EMERGENCY Contraceptives

EMERGENCY Contraceptives

“The Morning After Pill”

The morning after pill is a type of emergency contraceptive. This is a type of birth control that can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. The pill contains 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrel, which is used in lower doses in many birth control pills.

How Does the “Morning After Pill Work?”

The emergency contraceptive or the morning after pill has three modes of action, that is, it can work in one of three ways:

1. The normal menstrual cycle is altered, delaying ovulation
2. Ovulation is inhibited, meaning the egg will not be released from the ovary
3. It can irritate the lining of the uterus or endometrium so as to inhibit implantation

 

How Effective Is the “Morning After Pill”

If you take it within 72 hours of unprotected sex, the risk of pregnancy is reduced up to 89%, but if taken within 24 hours, it is about 95% effective.

But you should know that the morning after pill is NOT as effective as regular contraception and therefore, it should not be taken as your main form of birth control. Additionally, it does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

Health Risk Associated with the use of the “Morning After Pill”

There are both short-term and long-term side effects of taking the Morning After Pill.

Short-term side effects may include:

1.     Nausea and vomiting

2.     Irregular and unpredictable menstrual periods

3.     Breast tenderness

4.     Blood clots

Long-term side effects may include:

1.     Ectopic pregnancy which occurs when the fertilized egg implants in the fallopian tube rather than in the womb. The common side-effects of the 'morning-after pill' (nausea and abdominal pain) are also the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy and could therefore mask the presence of this potentially life-threatening condition.

2.     Infertility which can be caused by certain STDs. It is important to remember that the Morning After Pill does not protect you from any sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

3.     While there are no long-term studies to show whether women will be permanently damaged by the Morning After Pill, women who take the Morning After Pill do put themselves at risk for such diseases as cancer from these chemicals being given in such high doses.

4.     There is concern that the very high dose of hormone taken in the 'morning-after' pill might 'kick-start' cervical cancer if a woman is already infected with human papilloma virus.

Abuse of the “Morning After Pill”

At home and abroad, the abortion, family planning, and population control groups which seek to promote the morning after pill ignore the scientifically-proven risks of levonorgestrel, which is the active ingredient of the morning after pill.
These well-documented adverse side effects include:

·         significant weight gain

·         depression

·         ovarian cyst enlargement

·         gallbladder disease

·         high blood pressure

·         respiratory disorders

·         increased risk of ectopic pregnancy and death

These risks listed above are multiplied with increased, frequent, and repeated use and therefore there should warnings advising women and physicians to limit usage, or to not use it at all.

Consult your physician or pharmacist for further information about the morning after pill.

Topical Steroids (Use and Misuse)

Topical corticosteroids have been used for about 50 years and their introduction was a milestone in dermatology. They are used to treat inflammatory skin conditions by suppressing the inflammatory reaction and relieving symptoms. However, they are not curative and attempts to increase potency have often been associated with more adverse effects.

 Many persons self-diagnose themselves and use topical steroids unnecessarily for prolonged periods of time without the consideration or knowledge of the potential harmful side-effects. 

Some of these side-effects are:

• Skin thinning (atrophy) and stretch marks
• Easy bruising and tearing of the skin.
• Enlarged blood vessels (telangiectasia)
• Susceptibility to skin infections, e.g. impetigo, herpes simplex, malassezia folliculitis and molluscum contagiosum
• Disguising skin infection, e.g. tinea incognito
• Delaying diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer, because of the anti-inflammatory action of topical steroid. Topical steroids do not have an anti-tumour effect.
• Aggravating certain inflammatory skin conditions, particularly pustular psoriasis, steroid acne and steroid rosacea

 The table above shows the potency of topical steriods. If you are a person who uses potent topical steroids without the medical advice of a physician, it is safer to be evaluated before doing this. 

Feel free to contact us for further information or ask any questions you may have.

Antibiotic Resistance

What is an Antibiotic?

Antibiotics are medicines that are used to inhibit the growth and destroy microorganisms that can affect the health of humans. Antibiotics are drugs that are prescribed to destroy bacteria and infectious agents that can cause fatal diseases. There are several bacteria that cause infections in humans that require antibiotic treatment.

What is antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotic resistantance is dangerous when organisms become unaffected by the effects of a drug. The evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria occurred as a result of the improper use and abuse of antibiotic medication. 

Throughout the years, some bacteria have become increasingly resistant to several different antibiotics. This can be observed in bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella and tuberculosis. Bacteria are resistant to antibiotics in various ways. For example, some bacterial cell walls prevent the entry of antibiotics. The most resistant bacteria are associated with poor sanitation and are found a spread in hospitals. These bacteria can be transmitted through air and physical contact around patients.

Antibiotics are manufactured by the organisms that they aim to destroy.Throughout the past years, antibiotics have been misused since they were being used for any possible purpose or illness. As a result, many microbes have developed mechanisms to protect themselves against these antibiotics. These include enzymatic activity that disrupts and chemically modifies the antibiotic molecules. In some cases, the bacteria change the shape of the molecular target of the antibiotic so that the antibiotic no longer recognizes it and is considered to be inactive. Additionally, the resistant strains of bacteria have acquired molecular pumps that remove the antibiotic from the bacteria.

        

Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotic treatment when these drugs are not properly taken or completed by patients. As a result, the susceptible bacteria are killed while the resistant bacteria are free to reproduce, which will eventually lead to an increase in the antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Completing a course of antibiotics is very important in combating antibiotic resistance. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist for further information about antibiotic resistance.

Health Wordle

Just a gentle reminder that an apple a day keeps the doctor away!! :)

Childhood Obesity (Part 2)

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

·         PARENTS ARE IN CHARGE OF THEIR CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Know what you’re feeding your children, understand nutritional facts and what the daily nutritional requirements of your child should be.

1.    Limit their sugar intake:

The American Heart Association has put into place guidelines for the limits of added sugar.  The amount of added sugar that a child should consume on a daily basis depends on the child's age and caloric intake:

• Preschoolers averaging 1,200 to 1,400 calories per day should limit added sugar to about 4 teaspoons (16 grams) per day.
• Children ages 4 to 8 who average 1,600 calories per day should limit added sugar to about 3 teaspoons (12 grams) a day. To fit in all the nutritional requirements for this age group, there are fewer calories available for added sugar.
• Pre-teen and teens averaging 1,800 to 2,000 calories per day should not have more than 5 to 8 teaspoons (20 to 32 grams) of added sugar per day.

One step to reduce added sugar is to take a look at what your children are drinking.  Beverages such as soda, fruit drinks, and sport drinks are packed with added sugar.  Another step to reduce added sugar is to decrease the intake of these kind of beverages.     

2.  Encourage healthy eating habits 

•     Provide plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products
•     Include low-fat or non-fat milk or dairy products.
•     Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils and beans for protein
•     Serve reasonably sized portions
•     Encourage your family to drink lots of water
•     Limit sugar-sweetened beverages, sugar, sodium and saturated fat

3.    Help your kids understand the benefits of being physically active

Teach them that physical activity has great health benefits like:

• Strengthening bone
• Decreasing blood pressure
• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Increasing self-esteem
• Helping with weight management 

4.    Help kids stay active

Children and teens should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week, and every day if possible. Start adding physical activity to your own daily routine and encourage your child to join you. Some examples of moderate-intensity physical activity include:

• Brisk walking
• Playing tag
• Jumping rope
• Playing soccer
• Swimming
• Dancing
   

5.    Reduce sedentary time

·         Limit screen time such as TV, video games, Internet to no more than two hours a day. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend TV for kids age 2 or younger. Additionally, encourage your children to find fun activities to do with family members or on their own that simply involve more activity.

Childhood Obesity (Part 1)

CHILDHOOD OBESITY- NEW EPIDEMIC?

Obesity means having too much body fat. It is not the same as being overweight, which means a child's weight is in  the upper range of children of the same age and height. Being overweight may be due to extra muscle, bone or water, as well as too much fat.

Both terms mean that a child's weight is higher that what is thought to be healthy.

Childhood obesity is becoming a dominant problem within urban countries. The prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate. Globally, in 2010 the number of overweight children under five was estimated to be over 42 million. Close to 35 million of those living in developing countries.

Obesity in children increases the risk of non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Obesity-related diseases are preventable. 

Prevention should therefore be high priority.

Stay tuned for part 2 of Childhood Obesity.

Change Your Diet

Being healthy in today's world is a challenge for most persons. Having a hectic job, family and life in general puts pressure on us to neglect excercise and a healthy diet. Over the last two decades, there has been a steady increase in the prevelance of chronic non-communicable diseases. Diabetes, hypertension high cholesterol and metabolic syndrome seem to be the norm with the adult population today. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009–2010

• More than 2 in 3 adults are considered to be overweight or obese.

• More than 1 in 3 adults are considered to be obese.

• More than 1 in 20 adults are considered to have extreme obesity.

• About one-third of children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are considered to be overweight or obese.

• More than 1 in 6 children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are considered to be obese.

A change in diet is really important for today's average working class person. The low price and prevelance of fast food makes this change even more difficult. The list below is a good starting point for your next grocery list. It gives a wide range of good choices to help you begin  your quest to begin a healthy diet.

Feel free to visit us regularly for more information regarding your health and well being!