RenalNews: Spring Clean Your Medicine Cabinet

Iya Bekondo-Granatella — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 15:43:50 +0000

As the weather slowly gets warmer, and the days are getting longer; we can conveniently say Spring has officially sprung. Hence, the time honored ritual; spring cleaning.
Almost always neglected in this ritual, are your medicine cabinets. Chances are, if you open up your medicine cabinet, you’ll find some old prescription bottles or maybe some leftover medication that “might come in handy someday.” In actuality, those medications may have expired and may cause more harm than you realize.
It is therefore very important to extend spring cleaning to your medicine cabinet and here are 6 tips to get you started:
Check the Dates: Examine everything in your medicine cabinet, including ointments, creams, supplements and vitamins. Discard anyitem that is beyond the expiration date. Many medications lose their effectiveness after the expiration date. Some may even be toxic. For prescriptions, follow the one year cut off rule. Discard any prescription medications that are more than one year old.
Ditch Any Items That Have Changed Color, Smell or Taste: This includes any colors that have faded, because they may have been exposed to too much light or moisture.
Discard Unmarked Containers: If something is no longer in its original container and cannot be identified, get rid of it. In the future, try to always keep medications in their original containers so that you can easily recognize every medication. This includes ointments, since these can easily be mistaken for creams and vice versa.
Consider the Location of Your Medicine Cabinet: Many people don’t realize that the bathroom cabinet is not the best place to store medication. The temperature and humidity changes that take place while the shower is running can lower the potency of your medication. Medications should be kept in a cool dry place, away from children. Consider a drawer in your dresser or a lock box in your closet. Using the same location will help to maintain the same temperature.
Be Careful About Throwing Out Medication: Because of the potential harm to the environment, it is NOT recommended to simply throw out medication or flush them down the toilet. However, some medications can be flush down the toilet or sink. Click here to checkout FDA’s recommended list of medications that can be flushed out.
You can also find additional instructions on how to dispose medicines on DailyMed by searching on the drug name.
Here are some simple steps to dispose certain medications in the household trash:
Place all medication in a sealable bag. If there are solid medications, add some water so they can dissolve. Add kitty litter, coffee grounds, saw dust, or any material that mixes well and makes it unappealing children, animals or anyone else to consume. Seal the bag and put it in the trash.
Remove any identifying information on the prescription bottle (like the label), clean and recycle.
Your local pharmacy, fire and police department or Drug Enforcement Agency may also be able to assist in disposing of medication in a safe manner. As a matter of fact this weekend April 26, 2014 is the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day checkout http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html to locate a collection site near you.

With your support, The Iya Foundation, Inc is confident a feasible early detection, surveillance and treatment program can be established to slow, and possibly prevent the progression of kidney disease in the U.S, and particularly in the African Immigrant Community in the U.S.
Click here to support The Iya Foundation, Inc.

RenalNews: How Eating the Wrong Kind of Protein Could Cause Damage to Your Kidneys – Inflammation

Iya Bekondo-Granatella — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 18:12:19 +0000

Inflammation is the body’s attempt at self protection; the aim being to remove harmful stimuli, including damaged cells, irritants, or pathogens – and then begin the healing process.
Inflammation contributes to a number of diseases such as kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
Individuals who consume most of their protein from meat, especially red meat, have higher levels of inflammation than those who consume their protein from fish or plant based sources of protein. During the cooking process, high fat and high protein animal foods develop Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) which contribute to inflammation and degenerative diseases like diabetes – the number one leading cause of kidney disease, and atherosclerosis.
The point is, try to make it a habit to keep your red meat consumption to about twice a week or less, and try to stick to leaner cuts like sirloin, flank, or tenderloin steaks. Importantly, make an effort to promote the intake of vegetable proteins, mainly legumes.

Note that, although a high protein intake has been shown to accelerate kidney damage in people who already have kidney disease, higher protein diets may not adversely affect kidney function in healthy people. Just consume the right kind of protein.
Signs of inflammation include:
Pain: caused by chemicals that stimulate nerve endings, being released; making the area much more sensitive.
Heat: due to the presence of more blood on the affected area, making it feel hot to the touch.
Redness: occur as capillaries fill up with more blood than usual.
Swelling: due to accumulation of fluid.
Immobility: caused by loss of function in affected area, caused by swelling.
With your support, The Iya Foundation, Inc is confident a feasible early detection, surveillance and treatment program can be established to slow, and possibly prevent the progression of kidney disease in the U.S, and particularly in the African Immigrant Community in the U.S.
Click here to support The Iya Foundation, Inc.

the iya project kidney disease awareness – The Iya Foundation

RenalNews: Spring Clean Your Medicine Cabinet

RenalNews: How Eating the Wrong Kind of Protein Could Cause Damage to Your Kidneys – Inflammation