|
 |
Be 100% sure!
An estimated 60 to 70% of skin cancer cases in Canada can be prevented with daily sun protection and monthly skin self-exams to detect cancers at their earliest and most treatable stage.
Although it can appear anywhere, the first sign of the deadliest skin cancer, Melanoma, is a flat brown freckle-like spot which mainly emerges on men’s upper back and on the back of women’s calf; especially on areas exposed to the sun.
READ MORE |
|
Kid-proof your medicine cabinet
Do you have kids in the house? If so, it’s time for some spring cleaning.
Kid-proofing your medicine cabinet is key to the health of your children and spring is the perfect time to tackle this project for your whole family. Checking your medicine cabinet regularly helps you ensure contents are stored safely and you have some basic medications on hand to respond to the most common childhood illnesses.
READ MORE |
|
Immune system boost
Your immune system protects you from disease by seeking out bacteria, viruses and tumour cells, and promoting their swift and thorough elimination from your body through various mechanisms. Because pathogens evolve rapidly to avoid detection, the work of the immune system is never done. Combined with various lifestyle factors, this relentless activity can cause your immune system to become overworked or immunodeficient, possibly leading to recurring or life-threatening infections.
READ MORE |
|
Diabetes and your pharmacist
Over 40% of Canadians diagnosed with a life-threatening disease like diabetes feel confused or overwhelmed after leaving their doctor’s office. Facing the abundance of information, medication and available tools, many are daunted by the prospect of managing their illness alone. Fortunately, provincial governments are now allowing pharmacists the authority to better manage their patients’ medication regimens based on their clinical judgment.
READ MORE |
|
What’s your skin status?
Summer’s here and that means more time outdoors, soaking up the heat and sun we crave during our long Canadian winters, but before you head out the door to enjoy a sun filled day, do you know your skin status? The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that each year about 4,600 cases of melanoma (the most serious type of skin cancer) will be diagnosed and that 900 people will die from the disease.
READ MORE |
|
A season of sneezin’
Spring is here and for allergy sufferers, it can be bittersweet. Spring means greening grass, budding and blooming trees and flowers – it also means the release of pollens. For individuals particularly sensitive, it can mean a season of sneezing, watery eyes and itchy noses.
READ MORE |
|
Safe travels!
Canadians make more than 100 million trips abroad yearly, for business and pleasure. It’s easy to protect yourself by having pre-trip vaccines and following safe travel practices while you’re away.
READ MORE |
|
To get the ‘flu shot’ or not?
October to April is flu season, when the influenza virus causes infection in the airways. Every year, countless otherwise healthy Canadian adults and children miss work and school due to the flu. Often confused with a cold, the flu causes headache, chills and dry cough, rapidly joined by body aches and fever. While the fever declines on the second or third day of the illness, full recovery may take up to six weeks.
READ MORE |
|
Pain management
Summer’s warmer weather means more time outdoors enjoying your favourite activities. Running, biking, gardening and other forms of exercise are good for your health, but these activities can raise your risk for sprained joints, strained muscles and other minor injuries. Proper care in the first couple days after injury can reduce the time you’re sidelined.
READ MORE |
|
Spring cleaning!
As the weather turns warmer, we begin that annual ritual – spring cleaning. While you’re at it, don’t forget your medicine cabinet. It might surprise you what you’ll find. Every over-the-counter medication has an expiry date stamped onto the label. Although an expiry date of two to three years is common, this date is only valid if the product seal is intact.
READ MORE |
|
What is adherence?
In the medical community, there has been much press in the past few years related to the importance of drug adherence and its subsequent costs to the health care system.
READ MORE |
 |
A Natural Process - Menopause
Menopause occurs when a woman’s body stops releasing eggs and her menstrual cycle ceases. This is a natural biological process, not a medical illness. Technically, women don’t actually ‘hit’ menopause until it’s been one year since their final menstrual period. In North America, that happens on average at about age 51.
READ MORE |
|
Blood Glucose and Monitors
The Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) in recent guidelines suggests that all people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes should self-monitor blood glucose levels. The CDA also recommends self-monitoring for most people with type 2 diabetes using medications or managing it through diet and exercise.
READ MORE
|
|
Cold Sores
You feel a tingling on your lip and a small, hard spot you can’t yet see. In a day or two, red blisters appear on your lip. This all too familiar scenario signals yet another cold sore, probably happening at a bad time, and there’s no way to hide it or make it go away quickly.
READ MORE
|
|
Head Lice
What’s about the size of a sesame seed, is very common and anyone can get it?
If you have guessed head lice, you’re absolutely right. Head lice are parasitic insects found on the heads of people. In fact, as many as 6-12 million people worldwide get head lice each year.
READ MORE
|
|
Infection Prevention
Hand washing is a simple habit and one of the best ways to avoid getting sick. It only requires soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (a cleanser that doesn't require water). Antimicrobial wipes are as effective as soap and water but not as good as alcohol-based sanitizers.
READ MORE |
|
Medications and Nutrient Depletion
Vitamins and minerals are nutrients that your body needs to function normally and are found in healthy food choices. However poor diet, high stress levels, environmental pollution and certain diseases can cause your body to have a shortage of these nutrients and if left untreated, a deficiency can result.
READ MORE |
|
Medicine Cabinet Cleanup
The new year is the time we traditionally think about making changes. Stopping the old and creating the new. But have you ever thought about your medicine cabinet? This is the perfect time to let go of some simple old things, which may inspire you to do more letting go.
READ MORE
|
|
Poly - What?
Polypharmacy: a term used by healthcare professionals and pharmacists when someone uses many medications at the same time. While individual medicines can help maintain health and prevent further illness, taking combinations of drugs could put the user at risk for unnecessary and unwanted drug interactions.
READ MORE
|
|
Progress in Diabetes: The Insulin Pump
In the early 1960’s, the notion of providing ongoing insulin delivery first emerged. This idea led to a device called an insulin pump, which could provide a continuous supply of insulin, eliminating the need for daily injections.
READ MORE
|
|
There’s No Magic Bullet
It’s best to lose weight with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Weight loss medications, when used in combination with this regime can improve your health.
Making it clear
Prescription weight loss drugs are not intended for people who want to lose a few pounds. They’re reserved for those unable to achieve or maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise, and often have health problems as a result.
READ MORE |
|
Toads Don’t Give Us Warts
Warts are non-cancerous skin growths due to infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV) causing rapid cell growth on the outer layer of your skin. They’re usually skin coloured and feel rough, but can also be dark, flat and smooth. The 4 major types are:
1. Common warts: found on fingers, around nails and the back of hands.
READ MORE |
|
What Are These Scaly Patches of Skin?
Are you plagued by patches of thick, red skin covered with silvery scales on your elbows, knees, legs, lower back or scalp? If so, you may be affected by a non-life-threatening disease which can be painful, affect your ability to function, and cause psychological and emotional distress.
READ MORE |
|
|
