Health and Medicine

A majority of us visit a dispensary for minor or major ailments. 
Many times we prefer to go to the family doctor who  knows the family members and our case history .Of late it's the other way round,no single doctor treats you as every other doctor is a specialist.For every doctor you consult you have to parrot the ailments, medicines taken, symptoms etc.,

Here comes your previous prescriptions,file them chronologically along with the  studied reports for Xray, ECG,EEG even if you throw the report sheets /charts.File them and name them on the cover and keep it handy especially for senior citizens.This way of taking the prescriptions  to the doctor makes the consultation easy. 

In some hospitals you get concession, a separate queue, and wards and specialists for geriatrics. 

Once the doctor prescribes, make him read out the medicines he has prescribed so that you know the name of the  medicines and their dosages. Alternately  ask him about the availability, if not so  ,an alternative medicine and its dosage. Medicines availability differs from place to place. Wise thing is when you go out of station carry all the essential medicines at least a week's extra as spare along with the prescriptions. 

Remember to go by the numbers mentioned after the capsule or tablet, as they signify the amount of dosage , [like 200 mg, 500, 400 mg] if the same is not available do not go by the chemists recommendation, instead try to find out from the doctor the alternative, all are not like the paracetamol  ( over the counter) where if Crocin is not available you can take Metacin, Calpol , Dolo etc...

If by chance you have any allergies to medicines prescribed earlier ,mention that or show the prescriptions. 

Sometimes pain killers like Combiflam, Brufen irritate the stomach , so the doctors prescribe antacids like Rantac, Ranitidine or Zintac . Normally if one is on antibiotic, B complex is given to compensate the heat generated by the antibiotics. Or elders used to supplement it with milk.Never hide anything from the doctor, one should not lie to the lawyers and doctors,one can lie to the  neighbours, friends ,wife, husbands, or lovers !

Apart from the prescriptions make an entry in a diary with the patient's name and the ailment and the medicines with the dosages , this may come handy when the doctor is not available or during weekends , or  there is no possibility of visiting the doctor and the same has occurred earlier. Take two  doses and call the doctor to verify whether you are on the same lines. 
Find out if the ailment persists for a  culture test to determine the sensitivity and resistant of certain medicines .

How many of the immediate  family members know the names of medicines of the elders at home? To avoid confusion with the medicines save them as draft in your mobile and  mail and this will save you from the task of recollecting from the memory. This works quite  handy with senior citizens.  Let it remain keep as a ready reckoner.All senior citizens are entitled for a ten percent discount in medicines. 

Avoid buying OC [ over the counter ] medicines or do not follow what others take to cure their ailment . Remember one man's food is another man's poison! Each one's constitution is different the severity of illness varies . 

Once a month go thro' the ''medicine kit "to check whether you have any medicines that have expired, remove them and put them to the plants, plants grow well. 

When you are taking out the tablets or capsules from the strip, try not to take out first from the side where the date of expiry is printed.

Never give even ordinary medicines like Metacin, Coldarin, Crocin etc, or diarrhea medicines to servant maids,they are not  that much literate, and by chance if something happens to them , be ready to take the blame even though  you gave them medicine out of good will.

Maintain a First Aid Box in the vicinity but out of reach of children. Get the sterilized cottons from the chemists, store water proof band aids.

Now a days you get all balms in a small container for travel. Buy them and keep in your bed room.

Feel free to clear your doubts with the doctor, it's better to note down your questions and doubts   so that you don't forget or waste his time by keep going frequently.
Mobile is the best mode to jot down the reminders so why not make use of it?

Health is Wealth, Disease is a Curse!
A healthy mind in a healthy body!