The Indoor Allergy Season is Upon Us!

The end is in sight; it’s all down hill from here; we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

What is the Most Common Trigger for Allergies? 

We can use all the motivational quotes we want; but the fact is: Spring is just around the corner, but winter is still holding on here in Southern Wisconsin. When most people think of allergies, they think of late spring/early summer, not the winter season. However, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, dust mite droppings are the most common trigger of allergy and asthma symptoms.

<Photo Courtesy of thermapure.com>

During winter, most people habitually spend more time indoors – which puts them into close contact with dust, dust mites, mold, pet dander, and cockroaches. All of those are primary triggers for allergy and asthma symptoms.

How to Treat Indoor Allergies

First and foremost is avoidance. If you are allergic to pet dander – you might have to ban Fido from the bedroom. If you’re allergic to dust, simply increasing the frequency of cleaning can reduce the amount of dust present in your home – and serve to reduce the amount of dust mites present, if you are one who is allergic to dust mite droppings. In an extreme case, you can go as far as tearing out carpet and removing upholstered furniture – areas rich with human dander (dead skin flakes). 

You can also take other steps to minimize indoor allergies, including: lowering your home’s humidity or encasing pillows and mattresses in allergen-blocking bedding.

Medicinal Options

If you have taken the above steps and still are suffering from indoor allergy symptoms, you can seek medical therapy. Medical therapy can include medication, allergy shots, and over the counter drugs. Antihistamines (such as Allegra®), corticosteroids (such as Cortaid®), decongestants (such as Sudafed®), and nasal rinses – such as the use of a Neti Pot®, are all over the counter options in your battle against indoor allergies.

Stop in for a free consultation with your local Hometown pharmacist to develop a plan of attack to defeat your annoying & irritating allergy symptoms!

Vitamin C...a Cure for the Common Cold?

Arrrrrgggghhhh, Matey!

I don’t know about you, but I don’t personally know anyone who has suffered from scurvy. Scurvy is now pretty rare, but it once ran rampant among sailors, pirates, and others who spent long periods of time on board ships. When voyages lasted longer then the supply of fruits and vegetables, they began to suffer from vitamin C deficiency – which led to scurvy.

Fortunately, we don’t have to deal much with scurvy these days, as most people have sufficient access to sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C has been associated with the treatment of a myriad of ailments, ranging from wrinkled skin to reducing the risk of certain cancers of the mouth and breast. This time of year, specifically, vitamin C dosing is associated with treatment of the common cold and sore throats. However, it has been found that vitamin C is not likely to prevent the common cold. Surprisingly, vitamin C has been shown to only minimally help treat symptoms.

An excerpt from BBC on the issue

“Researchers at the Australian National University and the University of Helsinki concluded that, for most people, the benefits of taking vitamin C daily were so slight that they were not worth the effort or expense. Although they found it could reduce the duration of colds by up to 8% in adults and 13.6% in children, as most people only have two or three colds every year, this benefit is only very small. Author Professor Harri Hemilä said: It doesn’t make sense to take vitamin C 365 days a year to lesson the chance of catching a cold. However, they say it may be justified in those exposed to severe cold (sub-arctic) or physical stress (marathon runners, etc.).”

What this means to the typical adult is a cold may be reduced in length from, say, twelve days to eleven days. For the typical child, who suffers from cold symptoms twenty-eight days a year, taking daily vitamin C supplements all year long would shave off about four days of cold symptoms.

How much vitamin C do I need?

Most people can get sufficient levels of vitamin C from eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, but if you would like to take supplemental vitamin C dosing, your local Hometown Pharmacy has a variety of types in stock, including our own private-label vitamin line!

*Some experts recommend limiting your vitamin C intake to the following thresholds:

            400mg per day for children, ages 1-3 years

            650mg per day for children, ages 4-8 years

            1200mg per day for children, ages 9-13 years

            1800mg per day for adolescents and pregnant and breast-feeding women, ages 14-18                           years

            2000mg per day for adults and pregnant and lactating women

<Photo courtesy of huffinesinstitute.org>

New Hometown Sharps Disposal Program

Starting earlier this month, Hometown Pharmacies is proud to announce a new sharps disposal program at all of its pharmacies, with the exception of those located in Wausau, Merrill, and Columbia County. Below is a excerpt explaining the program, in detail:

Sharps Disposal Program

Where can I get a sharps container?

·        You can purchase a sharps container from any Hometown Pharmacy, the added bonus is you can return it to any Hometown Pharmacy for free disposal

·        You can purchase a designated sharps container from another business and bring it in to any Hometown Pharmacy for disposal *

·        You can recycle a used laundry detergent bottle or bleach bottle by putting your used sharps in it and then writing the word “Sharps” on the outside in permanent marker and bringing it in to any Hometown Pharmacy for disposal *

What qualifies as a sharps container?

·        A designated sharps container purchased from any Hometown Pharmacy, or a designated sharps container purchased elsewhere

·        An old laundry detergent bottle

·        An old bleach bottle

·        We CANNOT accept sharps in milk jugs or any other type of container

How do I dispose of my full sharps containers?

·        If purchased from any Hometown Pharmacy, simply bring back the full container, with the “Hometown” sticker attached and hand it to any member of the pharmacy staff, we will dispose of it for free

·        If purchased elsewhere, or if it is a recycled laundry detergent or bleach bottle, simply write the word “Sharps” on the outside of the container with a permanent marker and take to any Hometown Pharmacy *

Disposal of Hometown-issued container – with Hometown sticker still intact	Free
Disposal of Hometown-issued container – with Hometown sticker missing	$10
Disposal of non-Hometown issued container (other sharps containers, laundry detergent bottle, bleach bottles)	$10
Hometown 1-gallon container (sticker included) *Free disposal included	$8
Hometown 2-gallon container (sticker included) *Free disposal included	$12

If you have sharps disposal needs, be sure to stop in and talk to your local Hometown Pharmacist, they are ready and willing to discuss any questions you might have!

Feelin’ the Burn?

Every winter when the weather gets cold many people suffer from dry chapped lips.  

Michelle Dreger, Dr. Ph, at our Randolph store, was nice enough to share some information regarding chapped lips, an issue that runs rampant this time of the year.

What Causes it?

Why do we get chapped lips? The cold, dry air tends to pull the moisture out of our lips causing them to dry out and possibly crack. Some people also tend to breath through their mouth rather than their nose. This can also cause the lips to dry out and become chapped. Sometimes we feel that by licking our lips we can make it better, but in reality it will just make the problem worse! If you have a tendency to buy flavored lip balms, try non-flavored balms to help you stop licking your lips.  

So, What Should I do?

If you know you will be heading out into the cold, dry weather, consider using an oil-based lip balm and reapplying it often. Some examples are: Vaseline or Beeswax. The oil-based lip balms help to lock in moisture and keep it from drying out your lips. Lip balms like Chapstick® lubricate, but they do not hydrate. 

Lip balms actually seal out (and lock in) moisture. It is much like waxing a car; we wax a car and it feels shiny and smooth, but what does the wax do? It seals out water, much like a lip balm. Using a product such as Shea butter or vitamin E oil, which are designed to introduce moisture back into the lips, may be more appropriate. Also avoiding excessive sun and wind exposure can help as well.

Other Remedies

Other remedies to try include using a cool-mist humidifier in your home to replace some of the moisture that is lost during the cold winter months. Drinking plenty of water and keeping your body hydrated can also help. 

There are some instances where dry lips may be the side effect of taking certain types of medications such as antidepressants, antihistamines, diuretics, or even drugs for overactive bladder! Also, you may have chapped lips if your body is deficient in vitamin B, iron, or essential fatty acids. If you think this might be the case, talk with your Hometown Pharmacist at your next visit to the pharmacy!

<Photo courtesy of mylot.com>

Medication Wasteland

Don't know where or how to dispose of your unused medication? Read on and find out how!

If you went to your medicine cabinet right now and took out only the medications you use frequently, what would you be left with? If you’re anything like me you probably have that antibiotic you didn’t finish two years ago or that pain medication you picked up when you had your root canal last spring.   

Many times we end up placing our unwanted medications in our medicine cabinets, creating a potentially dangerous graveyard of medication.  In the past we were told to throw them out with coffee grounds or flush them down the toilet. While effective, these methods are considered unsafe. There are new methods in place to safely dispose of your unwanted medication.

 

<Photo courtesy of houstonherald.com>

Cleaning Up Your Wasteland

What medication is accepted?

First, we need to determine which kinds of medication and prescriptions are accepted at medication disposal sites.

Accepted

Prescription medication (tablets, liquids, creams)

Over-the-counter medication (vitamins, pain reliever)

Inhalers

Nebulizer solution

Not Accepted

IV Bags

Oxygen Tanks

Nebulizers

Schedule II Medications (Morphine, Adderall®) *varies by location

To dispose of any items not listed above you should contact your disposal site to see what is accepted.

Where Do I Take Unwanted Medication?

Surprisingly, there are many ways you can dispose of your unwanted medication in a safe and effective way.  In fact, most local Police Departments will take your unwanted medication at any time. They will either have a drop box where you can drop them off, or they will take them and drop them off for you.  Some cities and counties have organized events dedicated to medication disposal where you can bring your unwanted medications to a specific location at a specific time.

Will My Local Hometown Pharmacy Dispose of my Medication?

Yes, of course! Each Hometown pharmacy is equipped to safely and effectively dispose of your medication. Simply bring your unwanted medication to any Hometown Pharmacy and tell your pharmacist you would like to dispose of them.  If you do not live near a Hometown Pharmacy you can find a disposal site near you by visiting www.disposemymeds.org. It really is that simple.

Now go forth and make your medicine cabinet a clean, safe place.