6 top medicine safety reminders for your home(BPT) - With families spending more time than ever working, playing and studying at home, it’s a good time to review best safety practices when it comes to using and storing medicines. This is especially true during the cold and flu season — while the nation is also in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic — when many families may have more over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in the home than usual. It’s smart to keep your family safe from harm with these helpful easy-to-follow steps. 1. Read and follow Drug Facts labels. Don't take more than the recommended amount of medications, as dosage directions are created specifically to keep you and your family safe. 2. Don’t combine medications. Some medicines may duplicate active ingredients you're already taking. For example, cold medicines may also contain pain relievers and/or fever reducers, so if you’re already taking a pain reliever, adding a cold medicine could mean doubling your intake of an active ingredient, which could be harmful. Double check medication labels for the active ingredients and only take one at a time. When in doubt, contact your healthcare professional for advice. 3. Store medications up, away and out of sight from the reach of children. Make sure to buy only child-resistant containers, but remember — “child-resistant” does not mean “childproof.” Keeping them out of reach is also crucial for safety. Put them up and away, out of sight and out of reach, after every use. 4. Store other items safely. Any potentially toxic substances your kids could get into should also be kept well out of reach, including, but not limited to: hand sanitizer, vitamins, diaper rash cream and eye drops. 5. Keep medications in a cool, dry place. The bathroom medicine cabinet is actually not ideal for storing medicines, as heat and humidity can affect them. 6. Consult your healthcare professional if you or a family member feels ill. You can get advice on what kinds of OTC medicines (if any) are appropriate for the symptoms you or your family member are experiencing, and specific dosage recommendations. If someone has a fever It can be upsetting when someone has a fever, especially your child. A fever is actually the body’s natural defense against bacterial or viral infections. A person’s normal body temperature is approximately 98.6 degrees F, but it may fluctuate depending on different factors. If you or a family member has an elevated temperature, it may signal the presence of a bacterial or viral infection. A fever is also one of the common symptoms of COVID-19, amongst many other conditions. If you are concerned about a fever, it’s best to contact your healthcare professional. Your healthcare professional may recommend an OTC pain reliever/fever reducer to help you feel better, no matter what the cause. Common OTC pain relievers that can reduce fever and achiness include acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (the active ingredient in Advil or Motrin IB). These medications are safe and effective when used as directed. Always read Drug Facts labels carefully and follow their directions for dosage and timing. For a fever, it also helps to:
A body temperature at or above 104 degrees F requires immediate care, so contact your healthcare professional right away, or call an urgent care or emergency provider if your regular healthcare professional is unavailable. Be prepared for an emergency Make sure you and any caregivers (including older children or babysitters) know how to contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for free, confidential, expert medical and safety advice, 24/7. Program the number into phones and post it visibly at home. To learn more about medicine safety, visit GetReliefResponsibly.com/covid-19-medicine-safety. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a component of the cannabis plant lacking the “high” associated with marijuana, and right now products claiming to contain CBD are everywhere — from gummies to cocktails, ice cream to hand cream, and more. An estimated 64 million consumers, according to a January 2019 Consumer Reports survey, have tried products containing CBD in the past two years alone. But do you know what you are buying - and taking?
(BPT) - Before you reach into that jar of CBD gummies, or add some CBD oil to your bath, proceed carefully. Do you really know what’s in that “miracle cure” that you purchased online or at the health store for anxiety or your aching back? Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a component of the cannabis plant lacking the “high” associated with marijuana, and right now products claiming to contain CBD are everywhere — from gummies to cocktails, ice cream to hand cream, and more. An estimated 64 million consumers, according to a January 2019 Consumer Reports survey, have tried products containing CBD in the past two years alone. With widespread marketing that is largely unregulated, CBD purchased online or at stores is often promoted as a one-stop product for a range of potential health benefits, such as relieving stress, soothing aches and pains, reducing inflammation or improving sleep. Interest in — and access to — CBD increased with the passage of the Farm Bill which removed CBD derived from hemp (a variety of cannabis that contains very low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) from the list of controlled substances. Although CBD products are now available online or in many stores, health or medical claims made by the product manufacturers are still subject to regulation by the FDA to ensure consumer safety. Through all the current interest surrounding CBD one critical question remains: Are widely available CBD products safe and effective? Separating fact from fiction The contents and dosage of CBD products sold in retail stores or online are often unknown and not consistently, if at all, regulated. To navigate the current environment, consumers first need to understand that not all CBD products are equal:
So, what’s the bottom line for the millions of people currently using CBD products? As the saying goes, the smart consumer is the wise consumer. The FDA approval process is considered by many to be the gold standard in the medical field and was put in place to protect patients. Taking unregulated CBD products that lack scientific evidence can pose health risks, particularly for very sick patients who may be looking for hope in these products, in part, because of unproven health claims. You deserve to know what you’re taking It can be difficult to know if CBD products actually contain what they claim. A 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that almost 70% of all CBD products sold online did not contain the amount of CBD stated on the label — 42% contained a higher concentration of CBD than the label claimed, and 26% of the products contained less. Twenty percent included enough unlabeled THC to cause intoxication, especially in children. The FDA also evaluated some of these products and found that they did not contain the levels of CBD that they claimed. More studies and regulations are needed to ensure these products are safe for consumer use. An important moment in the evolution of CBD occurred in June 2018 when the FDA approved Epidiolex® (cannabidiol) oral solution CV, the first prescription CBD medicine. Because it is a prescription, available in pharmacies just like any other FDA-approved medicine, it is legal throughout the entire U.S. when prescribed by a licensed health care professional. It is the only FDA-approved CBD product currently available. “The approval of Epidiolex is historic not only for the long-awaited relief it provides patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, two very difficult-to-treat epilepsies, but also for the parameters it has put in place for how a CBD medicine should be studied to understand its safety profile and efficacy,” said Justin Gover, CEO of GW Pharmaceuticals, plc, the company responsible for Epidiolex. “We hope that this opens the door for further well-controlled clinical studies of CBD in other medical conditions to achieve FDA approval and ensure patients are getting the medicines they deserve.” To learn more, visit www.StraightFactsCBD.com. Epidiolex safety information can be found at www.Epidiolex.com. This sponsored article is presented by Brandpoint. KEYWORDS
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Migraine headaches are literally life-altering, chronic health concerns for millions of Americans. In this article, we examine the latest medical research and examine the most common reasons why you may be getting constant migraines.
Migraines are not an easy thing to deal with. For most people, the onset of a migraine calls for a dark room and resting in bed. Although migraines seem to happen out of nowhere, there are usually some reasons why they even appear in the first place. Therefore, the following list includes some of the most common reasons why you may be getting constant migraines. StressRecent studies have concluded that stress is the number one factor when it comes to the reason why people are getting migraines. In fact, over 50 percent of people associate their migraines with stressing. Look back to your past few weeks at work or school. Figure out what things are causing you great stress and how you can reduce those triggers. You can then add additional preventive measures, such as getting relaxation therapy, setting aside time for exercise and making sure you get enough sleep each night. If you find yourself spending a lot of time on the computer, the stress combined with eye strain and electromagnetic fields (emfs) may just make your headaches worse. Vision ProblemsAlthough rarer than most reasons, vision problems such as nearsighted, farsighted, or astigmatism can be the reason behind your migraines. Often, it is the pressure to work on our computers for long hours, or your eyes are simply losing their strength as you age. You should have a regular eye exam to test for common eye disorders. This will provide you with some treatment options; however, reducing the amount of computer/phone time should also be practiced as well. Medication OveruseOne of the most overlooked reasons for migraines is medication overuse. As the old saying goes, too much of something good can be bad. This is essentially the reasoning behind this theory. Medication that is continuously used and in heavy doses may cause you to experience those constant migraines. Therefore, people are recommended to cycle off their medication in order to remove any harmful toxins that may reside within them. Often, people need to get special help from a doctor to withdraw from these medications that put them at risk for rebound pain or dependency. Note that you should first consult with your physician about this theory and work together to reduce your medication enough to where migraines are either entirely gone or significantly reduced. Although the information above describes the most common triggers for migraines, there are plenty of more reasons to go around. Also, people can suffer migraines depending on certain situations and conditions that are unique to them. Therefore, it is always recommended that you research some of the reasons behind your migraines and speak with a medical professional in order to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
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To help shed light on the growing national problem with opioid drugs, Dr. W. Michael Hooten, a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist and Pain Clinic specialist, lends his expert insight on what people need to know about opioids. (BPT) - While a decade ago you may not have heard much about opioids, today they make headlines daily. The nationwide epidemic crosses generations and socioeconomic lines, and it's affecting your family, friends and neighbors. "Opioids have long been used clinically to treat pain, but prior to the 1990s they were primarily reserved for patients with a limited life expectancy, such as for someone with cancer or in a hospice setting," says Dr. W. Michael Hooten, a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist and Pain Clinic specialist. "The potential problems associated with long-term use were secondary considerations." To help shed light on this growing national problem, Dr. Hooten lends his expert insight on what people need to know about opioids. Opioids are prescribed for various reasons Opioids are used to treat a variety of pain disorders. While they are commonly prescribed after an operation, opioids are also used to treat a host of chronic pain conditions including musculoskeletal, abdominal, pelvic, and neuropathic pain. Length of use varies "Following surgery, up to one in four patients may use opioids longer than anticipated," says Dr. Hooten. "How long, exactly, depends on several clinical factors." He notes that after an operation, a patient might use opioids to manage acute pain for three to five days. "When opioids are used for acute postoperative pain, patients should try to use the lowest possible dose." After this short time period, opioids should be replaced with non-opioid pain medicines including Tylenol scheduled to be taken every six hours." There are alternatives for pain management There are many alternative options for chronic pain. Dr. Hooten suggests talking with your doctor about: * Non-opioid analgesics (non-opioid pain medications). * Interventional treatments such as image-guided spine injections or nerve blocks. * Acupuncture. * Low-impact exercise such as walking, yoga, Pilates. Consider working with a physical therapist to develop a structured exercise program. * For advanced pain treatment, spinal-cord stimulation can disrupt the pain stimuli and provide sustained pain relief. * Work with a pain psychologist who can help teach individuals how to use specialized behavioral and cognitive techniques that could lead to improvements in daily functioning and quality of life. Opioids can be deadly if misused "Approximately 90 people per day die in the U.S. from a prescription opioid and/or an illicit opiate overdose," says Dr. Hooten. Many of those are accidental overdoses. “People who take prescription opioids will inadvertently mix them with benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium and Xanax). Dr. Hooten warns that these two drug classes should never be taken together, as the combination can suppress the central nervous system and put the individual at risk of an accidental overdose. Addiction can happen to anyone As Dr. Hooten notes, “No one plans to get addicted, but it happens. Using opioids requires a high level of vigilance for the signs and symptoms of addiction." There are many signs of over-reliance or misuse that families should be aware of. These include an increased preoccupation with the drug, concern about the timing of the next dose or refill, hiding use of the drug, and signs of intoxication like slurred speech and excessive sleep. If you notice these warning signs, alert your loved one about your concerns. "This might be enough to prompt a change," says Dr. Hooten. "Otherwise relay this information to the prescriber and tell them what’s going on. They can take the correct next steps." For more information on pain medication and alternatives, or to make an appointment, visit www.mayoclinic.org. KEYWORDS
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