Prescription
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Avoiding triggers
The first step in controlling asthma is to identify and avoid your triggers. The most effective way to fight allergens in the home is to remove the source, which may include pets, carpets, and upholstered furniture. Dust regularly and use a vacuum cleaner.
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Long-term medication
It is virtually impossible for people with asthma to avoid all their triggers all the time. For this reason, many people need to take daily medication to prevent asthma attacks. Inhaled corticosteroids are the most common medication for the long-term control of asthma.
a whistling sound when exhaling l Coughing that wont stop are worsened by a respiratory virus, such as a cold or the flu l Shortness of breath and tightness in the chest
Children and older people are advised to use the inhaler with a device called a spacer, which helps them take the medicine properly
your lungs are working. A lung function test, also called spirometry, measures how much air you can breathe in and out. The results will help determine whether you have asthma and how severe the condition is. Your doctor may also recommend allergy testing to pinpoint some of your asthma triggers. Sometimes children with asthma can grow out of their symptoms, or many years of regular treatment with anti-inflammatory asthma medication may make the disease disappear. It is tempting to think that your asthma has been cured if you have not had symptoms for a long time, but you will usually still have a tendency to develop asthma if you are exposed to the appropriate triggers in the future. Most people with asthma are able to keep the conditions under control. Allergy treatment using hyposensi-
Afirst-aid kitis a collection of supplies and equipment for use in giving first aid. A well-stocked first-aid kit can help you respond effectively to common injuries and emergencies. Keep at least one first-aid kit in your home, your office and one in your car. Store your kits in easy-to-retrieve locations that are out of the reach of young children. You can purchase firstaid kits at many drugstores or assemble your own. Contents of a first-aid kit should include:
Basic supplies
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cal fumes, gases or dust l Allergy-induced asthma triggered by particular allergens, such as mold, dust mites, pet dander, cockroaches or pollen. If pollen is one of your triggers, youll probably notice your asthma symptoms are worse at certain times of the year.
Asthma trigger
For some people, asthma symptoms flare up in certain situations: l Exercise-induced asthma, which may be worse when the air is cold and dry l Occupational asthma, triggered by workplace irritants such as chemi-
health news
Difference between fresh Brown eggs vs milk and UHT milk white eggs
Fresh milk, often referred to as homogenised and Brown eggs are often thought as a healthier alternapasteurised milk, is sold in the chilled foods section tive to white eggs. You might be surprised to learn of the supermarket. It has a short shelf life and must that nutritionally, both brown and white eggs are be kept below 4C to maintain freshness. Ultra heat almost identical in content. The only measurable treated (UHT) milk, which is sometimes called longdifferences come from the color and breed of the life milk, is slightly different. It has had extra treatchickens producing the eggs. DID YOU ment which enables it to be stored at room temperaThe colour of an eggshell is determined by the coKNOW? ture (as long as it is unopened) for extended periods. lour of the hen laying the egg. This is very similar to Both fresh milk and UHT milk have undergone pasteurihow your eye color and hair colour are determined by genetsation and homogenisation before packaging and sale to ics. Brown eggs come from brown hens and white eggs come consumers. Pasteurifrom white hens. The sation involves heating color of the yolk inside the milk to 72C for 15 the shell and the egg seconds to kill harmwhite is the same for ful bacteria that may both brown and white be present. The milk is eggs. The nutritional rapidly chilled, before value of brown and homogenisation comwhite eggs are almost mences. This involves identical. passing the milk On average, brown through a fine nozzle eggs are more expento create a smooth, sive than white eggs. creamy taste and texThe higher price tag ture. on brown eggs does not necessarily reflect better quality, Fresh milk is then packaged and refrigerated, while UHT rather it is a result of specific breeds of brown hens being milk is exposed to a more powerful heat treatment to inachigher maintenance than white hens. This occurs betivate harmful bacteria. This allows the milk to be stored cause brown hens are larger than white hens and therefore out of the fridge while it is unopened. It is important to chill require more food, which translates into a higher cost for UHT milk once it has been opened. l consumers. l | Prescription Desk
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Adhesive tape Antibiotic ointment Antiseptic solution Bandages, including a roll of elastic wrap and bandage strip Instant cold packs Cotton balls and cotton-tipped swabs Disposable latex or synthetic gloves, at least two pairs Duct tape Gauze pads and roller gauze First-aid manual Petroleum jelly or other lubricant Plastic bags for the disposal of contaminated materials Safety pins Scissors and tweezers Soap or instant hand sanitiser Sterile eyewash, such as a saline solution Thermometer Triangular bandage Blood pressure measuring machine and stethoscope
Medications
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The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) to treat chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Sovaldi is the first drug that has demonstrated safety and efficacy to treat certain types of HCV infection without the need for co-administration of interferon. Sovaldi is to be used as a
component of a combination antiviral treatment regimen for chronic HCV infection. Hepatitis C is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the liver that can lead to diminished liver function or liver failure. Like hepatitis B, hepatitis C has got no vaccine. l
Anti-diarrheal medication Over-the-counter oral antihistamine Aspirin and nonaspirin pain relievers (never give aspirin to children) Calamine lotion Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream Syringe, medicine cup or spoon Oral saline
Give your kit a checkup. Check your first-aid kits regularly, at least every three months, to be sure the flashlight batteries work and to replace supplies that have expired.
avoid passing on fat genes, new research suggests. Recently a study showed that if fathers and grandfathers have a high
Will it hurt?
Theres nothing to worry about, you wont feel more than a tiny pinprick.
provide an alternative to expensive and invasive weight loss surgery with no major side-effects. l
Where to donate?
Various organisations such as Shand-
| Dr Mohammad Sayem
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