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Staying Healthy in School | Impetigo

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 Carrigtwohill Pharmacy Impetigo

Staying Healthy in School | Impetigo

A more severe illness that can afflict young children is impetigo. It is a common and highly contagious skin infection that causes sores and blisters. It can be quite an upsetting time for any child who contracts it. It often arises from a break in otherwise healthy skin, such as a cut, insect bite, bad graze. it can also be caused from skin damage from another underlying skin condition such as eczema or scabies.

The infection can spread incredibly easily through close contact, either through direct physical contact or sharing towels etc.

Impetigo may improve without treatment given time, but due to the discomfort associated with the infection we would advise talking to the Carrigtwohill Pharmacy team to be advised on the best course of action to alleviate the symptoms and eliminate the infection. Pursuing treatment will shorten the infection to 7-10 days and reduce the risk of passing it on to other children. The main treatments recommended include fusidic acid creams or oral flucloxacillin and are usually prescribed for up to a week.

It is important to take precautions to minimise the possibility of spreading impetigo to other children or family members that your child may come into contact with. It is also necessary to take steps to reduce the risk of impetigo spreading to other parts of the body. Some of the precautions that can be taken include:

  • Not touching the sores if possible.
  • Washing hands regularly.
  • Not sharing towels, clothing, bed sheets etc.
  • Staying away from school, nursery, playgroups or clubs until the sores have dried up or treatment has been continuing for minimum of 48 hours.

Most people are no longer contagious after 48 hours of treatment or once the sores have dried and healed.

Staying Healthy in School | Diet & Exercise

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Carrigtwohill Pharmacy Diet & Excercise

Staying Healthy in School | Diet & Exercise

A healthy diet and regular exercise are incredibly important for both the physical and mental development of a child. A consistently healthy diet aligned with continuous physical activity throughout the week will help the child grow and develop. It will also help promote their performance in school e.g. their concentration, energy levels etc.

Foods are the best source of nutrients and even a picky or fussy eater is unlikely to have nutritional deficiencies. A multivitamin may be beneficial if a child is showing failure to thrive, has a particular food allergy or malabsorption syndrome e.g. lactose intolerance or coeliac disease or has a restrictive diet e.g. vegan diet. It is best to talk to your pharmacist to ensure you get the correct multivitamin for your child that is required and is age-appropriate.

The Department of Health recommends that Children aged 6 and over should partake in at least one hour of physical activity per day. In addition, children should participate in muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening structured activities at least three times per week. There are a variety of local sports and activity clubs right in Carrigtwohill where your children can achieve the recommended amount of physical activity in a fun, structured and safe environment. Joining a club and interacting with their peers will not only help them develop their motor and cognitive skills but also help the development of their emotional and social skills, while letting them explore new interests and learn new skills.

Some of the clubs and groups in your local area include:

Carrigtwohill Pharmacy is dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of all the young people in the Carrigtwohill community and we support them getting involved and trying out as many sports as they can. Obesity amongst children in Ireland is rising at an alarming rate and indeed it is a major health issue across the entire Western world. Sadly, Ireland has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world with 1 in 10 children aged between 5 and 12 being classed as obese.  This trend continues through adolescence with 1 in 5 teenagers being overweight or obese.  Children who are obese are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular, metabolic, musculoskeletal complications. Furthermore children and teenagers who are obese are more likely to obese all through adulthood.

To discuss the best possible diet for your child why not call into the pharmacy in Carrigtwohill and ask to speak to our team to get some guidance and examples. Information on appropriate nutrition, portion sizes and general childhood exercise can be found on www.nutritionandhealth.ie.

Staying Healthy in School | Colds & Flu

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Carrigtwohill Pharmacy New Flu Vaccine Programd

Staying Healthy in School | Colds & Flu

The most common ailments  that affect children coming up to and during Winter when their immune systems are most vulnerable are colds and flus. Young children in large groups (such as a school) are breeding grounds for the organisms that cause illness. Most childhood illnesses are caused by airborne viruses, spread by sneezing and coughing, and are therefore best treated in the pharmacy. Viruses are generally self-limiting and usually pass off within a few days or a week.

Symptom control is important so paracetamol or ibuprofen to reduce headaches and fever. Parents should keep children well hydrated during the course of the illness and instill good hygiene measure to reduce the spread of the virus. The following are some of the steps that will help reduce the spread of the virus:

  • Frequent hand washing.
  • Covering the mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing.
  • Putting used tissues in a bin straight away.
  • No sharing of drinks or food items.
  • Hand sanitisers brought in and kept in the school bag will help promote hand hygiene.

Children who suffer from long term illness or disability, including those who suffer from asthma or those who are immuno-comprimised should receive the flu vaccine. Carrigtwohill Pharmacy has recently begun a Flu Vaccine Program and our qualified pharmacists can administer the vaccine. You can find out more about the Flu Vaccine Program on our website or call into us any time to talk to our expert team.

Staying Healthy in School | Worms

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Carrigtwohill Pharmacy Childrens Health Care

Staying Healthy in School | Worms

While it may sound alarming, threadworm is actually a common parasitic infection, especially in younger children.

One of the main symptoms is itching along the perineal area especially at night. This can be confirmed by the presence of small, white, threadlike worms in the faeces or in the underwear. Threadworms are only carried by humans and are transmitted by swallowing threadworm eggs passed to the mouth via fingers.

The treatment is relatively simple. It is done by the use of a prescription medicine and hygiene measure (which will be discussed in detail with your pharmacist) should be implemented for six weeks to break the life cycle of the worm. As long as no new transmission occurs the treatment will be a success.

Some of the more general hygiene measures that can be done to reduce the risk of contracting or spreading threadworm include:

  • Keep fingernails short and clean
  • Wash hands and scrub nails after every visit to the bathroom
  • Wash night clothes and bed clothes on the first day of treatment
  • Try to reduce the opportunities for children to place their fingers in their mouth e.g. address nail biting, eating with hands etc.

Loyalty Card Competition Winner | Elaine O’Driscoll

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Carrigtwohill Pharmacy Winner of Tablet

 

Carrigtwohill Pharmacy would like to offer a massive congratulations to Elaine O’Driscoll for winning the Carrigtwohill Pharmacy new Loyalty Card Program Competition. Elaine is pictured receiving her fantastic prize, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 from Ger. Happy faces all round.

We would like to thank all our loyal customers, new and old, for taking part in the competition and for getting involved in our new loyalty program. We are very excited for all the positive benefits and great deals being part of our loyalty program will make possible for you and your family.If you haven’t got a chance to sign up yet, call into the pharmacy to speak to our team and become a part of it. More details can be found here.

Enjoy your prize Elaine. All the team are very happy for you.

Staying Healthy in School | Head Lice

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Carrigtwohill Pharmacy Back To School Health Advice

 

Staying Healthy in School

 

After the enjoyment of summer, September can be an extremely busy month for parents as children return to school. The long lazy summer days are replaced with hectic schedules, long commutes, colder weather and darker nights.

Many parents may be concerned about how to protect the health of their children on return to school as Winter approaches. Carrigtwohill Pharmacy would like to take this time to answer some of the concerns parents may have by advising on some of the more common illnesses and health issues that children are susceptible to in the school environment. We are dedicated to giving your children the best opportunity to remain healthy into the winter.

Head Lice

Most people at some stage of their school lives have experienced head lice. While they are harmless, they are irritating and unfortunately can be a cause of great distress for parent and child alike.

It is important that detection combing is carried out on wet hair but any treatment is started. Performing the detection combing is simple and pain free:

  • The hair is divided into sections with a regular comb.
  • Then a lice detection comb should be drawn from the scalp to the ends of the hair checking for lice at each stroke.
  • Sufficient combing may take up to 30 minutes.
  • Parents can be assured that regular combing can be just as effective as chemical based treatments especially in smaller numbers.
  • If a pharmacy treatment is requested, we will advise you on the best pesticide or non-pesticide lotion to be used and will explain how to administer the lotion.
  • All these steps need to be repeated  regularly and absolute success is not guaranteed.
  • Treatment can be regarded as successful is no live lice are found on both days three and seven after completion of a course of treatment.

Lice will only spread from head to head contact and will not survive on bedding or clothing. and regular combing is a far more effective at detection than relying on a repellant spray. Itching may continue for a number of weeks after a successful treatment so parents should not try to worry too much and avoid retreatment.

 

Carrigtwohill Pharmacy Loyalty Card Competition Draw

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Congratulations Elaine. Expect a call from Ger to arrange collection of your wonderful prize.

 

Thank you to everyone for entering the competition and signing up to our Loyalty Scheme

Don’t forget to call in and pick up your new card to start saving today.

Carrigtwohill Pharmacy Loyalty Card

Ice Bucket Challenge Carrigtwohill Pharmacy

Ger’s Browne Carrigtwohill Pharmacy Ice-Bucket Nomination

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Your very Own Local Family Pharmacist Ger Browne was nominated by his own customer to take the Ice Bucket Challenge. Never for one to shy away from a dare Ger was delighted to support a great cause such as MND.

I think you will all agree he was a good sport. Don’t forget to donate by texting MND to 50300

Pharmacists Call for Action on Heart Disease – Ireland’s Number 1 Killer

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Heart Attack Image

With over 10,000 people dying from heart disease each year, Carrigtwohill Pharmacy supports the Irish Pharmacy Union’s stance that a national cardiovascular screening service is urgently needed. We have vast experience on the real threat this poses to our communities health and we are committed to taking an active role in educating, advising and treating all our customers to the highest standard of care.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) is calling on the Government to introduce a National Cardiovascular Screening Service through community pharmacies. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death in Ireland, with approximately 10,000 people dying from it each year. Almost one in five people will develop heart failure at some point in their lives, but almost two-thirds are unaware of the risk.

Pharmacist Bernard Duggan said, “The introduction of this service through pharmacies could directly reduce the number of deaths from heart disease each year in Ireland. The average community pharmacy is open 50% longer than GP clinics, which increases the accessibility and cost-effectiveness of providing such a service for patients.

“We are calling on the Government to introduce a national screening service to support patients who may be at risk of developing CVD. The delivery of this service through pharmacies will not only save lives but will save money by reducing the need for expensive hospital care for those who are struck down with heart disease.”

Pharmacists are also available to assist patients who are on heart medication.

“There are a large number of different medicines for heart disease, depending on your situation. There are different guidelines for these medicines; some are better taken after food or at night. For examples, it is advisable to avoid grapefruit when on heart medications. Different medicines will have different side effects, so ask your pharmacist if you have any side effects or have any questions about the medicines you are taking,” Mr Duggan concluded.

 

If anyone has any questions relating to heart disease, it’s symptoms and what can be done to reduce the risk, please call into us here at Carrigtwohill Pharmacy. We are dedicated to our community and working to promote the health and well-being of our loyal customers. We are here to help. We are your community pharmacy.

 

Top 10 Tips For Dealing With Hay Fever

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Hayfever Top 10 Tips