Summer’s here and we all need to hydrate ourselves with water. But how much water should you drink to keep from being dehydrated?
Answer: The correct amount is 8 to 10 glass’s of water a day to keep from being dehydrated.
Remember to be careful drinking the right amount, there was a story about a woman dying from water-intoxication.Read the whole story here
Let’s Help Keep Kids From Abusing Medication
By Frank J. Weinstock, MD
OPHTHALMOLOGIST/CANTON, OH
and
Robert Stutman
DEA SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE
NEW YORK FIELD DIVISION, RETIRED
Medical Economics
www.memag.com
The home medicine cabinet is a significant area of concern. Young people have virtually unlimited access to anything in it. Prescription drugs are usually kept in the medicine cabinet, but they’re also left on night tables, in the kitchen, or in various other places around the house. Many adolescents don’t know – or care – how dangerous these medications can be and often decide to try them out.
When teenagers are asked how they decide which drug to take from the medicine chest, they might reply: “Any drug that has a warning label like ‘don’t drive.’ That means the drug could mess your head up. I want to mess my head up, so that’s the pill I’m taking.”
That’s how addiction begins. A friend brings medications from his or her home, or a teenager finds medicine at his own house. Often, there’s no way to prevent this, but that doesn’t mean parents should make it easy for youngsters to sample drugs.
Here are some things we can do:
Talk to kids about the dangers of drug misuse.
Whenever medications that might be misused are prescribed for young people, it is essential that we give them as much information as possible about the drugs. Besides reviewing the side effects, discuss the dangers of overuse. Stress the need to keep the medications safely away from the other children in the house, and warn about not sharing the drugs with their friends. Tell kids to inform their parents right away if the notice pills are missing.
Educating yourself about the problem of drug abuse from medications in the home.
Children might experiment with their medications. Discuss the side effects to each drug and the possibility of misuse and addiction. Remember to place potentially dangerous medications in an area that’s not accessible to children and young adults.
Notice the sign of drug misuse and when to suspect it.
Obviously, running out of pills before the next prescription date should be a red flag. Watch for behavioral changes. Most children like to spend time alone in their rooms, but too much solitude is a sign of potential drug abuse.
Make sure you know how to keep medications safe.
Do not leave potentially addicting medications (or any other type) in an easily accessible area such as a kitchen or bathroom counter. Discard any medications when they’re no longer needed.
Many experts call substance abuse the No. 1 public health enemy in the US.