Category: *Pharmasave

Are you heading to the cottage this summer or planning on camping? Worried about being exposed to the West Nile virus? The risk of becoming infected with the West Nile virus is greatest during mosquito season. In Canada, this can start as early as mid-April and last until late September or October. Here are suggestions…

Spending a week at the cottage, going fishing or sailing, or just having fun in your backyard pool can make for a great summer. But water needs to be treated with respect or accidents can happen. By paying attention to certain safety rules and by knowing what to do in case of an emergency, you…

One of the best parts of summer is having the time to do some of the things you really enjoy. This can mean long bike rides, playing football, golfing, camping, hiking, and all kinds of fun activities. Whichever ones you and your family are involved in, you’ll have more fun and be safer if you…

Most people love sunny, warm days, when they can get outside for fun and soak up the sun. But sun is one good thing you can have too much of – and not even know you’ve had too much until much later, when, like about 80,000 Canadians every year, you’re diagnosed with skin cancer. Fortunately,…

Friends, family, and food play a large role in summer fun. Barbecues, picnics, and family get-togethers can provide us with some great memories. But summer heat can play havoc with some of our food – a delicious steak or burger (or even a cool salad) can be a breeding ground for bacteria. It’s important to…

A stroke occurs when the flow of blood to a part of the brain is cut off. This can be due to something (usually a blood clot) blocking the flow of blood to the brain (ischemic stroke). It can also be caused by a burst blood vessel bleeding into the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). About 80%…

Stroke is the third-largest killer of Canadian adults, after heart disease and cancer. It’s also the primary cause of physical disabilities and is second only to Alzheimer’s disease as a cause of mental disability. In Canada, there are more than 50,000 strokes a year. About 6% of deaths in Canada are due to stroke –…

Your best bet in preventing stroke is to identify your risk factors for stroke, and to work on the ones that can be controlled or treated. Your health care professional will be able to help you identify the risk factors that you can work on, and develop a plan that will work for you. There…

Stroke is a medical emergency. It is important to get emergency medical help right away so that the stroke can be treated. Strokes can be treated with medications, surgery, or other non-surgical techniques. The exact treatment used depends on the type of stroke, when the stroke started, and the overall health of the person having the…

Fact or fiction: You shouldn’t wake a sleepwalker.Fiction!Sleep mythologists once sternly warned to never wake a sleepwalker – and that rousing one could even startle them to death! It’s true that it can be quite difficult to wake a sleepwalker, since the behaviour typically happens during deep sleep. And an awakened sleepwalker would be disoriented…

Do you wake up feeling refreshed, alert, and ready to meet the challenges of the day? If not, here are some tips to help you get there: Keep regular hours. Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, including weekends. Avoid taking long naps during the day. These could make it harder…

If you’ve tried everything and still don’t seem to be getting enough sleep, speak with your doctor. Your sleep problems may be due to a medical condition or one of the medications you are taking. Most sleep problems can be diagnosed and treated safely and effectively. Some of the most common sleep disorders are: sleep…

Some people choose to “get away” with less sleep, and this attitude is often rewarded in our society. But lack of sleep can actually make you less productive, even if you feel as though you’re getting more done. And sleep deprivation can do much more than hurt your productivity – it can damage your health as well. Sleep…

How much sleep do you really need? In general, most adults need about 7 hours of sleep per night. Children and adolescents need even more – around 9 or 10 hours per night. However, the amount of sleep people need varies widely, ranging from 5 to 10 hours per night. The important thing is to find…

Take control of stress with the following tips: Simplify Set priorities for yourself. Organize your time so that you do the things that are most important to you first. Let less important things go. Make decisions right away instead of putting them off. Worrying about what decision you have to make can cause unnecessary stress.…