Drug Allergy Prevention And Care (healthy living)
No commentsBy Alisha Dhamani
Follow up with your health-care provider after an allergic reaction to a drug. At this follow-up appointment, he or she can evaluate your recovery from the reaction and adjust any medications.
If you do not respond to the treatment prescribed for your drug allergy, it is important that you see a medical professional for re-evaluation.
There is no known way to prevent drug allergies. You can reduce your risk by taking as few medications as possible. The more exposure your body has to medications, the greater the likelihood of a drug allergy.
Always tell any new health-care provider you see about your allergies and the types of reactions you have had. Talk to your doctor about the possibility or necessity of having a portable epinephrine kit to treat severe reactions.
Do not take a drug that you have reacted to in the past. Once you have a reaction to a drug, your risk of having a more severe reaction next time increases dramatically.
Consider wearing a medical alert ID bracelet or necklace. These devices are worn on the wrist or neck and can alert medical personnel and others about the risk for an allergic reaction.
Adults might carry a card with pertinent medical information in a wallet or purse. Tell your health-care provider about any adverse reactions to medications in the past before he or she prescribes medications to you.
Tell your health-care provider about any medications, prescription or over-the-counter, that you are taking.
Most people who have mild to moderately severe allergic reactions to a drug do very well. With treatment and stopping of the drug, most people will be much better within 48-72 hours.
Most people also do well after a severe drug allergy if they are evaluated promptly by a medical professional and treatment is started. Some reactions can be life-threatening, including serum sickness and anaphylaxis. People who have these reactions generally need to be admitted to the hospital.
Generally a drug allergy is identified by signs and symptoms. Medical professionals are trained to recognize hives, swelling patterns, and rashes associated with allergic reactions.
You will be asked questions about your medical history and possible triggers of the reaction.
Blood tests and other tests are needed only under very unusual circumstances.
Always contact the health-care provider who prescribed the medication for advice.
If the symptoms are mild, such as itching and localized hives, the provider may switch you to a different type of medication, recommend that you stop the medication, or, if appropriate, prescribe antihistamines to relieve your symptoms.
If you cannot reach this provider for advice quickly, play it safe and go to a hospital emergency department.
If you are having any “systemic” symptoms such as fever or vomiting, you should stop taking the medication and be seen immediately by a medical professional.
If you are having difficulty breathing, your throat is swelling, or you are feeling faint, you may be having an anaphylactic reaction. Go immediately to a hospital emergency department. Do not attempt to drive yourself. If no one is available to drive you right away, call 911 for an ambulance. While waiting for the ambulance, start self-treatment.
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The Baby Beanie Craze
By Julia Sullivan
Baby beanies haven’t been around that much since they were “born” only in 1994 when Ty Warner introduced the first baby beanies in the market. Not many people know that a baby beanie or more officially known as beanie baby were first made by him. He made the baby beanie to be more lifelike by giving it more air. In other words, there was less stuffing inside each baby beanie. The usual baby toys were stuffed to the hilt and they were stiff. While Ty’s beanie baby was half filled with stuffing and half filled with beans. Hence the name beanie baby. Other competitors sneered and said that his toys would not last long. But exactly the opposite is what happened!
Now, the “original nine” as they are officially referred to are the first nine baby beanies Ty Warner made. These are the Spot the dog, Squealer the pig, Patti the platypus, Cubbie the bear, Chocolate the moose, Pinchers the lobster, Splash the killer whale, Legs the frog and Flash the dolphin. Collectors have dubbed them as such since these where the first baby beanies available that were selling at less than $5.00 each. Each baby beanie comes with a short poem to introduce it to the toddler. This was written on a red heart-shaped tag that is attached by the animal’s ear.
Not much is known how many baby beanies are totally in existence since there are lines developed that create a family of baby beanies. The most famous is the teddy-bear baby beanie that was created. The basic pattern was just re-used and different colors were utilized to create a family. Different names were given to each teddy bear in keeping with the tradition of having a name. Some teddy bear baby beanies are usually used for commemmorative uses such as in the Fourth of July or there is a Diana, the Princess of Wales have been made as a commemmorative collector’s item. However, the official baby beanies were mostly animal shapes such as cats and pigs, dogs and hippopotamuses. These are usually brightly colored and stylized to make them pleasing in the eye. The official baby beanie comes with his or her own name. It has its own date of birth. And most important of all, a short poem that describes its personality.
The baby beanie crazed happened in the late 1996 when a frenzied collection of baby beanies started. This prompted Ty Warner to retire some of the baby beanies to hype up even more the sales and marketing side of his products. There were people who bought wholesale in anticipation of the possible future value of a single baby beanie. However, as with other fads that easily rise and can be easily forgotten, the baby beanie craze was just another fad that quickly fizzled. Or what the expectation of those “investors” did not materialize at all.
Inspite of what happened, baby beanies are here to stay since babies usually prefer soft toys that they can easily hug and bite and hold easily in their hand. Baby beanies need not be in the same family of baby beanies to be appreciated. A colllection of baby beanies show the kind of personality the baby has or it speaks the kind of personality the giver has.
Want to find out about pregnancy after miscarriage and pregnancy facts? Get tips from the Pregnancy Facts website.
The Medical Treatment For Sinus Infection
By Alisha Dhamani
Blood cells and lining cells of the mucosa in the sinuses can normally fight off foreign invaders. However, when overwhelmed by viruses and bacteria, coupled with a depressed immune system or over-reactivity to allergens, the result is the inflammation associated with sinusitis.
With appropriate therapy, a short-lived infection can be treated effectively. Because foreign substances trigger numerous reactions, many treatments are available that can treat the symptoms of inflammation.
Decongestants help reduce airway obstruction and are important in the initial treatment to alleviate symptoms.
OTC nasal sprays pseudophedrine (Afrin), phenylephrine (Neo-Synephrine), naphazoline (Naphcon) chlorzoxazone (Forte), Otrivin, for example) work the fastest within one to three minutes. These agents should not be used for more than three days because they become less effective and more frequent applications become necessary to attain the same clarity in breathing.
This “rebound” phenomenon can be reduced by alternating between nostrils and using the medicine less frequently. Some people over-treat their nasal congestion with nasal spray and become dependent on it in order to breathe more easily (a disorder called Rhinitis Medicamentosum). Overcoming the dependency requires a difficult withdrawal program involving oral decongestants, saline, steroid nasal sprays, systemic steroids, or a combination thereof.
OTC oral decongestants (in tablet or liquid form) contain the active ingredients pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine. Most drug stores offer a wide variety of oral decongestants, all offering similar results. Brand name medications are more expensive but release the drug more slowly, so they can be taken less frequently.
Generic medications are less expensive and are taken every four to six hours or as needed. They work much slower than nasal sprays do. Usually, oral decongestants achieve their effect within 30-60 minutes.
As with the nasal preparations, oral decongestants may become less effective with prolonged use. The rebound phenomenon exists but is not as severe as with spray preparations. Preparations containing pseudoephedrine are now kept behind the counter at the pharmacy but are still available without a prescription.
Both nasal and oral decongestants have side effects, including general stimulation causing increased heart rate and blood pressure, insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, tremor, dry mouth, blurry vision, and headache.
They may also cause an inability to urinate. Therefore, persons with a history of cardiac disease, high blood pressure, anxiety, or urinary problems (especially prostate disorders) should consult a physician before using decongestants. In addition, combining decongestants with other over-the-counter or prescribed medicines with similar side effects may cause dangerous complications.
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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 at 7:40 pm and is filed under health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
