blood glucose. It is important to contact your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms so that you can be tested for diabetes.

While there is currently no cure for diabetes, proper control can help to reduce the chances of developing some of these complications. Most people will eventually end up having to use insulin injections in order to control their blood glucose levels. However, in addition to medication use, good control can also be achieved by lifestyle modifications involving proper nutrition and regular exercise.

This is a very brief overview of diabetes–it is simply too broad of a topic with too much information to include in one short blog post.

However, I hope that you at least now have a better understanding of what diabetes is and how to recognize it. For further questions, simply ask your doctor or pharmacist! Or you can check out the American Diabetes Association’s website. They have a ton of detailed and valuable information available in patient-friendly terms. Just follow the link: www.diabetes.org

 

 

 

References:

www.learningaboutdiabetes.org

www.diabetes.org

http://blog.diabetesms.com/?p=2767

http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/cray-diabetes-center/living-with-diabetes/what-is-diabetes.html

 

 

 

Seasonal Allergies: How to Outrun Your Nose! By Our June Student Pharmacist, Mark Buenger.

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Allergy season is back once again, making millions of Americans uncomfortable and emptying out tissue boxes faster than a speeding bullet!

Warmer weather brings spores from fungi and molds, as well as pollen from trees, grass, and flowers. If you are suffering from symptoms like sneezing, congestion, runny nose, and watery eyes, keep on reading to find some helpful pointers for relief.

So, first thing’s first. What can you do to limit exposure to pollen and mold?

✓ Check pollen counts for your area. There are numerous resources you can use for this such as local TV, radio, and newspapers.

Pollen.com will give you a specific pollen forecast for your zip code, as will weather.com (under More Forecasts).

✓ Keep your doors and windows closed during pollen season.
✓ Avoid drying your laundry outside.
✓ Use air conditioning in both your house and your car.
✓ Avoid outdoor activity in the early morning because pollen counts are highest.
✓ Use a dehumidifier.
✓ Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your bedroom and an allergy-grade filter in the ventilation system.
✓ Avoid mowing the lawn or raking leaves. If this must be done, wear a face mask.

If doing these things does not help, you may want to consider seeking relief from non-prescription medications.

There are three main classes of medications that work in a variety of ways leading to different effects.

The first class of these medications is the antihistamines. Medications in this class include loratadine (Claritin), cetirizine (Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra), and diphenhydramine (Benadryl).

These medications help to relieve the itching, sneezing, and runny nose. The effectiveness of these medications is similar, but they can cause different levels of drowsiness. Benadryl will cause you to be the drowsiest. Zyrtec tends to cause a little drowsiness, while Claritin and Allegra do not cause drowsiness.

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Another class of medication for seasonal allergies is nasal sprays. Medications in this class include Flonase and Nasacort.

These medications are effective at preventing and treating nasal inflammation, itching, and a runny nose. Nasacort typically relieves nasal symptoms while Flonase relieves both nasal and eye symptoms. Both medications should be used daily and can take a few days to a week to have the most effect. One thing to look out for with these medications would be a change in your sense of taste or smell.

The final class of medication I would like to discuss is the decongestants. The major medication in this class is pseudoephedrine (Sudafed). This medication will work to relieve a stuffy nose. You want to use caution when using this medication if you have high blood pressure as Sudafed can cause an increase.

There are many combination products that combine antihistamines and decongestants such as Zyrtec D, Claritin D and Allegra D. These medications help to relieve a variety of allergy symptoms.

You may need to see your doctor if:
✓ Non-prescription medications do not provide relief.
✓ You are experiencing severe symptoms.
✓ Allergies lead to chronic sinus infections, nasal congestion, or difficulty breathing.
✓ You are experiencing the warning signs of serious asthma.

So, use this information, be smart about going outside, and you will be able to outrun your nose this allergy season!

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References:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hay-fever/basics/complications/con-20020827
https://www.nasacort.com/
https://www.flonase.com/
http://acaai.org/allergies/treatment/when-to-see-allergist

Images:
http://www.someecards.com/topic/allergies
http://imgbucket.com/pages/s/seasonal-allergies-funny/
http://cartoon-image.blogspot.com/2011/06/sneezy-snow-white.html