Prescription Drug Take Back Day - Help Reduce Opiate Misuse!

Is it a Cold or an Allergy?

"Think T.I.C.K. Take Action!"

T - Tweezers

• Remove ticks safely

I - Inspect

• Learn to identify ticks
• What to do with the tick
• Encourage DAILY tick checks

C - Clothing Repellent

• Wear tick repellent clothing
• Remember to control ticks on your pets

K - Kill the Critters

• Identify tick habitats
• Tick control options for camps

Please check out the University of Rhode Island Tick Encounter website for more information!

http://www.tickencounter.org/think_tick_take_action

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative on April 30, 2016

The 11^th annual DEA National Take-Back Initiative will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2016 between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. This program provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

“The numbers are shocking—approximately 46,000 Americans die each year from drug-related deaths.  More than half of those are from heroin and prescription opioids,” said Acting DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg. [10/1/2015]

Please use the provided link to locate a collection site near you.

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/

Asthma and Allergy (Pollen.com)

Asthma and Allergy

The symptoms you may feel during an asthma attack are due to the inflammation of the lungs and airways. This inflammation causes the simple act of breathing to become painful.

Not only do the airways become tighter and narrower, the walls of those airways release extra mucus, adding additional barriers to breathing. The body responds to this excess mucus by coughing, in attempts to expel it rapidly.

Currently, there is no explanation of why asthma occurs or what triggers your lungs to be so sensitive.

Allergy Can Trigger Asthmatic Reactions

There are many irritants that can trigger an asthmatic reaction. These are the most common:

• Airborne Allergens (pollen, mold, animal dander, and dust)
• Allergic Rhinitis (hay fever)
• Viral infections of the respiratory system
• Tobacco smoke
• Pollution
• Strong odors (paint, house cleaners, etc)
• Exercise (Note: asthmatic people can and should exercise, with care, when they are feeling well. Ask your doctor about exercise and asthma).
• Drug sensitivity (for example, to aspirin)
• Stress and emotional anxiety
• Pollen season (Airborne pollens in the air during periods of high allergy levels can cause an asthmatic reaction)

The Allergy Index and Its Use for Asthma Sufferers

But how can allergens cause asthma? Is asthma an allergy? Like many other asthma triggers, airborne allergens affect the respiratory system. They can initiate an allergic reaction that can, in turn, trigger the asthma symptoms. In this regard, the same triggers for some allergies can be important to asthma sufferers (like weather forecasts, allergy forecasts, and allergy counts).

https://www.pollen.com/allergy/asthma

Variety of Pollens Throughout Allergy Seasons (Pollen.com)

Variety of Pollens throughout Allergy Seasons

For many allergy sufferers, pollen can be a vicious word reminiscent of many sneezy, unhealthy days and nights. How can fine powder released from flowering plants affect our senses so greatly?

To explain…pollen is a plant’s only form of reproduction and it’s produced in mass quantities. It’s carried in the air and can land in a person’s eyes, nose, lungs and on skin.

For people with allergies, pollen is an allergen that causes an allergic reaction. Their immune system treats the pollen as an invader and responds by mobilizing to attack by producing large amounts of antibody. This allergic reaction can cause the following symptoms: itchy watery eyes, runny nose, itchy throat, hives, fatigue, and irritability.

When is Pollen Season?

Pollens spread by the wind. Pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds are the main cause of allergies. Spring is not the only allergy season, many plants pollinate year round. Your location will determine the time and duration of your pollen season. Pollen counts will vary from day to day as well as hour to hour.

Different Pollens for Each Pollen Season

In springtime, pollen from the trees begins its release between January and April, depending on the climate and location. These trees include elm, pine, birch, ash, hickory, poplar, and cypress to name a few.

Summertime is when grass pollen reigns supreme: pollen from northern grass in colder climates, such as timothy, rye, and blue; and southern grass pollens in the warmer climates, such as Bermuda Grass.

In the fall, typically weed pollen takes control. These weeds include ragweed, nettle, mugwort, fat hen and sorrel.

https://www.pollen.com/allergy/pollen-season

Cold verses the Flu (and yes, it is that time of year again...)

Flu or Cold Symptoms?

When you wake up sneezing, coughing, and have that achy, feverish, can't move a muscle feeling, how do you know whether you have cold symptoms or the flu?

It's important to know the difference between flu and cold symptoms. A cold is a milder respiratory illness than the flu. While cold symptoms can make you feel bad for a few days, flu symptoms can make you feel quite ill for a few days to weeks. The flu can also result in serious health problems such as pneumonia and hospitalizations.

What are common cold symptoms?

Cold symptoms usually begin with a sore throat, which usually goes away after a day or two. Nasal symptoms, runny nose, and congestion follow, along with a cough by the fourth and fifth days. Fever is uncommon in adults, but a slight fever is possible. Children are more likely to have a fever with a cold.

With cold symptoms, the nose teems with watery nasal secretions for the first few days. Later, these become thicker and darker. Dark mucus is natural and does not usually mean you have developed a bacterial infection, such as a sinus infection.

Several hundred different viruses may cause your cold symptoms.

How long do cold symptoms last?

Cold symptoms usually last for about a week. During the first three days that you have cold symptoms, you are contagious. This means you can pass the cold to others, so stay home and get some much-needed rest.

If cold symptoms do not seem to be improving after a week, you may have a bacterial infection, which means you may need antibiotics.

Sometimes you may mistake cold symptoms for allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or a sinus infection. If cold symptoms begin quickly and are improving after a week, then it is usually a cold, not allergy. If your cold symptoms do not seem to be getting better after a week, check with your doctor to see if you have developed an allergy or sinusitis.

What are common flu symptoms?

Flu symptoms are usually more severe than cold symptoms and come on quickly. Symptoms of flu include sore throat, fever, headache, muscle aches and soreness, congestion, and cough. Swine flu in particular is also associated with vomiting and diarrhea.