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Archives

Archive for August, 2018

Enjoy a Relaxing Labor Day. We’ll See You Tuesday, September 4.

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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 3.

We will re-open on Tuesday, September 4, at 9 am and will be open regular business hours.

We will also be open regular hours on Saturday, September 1 from 9 am to noon, so if you need anything in advance of the holiday, please come in and see us.

If you have an emergency over this Labor Day weekend, you can reach the pharmacist on call by phoning the after hours number at 614-240-8421.

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Quit Smoking. By Our August Student Pharmacist, Moe Hamad.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Americans spend roughly 80 billion dollars a year on cigarettes. Along with the high financial cost of tobacco, prolonged exposure can lead to many deadly complications including cancer. Your health is a precious thing and every cigarette you smoke affects every organ in your body.

Many people don’t even remember the reason they began smoking. But now that they have picked up the habit, it is difficult for them to stop. It has become entrenched in their daily routine. It is difficult to get someone to break a habit. It takes several attempts for a person to stop smoking. That might sound difficult, but the payoff is worth the effort. Quitting helps your body heal from the damages caused by tobacco.

Listed below are just some of the many ways smoking can affect your body, according to Healthline newsletter:

  1. Lungs: When you smoke, every cigarette you take in contains chemicals that directly damage the lungs. Over a prolonged period of time, the lung damage can lead to long term consequences such as emphysema, COPD, chronic bronchitis, and even cancer.
  2. Cardiovascular system: Smoking also affects your cardiovascular system causing your blood vessels to constrict and  tightening and allowing less blood to flow to your body. This condition is known as peripheral vascular disease. Smoking can also raise your blood pressure and cause blood clots. Other deadly ways smoking can affect your cardiovascular health is by increasing your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.
  3. Tobacco affects nearly every organ in the body: Other complications of tobacco include skin cancer, pancreatic cancer, mouth cancer, increased insulin resistance, and decreased libido.

The CDC reports that cigarettes contain more than 7,000 chemicals and about 70 of those chemicals cause cancer. Breaking the habit of smoking is difficult, but engaging in an active discussion with your doctor is an important first step to quitting. A crucial step to quitting is admitting it needs to be done. There are a lot of options that you and your doctor can discuss that can help you stop. All you need to do is ask. You’re never too old to quit.

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Poison Ivy Dos and Don’ts. By Our August Student Pharmacist, Mackenzie Gill.

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Summer may be winding down but that doesn’t mean poison ivy has!

The rash commonly associated with poison ivy is caused by an allergic reaction to an oily resin called urushiol. This oil is in the leaves, stems, and roots of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac and is VERY easily spread. The oil causes redness and swelling followed by blisters and severe itching. This reaction typically develops 12 to 48 hours after exposure and lasts two to three weeks.

Prevention is key, and can eliminate weeks of scratching and irritation. It is recommended to wear protective clothing and apply a barrier cream when going outside into weedy areas.

Prevention may be preferred, but it is not always possible. So if the damage has been done, and now you or your children have the itchy rash, what can you do?

DOs:

  • Do wash your skin within 30 minutes of exposure. This can eliminate or reduce the size of the rash.
  • Do use over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream. This will help alleviate the itchiness and redness. One important note is that hydrocortisone should not be used for more than 7 days without speaking to your doctor.
  • Do use calamine lotion. This will also help with itchiness and can dry out the blisters formed.
  • Do wash your clothes to remove any resin that may be on them.
  • Do consider taking the ORAL antihistamine Benadryl at bedtime. This is strictly to help you sleep at night, as Benadryl makes you drowsy. Antihistamines do not help the itchiness caused by poison ivy.
  • Do apply a cool compress.

DON’Ts:

  • Don’t scratch! I know this is hard, but scratching can cause infection and make things much worse.
  • Don’t pick at blisters. Again, this can cause infection.
  • Don’t apply TOPICAL antihistamines as these can worsen the rash and itch.

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One common myth about poison ivy is that the blister fluid can spread the rash. This is not true! Your skin must come in direct contact with the plant’s oil to be affected. But as stated earlier, the oil can be spread VERY easily, so even if you do not touch the plant directly, the oil from the plant can contaminate shoes, tools, clothes, and even pet fur! If these objects aren’t cleaned, the oil on them can still cause a skin reaction years later.

If your rash is severe or widespread, you develop a fever, or the blisters are oozing pus, you should see your doctor for further treatment. As always, if you have any further questions, Plain City Druggist is more than happy to help!

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Flu Shot Season. By Our August Student Pharmacist, Moe Hamad.

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Summer is almost over and fall is just around the corner. With fall well on its way so is flu season.

The flu virus is highly contagious so it is very important to protect yourself. Once someone has the flu it is easy to spread around. Sneezing or coughing without covering your mouth and not washing your hands can cause the flu to spread. Getting the flu shot every year is important to ensure adequate protection.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends anyone six months and older get the flu shot as soon as possible to promote “herd immunity”. Herd immunity is just a fancy way of saying we can stop the spread of a particular disease if enough people get vaccinated.

Why get vaccinated every year?

Yearly vaccines are needed because the flu virus changes; therefore, one year the flu might be just one strain of virus and some years it might be more (this year the CDC has decided to provide a vaccine to combat four strains of the virus). Every year the CDC does studies to predict the most likely strains of the flu and design a vaccine against the top strains.

How long does it take for the flu shot to work?

After getting the flu shot, it can take up to two weeks for the body to generate antibodies that are strong enough to fight any potential infection. Because of this time period before antibodies are produced, it is important to get the flu shot as soon as possible!

It is estimated that the flu causes U.S. employees to miss approximately 17 million workdays at an estimated $7 billion a year in sick days and lost productivity.

What happens if I get the flu?

If you get the flu, you are reduced to symptom management; over-the-counter Tylenol or Motrin, as well as increasing fluid intake (drink more water!).

Early possible signs to watch out for include:

  • fever
  • chills
  • muscle aches
  • cough
  • congestion/runny nose
  • headaches
  • fatigue.

Here are some friendly tips to help prevent spreading the flu:

  1. Cover your mouth when you sneeze using the “vampire method” (cover your mouth with your arm, similar to a vampire peering over their cloaked arm).
  2. Apply hand sanitizer after eating or using the bathroom.
  3. Avoid contact with people who have the flu.

Most insurances cover the cost of a flu vaccine. If you’re over the age of seven-years-old, you can stop by a pharmacy and have the vaccine administered.

As always if you have any questions, stop by Plain City Druggist and ask our friendly staff! Stay safe Plain City and Go Buckeyes!!

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Head Lice 101. By Our August Student Pharmacist, Mackenzie Gill.

lice pic 1Parents of school-aged children are all too familiar with head lice. Whether you’ve received notice that someone in your child’s class has lice or your own child has lice, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and a little helpless. But never fear! We will walk you through everything you need to know to conquer those pesky mites.

First and foremost: having head lice does not mean you are dirty! Head lice actually thrive in clean hair. Head lice are also extremely common. Between 6-12 million cases of head lice occur each year in children between the ages of 3-11. Head lice are spread primarily by head-to-head contact. This means children who play or go to school together are at the greatest risk.

So how do you get rid of head lice?

There are multiple options!

The two major over-the-counter products are:

  • Nix which contains permethrin
  • RID which contains pyrethrins

They are both considered equally effective. The major difference is permethrin (Nix) does not require a repeat application. Both products also include a lice comb to tease out the mites. Directions for specific use of these products will be included in their packaging. The pharmacy is always happy to help explain, as well.

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Manual removal is also becoming a popular choice for families. There are Lice Salons in the central Ohio area that will remove the lice manually using a Nit comb and other non-medicated products. The major downfall for this option is it is more expensive. Services range in price from about $100-$150.

No matter which method you choose for removal of lice from the head, it is important to also wash clothing, bedding, brushes, and hair accessories that were used during the head lice infestation. You do NOT need to wash your entire wardrobe or replace furniture, including your mattress! Lice don’t live on pets and cannot survive long at all once they leave the warmth of your hair.

It’s important to remember that getting lice happens. Just breathe and don’t panic. And if you have any further questions you can always call or stop into Plain City Druggist. We are always happy to help!

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