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News on Health & Science

Acetaminophen, Better Known as Tylenol, Linked to Asthma in New Study

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A major new international study released Friday has found that adolescents who take acetaminophen, better known under the brand name Tylenol, have a higher risk of asthma, allergic nasal conditions and the skin disorder eczema. Those who took the common painkiller as infrequently as once a month had twice the normal risk of developing the disorders. Experts noted, however, that the study does not show that the drug causes the problems. In fact, some said, it is equally likely that the children were taking the drug because they were already suffering from asthma.

Acetaminophen is widely viewed as a very safe drug — one reason why hospitals use it routinely as a painkiller instead of aspirin or ibuprofen. The major problem associated with it is liver damage caused by overdoses. Recently, however, there has been a growing drumbeat about possible dangers from the drug. One study, for example, found that acetaminophen increased the risk of hearing loss in men. And some others have hinted that the drug is linked to asthma in newborns whose mothers used the drug during pregnancy and in young children exposed to it.

The new findings were reported in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine by researchers in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. The team, headed by epidemiologist Richard Beasley of the Medical Research Institute in Wellington, New Zealand, gave written questionnaires to 322,959 13- and 14-year-olds in 50 countries exploring their use of acetaminophen, other drugs, and asthma symptoms. They were also shown a video containing five scenes of clinical asthma and asked whether they had experienced any symptoms similar to those shown. About 73% of the teens said they had used acetaminophen at least once in the previous year and 30% said they had used it monthly.

Taking into account maternal education, smoking, diet and siblings, the team found that those subjects who had used the drug at least once per year were 43% more likely to have asthma, while those who used it at least monthly were 2.5 times as likely to suffer from the condition. The risk of rhinoconjunctivitis (a severe nasal congestion) was 38% higher for those who used it once per year and 2.39 times as high for those who used it at least monthly. The comparable increases in risk for eczema were 31% and 99%, respectively.

Overall, the increased risk of asthma associated with acetaminophen was 41%, the authors found. That could, at least in part, explain why there has been an increase in the prevalence of asthma in the 50 years since the drug was introduced. Given the widespread use of the drug, it could also represent a large public health problem.

But — and it is a very big but — the study shows only an association, not causality. That could only be determined by a randomized clinical trial, which the authors recommend. Furthermore, the study relies on the recall of teenagers. Recall is notoriously inaccurate in adults, and it is probably worse in adolescents, clouding the results. For the time being then, you can probably continue to feel comfortable giving the drug to your children.

In a statement, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, which manufactures Tylenol, said that the drug “has over 50 years of clinical history to support its safety and effectiveness” and that no clinical trial has demonstrated that the drug causes asthma. The drug “is the preferred pain reliever for asthma sufferers,” the company said.

Source :Los Angeles Times. Aug.13th.2010

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News on Health & Science

Tylenol Risks to Your Health

Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble and other manufacturers are arguing that cough and cold drugs with the pain reliever acetaminophen should stay on the market, in spite of concerns from U.S. regulators.
Tylenol
The FDA is weighing a ban on combination products, which are often marketed to consumers with colds or other mild illnesses. The industry instead urged a widespread effort to warn buyers about the risks of liver damage linked to acetaminophen.
….Problem with taking tylenol
Too much acetaminophen has been known to cause liver injury for decades, but FDA officials are worried that the rise of products that combine it with other medications will lead consumers unknowingly to overdose by taking too much of a medication, or by taking too many different products at once.

The FDA advisory panel that met about the effects of excessive doses of acetaminophen also made another recommendation to the FDA– to take popular painkillers Vicodin and Percocet (and their generic versions) off the market because of the effect both drugs can have on the liver when taken for extended periods.

The FDA will most likely follow this recommendation.
Vicodin is a combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen; Percocet is oxycodone and acetaminophen. While oxycodone is available without the acetaminophen (as OxyContin) hydrocodone is not available alone in the United States.

Resources:
Reuters June 29, 2009
The Consumerist July 1, 2009

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Featured

The Hidden Dangers of Taking More Than One Medication at Once

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Most people have the perception that drugs are evaluated by the government, and thus are safe if taken under the guidance of competent physicians. However, even if you accept this, you must ask yourself — how might that safety change if you take multiple drugs?

For safety assurances, proper testing should be done for every drug combination you are advised to take. If you take Prozac and Tylenol, for example, you should be presented with all the possible benefits and consequences before allowing these two foreign substances to mix with the chemicals your body already creates. The same thing goes for combining Paxil with Viagra or Interferon with Lipitor.

The list of possible problems here is monstrously long, because there are a huge number of possible combinations. Nonetheless, there have been relatively few studies that test drugs in combination. So if you take two drugs, the odds of their combination having been adequately tested for safety are skimpy at best. But if you take three or more drugs the danger possibilities multiply even faster.

If you take 3 drugs then adequate safety testing of the various combinations require 7 separate tests. If you take 4 drugs the combinations require 25 separate tests. If you take 5 drugs it amounts to 121 tests. If you take 10 drugs the number of required safety tests total 362,881.

The conclusion here should be obvious. There is questionable safety testing if you take two drugs and nominal, if any, safety testing if you take three. Beyond that you are clearly into the land of, “I have no idea what these combinations of drugs will do.”

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Health Problems & Solutions

Some Natural Remedies For Headache and Migraine

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The lemon can be your best friend when you have a common headache. Simply cut a long strip of the rind and put it on your forehead  rub in the inside white part and then fasten it to your head. Sure, you will look a little nutty but who cares as long as it gets rid of the ache!

One may try this Magic Drink to stop headache instantly:
All you need is lemon juice and salt. Not many people know of this remedy, but it can be used by anyone with a migraine. You need high-quality salt, like Himalayan salt. Himalayan salt contains about 84 healthy elements. Salt increases the levels of serotonin in the blood, which will save you from headaches.

Get fresh lemons and squeeze the juice out of the lemons and add about 2 teaspoons of salt to the juice. Stir this mixture and then add water.

When the water has been added you can drink it immediately. You must drink the whole thing in order for it to work, don’t sip on it. It may not taste too great, but it will definitely get rid of your migraine.you need is lemon juice and salt. Not many people know of this remedy, but it can be used by

Also Butterbur Extract. Butterbur extract can help prevent a migraine. Scientists discovered Butterbur extract has the ability to prevent blood vessel expansion during a migraine, while also preventing inflammation which can intensify the migraine experience.

Relieving tension can often relieve migraine headaches. Tension can be relieved in many ways such as by taking a warm bath or shower, lying down in a quiet dark room to rest, putting something cold on the back of the neck (at the base of the skull) or having someone massage your neck muscles and possibly your temporal region to help relieve your tension and muscle spasms.

There are many other natural treatments available to migraine headache patients including the Soothe-A-Ciser Migraine Headaches Cushion. This pillow was designed by a chiropractor to help correct neck problems that can cause headaches.

HOME REMEDIES FOR HEADACHE AND MIGRAINES:-

* Place your thumbs right in the center of each temple Massage firmly using a circular motion for a minute or two, or until you feel relief.
* A hot water bath or shower may also help to relieve the headache.
* Eat 10-12 almonds, for a migraine headache.
* Make a compress by putting 5 drops of lavender essential oil in cold (or warm) water. Swish around a soft cloth, and then put it on your head or neck.
* Put your hands in hot water, which seems to pull the pressure out of your head.
* In some cases sleep gives relief to the headache. Sleeping on back give relief to the headache.
* Deep breathing is a great tension reliever. Deep breathing gives immediate relief to the headache.
* Tie a tight cloth around the head. It will decrease blood flow to the scalp and lessen the throbbing and pounding of a migraine.
* Avoid chocolate, aged cheese, red wine, citrus fruits. These foods all contain tyramine or other histamines which have been shown to begin migraines in people with food sensitivities.
* Prepare a paste of freshly ground clay or freshly ground sandalwood and apply to the forehead, let dry, rub off by hand and wash.
* Drink a teaspoon of honey in a glass of warm water or fill the stomach completely with water if not suffering from a cold.
* Take equal parts of natural apple cider vinegar and water place in a small pan on the stove, allowing it to boil slowly. When the fumes begin to rise from the pan, lean your head over it until the fumes are comfortably strong. Inhale for approximately 50 to 80 breaths.
* Juice of ripe grapes and is an effective home remedy for the migraine headache.
* Niacin has proved helpful in relieving migraine pain. Valuable sources of this vitamin are yeast, whole wheat, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, nuts, sunflower seeds, liver, and fish.
* Take few leaves of the cabbage crush them, and then place in a cloth and bound on the forehead at bedtime, or when convenient during the day. The Compress should be renewed when the leaves dry out.
* Make a paste of the lemon crust. The paste should be applied, like a plaster on the forehead. It will provide great relief.
* Carrot juice along with spinach, or beet and cucumber juices, has been found beneficial in the treatment of migraine. In the first combination, 200 ml of spinach juice may be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice to prepare 500 ml or half a litre of the combined juices. In the second combination, 100 ml each of beet and cucumber juices may be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice.
* The patient should eat frequent small meals rather than a few large ones. Overeating should be avoided. Copious drinking of water is beneficial.
* Rutin removes toxic metals, which may cause migraines.
* Make a solution by adding half a teaspoon mustard seeds powder and three teaspoons water, put in the nostrils, it helps to decrease the migraine.
* A peppermint steam inhalation provides quick relief for sinus headaches.
* Mix 1 teaspoon finely ground cinnamon (called dalchini in India) in 1-teaspoon water and applies on the forehead. It is very effective in headache due to exposure to cold air.
* Make a paste from dry ginger with a little water or milk, apply to the forehead for relief of the headache due to sinusitis.
* Make a paste of 10-15 Basil leaves with 4 cloves and 1 teaspoon dried ginger and apply to forehead for sinus cure.
* Cut a potato into 4 pieces, place 2 in the center of your forehead and two at your temple (Hold the ones at your temples in place). Lie down in a dark room and close your eyes. It takes a while to work but it takes away the pain.

Herbal Remedies for migraines headaches:-

Migraine relief using Grapes:
Migraine relief can be obtained from the juice of ripe grapes and is an effective home remedy. It is said that King Jamshed of Persia, who was very fond of grapes, once stored the juice of grapes well packed in bottles and made it public that the bottles contained strong poison so as to prevent others from taking it. It so happened that the king\’s wife was struck with migraine and having obtained no relief from any treatment, decided to end her life by taking this so-called ?poison?. She took it several times in small doses and contrary to her expectations, it gave her great relief instead of killing her.

Migraine relief using Niacin:
Niacin has proved helpful in relieving migraine pain. Valuable sources of this vitamin are yeast, whole wheat, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, nuts, sunflower seeds, liver, and fish. Vitamin I complex tablets containing 100 mg of niacin can be taken for the same purpose.

Relieving Migraine using Cabbage Leaf Compress:

An ancient folk remedy for relieving the pain of migraine is a cabbage leaf compress. A few leaves of the vegetable should be crushed, and then placed in a cloth and bound on the forehead at bedtime, or when convenient during the day. The Compress should be renewed when the leaves dry out.

Migraine treatment using Lemon Crust:
The crusts of lemon have also been found beneficial in the treatment of migraine. These crusts should be included into a fine paste in a mortar. The paste should be applied, it plaster on the forehead. It will provide great relief.

Natural Migraine headache treatment using Vegetable Juices:
Carrot juice, in combination with spinach like, or beet and cucumber juices, has been found beneficial in the treatment of migraine. In the first combination, 200 ml of spinach juice may be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice to prepare 500 ml or half a litre of the combined juices. In the second combination, 100 ml each of beet and cucumber juices may be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice.

Migraine relief diet:
Fasting on orange juice and water
It is essential to undertake a thorough cleansing of the system and adopt vitality-building measures. To begin with, the patient should resort to fasting on orange juice and water for two or three days. If the orange juice does not agree with the patient, juices of vegetables such as carrots, cucumber, and celery may be taken.
Avoid foods like white flour products, sugar, tinned or preserved foods, etc
Foods which should be avoided are white flour products, sugar, confectionery, rich cakes, pastries, sweets, refined cereals, greasy foods, tinned or preserved foods, pickles, condiments, and sauces.
All-fruit diet
After the short juice fast, the patient may adopt an all-fruit diet for about five days, taking three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits.
Well-balanced diet of seeds, nuts etc.
Thereafter the patient should follow a well-balanced diet consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits. This diet should be supplemented with milk, yoghurt, buttermilk, vegetable oils, and honey. Further short periods of the all-fruit diet may be necessary at intervals of a month or two, according to the requirement of the case.
Eat frequent small meals, Copious drinking of water is essential.
The patient should eat frequent small meals rather than a few large ones. Overeating should be avoided. Copious drinking of water is recommended.

Other migraine treatment:
Take warm-water enema to cleanse bowels
During the initial two or three days of the juice fast, a warm water enema may be taken daily to cleanse the bowels.
Hot bath, cold compress applied to head
A hot fool bath, fomentation over the stomach and spine, cold compress (4.5\JC to 15.6\JC) applied to the head, and towels wrung out of very hot water and frequently applied to the neck will go a long way in relieving migraine headaches.
Plenty of exercise and walk in fresh air is essential
The patient should also take plenty of exercise and walk in the fresh air. Get the improperly named product Sinus Buster. The company has several products which are all named Sinus Buster. This one says it’s specifically for migraines. They have another one for headaches, so it’s kind of confusing.

It’s known to rid migraine suffers of their migraine pain INSTANTLY! The nausea feeling also goes away very quickly.

Himalayan Goji Juice: In traditional Chinese medicine, headache and dizziness are often said to be caused by deficiencies in kidney yin (vital essence) and yang (function). Goji is among the most frequently used herbs for restoring yin / yang balance. For more information go to HealthWealth.gitgojionline.com

The best natural remedy for migraines is the practice called Shiatsu or Acupressure. There are a number of exercises you can use on yourself. Get yourself a book, or check out a website.I use these exercises, as the pills make me feel worse. Good Luck! Prescription For Natural Cures (Balch & Stengler) suggests:

Homeopathic Combination Headache Formula
Magnesium citrate or malate – 200 mg 2-3 times a day
Feverfew herb – 250-500 mg daily for prevention\
5-Hydroxytryptophane (5-HTP) 50-100 mg 3 times a day
B-50 vitamin complex 1-2 times daily
Omega 3-6-9 essential fatty acid supplement daily
See the excellent book mentioned above for a good discussion by experts in the field of natural medicine. Good luck!

Coca tea is great for migranes, it is natural, it may not taste good alone ( it needs sugar) but it helps a whole lot.

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Try massage, specifically a type called Trigger Point Therapy. It was developed by a Dr Janet Travell. She was doctor to the white house under the Kennedy administration. You could also try acupuncture.

SLEEPING

The medicine and health information post by website user , ByeDR.com not guarantee correctness , is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.

Sources:http://www.byedr.com/Alternative-Medicine/219-Alternative-Medicine-4.html

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Pediatric

Ibuprofen: An Injured Child’s Best Friend

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When a child is hurt, parents want to do anything to ease his pain. But often they don’t know what the best course of action is, or what type of pain medication will work best. Of three well-known analgesics, acetaminophen, ibuprofen and codeine, which one, if any, is best for children?

Ibuprofen found in over-the-counter Advil and Motrin was more effective than other two competitors in relieving children’s pain from musculoskeletal injuries to extremities, the neck, and the back, a new Canadian study published in the March Issue of the journal Pediatrics.

The researchers came to the conclusion after they compared ibuprofen with acetaminophen – an active ingredient found in Tylenol and codeine at an equivalent OTC dose in children admitted into an emergency department.

“No one had done comparison studies on the pain medications we use [on children] shift after shift,” Dr. Eric Clark, the lead author and an emergency medicine doctor at the University of Ottawa School of Medicine was quoted as saying by healthday.com

Clark said some doctors have actually used ibuprofen more frequently than other two painkillers, but this study justified such a preference.

In the study, researchers randomly assigned 15 mg/kg acetaminophen, 10 mg/kg ibuprofen, or 1 mg/kg codeine to 330 children aged 6 to 17 admitted to the emergency department of the Children’s Hospital department of Eastern Ontario with pain from a musculoskeletal injury that occurred 48 hours before admission into the hospital.

Children’s pain at the time of admission and at 60 minutes after treatment was evaluated on a pain scale ranging from 1 to 100 and then compared. 300 children were randomly selected for an analysis.

The researchers found that children in the ibuprofen group had a significantly greater improvement in pain score (pain score decreased by 24 mm) than those in the codeine (11mm) and acetaminophen (12mm).

Additionally at 60 minutes, more children receiving ibuprofen achieved adequate analgesia as defined by a visual analog scale less than 30 mm than other two groups.

There was no significant difference between acetaminophen and codeine in change in pain score at any time or in the number of children experiencing adequate analgesia.

Click for Dose of ibuprofen in chieldren and what parents need to know about ibuprofen

Source:www.kidsgrowth.com

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