Prescription drugs are supposed to make our lives better. However, if not properly used, these life-savers can become silent killers. Follow these 10 vital tips for safe prescription drug use.

1. Tell Your Doctor & Pharmacist What Else You’re Taking: Harmful drug interactions are surprisingly common, and extremely dangerous. Before going to the doctor’s or a pharmacy, make a list of all the drugs and supplements you’re currently taking and present this list to your health care provider. It just might save your life.

2. Review the Side Effects: Before popping that first pill, take a few minutes to read the warning labels provided with every prescription. These warnings are there for a reason.

3. Don’t Take Drug Given by Others: Well meaning friends and family members may think they know what you need, but don’t trust a drug given to you by anyone besides your pharmacist.

4. Get Your Pharmacist’ Advice: Recently while filling a prescription for an anti-dandruff shampoo, my pharmacist gave me a tip. “Don’t just rinse it out of your hair in the shower,” he said, “Apply it after a shower and let it soak in your scalp.” I took his advice and couldn’t believe the difference it made. The drug went from being slightly effective to 100% effective. It’s easy to forget that Pharmacists do much more than dish pills. They often pass on valuable information that your doctor doesn’t know.

5. Scratch the Alcohol: Don’t drink alcohol while taking a prescription or over the counter drug. Alcohol tends to exacerbate the side effects, especially drowsiness.
6. Don’t Use Expired Drugs: It’s tempting to keep drugs beyond their expiration date in order to save money. Make it a habit to go through your medicine cabinet on a regular basis to purge expired drugs. If you make this a habit when you’re well, you’ll never be tempted to take an expired drug when you’re ill.

7. Don’t Divide Doses: It’s tempting to save money by dividing doses. However, some drugs are intended to be taken whole, and can have serious side effects if split or crushed.

8. Store Drugs Properly: Always store drugs in a cool, dark, and dry place. Avoid using bathroom cabinets which are prone to moisture.
9. Dispose of Drugs Properly: In the past, experts have recommended flushing drugs down the toilet in order to prevent scavenging in the trash. However, recent environmental evidence suggests this isn’t a good idea. Instead, consider concealing old drugs in a bag of coffee grounds or something that wouldn’t be rummaged through.

10. Ask your Doctor if You Really Need that Drug: We sometimes get into habits without thinking. Quite possibly that drug you’ve been taking for years isn’t needed anymore, and could have long term side effects. Consider talking with your doctor about your regiment, and possibly phasing out a drug that isn’t required. Keep in mind you should NOT go off any drug without first talking to your doctor.

Prescription drugs are supposed to make our lives better. However, if not properly used, these life-savers can become killers. Follow these 10 vital tips for safe prescription drug use.

1. Tell Your Doctor & Pharmacist What Else You’re Taking: Harmful drug interactions are surprisingly common, and extremely dangerous. Before going to the doctors or a pharmacy, make a list of all the drugs and supplements you’re currently taking and present this list to your health care provider. It just might save your life.

2. Review the Side Effects: Before popping that first pill, take a few minutes to read the warning labels provided with every prescription. These warnings are there for a reason.

3. Don’t Take Drug Given to you by Others: Well meaning friends and family members may think they know what you need, but don’t trust a drug given to you by anyone besides your pharmacist.

4. Get Your Pharmacist’ Advice: Recently while filling a prescription for an anti-dandruff shampoo, my pharmacist gave me a tip. “Don’t just rinse the shampoo out of your hair in the shower,” he said, “Apply it after a shower and let it soak in your scalp.” I took his advice and couldn’t believe the difference it made. The drug went from being slightly effective to 100% effective. It’s easy to forget that Pharmacists do much more than dish out pills. They often pass on valuable information that your doctor doesn’t know.

5. Scratch the Alcohol: Don’t drink alcohol while taking a prescription or over the counter drug. Alcohol tends to exacerbate the side effects, especially drowsiness.

6. Don’t Use Expired Drugs: It’s tempting to keep drugs beyond their expiration date in order to save money. Make it a habit to go through your medicine cabinet on a regular basis to purge expired drugs. If you make this a habit when you’re well, you’ll never be tempted to take an expired drug when you’re ill.

7. Don’t Divide Doses: It’s tempting to save money by dividing doses. However, some drugs are intended to be taken whole, and can have serious side effects if split or crushed.

8. Store Drugs Properly: Always store drugs in a cool, dark, and dry place. Avoid using bathroom cabinets which are prone to moisture.

9. Dispose of Drugs Properly: In the past, experts have recommended flushing drugs down the toilet in order to prevent scavenging in the trash. However, recent environmental evidence suggests this isn’t a good idea. Instead, consider concealing old drugs in a bag of coffee grounds or something that wouldn’t be rummaged through.

10. Ask your Doctor if You Really Need that Drug: We sometimes get into habits without thinking. Quite possibly that drug you’ve been taking for years isn’t needed anymore, and could have long term side effects. Consider talking with your doctor about your regiment, and possibly phasing out a drug that isn’t required. Keep in mind you should NOT go off any drug without first talking to your doctor.

Athlete’s foot is an often-found infection of the skin, usually on the foot, and is caused by fungus. The most common cause of the infection is Trichophyton. The ringworm fungus “tinea” can be found in many places, including clothing, socks, pools, locker rooms and gyms. This fungus thrives and infects your upper dermal areas, when they remain irritated, warm and moist. You can be infected with fungus anywhere on your body, but the feet are obviously more prone to them, because of their moist and warm environment. The fungus can be spread when you come into contact with a person infected with it, or if you contact objects that are infected.

Symptoms:

Athlete’s foot usually looks like dry, peeling red skin on the sole or soles of your feet. The flaking may spread to the sides and onto the tops of the feet. Usually, though, the rash is found only on the foot soles.

Athlete’s foot has nicknames, depending on where it occurs. On the soles, it’s called “moccasin”. If it is between your toes, it’s called “interdigital”. If it’s “blistering” or “inflammatory”, it’s technically called bullous tinea pedis, and with this type, you would have thick patches of reddened, dry skin with calluses. Milder cases may appear like simple dry skin, and may or may not be inflamed or red.

Causes:

There is more than one possible cause of rashes on the foot, and athlete’s foot is one that is more commonly seen. Other causes include dermatitis, bacterial infections, yeast infections, psoriasis, or rashes from shoes, socks or creams.

Your health care provider can utilize an easy test to confirm athlete’s foot. It’s called the KOH test, and it is a potassium hydroxide examination for fungi. He or she will use small skin flakes and examine them under a microscope. In some instances, the physician may send a piece of skin away for a biopsy, to help in confirming the diagnosis.

People who get athlete’s foot often may be more prone to fungus infections, and may experience more of them. You can prevent fungus to a degree, by keeping your feet dry and clean, staying away from long-term walking in moist areas, and by allowing the feet to “breathe”, without shoes on. Avoid contact with people whom you know are infected, and don’t walk barefoot in gyms or around public pools. You can also use anti-fungal brands of foot powder, and spray your shoes with disinfectant.

Treatment:

Treatment for athlete’s foot generally is composed of two parts. The first means of treatment, and the most important, is making the area less suited to fungus growth. Keep your feet dry and clean. Buy shoes that are constructed of breathable materials like leather. Vinyl doesn’t breathe, and can cause your feet to stay too moist for prolonged time periods. This is an excellent breeding ground for fungus. Wear cotton socks that help to pull moisture away from your feet, too.

Medicated powders can also be used to keep your feet their driest. You can soak your feet in aluminum acetate, which is a drying solution, or soak them in diluted white vinegar and water.

The second aspect of athlete’s foot treatment is using anti-fungal washes or creams. They are marketed under various brand names, so ask your pharmacist to point them out to you. You should continue treating your feet for a month, or for at least a week after you are symptom-free.

If you have an advanced type of athlete’s foot fungus, you may also need to take an anti-fungal in pill form. You will be given liver tests before you are prescribed these pills, because you can’t take them if you have liver disease.

If you apply corticosteroid creams to your feet to help, these can actually fertilize the area and make your athlete’s foot worse. Do not use them to treat fungus. If the fungus spreads to your toenails, you will have to treat them as well, or the fungus may recur. Treating the toenails may require a longer term of oral anti-fungals.

Athlete’s foot can actually also affect the hand, and, oddly enough, if it does, it will only affect one hand. No one knows exactly why only one hand is affected, in these cases. The fungus can also be seen at the same time as groin-based ringworm, particularly in men. Regardless of where the fungus is, it’s important to treat all affected areas so that the fungus doesn’t continue to multiply.