Description
Your home probably has some sort of pain relief medication, something to combat bouts of allergies, and maybe a few vitamins or supplements from the local health store. And then there are the prescribed medications, the ones you're taking daily and those that you take "as needed". But do you ever wonder how your medications work, what is the best time to take each, or how that pain relief tablet, those allergy meds, and prescription drugs interact when taken at the same time? Or how your newly prescribed antibiotic reacts with that glass of wine you had with dinner?Preventing Medication Errors at Home tells you what you need to know about those medications in your house and how each can improve your health and possibly cause harm. With drug therapy being a major part of conventional medical treatment, and so many medications available over-the-counter, tens of thousands of people in the United States alone die every year from side effects related to their diabetes, pain, depression and blood-thinning medications, and roughly one million people are admitted to the hospital for drug-related issues. At least half of these disasters are preventable with proper awareness of how drugs work, how to take them properly, how to identify serious side effects, and how to avoid dangerous drug combinations.Dr. Simon Haroutounian presents an engaging, easy-to-read book to help you take responsibility for your medications. Learning how to ask the right questions before you start a new medication is likely to improve your health, and possibly save your life.
Table of Contents
PrefacePART I Everything You Need to Know About DrugsChapter 1. Prescription Medications: Friend or Foe?Chapter 2. Why Do I Need to Understand My Drugs Better?Chapter 3. What Does Our Body Do to Drugs? The Amazing Journey of a MoleculeChapter 4. What Do the Drugs Do to Our Body?Chapter 5. Taking My Drugs ProperlyChapter 6. Avoiding Undesired Drug EffectsChapter 7. Combining Drugs with Food and DrinksChapter 8. Interactions Between DrugsChapter 9. Do It Yourself : Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs and Disease PreventionChapter 10. Drugs in Pregnancy and BreastfeedingPART II: Medication Therapy Tips in Common Disease StatesChapter 11. High Blood Pressure: The Silent Killer You Can StopChapter 12. Fighting the Battle Against Lipids and CholesterolChapter 13. Blood Thinners: The Balancing Act Between Bleeding and ClottingChapter 14. Not So Sweet: Managing DiabetesChapter 15. Let Me Breathe! Step-by-Step Asthma ManagementChapter 16. Epilepsy: Understand Your Drugs to Stop the SeizuresChapter 17. Hoping for a Better Day: Treating DepressionChapter 18. Does It Really Have to Hurt? Managing Pain WiselyChapter 19. Thyroid Problems: Restoring the Delicate Energetic BalanceChapter 20. Infections: Destroying the Invaders While Saving the HostChapter 21. SummaryGlossary of Terms
