chemicals

Dec 8 2015

Safely Dispose Expired and Unwanted Prescription Drugs

Prescription drugs can get into the wrong hands if they are left lying around the house. Children, pets and those that are not prescribed the medication can easily ingest the medication, not knowing what it really is. This can lead to an unintentional overdose or even death. Many people dispose of their unwanted or expired prescription medication by flushing them down the toilet. This is unsafe as the chemicals can get into the local water system. There are several ways to dispose of prescription drugs in a safe manner.

Local Disposal Programs

Many cities offer safe disposal locations for prescription medications. These items are kept in a safely sealed container and are disposed of appropriately. In some areas, disposal events are set-up periodically to reduce the risk of prescription medication being flushed or thrown into regular garbage bags.

Donating Usable Medication to Shelters

Some homeless shelters and low-income service centers ask for usable prescription medications as donations. This is often items like diabetes medication, asthma medication, high blood pressure medication and antibiotics. These must be within the expiration date listed on the prescription as expired medications are not safe to ingest.
When using this method, it is vital that you ensure that the organization you are donating to is legitimate and properly sanctioned to receive medication as a donation.

Use a Mail Service

Mail disposal service is available. Companies like RedBag Service, as an example, provide containers or bags for pharmaceutical waste and expired medications. Many of these services are low-cost. Some services pick up the container from your doorstep, which is convenient. It also ensures that the items are not lost in delivery and are headed directly for the proper disposal facility.

Refrain from Flushing or Throwing Old Prescriptions Away

When a prescription medication expires, it can have several effects on the body. It can cause a serious reaction that can lead to heart failure. It can have no effect at all. Every medication has a different reaction when it is expired. Both flushing the medication and tossing it in with regular trash are dangerous.

Regardless if a medication is inhaled, in pill form or in liquid form, safe disposal is a must. Medication does not have to be a prescribed pharmaceutical, over-the-counter medications should also be disposed of safely. All medications, whether prescribed or over-the-counter have an expiration date on them. With prescribed medications, it is typically one-year from the prescribed date.

By • Drug Abuse • • Tags: , , , , , , ,

Jul 6 2015

Mixing Old and New Methods for Improved Results

The average person now has more health care options than ever before. Once relegated to the outer fringes of medical treatment, acupuncture & herbal medicine have become mainstream in the past decade or so.

Medical conditions that once stumped medical professionals and frustrated patients are being treated with an array of alternative or complementary treatments offering good results. Patients often get relief for conditions ranging from musculoskeletal problems and chronic pain to substance abuse and migraine headaches.

Today’s medical professionals may incorporate alternative methods into patients’ treatments while also using more familiar medical and surgical strategies. The synergy between traditional Chinese medicine and modern Western modalities commonly results in vast improvements in patients’ health outcomes.

Traditional acupuncturists sometimes use a variation known as moxabustion to improve results for some patients. In moxabustion, a small quantity of a medicine herb is slowly burned in a small cup atop an acupuncture needle. The resulting heat delivers pinpoint therapeutic benefits in a troublesome spot.

Many acupuncture practitioners have begun including certain modern components in their patient care. Medical practitioners such as Dr. Bryan MD have updated ancient moxabustion by directing a low-voltage electrical current through the needle. Patients suffering persistent pain often gain a high level of relaxation and pain relief from this method.

The skeptic might wince at acupuncture in general and the moxabustion variations in particular, but the documented results are based on good science. The needles are inserted into points on the body along pathways known as meridians that correspond somewhat to nerve pathways. Needle insertion sets off a specific cascade of neurotransmitters in the body, mainly anti-inflammatories, endorphins and neuroendocrine. These naturally occurring chemicals are associated with pain relief, relaxation and more rapid healing.

Dr. Bryan, who received extensive training and education in traditional Chinese medicine in addition to his medical degree, also uses several traditional herbs when treating patients. Used in place of or in combination with modern medicine, these plant-based medicines are successful in treating an array of conditions. While they may address conditions where more modern medicines sometimes fall short, the traditional drugs usually have fewer side effects when administered by a skilled practitioner.

The move away from the sole use of magic-bullet modern treatment to one that includes age-old traditional methods can only benefit the patient. Fortunately, many health insurers now cover several proven alternative or complementary therapies for their clients.

By • Health Care • • Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Jul 23 2014

Why You Should Visit an Endoscopy Clinic

Cancer is often a hereditary disease that runs in families. If your father, mother or an elderly relative had a certain form of cancer, you need to go through regular screenings that will check for any signs of the disease in your body. Endoscopy centers do more than just screen for cancers and diseases though. You can turn to a doctor on staff when you have hemorrhoids, an inflammatory bowel disease, acid reflux disease or any other internal problems. Talking to your doctor is the best way to find out whether your symptoms are indicative of something more serious.

Acid Reflux Disease

Acid reflux disease is one of the more common conditions treated at endoscopy centers. Many people don’t realize that the foods they eat contain different natural chemicals that can disrupt their stomachs and other body parts. Lemons and other types of citrus fruits, foods made from tomatoes and tomato juices and certain types of alcohol can all cause a burning sensation in your chest. While some people feel better after reclining slightly or taking an over the counter heartburn medication, others find that they cannot control their symptoms on their own. An endoscopy clinic can monitor your body, check your acid levels and give you prescription medications.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Help

Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome, also known as IBS, is just one of the many inflammatory bowel diseases affecting people today. The symptoms of the condition usually occurs shortly after eating, and most patients find relief when they cut out certain foods from their diet. Symptoms of this condition include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, constipation and changes in appetite. If you notice any of these symptoms after eating certain foods, or if you notice these symptoms occurring every time you eat, you need to speak with an endoscopy doctor as soon as possible.

What Endoscopy Clinics Do

After scheduling an appointment at an endoscopy clinic, you need to follow any guidelines given to you, including what you eat and when you eat. When you check in, the doctor will have you swallow a small capsule attached to a video camera. The doctor uses that camera to detect any obstructions in your throat, stomach or bowels that might cause your symptoms. Advanced Endoscopy Clinic of Howard County LLC and other clinics of its type can help you fight back against the symptoms you experience. Click here to learn more about the services offered by these clinics.

By • Cancer • • Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Jan 13 2014

Per Wickstrom Best Drug Rehab founder

There are many types of addictions, but it has been found that addictions to physical substances wind up being the most harmful. When substances such as illegal drugs cross the blood-brain barrier, what ends up happening is that the body’s entire chemical balance is altered, and the brain ends up craving the very drugs that caused the altering. If the body doesn’t get the drugs it craves, what ends up happening is symptoms of withdrawal, which can cause a lot of physical misery. Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and body tremors.

Non-addicts are probably bewildered at the thought of people willingly ingesting chemicals that would cause such horrible side effects, but you have to remember that in small doses, the drugs do not generally trigger these symptoms – not initially, anyway. And the craving for more is often satisfied before the chance to experience any withdrawal occurs. However, there are plenty of drug users that ultimately end up hooked not so much for the pleasure the drug causes, but for the relief it brings in terms of warding off the symptoms of withdrawal.

Breaking the cycle of drug addiction is not easy, but with the property resources and support from family, friends, and qualified medical professionals, it is possible. Breaking a drug addiction begins with acknowledging that drugs do in fact cause physical addiction. How do you know if your drug use is more than a simple habit? Well, a habit is something that is done by choice, and you can choose to stop it at any time, without any physical or psychological consequences. But an addiction is almost impossible to stop on your own, and there can be many physical and psychological side effects that can happen if you abruptly stop taking the drugs your body is used to having.

What causes some people to become addicted to drugs or even legal substances like tobacco and alcohol, while others can try it once or even ten times and experience no addictive tendencies? This is something that is still not fully understood. Some experts, such as Per Wickstrom Best Drug Rehab founder, believe that there are people who are simply born with addictive personalities, and it wouldn’t take much to trigger an addiction. Others feel that it’s more about a person’s upbringing: if people grow up around addicts, they too will become an addict, simply because it’s a learned behavior. Others blame the drugs themselves, and the body’s tendency to become addicted to certain chemicals.

But the bottom line is, addiction can happen to anyone, and when it does, it takes a lot more than simple willpower to break the cycle. Often the assistance of a professional rehabilitation facility and/or the use of outpatient services will be required. Breaking a drug addiction is not an easy feat, but if you persevere and use the many services available from drug rehab centers, you can break free. Surround yourself with supportive family members and friends, and break ties with any fellow drug addicts, in order to have the best chance at success.

By • Drug Abuse • • Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

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