The history of Intravenous injection of fluid
Cholera was once a very feared disease that killed millions of people over the centuries. Dehydration was a common symptom due to massive diarrhea. But in 1832, a Scottish doctor performed the first intravenous injection of fluid. To rehydrate his cholera patients he infused saline solutions into their veins. His results were mixed probably due to lack of aseptic procedures, but today, IVs are part of everyday medical practice and save lives daily.
Watch for Pre-diabetes and pre-hypertension
You’ve heard of pre-diabetes where blood sugars are a bit higher than normal but not high enough to warrant a diabetes diagnosis. There is also pre-hypertension, where blood pressure consistently falls just below 139 for the systolic pressure and between 80-89 for the diastolic pressure. This usually doesn’t require treatment but it is still causing your heart to beat against a higher pressure. What to do? Monitor it regularly. Weight-loss, exercise and a healthy lifestyle helps.
300 Nicotine hits a day
Nicotine is a very addictive chemical and it’s understandable why smoking is such a difficult habit to quit. The nicotine “hit” reaches the brain in about 8 seconds via inhaling cigarette smoke. At the rate of 10 puffs every 5 minutes, a person who smokes one and a half packs a day gets 300 hits of nicotine to the brain every day. Nicotine content of cigarettes is 4-14mg per cigarette depending on the brand. New regulations regarding the sale of electronic cigarettes, an alternative to tobacco cigarettes, may be coming from Health Canada soon.
You’ve heard of product placement, how about disease placement?
Product placement is common in television shows and movies. Companies will pay for having their products seen. This has been taken to a new level by a drug company having a rare disease written into the script of a day-time soap opera. It raised the awareness of the disease and also let viewers know that there was a drug on the market that is available to treat the disease.
Adopt the fist bump
The cough and cold season is almost upon us and time to consider how germs get passed from one person to another. One hospital in California experimented with reducing handshakes among staff and patients. They substituted fist bumps, a slight bow, a wave or even a simple smile. And of course, hand-washing often throughout the day was encouraged. Perhaps a handshake-free zone would be appropriate in your workplace. Something to think about.
Be sure to visit Penny at Muskoka Medical Centre Pharmacy in the Home Health Care department for your compression stocking, mastectomy or ostomy needs.
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. The understanding that medications are only part of the health solution has lead 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 ~ 348 Muskoka Road 3 North, Huntsville Phone:(705) 789-1785
Read more from Bill on the Muskoka Medical Centre Pharmacy Facebook page.
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