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Weight Loss Exercise

FDA give 10 Tips for Medicine and Sick Kids



As a father of two school aged kids that are always getting sick with whatever sickness is going around the school I am always concerned about medications for the kids. The FDA came out with a top 10 list of things to think about when giving meds to kids.

10 Tips for Medicine and Sick Kids

When it comes to taking medicines, kids aren’t just small adults. When using nonprescription medicines, here are 10 ways to be sure you’re giving your children the right medicine and the right amount.

  1. Read and follow the label directions every time. Pay special attention to usage directions and warnings. If you notice any new symptoms or unexpected side effects in your child or the medicine doesn’t appear to be working, talk to your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
  2. Know how much medicine to give and when. Read and follow the label.
  3. Know the abbreviations for tablespoon (tbsp.) and teaspoon (tsp.). You should also know: milligram (mg.), milliliter (mL.), and ounce (oz.).
  4. Use the correct dosing device. If the label says two teaspoons and you’re using a dosing cup with ounces only, don’t guess – get the proper measuring device. Don’t substitute another item, such as a kitchen spoon.
  5. Never play doctor. Twice the recommended dose is not appropriate just because your child seems twice as sick as last time. When in doubt about your child’s condition, call your doctor.
  6. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care professional before giving two medicines at the same time to avoid a possible overdose or an unwanted interaction.
  7. Follow age and weight limit recommendations. If the label says don’t give to children under a certain age or weight, don’t do it. Call your doctor.
  8. Always use the child-resistant cap and re-lock the cap after each use. Be especially careful with iron-containing vitamins or supplements, which have been a source of accidental poisoning deaths in children under three.
  9. Follow the “KEEP OUT OF REACH” warning. Today’s medicines are often flavored to mask the taste of the medicine, which is all the more reason to keep all drugs out of the sight and reach of children.
  10. Always check the package and the medicine itself for signs of tampering. Don’t buy or use any medicine from a package that shows cuts, tears, slices, or other imperfections. Report anything suspicious to the pharmacist or store manager.

I know that most of this list is obvious but there are other things to think about as well and that is taste (as listed above) and drug interactions (Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Acetaminophen)

Aspirin – Never give aspirin to kids as it can cause problems like Reyes syndrome. Baby aspirin as we have all heard of is not actually for babies but is actually just a small aspirin for adults.

Acetaminophen – is fine for kids to treat pain or a fever but is not good for too long. Make sure that you are dosing right as it can be hard on the kids liver if you give them too much.

Ibuprofen – is fine also for kids although again watch the dosing as it can be a problem as well if you exceed the dose

Finally it is critical not to mix the Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen with kids, or even with adults for that matter as these pain relievers can cause serious health problems when mixed together.

I think mostly for kids when they are sick the most important thing is to make sure that they sleep, have a warm bath if they are cold and a cold compress on their head or neck and a cool bath if they are hot. And always make sure they take in lots of liquids. Although kids are really good at letting you know how they feel (mine are anyway) they usually get over colds and the flu pretty quickly and easily.

 

 

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Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

Weight Gain During Menopause

Weight Gain During Menopause

Weight Gain During Menopause

Weight Gain During Menopause is a real issue for most women after a certain age. You reach for that favorite pair of jeans, you try to slide them on but they wont button. You struggle from day to day to keep the weight gain off of your once fabulous body. But the rolls and layers of fat keep coming on that body of yours. You diet and exercise on a daily basis but those 10 to 30 pounds just wont come off. You join a gym or a woman’s work out class but you still jump on the scale and it still reads the same. You just want to scream or jump back in bed and hide under the covers. Is this you?

Weight Gain During Menopause

If you are coming on to that age of reaching that big 40 or you are gaining ground to the 50 age mark then you are more than likely in what is called the menopausal stage of life and this weight issue is one of the common symptoms of the menopausal stage. There are many other symptoms to the menopausal stage of life but in this article weight gain is what we are going to concentrate on. The reason for this article is that in today’s society our looks mean so much to woman. Weight gain during menopause, even if it is 10 or 20 pounds, can mean so much to a woman at this stage in life. Weight gain can bring on depression and anxiety which in turns can bring on the terrible hot flashes.

Weight Gain During Menopause – Why?

What causes weight gain during menopause in these bodies of ours? It can be one thing or a combination of many things. Toxins, stress, exercise, diet, emotions, anxiety, and hormones all can play a major role in weight gain. As the old saying goes, putting the weight on is easy and fun but taking it off is the hardest thing to do. Especially if you are in the stage of life called permenopause or menopause.

If you are in the stage of life of perimenopause or menopause more than likely your hormones are playing a huge factor in your weight. These hormonal imbalances are causing your body to store unwanted fat. The reason for this is that your body is feeling the affect that your hormones are hitting rock bottom and they are looking else where for a replacement of the hormones so the body turns to these fat cells. Studies have shown that woman tend to be insulin resistance do to their diet. When this happens the body converts every calorie it can to fat.

Stress and Menopausal weight gain

Stress plays a large role during this time in life of perimenopause or menopause. Stress hormones can block weight loss in a female. Even if you are dieting long term stress causes the body to go into what is called hoarding. Your body is putting on this fat and then you start to stress out about it and you start what is called yoyo dieting which in turns causes more fat to hoard in your body. It is a no win situation. Stress at this point can not only cause weight gain, but can cause depression, anxiety and make you feel unwanted and insecure about yourself.

You need to break this curse. You need to find yourself a support group and also have open dialogue with your partner at home. Also talk to a qualified physician about what you are going through. I mentioned qualified physician only because there are many physicians that do not understand what women are going through during perimenopause or menopause. Many physicians will say that these symptoms are all in your head and that you need a therapist instead of a medical doctor. Don’t fall for this, ask around and talk to your girl friends to find a positive qualified physician to hear your case. Don’t hold these feelings inside you, this will only cause your stress level to rise and cause other terrible symptoms to occur. Open communication is the key to good health and feeling better about yourself. Give it a try today, you will be glad you did.

Weight Gain During Menopause is an issue that many people deal with and I hope these tips help you out.

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