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Answers and articles on the Feelbest.com and Glebe Apothecary sites are intended to heighten awareness of health information, not suggest diagnosis or treatment. This information is not a substitute for medical attention. See your health-care professional for medical advice and treatment.
Have an additional question? E-mail us and we'll get back to you.
1) Can Chicken Soup Cure Colds?
2) Can painkillers cause constipation?
3) Should infants use insect repellant?
4) How do you treat PMS without using prescription drugs?
5) Can Aspirin really prevent a heart attack?
6) Should infants wear sunscreen?
7) What to do for seriously dry skin?
8) What calcium supplement is the best?
9) Can Glucosamine Sulphate help Osteoarthritis?
10) How to treat reactions to bug bites in children?
11) How do you treat Travel Diarrhea?
12) How do you get rid of wrinkles?
13) How to treat cracked heals?
14) How do you treat Plantar warts?
15) Which products are good for mild acne?
Can't find an answer to your question? E-mail us mail@feelbest.com and we'll get back to you.
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1. Can Chicken Soup Cure Colds?
Anecdotal reports expounding the virtues of chicken soup have flooded into the scientific world over the last 25 years.
A serious investigation was done in the early 1990s to monitor the different effects drinking hot water, cold water and chicken soup had on nasal mucous symptoms.
The winner was the chicken soup with the published results stating that the combination of the warm steam and the aroma hastened the removal of germs and mucous from the nose and throat. The ability of chicken soup to reduce inflammation (in mild upper respiratory infections or "colds") was presented in 1993 at the International Conference of the American Lung Association and the American Thoracic Society. The results even stood up when the soup was diluted 200 times!
So, get plenty of rest, drink fluids, eat your chicken soup and take a pain reliever for your fever and aches. |
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2. Can painkillers cause constipation?
Sometimes, new medication can change bowel habits. Occasionally, your body will be able to adjust on its own if you eat lots of raw vegetables and high fiber cereals. If this fails, a bulk-forming laxative with or without a stool softener can help. As long as you are not experiencing any pain or fever associated with your constipation. Metamucil or Prodium will ensure that plenty of soft bulk is moving through the bowel to prevent further constipation. Always remember to drink plenty of water, at all times. Stool softeners, such as Senokot-S, will ensure that no pain or fissures result from a bowel movement. Using a harsh laxative, such as Bisacodyl or Sodium will produce a total evacuation of the intestines, this will only worsen your problem. |
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3. Should infants use insect repellant?
The best way to protect a young child from bug bites is to cover any exposed skin with light colored clothing. DEET should not be applied on children under 2 months of age. Make sure to avoid applying on hands, around the eyes or on any open wounds.
If your child has a lot of local swelling and redness from bug bites, you can apply to Calamine lotion to the skin or administer an oral dose of a pediatric antihistamine liquid, such as Chlortripolon, which should quickly relieve the symptoms. |
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4. How do you treat PMS without using prescription drugs?
There's a theory suggesting that all symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are the result of a progesterone levels increase in the last half of a woman's cycle. This generates fluid retention, cramps, irritability and sometimes, headaches. Many of the symptoms can be avoided. Vitamin B6 or pyridoxin, at 100mg per day for 10 to 14 days before menstruation, is quite helpful. An additional EFA (essential fatty acid), such as Evening Primrose Oil, at a dose of 1,500mg per day throughout your cycle works well too. The oil seems to lessen the impact of hormonal changes in a woman's body. Though precise dosages have not yet been clinically proven, many women do well with this regime and experience fewer side effects. Always check with your doctor before self-medicating. |
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5. Can Aspirin really prevent a heart attack?
Aspirin is a blood thinner, which can help prevent a heart attack by ensuring the blood does not stick to and plug blood vessels in the heart. Where there are such risk factors as age, diabetes, obesity and a family history of heart disease, a simple low dose of Aspirin every day (80 mg or a quarter of a tablet) can reduce the chances of having a heart attack by as much as 50 per cent. Before you start taking Aspirin every day, discuss with your doctor. |
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6. Should infants wear sunscreen?
Children under the age of six months should stay in the shade by using protective fabric barriers, not sunscreens. Sunscreens contain chemicals that are too harsh for their skin. Protect your infant from the sun's rays by properly dressing them and keeping them in shaded areas to avoid burning. Should you go outside with your infant, remember to protect their eyes from the damaging rays with sunshades.
Children over 6 months should wear a sunscreen of at least SPF 15. Mexoryl SX, Parsol 1789 and Titanium Dioxide are important ingredients to look for in sunscreens. This unique combination will determine if your sunscreen will block both long and short UVA and UVB rays. |
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7. What to do for seriously dry skin?
Often, the cause of dry skin is a lack of water. Drinking more water is a good way to hydrate the skin. But when the skin cracks, you need more than a glass of water. A number of products are available that contain urea, which transports and locks moisture into the skin. Several skin emollients are based with the healing Thermal Spring Water. You may also use bath oil such as Oilatum to relieve the itchiness. Apply a thin layer of lotion over your skin right after your bath or shower. |
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8. What calcium supplement is the best?
Before you think about taking any calcium supplements, you should consider how much calcium you're receiving in your diet and how much you need. The average woman requires between 1500 and 2000 mg of calcium daily. Milk is a good source of calcium. In fact, the lower the milk's fat content, the higher the calcium content. Skim milk contains the highest amount of calcium. If you're considering calcium supplements, here are the differences: Calcium carbonate and Calcium Chelated are usually recommended for younger adults. Calcium Citrate is absorbed easier and is often recommended for aging adults. It is also easier to swallow for those who find the Calcium Carbonate caplets too big. |
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9. Can Glucosamine Sulphate help Osteoarthritis?
Glucosamine is a substance synthesized by the body. It plays an important role in the repair and maintenance of joint cartilage and is thought to halt the advancement of osteoarthritis and possibly reverse the process. Osteoarthritis is a form of degenerative arthritis occurring when the cartilage that cushions the bone joints breaks down, causing pain, stiffness and deformity. It typically occurs in the fingers, knees, hips, neck and lower back.10. What are the benefits of taking Glucosamine and MSM (Methyl-Sulfonyl-Methane)?
Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulphate, artificially synthesized salts of glucosamine, have been shown in animal models of arthritis to have the potential to slow the degradation of cartilage. Based on this information, a number of short-term studies in humans were conducted. Some studies proved MSM (Methyl-Sulfonyl-Methane) to provide pain relief and ease joint movement in the short term (first week of use). Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate should be used as a maintenance measure. As always, discuss any supplements that you take with your doctor before you start. |
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10. How to treat reactions to bug bites in children?
Insect bites are treated symptomatically. Hot weather will tend to increase the swelling and itching from bites. It is important to know what the insects inflicted the bites. Tick bites (you can see a tick burrowed into the skin) must be treated by a physician (in case of Lyme Disease).
If a bite is extensively scratched the skin can become damaged and infected. The bites should be monitored for discharge, extensive swelling and heat a few days later with or without fever. These are all symptoms of an infection that needs to be treated medically.
Horsefly bites should be washed thoroughly with soap and water to remove any debris that may be left by this particularly dirty insect.
Symptomatic treatment includes oral antihistamines to treat the itching and swelling from the inside out and topical calamine lotion to treat the itching from the outside. Cool compresses from chilled Buro-Sol solutions are very soothing. Salt and water will draw out the bites as well. A paste of baking soda and water on the bite is also useful. Where extensive areas of the skin are involved oatmeal baths will provide a lot of relief from the itching. Aveeno has convenient pouches that can be poured directly into the bath. These are all measures that will prevent a child from scratching the bites and starting a secondary infection.
If your child is allergic to insect bites, or if you don't know if they have an allergy, make sure you keep a close eye on any reactions your child may have. Get medical attention if you have concerns. |
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11. How do you treat Travel Diarrhea?
Diarrhea treatments typically contain sugar, sodium, potassium and water. You can get a local pharmacist to prepare some sugar free salts for you (sodium bicarbonate and potassium citrate). It is really important to get potassium into your system because of its important role in the functioning of insulin. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about a potassium supplement. This will also stop cramping. Make sure you keep hydrating your body with clean and clear fluids. |
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12. How do you get rid of wrinkles?
Wrinkles can be treated using various approaches. An old favourite is to puncture a vitamin E capsules and rub the pure vitamin E oil into the affected areas. This works for dry skin and helps to oxygenate the tissues keeping them healthier. A newer medical approach is to apply vitamin A derivatives (retinol - retinoic acid/tretinoin). Retinol has the effect of puffing up the skin through a mild inflammatory process. These products were traditionally recommended to control acne and stimulate a type of peeling process. The products for wrinkles are moisturizing bases versus the drying bases used for acne products. They are quite effective when the inflammation process is well balanced with the moisturizing process.
There are also some products on the market containing Active vitamin C applied to the skin. The Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant also an alpha-hydroxy acid that will have a similar inflammatory effect to the retinoids. |
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13. How to treat cracked heals?
There are two parts to treating cracking heals. First and most important is to drink more water and ingest good oils (olive oil, monounsaturated oils or omega oils). We dry out as our environments dry out.
The second and equally important part is to apply lots of creams containing an ingredient called urea. It helps transport the water in the product and on the skin into the tissue and helps to keep the skin moisturized. When choosing a product, make sure that water is listed near the top of the list of ingredients. Apply after bathing. Be careful! Urea on the skin can make your feet slippery! |
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14. How do you treat Plantar warts?
Common warts are classified by location. Plantar warts are usually on thicker and tougher skin, so the treatments have to be stronger and sometimes containing an ingredient that helps the acid penetrate the skin better (like Duoplant). Generally the products for plantar warts may be too strong for the hands depending on the condition of the hands. For common warts on the hands, salicylic acid is recommended. As for any warts, close supervision and diligence is the key to successful home treatments. First, soak the warts in warm water. Carefully apply the product (Duofilm, Cuplex, Compound W to name a few) only to the wart. Protect the skin around the wart with Vaseline or paint a coating of clear nail polish so the healthy skin won't get sore. Cover the wart. Twenty four hours later, gently rub the wart with an emery board to remove the dead skin and repeat the process of soaking, applying the product and covering the skin. Repeat daily. If the skin becomes sore or irritated stop treatment and visit your physician. People with circulation problems or diabetics should not self-treat any warts. |
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15. Which products are good for mild acne?
With so many products on the market claiming they are the best, keep this in mind: over irritating (over-drying) the skin can make acne worse. The less one assaults the skin, the better. Eating well and drinking lots of water is the first step to recovery.
For milder cases a gentle soap (Neutrogena, Spectro Jel or Effaclar) is appropriate for removing surface bacteria and dirt. Following this with a non-alcohol based benzoyl peroxide cream or water based gel can be applied. These will kill bacteria beneath the surface of the skin. Look for a product that specifies water. Products marketed for oily skin usually contain alcohol. Read the fine print! Acne treatments should only be applied to affected areas avoiding the eyes, the lips and the outer edges of the nostrils.
A more natural approach is applying Tea Tree Oil to the new pimples. Since it's an oil, it will not dry out the skin. It is anti-bacterial and antiseptic. |
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Ensuring you and your family have adequate sun protection is now an important part of daily life. Let one of our pharmacists - Amanda Blazevic - help answer some of the more common questions people have about sunscreen, and sun protection in general.
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