Category: Self-Care Corner

It’s 10 pm, you’ve got a horrible headache, and the only pain reliever you’ve found expired a year ago. Can you use it just this once?

No, you shouldn’t, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Once medicines have expired, there’s no guarantee that they’re safe – or that they’ll work.

Using an expired medicine puts you at risk of having a bad reaction or having the medication not work at all. If it’s past the expiration date, discard it safely. Make sure kids and pets cannot get to it.

Tips to avoid medication mishaps

*  Go through your medicine cabinet every six months. Discard expired medications or anything that has an unusual odor or appearance.

*  Don’t keep medicines in your bathroom. The steam from your bath or shower can make them go bad even before they’ve expired. Instead, keep them out of reach of children in a bedroom, linen closet, or kitchen cabinet.

*  If you have children in the house, consider a locked cabinet for medicines. Some pills look like “candy” to kids, and many children have been poisoned by ingesting medicines and vitamins.

How to discard unused medicines

Some medicines come with disposal instructions. If not, the FDA recommends most medicines be safely placed in your regular trash. Here’s how to do it:

*  Put the pills in a sealed plastic bag with other trash like kitty litter, used coffee grounds, or even dirt. This helps prevent others from trying to take the medicine.

*  If you’re throwing out prescription bottles, scratch out all the information on the label. This includes your name and the name of the medication.

*  Check with your city or town about an authorized drug take-back program. These programs allow you to get rid of old medicines safely.

*  A few medicines should be flushed down the sink or toilet because they can be dangerous to others if found in the garbage. Check the FDA website (www.fda.gov) for a list of these medicines.

Dementia isn’t a disease. It’s a group of symptoms. It’s a brain disorder that often affects the elderly and is caused by the failure or death of nerve cells in the brain. Other than aging, other factors can raise your risk for developing dementia: smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, drinking too much alcohol, and a family history of dementia.

Most forms of dementia worsen gradually over time and can’t be corrected. The NIH lists these symptoms that may interfere with everyday life.

*  Repeating the same story or question over and over

*  Getting lost in familiar places

*  Delusions or agitated behavior

*  Problems with language, movements, or recognizing objects

*  Memory or concentration problems

*  Difficulty following directions

*  Getting disoriented about time, people, and places

*  Neglecting personal safety, hygiene, and nutrition

For some types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, a definite diagnosis cannot be made (at least while the person is living). Although testing is being developed along with some types of medications, dementia is often recognized by others first and told to doctors when reviewing a physical  and mental health history.

Beyond the obvious-steering clear of runny noses and hacking coughs-the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology presents some practical ways of staying infection-free.

1.Wash your hands often.Germs can live on surfaces anywhere from a few minutes to several months. Common places to pick up germs are kitchen sponges, light switches, elevator buttons, and shared computer keyboards and phones. Wash your hands with good old soap and water for 20 seconds and dry them with a paper towel. When you can’t wash your hands, use alcohol-based gels or wipes to clean your hands.

2.Don’t share personal items.Toothbrushes, towels, razors, handkerchiefs, and nail clippers can all be sources of infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, and fungi). Not sharing is caring, in this case.

3.Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.Coughing or sneezing can spread germs through microscopic droplets in the air. Cover your mouth with a tissue, your sleeve or the inside bend of your elbow.

4.Get vaccinated.Vaccines help your body develop immunity to infectious organisms.

5.Use safe cooking practices.Microbes thrive on virtually all food items, and more so on foods left at room temperature. Promptly refrigerate foods within 2 hours of preparation.

6.Be a smart traveler.If you travel to a location where water is questionable, use a safe water source such as bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth. Eat foods that have been cooked. Avoid raw vegetables and fruits.

7.Practice safe sex.Many sexually-transmitted infections can be prevented using condoms and limiting sexual partners.

8.Don’t pick your nose (or your mouth or eyes either).Many germs prefer the warm, moist environment inside your nose, as well as other mucous-covered surfaces such as your eyes and mouth.

9.Exercise caution with animals.If you have pets, make sure they get regular check-ups and that their vaccinations are up-to-date. Clean litter boxes often (unless you’re pregnant-stay away!), and keep small children away from animal feces. Wash your hands after playing with pets.

10.Watch the news.Find out where outbreaks of infectious diseases occur and avoid going to those areas. Follow warnings to avoid foods found to have listeria, salmonella and other harmful organisms.