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Wearing a white T-shirt is often felt to be a protection from the sun’s harmful rays. However, tests have shown that they have a SPF of less than 15 so you should use sunscreen as well and try to abstain from direct sunlight at More...
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It’s not a good idea to stop any of your chronic medications without consulting your doctor. The way some medications work in the body can be affected by other medications you take. Stopping one medication suddenly could increase More...
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If you are prone to cold sores, be sure to apply sunscreen to your lips daily when you are out in the sun. Sunlight seems to activate the cold sore virus in some people. Some lip balms do contain a sunscreen for good protection. More...
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Quick test for fat content of foods: press the food against a napkin or paper towel. Those that leave a greasy mark usually contain a high fat content. Great way of testing muffins and cookies.
We hear much about obesity in More...
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A normal urinary bladder can hold about 450 ml of urine (about 15 oz). People generally urinate between 1.5-2 liters (50-67 oz) daily. Some people urinate more frequently than others. Polyuria means the production and excretion More...
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Sweating can be one of the side effects of some drugs. Some antidepressant drugs can cause sweating, sometimes in as many as one in seven people using them. Opiates (like morphine) can also cause this side effect. Discuss any More...
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Deep brain stimulation (DBS) implants have helped people with Parkinson’s Disease. There is some research on the use of these devices to stimulate the memory circuits in the brains of Alzheimer patients. Work is being done in More...
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Over the past few years there have comprehensive bans on smoking in public places. New York City was an early proponent of this policy and has noticed an 8% drop in hospital admissions due to heart attacks within one year after More...
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If you are over 40, it’s a good idea to have an eye exam at least every two years. This is especially important if you have a family history of glaucoma or diabetes. Glaucoma, if undiagnosed, can lead to blindness. If diagnosed, More...
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One of the biggest advances in the treatment of angina and blood pressure occurred in 1965 with the introduction of propranolol a drug which spawned a whole new class of drugs, the beta-blockers, of which there are many derivatives More...
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Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex-1 virus. About 80% of people carry this virus around with them but no symptoms occur because the virus lies dormant in the body. About 20-40% of those with the virus experience outbreaks More...
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Thalidomide, the drug that caused so much grief in the 1960s because of its association with limb deformities in newborns, has come back in a new form. A derivative of the drug is being used in patients with multiple myeloma, More...
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One of the skills we pharmacists have is the ability to read doctors’ handwriting. Many think we take a course in this at pharmacy school. We really don’t but soon this skill may not be needed. Electronic prescription transfer More...
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It seems that many recent health reports are emphasizing the importance of limiting the eating of red meat to about 500gm per week. That’s a little more than a pound. Doing this simple thing will reduce our risk of cancer. More...
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There never is enough donated kidneys to meet the demand. Living kidney donors can live out their life very well with only one kidney. There is no increased risk of heart problems in those with one kidney compared to those More...
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March is Nutrition Month and it’s a good time to remind everyone that our best nutrients come from the food we eat. For example, it has been shown that calcium is better absorbed into our bones from food sources than from supplements. More...
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Over-the-counter cold medicines generally contain two medicines. One is a decongestant which shrinks blood vessels in the nose to help you to breath easier. The other is an antihistamine that dries up a runny nose and watery More...
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The top ten prescribed drugs in Canada cover the following therapeutic groups: pain, cholesterol-lowering, thyroid replacement, anti-ulcer, heart, antipsychotics, antibiotics and asthma inhalers in that order. (Tylenol #3 is More...
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If you are going away for a winter holiday, you might want to take some medications with you to treat traveler’s diarrhea. Our bodies sometimes become upset by changes in routine, food, customs and time zones. Carrying certain More...
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Women who have multiple sclerosis (MS) often find that the disease goes into remission during pregnancy. The level of the hormone prolactin rises during pregnancy and researchers are studying this hormone as a possible stimulant More...