Whelehans Health News

You may have to accept that sometimes medicines, physical therapies and other treatments cannot relieve all of your pain. Pain may limit some of the things you do, but it doesn’t have to control your life. There are many techniques you can use to cope with pain so you can go on living your life the way you want to. Your mind plays an important role in how you feel pain. Thinking of pain as a signal to take positive action can help turn it to your advantage. Also you can learn ways to manage your pain. What works for one person may not work for another, so you may have to try different techniques until you find what works best for you.

Ways to manage your arthritis pain:

• Make sure you are making the most of your medicines and physical therapies
• Visit your doctor regularly to make sure you are getting the best treatment for your arthritis symptoms.
• Take care of your body. Exercise to improve your fitness and strength, eat a healthy diet, and get a good night’s sleep every night.
• Use heat and cold treatments for extra pain relief. A warm bath or shower, or a heat pack placed over a painful joint for 15 minutes, can provide effective pain relief.
• An ice pack may reduce swelling and relieve pain in the same way. Ask your doctor or physiotherapist which type of treatment (hot or cold) is best for you
• Find some distraction techniques that work for you. These may include exercising, reading, listening to music, or seeing a movie. Anything that focuses your attention on something enjoyable, instead of your pain, will help you.
• Learn some relaxation techniques. When you are stressed, your muscles become tense, making pain feel more severe. Relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing help decrease muscle tension.
• Ask your physiotherapist about transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). A TENS machine applies very mild electric pulses via small electrodes (pads) to block pain messages going from the painful area to your brain. TENS can be very useful for longer-term pain but does not work for all people. You should see a physiotherapist to trial a TENS machine, and to learn how to use it correctly.
• You may find massage and acupuncture useful to help control pain and improve relaxation.

Educate yourself about your condition

Whelehans Pharmacy, in conjunction with Arthritis Ireland (Westmeath Branch) are hosting a Rheumatoid Arthritis Information event this week (Wednesday Oct 12^th at 6:45pm) in the Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar. Admission is free.

The guest speaker for the evening will be an expert in this field, Consultant Rheumatologist from Midland Hospital Tullamore, Killian O’Rourke MD MSc FRCP FRCPI. Dr O’Rourke will give first hand information on the condition along with tips on what you can do to help you help yourself including information about surgery and aftercare for those thinking of going down this line. He will take questions from attendees.

Chartered physiotherapist Kevin Conneely MISCP of HealthStep Physiotherapy Mullingar will discuss the role of physiotherapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), such as the benefits of manual therapy, the importance of a tailored and comprehensive exercise program.  The final speaker is pharmacist Eamonn Brady MPSI who will discuss medication.

This article is shortened to fit within Newspaper space limits. More detailed information and leaflets is available in Whelehans

For those of you that are Pinterest obsessed, I’m sure you have a tonne of “hairspiration” pics pinned to your boards! Getting long, lustrous locks isn’t an easy task to accomplish, but nourishing your body from the inside is the first step you need to consider!

There are lots of factors which can impact the health of your hair including stress, medication, over styling, extensions and bleaching and while using appropriate products will help, they usually just mask the problems. Nourishing your hair from the inside out will encourage healthy hair growth right from the start.

Viviscal^® have one of the best hair care supplements on the Irish market and is the No.1 recommended supplement with top hairdressers. It is scientifically formulated with biotin, zinc and marine protein complex AminoMarC which combined will help to promote healthy hair growth.

Viviscal^® also offer a fantastic range of complimentary products including a newly formulated gentle shampoo to gently cleanse and exfoliate the scalp and hair, a moisturising conditioner to nourish and condition the hair and scalp, a hair and scalp serum to support healthy hair growth and add volume to the hair.

Viviscal^® also have extra strength supplements especially for men worried about fine or thinning hair, while they won’t replace hair that has already been lost, they will strengthen the remaining hair and help add volume.

The Viviscal range is available in Whelehans Pharmacy

Written by Trish Wallace, Beauty Consultant at Whelehans Pharmacy Mullingar. For skincare and makeup tips and advice including free consultations, call in to Whelehans or call us at 04493 34591 or check www.whelehans.ie

Ask your Pharmacist  - Eamonn Brady 

 Because arthritis can get worse if left untreated, you need to see your doctor as early as possible to get a proper diagnosis. This will help you understand your arthritis and develop a plan for managing it. Early diagnosis and treatment will mean you can get early treatment to prevent serious irreversible joint damage and will limit the effects of arthritis on your life and help you stay active and independent.

What to expect when you go to the doctor?

When you first visit your doctor, you will be asked a number of questions about your symptoms including:

• How long have you experienced pain?
• Which joints are affected?
• When do you experience pain and what seems to cause it?
• What makes the joint feel better or worse?
• Does anybody else in your family have arthritis or joint pain?

What are the different types of tests?

There is no single test for arthritis, and diagnosis can be complicated. Your doctor will ask you about the difficulties you’ve been having, examine your joints and skin, test your muscle strength and take a full medical history. They may then refer you for tests to get a better picture of what is going on.

These may include:

• A rheumatoid-factor test which tests for an antibody that is found in most people who have rheumatoid arthritis. If the test is negative, your doctor may want to repeat it 6 months to a year later. However, you can have a negative test but still have rheumatoid arthritis.
• Anti-CCP, which stands for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, is a blood test which helps your doctor confirm a diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis.
• Blood tests such as the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP), which measure the level of inflammation in your body.
• Other blood tests and a urine test to make sure that you are otherwise healthy before you are put on medication.
• Synovial fluid analysis - to rule out other diseases.
• X-rays, ultrasound and MRI scans - to help your doctor determine the degree of joint and bone damage and to measure the progress of your disease.

Educate yourself about your condition

Whelehans Pharmacy, in conjunction with Arthritis Ireland (Westmeath Branch) are hosting a Rheumatoid Arthritis Information on Tuesday Oct 12^th at 6:45pm in the Greville Arms Hotel in Mullingar. Admission is free.

The guest speaker for the evening will be an expert in this field, consultant orthopaedic surgeon from Midland Hospital Tullamore, Killian O’Rourke, MD FRCS (Ortho). Dr O’Rourke will give first hand information on the condition along with tips on what you can do to help you help yourself including information about surgery and aftercare for those thinking of going down this line. He will take questions from attendees.

Chartered physiotherapist Kevin Conneely MISCP of HealthStep Physiotherapy Mullingar will discuss the role of physiotherapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), such as the benefits of manual therapy, the importance of a tailored and comprehensive exercise program.  The final speaker will be pharmacist Eamonn Brady MPSI who will discuss the medication used to treat and control Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Thank you to Arthritis Ireland for some statistics and information used in this article. Check www.arthritisireland.ie or Locall 1890 252 846 for more information

For comprehensive and free health advice and information call in to Whelehans or log on to www.whelehans.ie or dial 04493 34591.

ASK YOUR PHARMACIST

Eamonn Brady is a pharmacist and the owner of Whelehans Pharmacy, Pearse St, Mullingar. If you have any health questions e-mail them to info@whelehans.ie

 Question

I noticed you previously discussed bulimia in the Westmeath Examiner. I am beginning to suspect my teenage daughter may be suffering from anorexia. Can you tell me what are the signs and symptoms? MD, Meath

Response

The main psychological feature of anorexia nervosa is the extreme overvaluation of shape and weight. People with anorexia also have the determination to tolerate extreme hunger and self-imposed weight loss. Food restriction is only one aspect of the practices used to lose weight. Many people with anorexia use over-exercise and over-activity to burn calories. They often choose to stand rather than sit; generate opportunities to be physically active; and are drawn to sport, athletics, and dance. Purging practices include self-induced vomiting, together with misuse of laxatives, diuretics, and “slimming pills.” The practise of “body checking” is another feature of many anorexia sufferers; this involves repeated weighing, measuring, mirror gazing, and other obsessive behaviour as reassurance that they are still thin. Losing weight becomes an addiction and like any addiction the point of complete satisfaction (with one’s weight in the case of anorexia) is never attained. Eating becomes an “evil” thing in the eyes of the sufferer. In this way, it is not that dissimilar to other addictive or psychological type disorders such as alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction etc. Initially the person is able to lead a fairly normal life. It is often only in the end stages when the person becomes so physically and psychologically unwell that it is obvious there is a problem and the person can no longer lead a normal life.

It falls to family members and primary care services (eg. patient’s GP) to recognise and manage relapses as well as first episodes of the illness. General practitioners may need support from a specialist in eating disorders, and early referral for more detailed assessment and advice gives the person the message that their illness is of genuine concern.

Physical signs of malnutrition and purging apart from a low weight include thinning hair, swelling of the salivary glands which shows as a swollen face, enamel erosion, hypothermia, bradycardia, the growth of soft downy hair on face, back and arms, dry skin, low blood pressure, cold hands and blue or uneven colour in extremities such as hands or feet, insensitivity to pain, constipation, amenorrhoea (lack of periods in women) and shrunken breasts.

BodyWHYS

Bodywhys is a national voluntary organisation supporting people affected by eating disorders in Ireland. They provide support and education through volunteers as well as providing support and advice through their helpline as well as online support through their website (www.bodywhys.ie). For more help and information, you can lo-call Bodywhys at 1890 200 444 or e-mail info@bodywhys.ie. 

Upcoming Positive Mental Health Event

Whelehans Pharmacy in conjunction with Good2Talk Counselling Service are holding a positive Mental Health Event in the Greville Arms in October which is geared towards younger people. A number of experts in mental health will discuss problems faced by younger people and will aim to give practical tips and advice on how to cope with the challenges faced. Young people and their parents are welcome to attend. This will be of interest to schools and people working with young people on a daily basis. I will have more details in the Examiner in the coming weeks.

Psoriasis is a common skin condition which affects men and women of all ages. There are several different type of psoriasis.  Psoriasis often goes through cycles.  It can flare up for a few weeks or months, and then the symptoms ease or stop.

Types

Plaque psoriasis - the most common form of psoriasis.  Around 80% of people with psoriasis have plaque psoriasis.  Its symptoms are dry, red skin lesions - known as plaques - that are covered in silver scales.  They normally appear on your elbows, knees, scalp and lower back but can appear anywhere.  The plaques are normally itchy, sore, or both. In severe cases the skin around your joints may crack and bleed. 

Click in to Article to read more 

Free Psoriasis skincare consultation at Psoriasis Clinic

Whelehans Pharmacy offer free Psoriasis skincare consultations at our Psoriasis Clinic on Thursday September 1^st with skincare expert Trish Wallace. Learn how to reduce redness and scaling and how to reduce frequency of flare-ups. Whelehans offer a range of effective products that give clearer skin in a safe and effective way without the need for stronger and potentially damaging prescription medicines like steroid creams. Book your free appointment; call Whelehans at 04493 34591 to discover clearer skin.

To be continued...next week I will discuss treatment

Disclaimer: Please ensure you consult with your healthcare professional before making any changes recommended

For comprehensive and free health advice and information call in to Whelehans, log on to www.whelehans.ie or dial 04493 34591