Whelehans Health News

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Part 3 Treatment Treatment of RSI includes resting the affected area and the use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication. Heat and cold packs can help. Icing the affected area when pain and stiffness is severe can be very helpful as it will reduce inflammation in the area. Most pharmacies stock reusable ice packs. Elastic wrist supports or firm wrist splints can also help. Where can you get help? Pharmacist If you have followed the advice above and you are still suffering from aches and pains, you have a number of different options in relation to health...

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Part 2 Symptoms Symptoms of RSI can take months or even years to appear. Initially, only a slight ache may be felt. As the problem gets worse, there is more marked pain while performing the repeated activity (e.g.) when typing. Eventually, the pain may be felt most of the time, even with only slight movements. As well as the pain, numbness and tingling may make it difficult to hold objects. The most common RSI signs and symptoms include: Tenderness in the affected muscle or joint Pain in the affected muscle or joint A throbbing (pulsating) sensation...

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Part 1   Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is an injury caused by repetitive use of muscles. It usually occurs in the back, shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be undertaking heavy manual work such as drilling or shovelling to develop RSI. Most RSIs are caused by seemingly safe jobs such as writing, using a computer or packing boxes. The most important factor is that the activity is continuous, usually for a long period of time. RSI is a musculo-skeletal disorder RSI is a musculoskeletal disorder which is a...

A Mullingar pharmacist is offering reassures to people that they don’t “need to be overly concerned that they will not get their medicines” despite recent headlines about shortages. Eamonn Brady of Whelehans Pharmacy says that there some medicines are in short supply, but pharmacists work together to make sure patients are not affected. He said: “Not all pharmacists are out of stock of lines currently listed as short; for example, in Whelehans we have stock of all lines and many pharmacies share supply with other pharmacies, so when one pharmacy is short, their neighbouring pharmacy often provide them with stock,...

Atrial fibrillation  Part 3   Symptoms   The patient may be symptomless but symptoms can range from mild to severe including: Breathlessness Tiredness Palpitations: the patient may feel the sensation the heart beating fast or irregularly Light headedness or dizziness Chest pain or tightness.   Diagnosis   Echocardiogram An electrocardiogram (ECG) checks the heart's rhythm and electrical activity and confirms atrial fibrillation by recording the heart’s electrical signals. If the ECG is normal, but the clinician still suspects bouts of atrial fibrillation (paroxysmal atrial fibrillation), then a record of the heart rhythm over 24 hours will be needed to confirm....