The holy grail of the treatment of type I diabetes is to transplant the insulin-producing cells (islet cells) to replace the faulty ones in the pancreas of the diabetic. An American company has been working on this for many years using donated organ islet cells. However, this method requires taking immunosuppressive drugs for life to prevent rejection. The company is now researching specialized stem cells to hopefully avoid this problem.
Although not an exact science, there may be a way of increasing the odds of having a girl or a boy depending on when intercourse occurs in relation to ovulation. Since the girl-producing sperm move more slowly and last longer, having intercourse 2-4 days before ovulation allow that these girl-sperm will be the only ones around to impregnate the egg. For boys, the male-producing sperm are faster and shorter-lived and will be around just as ovulation occurs.
Half the people over the age of 65 experience some level of hearing loss and this can rise to as high as 90 per cent after the age of 80. If you are in this category, have your hearing tested. With all the new technologies available today, your quality of life will be enhanced greatly by a good set of hearing aids.
Using earphones or ear buds to privately listen to music is a common occurrence. But it can be dangerous to your hearing if the volume is too high. If people near by can hear it, then it’s too loud. Save your hearing. Listen responsibly.
Do you carry a list of all he medications you take? You never know when this information will be useful during an ER visit or at a walk-in clinic seeing a doctor other than your own.
Fifteen years after a person stops smoking, the risk of dying drops to almost the same level as the person who has never smoked at all.
The cost of a kidney transplant in Canada is about $66,000 for the first year followed by about $23,000 in each subsequent years for maintenance. While the annual cost of dialysis to the healthcare system per patient is nearly $100,000. So transplants do save our healthcare system much money. The problem? Not enough donated kidneys. Have you signed an organ donor card yet?
The cause of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is not known but there are many ideas out there that scientists are pursuing. One cause among many that surfaces often is the link between PD and pesticides because farmers appear to be more prone to the disease than the general population and pesticides might be to blame in some cases. But more study has to be done on this topic.
Some smells can trigger a memory from long ago. These autobiographical memories associated with smell are due to the proximity of the smell-centres of the brain to the limbic and amygdala brain centres associated with memory. Sometimes these odour stimulants bring back happy memories but also the reverse can be true also. Examples of odours may be fresh-cut hay, pine trees, sea air and even animals like horses, Others for younger people might be play-doh, scented markers, Lego blocks etc.
Pets can have a positive influence on our health. One study showed that pet-owners saw their doctors 16 per cent less often than non-pet-owners. They also walked more steps per day because the dog needs walking. Pets also help keep stress levels down as well. During the isolation required of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for dogs and cats greatly increased.
There are still people who use cotton-tipped applicator sticks to clean ear wax from their ears. This not a recommended use of this product. Our ears are self-cleaning. Using these sticks con potentially harm the eardrum and can push the wax even further into the ear and reduce hearing. Talk to your pharmacist for OTC solutions that can help and see your doctor if you feel wax build-up is becoming serious and have it removed professionally and safely.
I am excited to announce the opening of our second location, Campus Trail Pharmacy, in the new Campus Trail Wellness Centre on September 9. We hope to see you there.
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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