5: Conventional Medical and Health Care Flashcards
(48 cards)
Self-care
personal health maintenance
Practicing self-care at home is a way to combat ______
rising doctor costs
OTC medicine
sold without a prescription
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s list of general prevention = ‘Tips for College Health and Safety’
- Eat healthy and be physically active
- Diet with variety of fruits/vegetables/whole grains daily
- Limit calories, sugar, salt, fat, alcohol
- Maintain a healthy weight
- 2.5 hours of activity that increase heart rate/week - Stay safe: manage stress levels by …
- Getting enough sleep
- Avoid overuse of alcohol
- Build social supports while retaining time for yourself
- Seek necessary help if struggling with depression/suicidal thoughts
- **be aware/keep safe from sexual assault - Prevent the spread of infectious disease
- 1/2 of all new STIs occur in people under 25
- Get tested, know status, immunizations - Avoid substance abuse
Know the impact of binge drinking and how it contributes to poor decision making and injury/violence
Monitor your symptoms
Describe nature of symptoms
- when they began
- how long they’ve lasted
- severity
who is responsible for monitoring and approving OTC drugs
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states drugs will be available OTC if:
- Drug’s benefits outweigh its risks
- Potential for misuse and abuse is low
- Consumer can use them for self-diagnosed conditions
- Drug can be adequately labeled
- Health practitioners are not needed for the safe and effective use of the product
Pain Relievers (analgesics )
Come in 2 forms
- Acetaminophen
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Acetaminophen
- Ex. Tylenol
- Found in over 600 drugs
- Reduces sensation of pain by blocking pain receptors in the brain and spinal cord
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- ex. naproxin, aspirin, ibuprofen
- Slows the production of enzymes that in turn slow the production of prostaglandins
prostaglandins: responsible for swelling and pain production when body suffers injury
prostaglandins
responsible for swelling and pain production when body suffers injury
T or F Each NSAID has different dosing requirements
T
Antihistamines
Allergy Medicine
= counteract the physiological effects (symptoms) of histamine production in allergic reactions and colds
= When the body senses a foreign agent it releases histamine to defend itself, causing an individual to experience runny nose, sneezing and scratchy eyes/throat
1st vs 2nd generation antihistamines
**30+ OTC approved
First-generation antihistamines - Benadryl, Dimetapp
Second-generation - reduces degree of tiredness people feel after use, yet no more effective than first-gen (Cetirizine, Loratadine)
Decongestant
Common Cold
= breaks up congestion, as of the sinuses, by reducing swelling
= Reduces the blood flow to the nasal capillaries, reducing swelling of the tissues in the nose; opening air passages for easier breathing
Few oral decongestants are approved by the FDA, primarily pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine - why?
2006 - George Bush signed a revised version of The Patriot Act directing products containing pseudoephedrine to be pulled from availability as OTC drugs due to its use in making methamphetamine
- 38 states in US have laws restricting availability of pseudoephedrine, most limiting amount you can buy and indicating purchase must come from a pharmacist
Antitussives & Expectorant
Nagging Cough - caused by excess phlegm OR dryness causing cough reflex
Antitussives: stop the cough reflex
- Reduce the sensations in the nerves to tell the brain to cough
- Dextromethorphan = most common, found in nearly all OTC cough suppressants
Expectorant: combat significant phlegm
- Thins and loosens the phlegm so the cough is more “productive”, allowing phlegm removal
- Guaifenesin = only approved OTC expectorant
Natural approaches instead of OTC
- Rest
- Warm salt water gargle (relax nasal passages for a stuffy nose and temporarily ease sore throat pain)
- Hot, steamy shower (temporarily help loosen stuffed nasal passages and relax sore muscles)
Treat yourself when…
○ Illness is minor; cold, influenza, diarrhea, stomach/headaches (OTC medications can be effective)
○ You are not on medication for a chronic illness
○ Symptoms are mild and familiar
○ Symptoms do not last long
○ Pharmacist has given advice on OTC medication to take
See a doctor when…
○ You have a chronic illness and are unsure if this illness is related
○ Symptoms continue or get worse even with rest and use of OTC meds
○ You experience something new
○ You think you may need antibiotics
○ Experience diarrhea or constipation for longer than a week/ notice blood or mucus in diarrhea
○ Feelings of worthlessness or helplessness lasting for at least 2 week
○ You are injured and cannot self-treat
Primary Care Provide
= physicians
= person first seen for checkups and health problems (MD or DO)
Nonphysician Healthcare Providers
- Nurse Practitioner (NP)
- Physician assistant (PA)
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
= RN who has obtained advanced education and clinical training
- Work independently or collaboratively on a healthcare team
- Provides preventative and acute care
- Take health histories, physical exams, diagnose/treat acute and chronic problems, interpret lab/x-ray results, prescribe medications .etc
Physician assistant (PA)
= works under guidance of a physician
- May be principal care providers in rural/inner city clinics where physician is present for only 1-2 days/week, conferring with physician as need as required by law
- may take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and X-rays, and make diagnoses
- treat minor injuries by suturing, splinting, casting and may prescribe certain medications
