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After the surgery, I was given opioids to take at home. What do I need to know?

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Opioids are sometimes prescribed after discharge from the hospital after surgery to help relieve pain at home.

These strong painkillers may cause unwanted unintended effects or harm, reminiscent of constipation, drowsiness, or the risk of addiction.

However, you may take steps to minimize this harm and use opioids more safely after recovering from surgery.

What varieties of opioids are the most typical?

The mostly prescribed Post-operative opioids in Australia include oxycodone (brand names include Endone, OxyNorm) and tapentadol (Palexia).

In fact, about half latest oxycodone prescriptions in Australia, according to a recent hospital visit.

Most often, patients will receive immediate-release opioids for pain relief. These are fast-acting drugs and are used to treat short-term pain.

Because they work quickly, their dose could be easily adjusted to your current pain level. Your doctor gives you instructions on how to adjust your dose depending in your pain level.

Then there are slow-release opioids, that are specifically formulated to release your dose slowly over about half to a full day. They could also be marked on the carton as ‘prolonged release’, ‘controlled release’ or ‘prolonged release’.

Slow-release preparations are mainly used for chronic or long-term pain. Thanks to the slow-release form, the medicine doesn’t have to be taken as often. However, it takes longer to achieve effect compared to an immediate-release drug, so it is just not commonly used after surgery.

Controlling pain after surgery is necessary. This will assist you to rise up and move faster and get better faster. Moving early after surgery prevents muscle atrophy and harm related to immobility, reminiscent of pressure sores and blood clots.

Everyone’s pain level and pain medication needs are different. Pain levels also decrease as the surgical wound heals, so you might need to take less medication as you get better.

But there’s also risk

As mentioned above, unintended effects of opioids include constipation and feeling drowsy or nauseous. Drowsiness may additionally increase the risk of falling.

Opioids prescribed for pain relief at home after surgery are often prescribed for short-term use.

But to one in ten Australians proceed to take them up to 4 months after surgery. One study found that individuals didn’t understand how to safely stop taking opioids.

This long-term use of opioids can lead to addiction and overdose. It may additionally reduce the effectiveness of the medicine. This happens because the body gets used to the opioid and wishes more of it to get the same effect.

Addiction and unintended effects are also more common slow-release opioids than immediate-release opioids. This is because people normally take slow-release opioids for a very long time.

There are also concerns about “residual” opioids. One study found that 40% of participants were prescribed them greater than twice the amount they needed.

This leads to unused opioids remaining at home could be dangerous the person and his or her family. Storing leftover opioids at home increases the risk of taking an excessive amount of, sharing it inappropriately with others, and taking it without medical supervision.

Don’t keep leftover opioids in your medicine cabinet. Take them to the pharmacy for secure disposal.
Photo by Archer/Shutterstock

How to minimize risk

Before using opioids, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about using over-the-counter pain relievers reminiscent of acetaminophen or anti-inflammatory medicines reminiscent of ibuprofen (e.g. Nurofen, Brufen) or diclofenac (e.g. Voltaren, Fenac).

These could be quite effective in controlling pain and can reduce the need for opioids. They can often be used as a substitute of opioids, but in some cases a mixture of each is mandatory.

Other pain management techniques include physical therapy, exercise, heat or ice packs. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to discuss which techniques will profit you most.

However, for those who do need opioids, there are a couple of ways to ensure that you might be using them safely and effectively: :

  • ask about immediate release as a substitute of slow-release opioids to reduce the risk of unintended effects

  • you must not drink alcohol or take sleeping pills while taking opioids. This may increase drowsiness and lead to decreased alertness and slower respiration

  • as you might be at greater risk of falls, remove trip hazards from your private home and ensure that you may safely get off the sofa or bed and go to the bathroom or kitchen

  • Before you begin using opioids, make a plan together with your doctor or pharmacist about how and when to stop using them. Opioids after surgery are best taken at the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time.

Woman holding a hot water bottle (pink cover) on her stomach.
A heat pack may help relieve pain so that you need to use less painkillers.
New Africa/Shutterstock

If you might be concerned about unintended effects

If you might be concerned about the unintended effects of using opioids, talk to your pharmacist or doctor. Side effects include:

  • constipation – Your pharmacist will give you the chance to offer you lifestyle advice and recommend laxatives

  • drowsiness – do not drive or operate heavy machinery. If you are attempting to not sleep during the day but still go to sleep, the dose could also be too high and you must contact your doctor

  • weakness and slow respiration – this may occasionally be an indication of a more serious side effect, reminiscent of respiratory depression, which requires medical attention. Contact your doctor immediately.

If you might be having trouble withdrawing from opioids

If you could have difficulty coming off opioids, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. They can suggest alternative methods of relieving your pain and offer you advice on progressively reducing your dose.

Withdrawal symptoms reminiscent of agitation, anxiety and insomnia may occur, but your doctor and pharmacist can assist you to manage them.

What about leftover opioids?

When you stop using opioids, take any leftovers to your local pharmacy for secure and free disposal.

Do not share opioids with others and keep them away from others in your household who do not need them, because opioids could cause unintended harm if not used under medical supervision. This may include accidental ingestion by children.


This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Health and Wellness

How to drastically reduce the risk of dementia after 55 years of age

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About 1,000,000 Americans are expected to develop dementia a yr until 2060, about twice today, they announced on Monday.

This estimation is predicated on a brand new study, which showed a better risk of life than previously thought: after 55 years of age people have up to 4 out of 10 opportunities to develop dementia – in the event that they live long enough.

This is a sobering number, but there are steps that folks can take to reduce this risk, similar to controlling hypertension and other bad health problems. And it isn’t too late to try even in middle -aged.

“All our research suggests what you do in the middle age, it really matters,” said Dr. Josef Coresh from Nyu Langone Health, who co -author of the research in Nature Medicine.

Dementia is just not only Alzheimer

Taking more to remember the name or place where you place the keys is typical in old age. But dementia It is just not a standard part of aging – it’s a progressive loss of memory, language and other cognitive functions. The aging is just the biggest risk, and the population is getting old quickly.

Alzheimer is the commonest form, and the quiet changes of the brain that ultimately lead to it might begin 20 years before the appearance of symptoms. Other types include vascular dementia, when heart disease or small impacts impair blood flow to the brain. Many people have mixed causes, which suggests that vascular problems can exacerbate Alzheimer’s symptoms.

Measuring risk from a certain age compared to the potential remaining period of life can lead to public health and medical examinations.

“This is not a guarantee that someone will develop dementia,” warned Dr. James Galvin, a specialist in Miami Alzheimer’s University. He was not involved in a brand new study, but said that the findings match other tests.

The risk of dementia differs from age

Earlier studies were estimated that about 14% of men and 23% of women would develop a form of dementia during their lives. The Coresh team analyzed newer data from the American study, which has been following heart health and cognitive functions of about 15,000 elderly for several many years.

Importantly, they found risk changes over many years.

Only 4% of people developed dementia aged 55 to 75, which Coresh calls a key 20-year-old window to protect brain health.

In the case of individuals who experience common health threats to 75, the risk of dementia then increased – to 20% at the age of 85 and 42% from the age of 85 to 95.

In general, the risk of dementia after 55 was 35% for men and 48% for ladies, summed up scientists. Cash noticed that girls normally live longer than men, the most important reason for this difference. Black Americans had a rather higher risk, 44%than white people at 41%.

Yes, there are methods to reduce the risk of dementia

There are some risk aspects that folks cannot control, including age and whether you’ve got inherited a gene variant called Apoe4, which increases the possibilities of Alzheimer’s late life.

But people can try to avoid or no less than delay health problems that contribute to later dementia. For example, Coresh wears a helmet while cycling, because repetitive or severe brain injuries from failure or falls increase the risk of dementia later in life.

Particularly essential: “What is good for your heart is good for your brain,” added Galvin with Miami. He calls people to exercise, avoid obesity and control blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol.

13 influential women Delta Sigma Theta Borority, Inc., which inspired us all

For example, hypertension can disturb the blood flow to the brain, the risk not only in the case of vascular dementia, but additionally related to some of the Alzheimer’s disease. Similarly high levels of blood sugar, poorly controlled diabetes, is related to a cognitive decline and destruction of inflammation in the brain.

Galvin also said that be socially and cognitively energetic. He calls people to try hearing aids if age brings hearing loss, which might stimulate social insulation.

“There are things that we control over, and those things that in my opinion would be very important to build a better brain as aging,” he said.

___

The Associated Press Department of Health and Science receives support from the Science and Educational Group of the Medical Institute Howard Hughes and the (*55*) Wood Johnson Foundation. AP bears the sole responsibility for all content.

(Tagstranslate) @Ap

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Health and Wellness

Jury awarded $310 million to parents of teenager who died after falling on a ride at Florida amusement park – Essence

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Sun Sentinel/Getty Images

The family of Tire Sampson, the 14-yr-old who tragically died on an amusement park ride in Orlando, Florida, in 2022, has been awarded $310 million in a civil lawsuit.

Tire, who was visiting ICON Park along with his family on March 24, 2022, fell from the FreeFall drop tower. Although he was taken to a nearby hospital, he didn’t survive his injuries.

Now, greater than two years later, a jury has held the vehicle manufacturer, Austria-based Funtime Handels, responsible for the accident and awarded the Tire family $310 million. According to reports from local news stations WFTV AND KSDKthe jury reached its verdict after about an hour of deliberation.

Tyre’s parents will each receive $155 million, according to attorney spokesman Michael Haggard.

Attorneys Ben Crump and Natalie Jackson, who represented Tyre’s family, shared their thoughts on this landmark decision via X (formerly Twitter). “This ruling is a step forward in holding corporations accountable for the safety of their products,” they said in a statement.

Lawyers stressed that Tyre’s death was attributable to “gross negligence and a failure to put safety before profits.” They added that the ride’s manufacturer had “neglected its duty to protect passengers” and that the substantial award ensured it could “face the consequences of its decisions.”

Crump and Jackson said they hope the result will encourage change throughout the theme park industry. “We hope this will spur the entire industry to enforce more stringent safety measures,” they said. “Tire heritage will provide a safer future for drivers around the world.”

An investigation previously found that Tyre’s harness was locked through the descent, but he dislodged from his seat through the 430-foot fall when the magnets engaged. Tire’s death was ruled the result of “multiple injuries and trauma.”

ICON Park said at the time that it could “fully cooperate” with the authorities.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

Tireless HIV/AIDS advocate A. Cornelius Baker dies

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HIV/AIDS Advocate, A. Cornelius Baker


A. Cornelius Baker, a tireless advocate of HIV and AIDS testing, research and vaccination, died Nov. 8 at his home in Washington, D.C., of hypertensive, atherosclerotic heart problems, in response to his partner, Gregory Nevins.

As previously reported, Baker was an early supporter for people living with HIV and AIDS within the Nineteen Eighties, when misinformation and fear-mongering in regards to the disease were rampant.

According to Douglas M. Brooks, director of the Office of National AIDS Policy under President Obama, it was Baker’s Christian faith that guided him toward compassion for others.

“He was very kind, very warm and inclusive – his circles, both professional and personal, were the most diverse I have ever seen, and he was guided by his Christian values,” Brooks told the outlet. “His ferocity was on display when people were marginalized, rejected or forgotten.”

In 1995, when he was executive director of the National AIDS Association, Baker pushed for June 27 to be designated National HIV Testing Day.

In 2012, he later wrote on the web site of the Global Health Advisor for which he was a technical advisor that: “These efforts were intended to help reduce the stigma associated with HIV testing and normalize it as part of regular screening.”

https://twitter.com/NBJContheMove/status/1856725113967632663?s=19

Baker also feared that men like himself, black gay men, and other men from marginalized communities were disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS.

Baker pressured the Clinton administration to incorporate black and Latino people in clinical drug trials, and in 1994 he pointedly told the Clinton administration that he was bored with hearing guarantees but seeing no motion.

According to Lambda Legal CEO Kevin Jennings, yes that daring attitude that defines Baker’s legacy in the world of ​​HIV/AIDS promotion.

“Cornelius was a legendary leader in the fight for equality for LGBTQ+ people and all people living with HIV,” Jennings said in a press release. “In the more than twenty years that I knew him, I was continually impressed not only by how effective he was as a leader, but also by how he managed to strike the balance between being fierce and kind at the same time. His loss is devastating.”

Jennings continued: “Cornelius’ leadership can’t be overstated. For many years, he was one in all the nation’s leading HIV/AIDS warriors, working locally, nationally and internationally. No matter where he went, he proudly supported the HIV/AIDS community from the Nineteen Eighties until his death, serving in various positions including the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Association of Persons with Disabilities AIDS, and the Whitman-Walker Clinic . Jennings explained.

Jennings concluded: “His career also included several honors, including being the first recipient of the American Foundation for AIDS Research Foundation’s organization-building Courage Award. Our communities have lost a pillar in Cornelius, and as we mourn his death, we will be forever grateful for his decades of service to the community.”

Kaye Hayes, deputy assistant secretary for communicable diseases and director of the Office of Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS Policy, in her comment about his legacy, she called Baker “the North Star.”.

“It is difficult to overstate the impact his loss had on public health, the HIV/AIDS community or the place he held in my heart personally,” Hayes told Hiv.gov. “He was pushing us, charging us, pulling us, pushing us. With his unwavering commitment to the HIV movement, he represented the north star, constructing coalitions across sectors and dealing with leaders across the political spectrum to deal with health disparities and advocate for access to HIV treatment and look after all. He said, “The work isn’t done, the charge is still there, move on – you know what you have to do.” It’s in my ear and in my heart in the case of this job.

Hayes added: “His death is a significant loss to the public health community and to the many others who benefited from Cornelius’ vigilance. His legacy will continue to inspire and motivate us all.”

Baker is survived by his mother, Shirley Baker; his partner Nevins, who can be senior counsel at Lambda Legal; his sisters Chandrika Baker, Nadine Wallace and Yavodka Bishop; in addition to his two brothers, Kareem and Roosevelt Dowdell; along with the larger HIV/AIDS advocacy community.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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