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Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
JANUARY 2018
We have entered 2018! Can you believe it! The New Year is when we take the time
to evaluate the things we want to change. The time we think about the things we
want to do differently. There are times we think about how we can improve our
lives and in the process improve our children’s lives. Most parents and grandparents,
and I am sure you are one of them, want to pass on or ensure their children or
grandchildren have better lives then they had. We are always looking for something
to improve our lives and the lives of our children or grandchildren.
The pharmacists and staff at Len’s Drug want to give some advice or thoughts about
what little changes could help improve your life and by proxy, improve your kids
lives forever.
Stopping Smoking/Tobacco Use
o Smoking can impact your children even if you don’t smoke around them
o Second hand smoke and the effects of it have been known for years however what is not
talked about much is the impact of third hand smoke. It is the impact of
third hand smoke that can impact your children even if you do not
smoke around them.
o Third hand smoke is the residual or leftover nicotine and other
chemicals that remain on clothing and surfaces after someone
smokes in an area.
o 5 Dangers of Third Hand Smoke (from the Cleveland Clinic)
• May be the culprit in more cancer cases
- Specifically Lung Cancer
• May damage DNA
- This increases the risk of diseases
• May react with airborne chemicals to form carcinogens.
- A study published in 2010 found that nicotine reacting with airborne chemicals can
form the carcinogens.
- It only suggests a connection not 100% proves it.
- Leading to the dangers of third hand smoke to largely be unknown at this time.
• Children are most at risk.
- This is due to their exposure on their clothes and other surfaces in the house.
- For very young children the danger is even greater due to the fact they commonly
touch objectives and then put their hands in their mouth.
• Removing the residue is very difficult.
- Regular cleaning does not remove third hand smoke.
- Airing out a room does not remove third hand smoke.
- Once it is on a surface it can last for years.
- The only way to get rid of it, is to paint and replace carpet.
- Thus the only way to reduce exposure risk is to stop smoking.
o We here at Len’s Drug want to help you along on your journey. You may have heard about the
program Kick Buts. It was started in 2015 and it was designed by Len’s Drug to help you
explore all those “buts” that keep you from diving headlong into stopping all tobacco. “I
would quit ‘but’ I might gain weight;” “I would quit, ‘but’ I can’t handle the stress”I would
quit, ‘but’ I don’t have any support” and the list goes on and on.
o Currently Len’s Drug offers smoking cessation counseling one-on-one by appointment and in-
group settings once a quarter. The most effective way to quit smoking is to have support and
use a smoking cessation medication. Your pharmacist at Len’s Drug are more than happy to
help you find the medication that would work best for you.
o The curriculum we use for your group and single sessions is the Freedom From Smoking created
by the American Lung Association.
o Come by Len’s Drug for more information or Call us at 541-575-0629
Proper Nutrition
o We all know it is important to eat right however we also all have busy
schedules. Between work and getting the kids to where they need to be
our food becomes secondary.
o Eating healthy and ensuring the proper nutrition are essential part of
ensuring healthy development and keeping kids healthier all around.
• One of the best ways to work on a better nutrition plan for your
family is to cut out sugar.
• The next step is to work on meal planning, trying to eat at home more.
• You can find all sorts of ideas for quick and healthy meals on the
Internet. Great places to start looking are on Google or Pinterest.
• Len’s Drug is also willing to help we offer onsite consultations
with our pharmacist or nutrition expert for $15, billing to
EOCCO is possible. In this consultation we can help with meal
planning, help with understanding food better, and how it
can impact your overall health.
o Len’s Drug pharmacist suggests the entire family should be on
multivitamins.
• Many foods today do not have the nutrition value they use to have thus a good
multivitamin can help ensure your family remains healthy.
Colds and Flu preventions and sadly treatments (cause we can’t prevent them all)
o Finally we are starting to enter the part of the year where passing around germs and illnesses is
common. Here are some ways to help prevent you from getting the bugs or lessen the effect of
the bugs.
• Make sure you and your family have gotten their flu shot. Here at Len’s Drug we are able
to vaccinate 7 years and above. In addition we are able to bill most insurances for flu shots.
• Be on an immune booster. There are several options available:
- Airborne
- Emergen C
- Zinc
- Vitamin C
- These help reduce the likelihood of getting a bug and also it tends to reduce the
symptoms as well as the duration if you are sick.
• Wash hands frequently and if that isn’t possible have hand sanitizer available.
• If your kids develops an illness especially with a fever (which is a temperature over 100.4)
keep them home.
• If someone if your house develops an illness make sure to sanitize and clean your house
frequently.
- Lysol is a great thing to have around to spray down areas after the sick person has
touched.
o If you are unable to prevent an illness thebest way to treat the majority of colds, is
with rest and fluids.
• There are medications that can help reduce symptoms but no medication to cure it.
• If you have congestion and cough-Mucinex DM is a great medication to use.
• The best cough syrup on the market is Delsym.
• Several cold medicines have the cough suppressant
Dextromethorphan, which starting January 1, 2018 can only be purchased
by anyone 18 years and older.
• Don’t forget about cough drops.
• Your pharmacists at Len’s Drug are always happy to help you pick out the
best medication for your symptoms, just simply call or drop by.
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