Live After 50 radio column

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Added: Sun. Feb 21, 2010 7:50pm
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WMKV 89.3 FM ON AIR

AND WMKVFM.ORG ON THE INTERNET

 “LIFE AFTER 50” COL FOR

FEB. 22 10, ON AIR

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YOU KNOW THE TUNE, “JUST A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR HELPS THE MEDICINE GO DOWN”, DON’T YOU?

 WELL THAT MAY BE TRUE, BUT USING ORDINARY TEASPOONS OR TABLESPOONS TO GIVE MEDICINE TO CHILDREN OR ELDERS COULD BE FATAL.

THE PROBLEM IS, THE DOSAGE IS EITHER TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE. IN EITHER CASE THE RECIPIENT COULD SUFFER SERIOUS OR FATAL CONSEQUENCS.

IN A NEW STUDY CONDUCTED BY BRIAN WANSINK, DIRECTOR OF THE CORNELL FOOD AND BRAND LAB, AS PUBLISHED IN THE ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE JAN. 5, AND WRITTEN ABOUT IN AN ARTICLE BY JOAN RATTNER HEILMAN IN THE AARP BULLETIN, THIS STUDY SHOWED USING INACCURATE MEASURING SPOONS TO GIVE MEDICATIONS OVER A NUMBER OF DAYS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS OR EVEN DEATH.

         SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WHEN TAKING MEDICATIONS THAT SUGGEST TAKING A TEASPOON OF THIS OR A TABLESPOON OF THAT?

 FIRST GET YOURSELF A DESIGN MEASURING CUP, OR A DOSING SPOON, A MEASURING DROPPER OR DOSING SYRINGE, ALL OF WHICH ARE AVAILABLE        FROM YOUR LOCAL PHARMACIES.

         JUST REMEMBER WHEN YOU PICK UP YOUR MEDICATIONS AT YOUR PHARMACIES ASK FOR MEASURING AIDS AND KEEP THEM IN YOUR MEDICINE CABINET TO TAKE A MEDICINE IN THE CORRECT DOSAGE.

          ONE DOCTOR, MICHAEL H. PERSKIN, A GERONTOLOGIST AND ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, IN THIS ARTICLE, SAID IT IS NECESSARY TO ALERT SENIORS AND PARENTS TO BE SURE TO MEASURE OUT ONLY CORRECT DOSAGES OF MEDICINE; THIS IS CRITICAL.

         HE ALSO NOTED MANY OLDER ADULTS SUFFER FROM DIMINISHED VISION. SO WHEN THEY POUR A MEDICINE INTO AN ORDINARY TEASPOON OR TABLESPOON IT MOST LIKELY WILL NOT BE THE RIGHT DISAGE.THEY SHOULD USE A CORRECT MEASURING DEVICE, TAKING OUT THE GUESS WORK. OTHERWISE THE ELDERS COULD BE GIVING THEMSELVES AN OVER OR UNDER DOSE WITH SERIOUS RESULTS.

PERHAPS WE SHOULD REWRITE THAT TUNE “A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR MAKES THE MEDICINE DOWN” TO: “A CORRECT MEASURED DOSAGE OF MEDICIME MAKES THE  ILLNESS GO AWAY.”

         WHAT DO YOU THINK? WILL IT SELL?

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