Search Results for: blog the dangers of self medication

Medication and the First Trimester

At the beginning of the week I cautioned against going off medication when you get pregnant.  Now I want to write a follow-up, because it actually is important to know any potential dangers with medicine and the first trimester. As a rule I’ve avoided reading lists of dangers, side effects, and rare pregnancy and birth problems.  They’ll just cause me unnecessary stress, and since pregnant women usually see their doctors at least once a month, I trust mine to keep me informed about anything that will actually/is actually affecting me.  But it is important to know that the first trimester … Continue reading →

The Dangers of Self-Medication

“He who self-medicates has a fool for a doctor.” Have you heard that one? There’s a real danger with home and over-the-counter remedies — do you know what they are? You may have misdiagnosed the problem. That may mean that you’re taking medication you don’t need… and the problem is still raging. You may have correctly diagnosed the problem but are taking the wrong things. Again, this is a situation where the problem might be getting worse instead of better. You may have correctly diagnosed the problem but over-the-counter remedies aren’t strong enough. At best, the problem may be holding … Continue reading →

It’s Not a Good Idea to Avoid the Doctor

There are many reasons we may avoid going to the doctor. For some people there is a sense of fear. My husband has always done his best to stay away from the doctor. I never really gave it much thought until one day he kept complaining about an ailment and I asked why he doesn’t just go to the doctor. His response was, “I don’t want to find out that something is wrong.” Even when we know something is wrong, sometimes we are afraid to actually hear about it. Now the particular ailment that my husband was complaining about wasn’t … Continue reading →

Dementia and the Flu

Seems like an odd combination, no? Dementia and the flu. Researchers from the Tufts University School of Medicine found that there may indeed be a connection between dementia and the flu… and it’s not a good one. Seniors with dementia seem to be diagnosed with the flu less often. They have shorter hospital stays if they are diagnosed with the flu, and are more likely to die from the flu or complications of the flu than seniors without dementia. The research team looked at five years of data from the U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. That data included … Continue reading →

Swine Flu and Fear: the Doctor’s Verdict

Yesterday, I had swine flu on my mind — I’ve been running a low-grade temperature since Wednesday, and was worried that it was an indicator of something serious. I decided yesterday that if I still had a fever today (Saturday), I’d go to the local walk-in clinic. I woke up this morning still feeling that old familiar body ache and headache. A check of the digital thermometer showed that sure enough, I was still running a fever. Off to the clinic I went! There was a big sign on the door saying that if a patient was experiencing a cough … Continue reading →

It’s Drowsy Driving Prevention Week

Studies show 60% of adult drivers – about 168 million people – say they have driven a vehicle while feeling drowsy in the past year, and more than one-third (or 103 million people) has actually fallen asleep at the wheel. Are you one of them? Regular readers of this blog have read my past drowsy driving experiences (none of them were pretty). And now there’s an entire week dedicated to educating travelers about the dangers of getting behind the wheel without proper sleep. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver … Continue reading →

Autism: Select a Good Doctor

I am astonished at some of the latest autism findings. There is evidence that some children with the diagnosis have been able to break free of their symptoms and live relatively normal lives, after receiving the right dietary and medical intervention. Some medical experts are suggesting that autism can be cured, in many respects. Since I have a son with autism, you can imagine that for me this is a very exciting thought. “I used to be autistic.” Recently I met an interesting gentleman at a writer’s conference. He is an actor, writer, and a storyteller, who performs for children. … Continue reading →

Read This Before Sending Medicine to School

Posted on by

What if your child needs medication while he or she is at school? Many antibiotics and other medicines call for three doses a day. Taking medicine at school is not as easy as it once was. Due to drugs and dangers with over the counter and prescription medicines, schools have cracked down on students taking medications while at school. If you plan on having your child take some type of medicine while he or she is at school, plan on filling out paper work and jumping through hoops. In most school districts, no medicine is allowed at school unless the … Continue reading →

Pet First Aid Awareness Month

April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month. It’s the perfect time of year for it, because the weather’s nicer, we’re outside more –as are our pets most likely–and there’s lots to get into. Some of it can be harmful, even fatal, to your dog or cat, but with awareness you can avoid trouble. Below is a list of some of those things. Where applicable, related Families.com articles are referenced for further information. Dangers Lurking in the Garden Lawn and garden care is on many people’s minds this time of year. If your pet’s going to help you, here’s some things … Continue reading →