Category: Health Tips

Stress affects us all in many ways – the demands of each day, such as work, family, personal issues, and more. Stress is everywhere. It is meant to be a beneficial psychological response for you. However, when not managed properly, it results in negative outcomes that can wear you down both physically and mentally. 

In this guide, we will explain the health consequences of chronic stress and how you can relax and relieve yourself of stress so you can live a productive and healthy lifestyle. 

What Is Stress?

Stress is a normal psychological response to demanding situations. This response to situations may either be real or just perceived. This response is part of the body’s control system, often called the ‘fight or flight response,’ which is built into our system to defend us against injury. 

Physiologically, the stress response is triggered by certain hormone signals, such as adrenaline and cortisol, which result in body responses such as an increase in heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, and blood glucose levels. Hence, when you encounter a real or perceived threat, these hormones are triggered to cause these physiological responses. 

However, these responses to stress can go wild. In other words, there are instances where the perceived threat has passed, and yet the response to stress continues. This disrupts your body’s natural processes leading to constant feelings of being under attack and ultimately negative health consequences. 

Symptoms of Stress

The stress response comes with several feelings, such as anxiety, fear, anger, and aggression. You may feel irritated, frustrated, and depressed even when the stressors aren’t there just because your stress response doesn’t stop firing. These symptoms are not without certain body reactions. Common symptoms of stress include headaches, indigestion, nausea, pains, heart palpitations, digestion problems, and more.

That’s not all, these symptoms can influence your behavior in many ways.  For instance, you may feel withdrawn from people, which can often cause you to snap at them. You may also feel depressed. This can affect your cognition and decision-making, so you may be inflexible or even indecisive

Health Consequences of Long-Term Stress

Prolonged activation of the stress response can disrupt the normal body processes, putting you at risk of many health problems. For instance, prolonged stress can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular problems. 

During a typical stress response, you will find yourself breathing faster than the normal rate. If you have respiratory disorders such as asthma, then stress can make it even harder to breathe. Similarly, chronic stress raises your heart rate and pressure and increases your chances of getting hypertension, stroke, or even a heart attack.

Stress also affects the digestive system. The stress response makes your liver produce extra glucose to boost your energy levels. However, your body may not be able to keep up with processing the glucose rush under chronic stress, which can lead to a risk of the development of type 2 diabetes. 

Furthermore, the effects of chronic stress affect the muscular system. Your muscles begin to get tense and tighter, making them difficult to relax. This can lead to persistent muscle pain, headaches, and more. 

How to Relax and Relieve Yourself of Stress

Dealing with stress begins by first understanding the nature of stress and the stressors. These stressors may be physical events or emotional reactions to pressures you’re faced with. These stressors usually manifest as mild physical warnings of headache, fatigue, and tense muscles. Don’t ignore these early warning signs of stress. 

Now begin to look for practical solutions to deal with the stressor by thinking about where you can make changes. For instance, you may start by prioritizing the most important things in your life and slowly getting rid of the things that are stressing you out. 

You may also try to delegate some of your daily activities so you can have more time to relax and build supportive relationships with friends and family.

Additional tips to relieve stress include:

• Adopting simple lifestyle changes
• Getting a massage
• Going for a walk
• Trying alternative therapies such as yoga or aromatherapy
• Finding a hobby

Get Help for Stress in Charlotte, Rock Hill, & Lancaster

Although it may be challenging, relieving yourself of stress is one of the easiest ways to live a healthy lifestyle. Do you feel stressed? Are you experiencing headaches, tiredness, and mood swings that you can’t explain? Then feel free to contact us for stress management in Charlotte, Rock Hill, and Lancaster. 

 

Getting the best out of your visit to the pharmacy requires asking the right questions. Your conversation with your pharmacist is a two-way street; pharmacists are always ready to listen to your question as much as you’re ready to listen to their medical advice. 

Have you been asking your pharmacists questions about your medications? Do you share information about your medical history and allergies with your pharmacist? It’s time you started asking your pharmacist more questions. Here are some of the common questions to ask your Charlotte area pharmacist.

What Types of Food Does My Medication Interact with?

The scope of pharmaceutical care goes beyond just medications. Our Charlotte area pharmacists can advise on how what you eat or drink interacts with medications since reactions may occur with certain foods. 

In some cases, interactions with foods may be harmful. Always ask your pharmacist if your medicine will interact with any food or alcohol before taking the medication. Moreover, also ask about the best time to take your medications, before or after meals.

Does My Medication Have Any Major Side Effects?

No drug is without one or more side effects. However, the extent and severity of adverse effects differ for every drug. Your pharmacist is a specialized health professional that can inform you of potential side effects you may experience while taking your medication and how you can manage them.

How Do I Store My Medication?

Different medications have different storage conditions. If not stored correctly, they start losing their potency. This affects the effectiveness of prescribed medications. A simple rule of thumb is to store medications in a cool, dry place. Also, keep medications away from humidity, the direct impact of sunlight, and drastic temperature changes. 

However, different medications require specific storage requirements. For instance, some medications, such as glaucoma medications or insulin for managing diabetes, require refrigeration. 

Another pro tip, avoid leaving your medication in your car. If you’re traveling by air, it is advisable to carry your medication in your carry-on luggage to avoid the effect of extreme temperature drops typical of a plane’s luggage hull. Be sure to discuss storage requirements with your pharmacist to be able to maximize the potency of prescribed medications.

What Should I Do if I Miss a Dose?

Sometimes life happens, and you could miss a dose of your medication. That’s understandable. But that’s not a reason for you to double it up the next time you’re to take the medication. That could result in drug toxicity which could wind you up in the emergency room. 

If you missed a dose of your medication, feel free to contact your pharmacist about what to do. However, keep in mind that it is better to comply diligently with your medication regimen for the medication to work effectively leaving little to no room for error.

How Long Should I Continue to Use the Medication?

The right time to stop taking your medication varies depending on the drug and the nature of the condition. For certain drugs, you may feel better after two or three days of commencement of the medication, but you may still have to take them for seven to 14 days for maximum efficiency. Antibiotics fall within this category. 

Some medications require routine monitoring and achievement of a certain set of therapeutic goals before you can decide whether to stop them or not. At times, a change to another medication may be required to effectively treat the condition. 

Regardless of the type of medication you’ve been prescribed, be sure to talk to your pharmacist about the right time you can stop the medication for optimal pharmacy care.

What Other Medications Can My Medicine Interact with?

Just like drugs interact with food, they also interact with other medications. Certain non-prescription drugs are known to interact with prescription medications. Some of these interactions may decrease the effectiveness of the drugs, while others may lead to unwanted adverse effects. 

Do not take any medication with other medications without asking your pharmacist how they interact. Also communicate with your pharmacist if you currently take any herbal medications or alternative therapies.

Find a Knowledgeable Pharmacist Near You in Charlotte, Rock Hill, and Lancaster

Since pharmacists are one of the most accessible healthcare professionals, getting the right medication advice is easier than you think. At Carolina Pharmacy, we provide personalized pharmacy services. Our goal is to ensure that you get the best quality medicines for your health at an affordable price. Feel free to contact us for your pharmaceutical advice in Charlotte, Rock Hill, and Lancaster.

 

It is needless to say that your happiness depends on your being in the best health possible. This is not just about your body health; your mental health is also very important. Fortunately, putting healthy foods as part of your routine can dramatically transform your health positively.

Similarly, avoiding some types of food will prevent the occurrence of commonly encountered diseases that are diet-related. In this guide, we will be going through the best and worst types of food so you can make healthy dietary choices for your health.

Healthy Foods for Your Heart and Body 

Vegetables

Eating enough vegetables may be one of the simplest and cheapest ways to dramatically improve your health. Vegetables have exceptional health benefits because they’re full of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are important for health. 

For instance, the dietary fiber in vegetables is important for digestive health. Dietary fiber works by helping to enhance vitamin and mineral absorption in the body. 

They also contribute to heart health and combat cardiovascular diseases by helping to prevent calcium from building up in your blood vessels through their potassium component. Hence, adding vegetables to your diet is a great dietary choice that should be an important part of your daily recipe.

Avocados

It’s no wonder they’re very popular in health and wellness in Charlotte. Beyond being nutritious, they’re versatile and delicious and have several health benefits. 

Avocados are rich in vitamin C, E, K, B6, folate, lutein, omega-3-fatty acids, potassium, and more. Hence, they’re great for vision and heart health and help to improve digestion. The folate nutrient in avocados has been linked to helping prevent depression and improve cognitive function.

Apples

Apples have outstanding health benefits beyond their delicious taste. They’re rich in soluble fiber and flavonoids, so they help to prevent heart attack or stroke and other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as high cholesterol levels. 

They’ve also been linked to improving diabetes control due to their high levels of antioxidant polyphenols, quercetin, and phloridzin. They also help improve dental health and cognitive function. 

Legumes

Legumes are another affordable, nutritious plant-based protein loaded with health benefits. 

Legumes have powerful health benefits because they deliver antioxidants to cells which help to prevent cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and cancers. They also provide a plant-based protein that can help reduce the risk of heart disease and obesity.

Salmon

One of the most nutritious types of fish with outstanding health benefits. It is well known for its good fats (omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) and wonderful nutrients with excellent health benefits.  

These fatty acids contribute to heart health by helping to control cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation within the artery when combined with potassium. Additionally, salmon is rich in dietary protein, which is the building block of muscles and cartilage. 

Surprisingly, they also boost brain health due to their high levels of DHA, so they can help prevent psychological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and related cognitive disorders.

Tuna

If you’ve been looking out for one of the best sources of vitamin D, then you have tuna. Beyond improving heart health and helping to reduce blood pressure, tuna improves eye health because it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It contains high levels of protein, so it aids growth and development and may also help combat metabolic deficiency. 

Foods That May Harm Your Health

Sugar Drinks

You’ve probably heard that consuming too many sugary drinks is bad for your health. That’s a fact. Too much sugar has been linked to diabetes, cavities, non-alcoholic liver diseases, and weight gain. Sugary beverages have also been linked to heart diseases by causing inflammation within the blood vessels and increasing the risk of heart disease.

Potato Chips

Potato chips are one of the most popular salted snacks in the United States. Potato chips are high in sodium which makes them dangerous to the heart by contributing to high blood pressure. 

They’re also high in fat because most potato chips are typically fried in oil as part of their cooking method. Additionally, their processing can lead to dangerous by-products, such as acrylamide which can cause cancers and neurological damage.

Alcohol

Heavy alcohol consumption has been linked to inflammation of the liver, which leads to cirrhosis and is a serious health problem. Excessive alcohol consumption also has a negative impact on your brain, body weight, heart health, and dental health and could potentiate type-2 diabetes. 

Flavored Yogurt & Ice Cream

Flavored yogurt and ice cream give a satisfying feeling in the mouth, no doubt. Both contain sugar and may have negative health impacts that are typical of sugars.

Get Health Tips from Your Pharmacists in Charlotte, Lancaster, and Rock Hill

At Carolina Pharmacy, we help you stay on top of your health by providing you with tips and guides that will improve your quality of life. Contact us for more information on how to maintain your body health in Charlotte, Lancaster, and Rock Hill.