Whelehans Health Blog

Flat Feet

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

A cough is a reflex action to clear the throat of any foreign bodies or particles, such as dust.  But when you get a cold, the infected mucus from your nose drips down the back of your throat in a process called post-nasal drip.  This post-nasal drip causes a type of cough that is not helpful at all. Essentially there are two types of cough, a DRY or a CHESTY cough.  Chesty coughs occur when mucus (also called phlegm or catarrh) builds up in the airways and the cough occurs so your body can clear the mucus.  Chesty cough mixtures...

This is a continuation of last week’s article. I I discuss most treatment options here but I don’t have the space to discuss all treatments options so for more details info check www.whelehans.ie   Bisphosphonates. Examples include Alendronate (Fosamax®, Fosavance®, Romax®), Risedronate (Actonel®, Ridate®) and Ibandronic Acid (Bonviva®).   Biphosphonates work by slowing down bone loss. They are taken once weekly but Bonviva® is once a month. Biphosphonates can reduce the frequency of fractures by 50%. Alendronate is generally considered first choice. The main side effects of biphosphonates are oesophageal irritation, abdominal pain, indigestion, regurgitation, diarrhoea, constipation, flatulence, muscle pain...

This Friday October 20th is World Osteoporosis Day. Osteoporosis is a condition where bones lose density causing them to become weak and more likely to fracture. About one in two women and one in five men over 50 will fracture a bone because of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can affect all age groups, but it's most common in postmenopausal women. Having osteoporosis doesn't automatically mean that your bones will fracture; it just means that it's more likely. More information on Osteoporosis can be obtained in Whelehans or www.whelehans.ie.   Self Help If you have osteoporosis you need to be careful of vigorous,...

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 or ask our pharmacist in store This is the conclusion to last week’s article in the Westmeath Examiner. Painkillers containing codeine such as Solpadeine® or Nurofen Plus® are safe if taken at the recommended dose and for no longer than 3 days. Prolonged use of codeine can cause constipation, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, “chronic daily headache” and addiction. Codeine is the worst culprit for “medicine overuse headaches”. Painkillers such as Solpadeine® and Nurofen Plus® which contain codeine...