Reading Time: 3 minutes There does seem to be an increase in allergies, with about 30 per cent of adults and 40 per cent of children affected in Canada. This trend is thought to be due to several factors, including the fact that today we are able to diagnose allergies that previously may have been dismissed as a sensitive […] Read more
Guide Health: The increasing problem of allergies
Guide Health with Marie Berry
Guide Health: A cascade you don’t want
Almost everyone can benefit from these measures to avoid taking drugs unnecessarily
Reading Time: 3 minutes You may think of a cascade as a soothing brook bubbling over some rocks, but a prescription cascade is not as pleasant. The term refers to the treatment of the side-effects of one drug when a new second drug is prescribed. These side-effects can be mistakenly identified as a new condition, and of course this […] Read more
Guide Health: Eye drops — just a little drop will do it!
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’ve ever had to use an eye drop, or if you do use eye drops regularly, it is important to use them properly to get the most benefit. Keeping your eyes healthy is a lifelong activity, and using eye drops correctly is a key component. Eyesight is a valuable, irreplaceable sense. Even so, however, […] Read more
Guide Health: Smart use of antibiotics
Guide Health: Use your prescription as intended so it's fully effective
Reading Time: 3 minutes With the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, people were able to effectively treat diseases that once killed them. While this marked the birth of modern antibiotics, the actual use of a substance derived from one living organism (i.e. mould on bread) to kill another living organism (i.e. a bacterial infection) is considerably […] 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
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
