September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month in Canada, a time to shine the light on the efforts to fight blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and Hodgkin’s disease. There have been many advances in treatments for these diseases over the past two decades with special attention to genetic and targeted treatments. Many positives for those with blood cancers.
Daily flossing of the teeth is an excellent part of good oral hygiene. It’s a good routine to pass on to children as well. When should you introduce children to flossing? When they have two teeth touching together. There is a wide variety of flossing materials available: waxed and unwaxed, flavoured and unflavoured. Choose one that your child likes and you will be starting them on the road to a lifetime of good dental care.
Although stomach cancer isn’t high on the list of cancers affecting Canadians, it is still important to understand some of its causes. These include GERD, gastrointestinal reflux disease (characterized by chronic heartburn), obesity, eating too much smoked and salty foods, and overindulging with alcohol. If you have stomach symptoms that you can’t explain, see your doctor.
Many people spend much time developing their family trees, listing birth dates, marriages, deaths etc. One bit of information that is important is what medical problems their relatives had. Since many health problems are genetic, knowing what one’s uncle or grandfather died of could be helpful information in your own health. Just going back three generations will provide enough information.
The pumping chamber of the heart is the left ventricle. The pressure exerted on the artery walls to squeeze the blood out is called the systolic pressure. That’s the upper number in your blood pressure. The diastolic pressure (the lower number) is when that chamber is relaxed while blood is filling it up again. If the systolic pressure is too high, it can cause damage to the blood vessels and kidneys. It’s a better predictor of health risk. Had your blood pressure taken lately?
It’s important that parents teach their children to swim. Kids are taught to ride a bike, skate and ski. But being able to swim can save a life a child’s life or someone else near them.
Head lice start becoming more common this month. Many myths surround head lice. They are not a sign of poor hygiene or that a child has been neglected. The one way you can “catch” lice is by direct hair-to-hair contact. Lice love thick hair and humid areas close to the scalp. Look for the eggs (“nits”) there. An easy way to get rid of them is using a hair conditioner and a fine-toothed nit comb. If they persist, there are a number of special lotions and shampoos available at the pharmacy.
There is research continuing on the transplantation of retinal cells with the goal of treating blindness. So far, this has been done only in monkeys but it does bring the hope of sight to the over 200 million blind people worldwide.
The happiest countries results are based on people ranking their lives on a scale of zero to ten. Countries with a high rating supported high levels of well-being, income, healthy life expectancy, generosity and freedom. The top five happiest countries were: Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway. Canada’s position? Number 11.
Bill Coon graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto in 1984, and was the Faculty’s Centennial Scholar that same year. Bill and his pharmacist wife, Barbara, along with Paul Whitehead, opened Muskoka Medical Centre Pharmacy in 1990. Bill and Barbara, along with their business partner Jenna Whitehead, opened Campus Trail Pharmacy in 2020. The understanding that medications are only part of the health solution has led to Bill’s interest in fitness and health, both personally and professionally. Bill’s Capsule Comments provide a full range of up-to-date health information.
Muskoka Medical Centre Pharmacy is conveniently located in the Huntsville Professional Building at 348 Muskoka Road 3 North. Phone: (705) 789-1785.
The Campus Trail Pharmacy is at 39 Campus Trail, in the new Campus Trails Wellness Centre off Muskoka Rd 3 N beside The Tom condominiums. Phone: (705) 789-5331.
Read more from Bill on the Muskoka Medical Centre Pharmacy Facebook page.
Recent Comments