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HEALTH AND FITNESS Wednesday February 1991 Page Side effects of medication can prove hazardous Modern prescription and overthecounter drugs have revolutionized our attitude to health and medicine They have become so much a part of the average health regime most peo ple never think about the health and safety hazards associated with careless or improper usage Drowsiness blurred vision loss of coordination confusion drugs can have subtle but severe ly debilitating effects For example Health and Welfare Canada warns that ASA aspirin reacts unfavourably with any one of other drugs Just because a drug is available without a prescription doesnt mean its innocuous particularly when combined with other non prescription or prescription medications and certain foods Alcohol should never be combin ed with medication as it can ex aggerate the effects of the drug Too often people dont find out from their doctor or pharmacist how drugs should be taken and what combinations of medication can cause problems Serious in juries can occur while com pleting normal household tasks such as slicing vegtables or using power tools a driving accident can result from only a moments drowsiness In most cases It would be ex tremely difficult to determine if a traffic accident occurred because of the effects of medication says Linden Rees Ontario Claims Consultant for the Well ington Insurance The effects need be very slight slowed reac tion time momentary drowsiness Warning Cold temperatures take toll on feet Though the lempcralurcs on most winter days arent severe pro longed exposure to low temperatures and direct contact with extremely cold damp surfaces can lead to frost bite a more serious consequence of cold feet Though people bundle up with heavy coau gloves and scarves they often forget that their feet need spe cial attention says Neil Po diatrist and member of Dr Scholls Foot Health Advisory Board To keep feet warm and healthy this winter Neil Naftolin recommends the follow ing When outdoors be sure to keep feet warm dry and moving Frostbite is the actual freezing of tissues due to excessive exposure to low tempera tures Be alert to numbness the first sign of frostbite Insulate feet against cold and dampness with wool or ther mal insoles Insoles will provide cushioning warmth to help keep feet comfortable Always wear waterre sistant boots with thick soles to keep feet wellprotected Two pairs of socks also helps keep feet warm Finally boots should be roomy enough so that they dont restrict blood circulation If feet feel cold or numb after a trek outdoors gently massage them to restore circulation Soak feet in tepid floor not hot water or expose them at room temperature until theyre warm Do not place feet on hot surfaces such as a heater or radiator allow them to warm up naturally If blisters pain or colour changes seek medical attention im mediately When confined in boots skin on the feet become dry and flaky due to the evaporation of moisture Apply a foot and leg conditioning lotion daily to help skin retain moisture and pro tect feet from the drying effects of cold weather The next lime Ihe weatherman says temperatures will be heading to zero be prepared from your head down to your toes dont let winter put your feet at risk For a free information booklet on footcare write to Meet Your Feet Drive Mjssissauga Ontario Have you seen whos reading The Halton Hills HERALD lately about local people and which concern our com munity If you want your business to be seen by everyone give our display advertising department a call Our professionally rained represen tatives can answer oil your questions I 8772201 TheHaKonHffls HERALD to be fatal particularly when travelling at night at high speeds Some medications those con taining codiene for example carry specific warnings agianst driving or operating machinery It is possible says Linden that a driver could be convicted of impaired driving and in surance coverage denied if the warning was ignored and an acci dent resulted Routine testing for the presence of medication in accident victims would be far too costly though explains Linden The only safeguard is to raise peoples awareness of the possi ble dangers to themselves says Linden To accomplish this Well ington Insurance has produced and distributed a flyer entitled Medication Safety Linden describes this as one more way Wellington offers protection against accidents to the people we insure Linden points out that seniors are particularly vulnerable to the side effects of medication While people over the age of constitute about 10 per cent of the Canadian population they con sume per cent of all prescribed medication and a high proportion of overthecounter drugs This month Wellington In surance is sponsoring a special broadcast of Canadian Consumer The Radio Edition with informa tion provided by the Canada Safe ty Council on medication safety the theme of National Senior Safety Week November The Canada Safety Council em phasizes the importance of checking with your doctor or pharmacist to determine whether medication should be taken on an empty stomach or with food and what foods or other medication should be avoided during treat ment The broadcast also stresses the importance of deter mining if medication affects alterness or coordination and recommends storing medicine in a cool dry place to guard against deterioration More information on medica tion safety is available from Well ington brokers Children most susceptible to HPV virus Studies prove that warts are one of the most common skin ailments particularly amongst children due to the fact that their immune systems are not fully matured thus facilitating the penetration of the HPV wart virus One recent estimate cited that up to one quarter of ail new dermatology clinic patients seek treatment for warts despite the fact that many people dont even bother seeing a doctor about them We now know that warts are caused by the human papilloma virus and even though warts are subject to- all sorts of superstitions we know that the poor toad that harmless little amphibian is not the culprit It is true though that warts are contagious and usually occur at a site where the skin has been scratched or cut such as fingers palm of the hand and sole of the feet We also know that the HPV virus breeds well in damp areas such as dirt and sand in which children like to play hence another reason theyre so susceptible this virus Contact with common warts does not necessarily mean that you will develop them nor do they pose a health problem because frequently a persons immune system is strong enough to defeat this slowacting virus However warts are unsightly and can interfere with ones everyday activity par ticularly in the case of the plantar wart found on the palm of the hand or the sole of the feet which can be quite painful Getting rid of warts does not always mean a tap to the doctor Long before the HPV was identified magical treatments were used and were particularly effective with children through die power of suggestion One of most popular remedies was to rub your wart with a copper penny and then bury it The copper penny treatment Is interesting because today copper is thought to have an antiviral effect It was tor this very reason that a new OTC medicine in corporated copper acetate into its new Cuplex get wart remover product OTC remedies first line of attack Wart medicines that can be used at home work on the three most prevalent types common plantar and mosaic a closely packed group of small plant warts The most effective usually contain solutions of salicylic and lactic acids which slowly generate to remove the wart Treating warts with remedies should be simple in the past they have posed problems particularly for children due to the high acid content found in wart remover products and the brush applicators which often cause the solution to run on to healthy skin and irritate unaffected areas which is particularly harmful on childrens delicate skin Cuplex gel has been designed specifically for children and eliminates these common problems with a specially designed applicator tip which delivers a precise dose to the affected area the thick gel wont spread out and irritate healthy tissue It dries Into a thin waterproof layer that does not need to be bandaged ideal for use on childrens wart gel also has a lower acid content than other OTC remedies thus being less likely to irritate a childs sensitive skin These improved OTC remedies are easy and prevent time consum ing trips to the doctor In fact theyre so simple you might even call them magic Jnhnvlnce WHERE HEALTHY EATING BEGINS SWISS VITAMIN C Made with Real Fruit 90 Tablets 500mg EACH CELESTIAL SEASONINGS No Canine 24s CANADIAN NO 1 HONEY WW LB EDAS SUGARLESS CANDIES Assarted Flavours MIRAGE MARGARINE Mid mm Soya Of NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER No San or Sugar Added RAWUNBLANCHEO ALMONDS lb LECITHIN Reg or Unbleached Capsules RICE CAKES Assorted Varieties WW EACH QUAKER OAT BRAN SOY DRINK Vanita Canker Original An Eutaeat l WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR 39 SULTANA RAISINS WW B LARGE PITTED PRUNES CHICKEN SOUP BASE OPEN SUNDAY WEDNESDAY SENIORS DAY 10 DISCOUNT GEORGETOWN BOLTON 104 QUEEN ST In Tim Morton Plan sat Sun 125 8730442 8573264