Choose You Blog
You know what’s good for you, do you know what’s bad for you too?
Image from drugs.com drug identifier
I’m always in a rush these days — how about you?
It’s ragweed and mold allergy season, but I don’t have time to feel badly so I take over-the-counter allergy tablets as needed. Some days, I get a headache. Maybe it’s stress, or hormones, or overexertion. So I take some over-the-counter pain pills. Other days I feel run down, so I take over-the-counter vitamins. Then maybe I get sick, so I take over-the-counter cold tablets.
Notice anything in common with these medications?
Yep. They are all over-the-counter. That means I can diagnose myself, run to the pharmacy, grab the medication I want, go home and dose myself — all without talking to a doctor or pharmacist. Without debating the merit of this system at all — it is what it is — the point is, the burden of care is on me.
Today I nearly failed myself by combining two over-the-counter medications. I was out of ibuprofen and in desperate need of some pain relief. I checked the medicine cabinet and found a bottle of Aleve, or naproxen. I decided to Google it to see if it would serve the purpose I needed, and it did. But I got sucked in to reading the entire post on drugs.com about the medicine. I’m glad I did when I read this:
Do not use any other over-the-counter cold, allergy, or pain medication without first asking your doctor or pharmacist. Many medicines available over the counter contain aspirin or other medicines similar to naproxen (such as ibuprofen or ketoprofen). If you take certain products together you may accidentally take too much of this type of medication. Read the label of any other medicine you are using to see if it contains aspirin, ibuprofen, or ketoprofen. Do not drink alcohol while taking naproxen. Alcohol can increase the risk of stomach bleeding caused by naproxen. Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight. Naproxen can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, and a sunburn may result.
I nearly combined two medications against warnings and that could have caused a serious health problem.
I’m always in a rush. I rarely read those teeny tiny printed warnings included with the medicine–who has the time or the eyesight? Do you read them?
But we should. It’s a lot less time to read the warnings or stop to ask the pharmacist (who knows the answer) than to recover from a problem. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Make sure to read those warnings, or use a resource online to read them at a larger and more comfortable size, or chat with your pharmacist. Also, be honest at your regular physical and list all of the medications you take over the year, and let your doctor know the frequency with which you take them.
It’s so easy, maybe too easy, these days to buy and take multiple drugs sold over-the-counter. But that doesn’t mean they’re all completely safe with no worries.
Another way to Choose You and care for you is to take the time to know what you’re ingesting and if it is all okay together.
As you’ve hopefully heard, the FDA has changed the rules for over-the-counter sunscreens. According to fda.gov:
he Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking steps to help protect consumers from skin damage caused by excessive sun exposure.
The new measures include the following:
- final regulations that establish standards for testing the effectiveness of sunscreen products and require labeling that accurately reflects test results
- a proposed regulation that would limit the maximum SPF value on sunscreen labeling to “SPF 50+”
- a data request for safety and effectiveness information for sunscreen products formulated in certain dosage forms (e.g., sprays)
- a draft guidance for sunscreen manufacturers on how to test and label their products in light of these new measures.
These measures are necessary, says Lydia Velazquez, PharmD, in FDA’s Division of Nonprescription Regulation Development, because “our scientific understanding has grown. We want consumers to understand that not all sunscreens are created equal.”
“This new information will help consumers know which products offer the best protection from the harmful rays of the sun,” Velazquez says. “It is important for consumers to read the entire label, both front and back, in order to choose the appropriate sunscreen for their needs.”
Everyone is potentially susceptible to sunburn and the other detrimental effects of exposure to UV radiation.
In short, if a sunscreen is labeled Broad Spectrum it means that the product protects against sunburn, skin damage, skin cancer and early aging. It also means it has an SPF of 15 or greater and greater overall protection. Products that do not meet these criteria will carry warnings about the dangers of spending time in the sun and lack of skin protection.
Sunscreens in the form of oils, creams, lotions, gels, butters, pastes, ointments, sticks, and sprays are eligible for the label and marketing “broad spectrum” if they qualify, but wipes, towelettes, powders, body washes, and shampoo are not eligible. The FDA is further evaluating sprays for other concerns, such as dangers of inhalation.
The FDA is also requiring that labels be clearer for consumers regarding application, and water and sweat “proof” claims:
- Water resistance claims on the product’s front label must tell how much time a user can expect to get the declared SPF level of protection while swimming or sweating, based on standard testing. Two times will be permitted on labels: 40 minutes or 80 minutes.
- Manufacturers cannot make claims that sunscreens are “waterproof” or “sweatproof, or identify their products as “sunblocks.” Also, sunscreens cannot claim protection immediately on application (for example, “instant protection”) or protection for more than two hours without reapplication, unless they submit data and get approval from FDA.
These rules are effective June 2012.
For more information, check the sunscreen label detail PDF.
Sleep is good, says the National Sleep Foundation and a recent cancer study.
Choose You is all about making good health choices for yourself, but there’s one crucial ingredient that it implies but doesn’t straight up ask you to commit to: sleep that healthy 7-9 hours per night. Getting that sleeps gets hard at times. Stress, working late, health disruptions, sleep disruptions, kids…a hundred things can prevent a good night’s sleep. But what are the potential ramifications beyond feeling woozy, dull and sleepy the next day?”
Potentially? Colon cancer.
I was skeptical when the bulletin crossed my desk this morning, but when I found out it was based on a study that was the cover article for Cancer, the American Cancer Society’s journal, I took notice.
The article, Short duration of sleep increases risk of colorectal adenoma, states:
Short duration and poor quality of sleep have been associated with increased risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and total mortality. However, few studies have investigated their associations with risk of colorectal neoplasia.
. . .
Shorter duration of sleep significantly increases risk of colorectal adenomas. The authors’ results suggest sleep duration as a novel risk factor for colorectal neoplasia.
What does this mean — what did they find? In short, study participants who averaged 6 or less hours of sleep per night increased their risk of getting colon cancer by 50%. In the study, low amounts of sleep were directly correlated to a higher risk of colorectal adenomas or polyps, which can become cancerous if left untreated. The study attributed this to poor sleep leading to melatonin imbalances, which could damage DNA.
Dr. Li Li, the chief study investigator, said that this means poor sleep is as high a risk factor as genetics and red meat for colon cancer.
This brings home a few crucial points:
- it really is that important to get a good night’s sleep, for so many reasons, even if you think you can do with less. Dr Li himself increased his average night’s sleep from 5 to 7 hours.
- it really is that important to make those good health choices.
- it really is that important to get those health checks. Finding polyps or adenomas before they develop into cancer is essential to improving your chances.
Additional resources:
Jerry Siegel, Ph.D.: How Much Sleep Do We Actually Need?
Frequently Asked Questions About Colonoscopy and Sigmoidoscopy
The Choose You Breast Cancer Health Kit is a wonderful resource for all women, and anyone who loves one. It basically puts all the information you need about breast cancer prevention at your fingertips.
The Health Kit takes you step by step showing you everything from prevention tips to getting an early diagnosis, and it is also filled with many additional invaluable links and tools.
Best thing — The same lifestyle changes that can help you prevent breast cancer, can also help you prevent heart disease, other cancers, and even many chronic illnesses. So check it out, and if you haven’t already…Choose You.
Choose You Breast Cancer Health Kit
Catherine is the mother of two teenagers, she writes about health & wellness at BlogHer and catherine-morgan.com.
Another study finds belly bulge contributes to four serious medical conditions that can ultimately lead to death.
It seems women should have a waist circumference no greater than 35 inches, otherwise they are at a greater risk for heart disease, asthma, breast cancer as well as dementia.
“Even if you haven’t had a noticeable weight gain, if you notice your waist size increasing that’s an important sign,” said lead author Eric Jacobs of the American Cancer Society, which funded the study. “It’s time to eat better and start exercising more.”
Bulging bellies are a problem for most Americans older than 50. It’s estimated that more than half of older men and more than 70 percent of older women have bigger waistlines than recommended. And it’s a growing problem: Average waistlines have expanded by about an inch per decade since the 1960s.
In this video Dr. Oz talks about how a high belly fat measurement can take up to 15 years off your life, and shows you how to measure it for yourself…Dr. Oz video
Catherine is the mother of two teenagers, she writes about health & wellness at BlogHer and catherine-morgan.com.
Welcome! Thank you for visiting this site to learn more about Choose You, the American Cancer Society’s exciting new program that focuses on healthy lifestyle behaviors that can help reduce cancer risk. The program officially launches on Tuesday, May 4.
We can’t share all the details yet, but this new movement will give you the information and inspiration to Choose You and live well today to stay well tomorrow. Until May 4, we’ll be posting healthy living tips, quick quizzes and fun information to provide a taste of what’s to come.
So get ready to be inspired to make smarter choices and live healthier starting May 4. In the meantime, add this blog to your RSS feed or Google Reader, or check back here regularly until we launch to learn a little more!
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