Reading Time: 2 minutes A nosebleed can be both bothersome and alarming, even if you don’t know its technical name is epistaxis. Most people have at least one nosebleed between the ages of three and 30. Children younger than three usually do not have nosebleeds because they do not often experience nasal damage, and older people may have nosebleeds […] Read more
Guide Health: When does a bloody nose become worrisome?
Trauma to the nose is usually the cause, but certain medications can also make nosebleeds more easily occur
Guide Health: Watch your balance while on sleep medications
Benzodiazepines used for sleeplessness and anxiety can make you prone to falling
Reading Time: 3 minutes Benzodiazepines are a large group of drugs that work through the nervous system to reduce anxiety and alleviate sleeplessness. Common members include diazepam, oxazepam, lorazepam, temazepam and alzprazolam. First discovered in the 1950s, they were observed to have “taming” effects on several animal species, with the effects in monkeys leading to clinical trials in humans. […] Read more
Guide Health: Helping the medicine go down
Trouble swallowing that pill or capsule? Here's a few tips that may make it easier
Reading Time: 2 minutes Lack of medication adherence (that is, taking your medication as you should) is called “the other drug problem.” It’s thought that one in four people fail to take their prescribed medication, with half doing so because they struggle with compliance to their medication regime. Some don’t take their prescriptions because of drug side-effects. Others may […] Read more
Guide Health: Memory and drugs
Reading Time: 3 minutes Everyone is concerned about memory loss in old age, but before you resign yourself to dementia, check your medications. Some drugs may actually cause adverse effects that can be mistaken for memory loss. For instance, benzodiazepines used to treat stress, anxiety, and sleep problems may remain in the body causing daytime drowsiness and confusion, which […] Read more
Guide Health: Restless leg syndrome – more common than you think
Reading Time: 2 minutes Restless leg syndrome is just what it says it is. It is a feeling that your legs are restless, or that you want to move, accompanied by sensations such as creeping, burning, aching or itching. Often you notice restless leg syndrome when you are still, for example in bed, and you will find that movement […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
