Are you giving Tempra or Tempra Forte?

The Tempra drops are usually 120 mg/5mL, with the maximum dosage of up to 600 mg per day. But this is usually given to children aged 12 to 24 months. My baby is older than 2 years.

Then there’s Tempra Forte (250 mg/5mL), and the dosage the last time was for 5ml, per dose (every four hours, if the temp is at least 37.7 C).

That’s one of the confusing things about getting medicine from drugstores. The friendly pharmacist asks for what age, you tell her the age of your child, you hurriedly glance at the contents of the plastic bag and see “Tempra”, and then you dash out of the store (after paying, of course) and go about doing your other errands.

And then you tiredly plop onto your couch at home, find out your child has fever, administer the needed paracetamol, and then…

Yes, that’s when you notice you’re giving plain Tempra instead of the forte version. Of course, you can try giving 10mL, but it really is better to consult with your child’s pediatrician. Better yet, go and get the correct type of Tempra.

According to Tempra – Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, the recommended dosage for children in the 2 to Under 4 years age group is: “160 mg every 4 to 6 hours to a maximum of 800 mg in one day.”

So if we’re using the 120 mg/5mL type of Tempra, then give 6.6mL.

If we’re using the 250 mg/5 mL Tempra Forte, then each dose should be 3.2 mL (since my baby was taking more than that, then body weight must be a factor since my baby’s weight is above average.

Fortunately, there is a guide to giving Tempra based not just on the child’s age, but also on the weight: Pain and Fever Medication: Tempra Drops.

For children weighing 16 to 21.9kg, the recommended dosage is 7.5mL (assuming the medicine is 160 mg/5 mL). That comes out to 240 mg, or 5 mL if using Tempra Forte (and 10 mL if using Tempra 120 mg / 5 mL).

Take note: Do not exceed more than 5 doses daily for a maximum of 5 days.

In the end, it is better to consult your doctor or pediatrician.

Oh no… I wonder how long I’ll have to wait before I can enjoy products like REESE’S Peanut Butter Cups. Woe is me. Just to be clear, though, we’re not saying that particular product is contaminated. All we’re focused on is while the FDA is still investigating the matter, let us simply postpone our peanut butter binge.

Now if you’ve eaten any product containing pbut, and you experience fever or abdominal cramps between 12 to 72 hours from the time you ate, then it would be best to see a health care professional to assess if you are showing signs of salmonella infection.

In the meantime, let’s all take in lots of fluids and pray for patience as we wait for more information about this outbreak.

In fact, they even quoted Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition: “They should not be changing the diet. If they’ve been feeding a particular product, they should continue to feed that product. That’s in the best interest of the baby.”

I know… Some parents will have quite a reaction to that statement. Perhaps what the experts are saying is that trace levels of melamine are better than not serving milk at all to bottle-fed babies.

Anyway, you’re probably curious: Who are these top-selling manufacturers of infant formula?

The three firms – Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson – manufacture more than 90 percent of all infant formula produced in the United States.

I don’t know… It makes me uneasy. It would be better if the milk that my baby consumes has zero levels of melamine. Your body cannot break down melamine, right? And it stays inside… Or at least that’s what I’ve heard.

Is this some kind of capitulation that we truly cannot avoid melamine? That somehow, some amount of it will always find its way into the food chain? Anyway, that’s life and we’re all in the same boat together.

My baby drinks Pediasure, which is manufactured by Abbott Laboratories. And here is the Abbott Nutrition Statement on Melamine and Infant Formulas released on Nov. 26, 2008:

Abbott infant formulas are completely safe and we stand behind them.

Melamine is not an ingredient or additive in our formula.

The type of melamine found in trace amounts in infant formula is approved for food contact and is used in all sorts of food packaging including some infant formula containers. These trace amounts of melamine have not been shown to cause health problems.

By contrast, the tainted milk in China that caused children to become sick was due to intentional adulteration. That is, unscrupulous farmers and milk producers deliberately contaminated their milk with melamine in order to cheat on quality tests. That situation is entirely different from what we have found in the United States. The Chinese milk that made babies sick contained up to 10,000 times the amount of melamine that has been found here in the US.

Out of an abundance of caution, we confirmed that no milk or milk proteins that we use come from China. For extra safety precautions, Abbott Nutrition conducted extensive testing of all our ingredients to confirm no presence of melamine in the ingredients used to make our infant formulas. There was no melamine detected in our powdered or liquid formulas over the standard 1 part per million.

Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition stated “[moms] should not be changing the diet. If they’ve been feeding a particular product, they should continue to feed that product. That’s in the best interest of the baby.”

I wonder if Abbott (Philippines) will issue any statement about the milk manufactured here. Will be scouting for more melamine news in the coming days.

I like eating Khong Guan biscuits. That’s why I was surprised to read that in Malaysia, excessive traces of melamine were found in some biscuits.

It’s no longer enough to check if a milk product is from China. Good thing there’s Google blogsearch which allows us to quickly see what’s being blogged about melamine.

Stay healthy, everyone…

Last October 2, ABS-CBNNews.com reported in Independent lab confirms eight products contaminated with melamine the following:

An independent testing center has found out that eight food products, including a popular brand of processed meat and an iced drink sold by a popular coffee shop, have tested positive for melamine contamination.

ABS-CBN News on Thursday obtained exclusively the test results from the independent laboratory Progressive Laboratories (Qualibet Testing Center) in Quezon City, which tested 14 China-made products for possible melamine contamination.

Now that there doesn’t seem to be any official announcement yet, do we all sit back and wonder if the product that Qualibet tested came from Starbucks, Figaro, Gloria Jeans Coffees, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, or any of our other favorite coffee chains in the Philippines?

I wish the BFAD and DOH would work faster. Or at least, the companies with milk-related products could help by coming out with their announcements about their products. Hopefully, those announcements will be direct and to the point. Something around the lines of “our products do not contain melamine.”

All this silence is making me nervous and makes me want to reach for some yummy iced coffee.

Department of Health (DOH) and BFAD officials had repeatedly clarified that the products on the list are not necessarily melamine-contaminated. They said only milk products from China should be avoided by the public.

Only milk products? What about the Lotte Cream Cheese Cake in Hong Kong, or the Ritz Cracker Sandwiches Cheese in Korea?

The bottomline is that the public should not be lulled into some sense of complacency by the term “milk products”, because there are other snacks that our children consume which don’t exactly scream “milk product” when these are passed in front of our faces.

In addition, parents should not just focus on China and blindly rush to products from say, New Zealand. In fact, there is a baby survey check being conducted in New Zealand to check “if any New Zealand babies have been affected by melamine poisoning.”

Kent Atkinson writes in Melamine scare sees NZ firm suspend exports about Tatua Cooperative Dairy Company Ltd. [Found out about this thanks to FrogBlog]

In recent Philippine news, the Department of Health (DOH) mentioned something about focusing on milk from China. Since this is a world-wide issue, I hope the DOH adopts a more global approach. One way they can do this is by monitoring blogs that talk about melamine via BlogSearch, and they will be able to keep abreast of more or less uptodate info.

Sometimes, people prefer to micro-blog rather than blog, so another way of finding out what people are saying about melamine is to monitor melamine posts in Twitter.

Every choice carries benefits and risks. Weighing them can be tricky. But the pros and cons of buying contact lenses versus having laser surgery can be boiled down to a few simple guidelines.

Any decision made between getting contacts or laser surgery on your eyes should be made in consultation with your eye care professional, of course. But getting them to stand still long enough to answer your questions can be a challenge. Here are some guidelines that will help you go in prepared.

Cost is the first consideration for most people, and it’s a valid one. While everyone rightly considers his or her health paramount, most people won’t look into the health risks until they know whether they can afford the options.

Contact lenses are not cheap. But, they’re relatively low cost compared to laser surgery and are more often covered by insurance programs. A pair of contact lenses may run anywhere from $20 to $100, but there are other costs associated with this option, including cleaning solution and doctor visits. Still, the total may be less than $200 per year, not including the value of your time spent in the doctor’s office.

Laser surgery, by comparison, can cost anywhere from $2,000 per eye to $5,000 per eye. Include doctor visits and the total is about $4,500 to $11,000. On the upside, it is a one-time cost and some insurance programs will help in part to offset it.

The convenience factor involved is no small matter to most people, either. The thought of having one procedure that is (usually) painless, brief and reliable versus having to wear contacts for a lifetime is very attractive to many. And, rightly so. While contacts have evolved considerably over the years, they still require daily to monthly changing and replacement every two to three years. Disposables are changed from every day to once per month.

Still, the health risks – while low for either option – should not be dismissed.

Laser surgery rarely results in any long-term negative health impact. But some patients do experience dry eye (lowered ability to produce tears, leading to discomfort and reduced vision). While rare, it’s possible for surgery to actually reduce vision acuity. More often, though still very uncommon, patients report halos, reduced ability to see clearly in fog or lower light, and other issues that interfere with good vision.

Contact lenses, even today though, are not entirely without risk. All contact lenses reduce the amount of air that gets to the surface of the eye. That increases the odds of corneal infection. Modern RGP (rigid gas permeable) lenses allow five times more oxygen through than contact lenses of the past. But it’s still not the same as wearing no contacts at all.

Contact lenses can also lead to corneal or sclera scarring. Sclera is the relatively hard surface tissue of the outer eye that protects the eyeball. That is more likely if a piece of grit gets between the contact and eye. Unlikely, but not unknown.

Still, both options carry very little health risk overall. The overwhelming majority of people come through laser surgery with greatly improved vision. Nearly everyone who wears contact lenses of any type daily, whether extended wear or daily-wear, have no problems at all. They adjust rapidly, keep them clean and sanitary, and don’t need to think about them during use.

Look to your budget and consult your eye care professional about the options, making sure to have a frank conversation about risks and likely benefits. You’ll then arrive at the choice that’s best for you.

A clear, relatively hard mound of tissue called the cornea sits in front of the pupil of the eye. Behind the pupil is the lens that focuses light onto the retina, which creates reactions that stimulate the optic nerve to send signals to the visual cortex in the brain. That, in a nutshell, is what makes sight possible. But along the way several things can go wrong.

With age (usually) or disease, or simply because of genetics, the shape of the lens and eyeball can and do become distorted. That distortion also affects the shape of the cornea. The change in shape causes the light rays to focus in front of the retina, behind it, or to be scattered in several directions.

In the first case, the result is nearsightedness or myopia. That is the ability to see things near, but far things appear out of focus. Reading a book is easy, reading road signs while driving can be difficult or impossible without contact lenses or glasses.

When the rays would focus at a point behind the retina the effect is to produce farsightedness, also called hyperopia. Farsightedness is the ability to see things sharply that are (relatively) far away, but things up close look blurry. Reading road signs is easy, reading text on your computer without contact lenses or glasses becomes impossible.

The third case is a little different from either of the other two. In this instance, the eyeball can be misshapen or out of round, making the cornea and lens an improper shape. That produces a condition called astigmatism, the effect of which is to make images appear blurry whether near or far. That double-whammy is one of the reasons that, until recently, it was difficult to produce contact lenses or use laser eye surgery to correct this.

But the solution is (today) straightforward. Insert another lens between the light rays and the human eye’s lens. That works like a camera, which has multiple pieces of glass that can work together to focus the rays onto the film. In this case the ‘film’ is the retina. For centuries, this was done by using glasses, today, contact lenses offer an option enjoyed by millions.

The extra lenses (the contact lenses) ‘float’ on a thin layer of tear-like moisture over the cornea. Because of liquid surface tension and the shape of the eye – carefully matched by shaping the contact lens just right – the lenses can stay on and stay in place.

In short, in technical language, they change the refractive angle of the light. Refract is just a fancy word meaning ‘to bend’. That’s exactly what the lenses do. They bend the light a little bit. It’s bent a little more by the cornea, lens and fluid in the eye and – when everything is adjusted just right – the light is focused sharply onto the retina. The net result is to provide the type of array the visual cortex can correctly process as ‘car’ or ‘baby’ or whatever you happen to be looking at.

Stress can cause us to eat too much, choose the wrong foods, lose sleep, and take up addictive behaviors such as smoking or drinking. These actions will compound the problem if they end up worsening your heartburn.

If you experience chronic heartburn, then you might want to hone in on what stress factors are currently in your life so that you can eliminate them. Are some of your relationships the problem? Your job? Finances or being over-scheduled? Any of these can add to the stress in your life and result in heartburn if the pressure causes you to make bad lifestyle decisions.

As you start to realize the situations that are causing your discomfort, you are in a better position to prevent chronic heartburn by easing your stress levels. Can you enroll in counseling or carve some time out for you to relax and enjoy life a bit more?

Sometimes you can alleviate stress, and ultimately heartburn, by improving your life in different areas. Make time for exercise every day if you aren’t already. You might also lose some weight, which is another major contributor to heartburn.

If you just need to unwind and relax, try meditation or massage. While these may not directly inhibit heartburn, they can make your life less hectic and allow you to de-stress and live the kind of lifestyle that helps heartburn sufferers cut down on the frequency with which they experience heartburn.

Maybe you just need to put on a soothing CD and relax to the sound of music for awhile. This kind of relaxation is helpful in stopping your cravings for food, alcohol or cigarettes. These habits can all lead to a bad case of heartburn.

You might like to exchange your bad habits with a more positive activity, such as laughter. Improve your mood and lose stress by finding things that humor you and help you let go of life’s troubles.

Look for ways to lower your stress and treat your heartburn that won’t hit your wallet too hard. You don’t want to add financial woes to the mix, and there are plenty of free methods you can use to control your heartburn and get the most out of life.

Visit the Heartburn Relief site for more tips on preventing and treating this painful condition.

The essential methods of acne control are to keep pores from getting clogged, unclog infected pores, attack the bacteria causing the infection, or reduce the redness associated with acne.  There are many preventative measures you can take to reduce the chance of having an acne breakout in the first place.  Gently washing your face with soap and water once or twice a day will help prevent your pores from being clogged.  Beyond this, benzoyl peroxide, which is the active ingredient in Oxy pads and many other cleaning wipes, helps to further clean your skin as well as dry it out.  One of the biggest advantages of using benzoyl peroxide is that it can be used in combination with other products to treat acne.

Exfoliating is another very popular method of acne control.  Exfoliating removes the dead skin cells from the surface of your skin.  These dead cells can cause acne breakouts by clogging extremely active oil glands, especially those on your face.  Exfoliating can also make you skin much smoother, softer, and healthy.  However, some exfoliating agents can be very harsh, so a new exfoliating product should first be tested on a small area for reactions before using on your entire face. 

Exfoliating products have added benefits that can help with acne control. Many of them contain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients that will treat the existing acne, as well as reduce the redness and swelling, and thus, decrease the visibility of blemishes. One ingredient to stay away from is salicylic acid, common in many face care products, as it can be too harsh for your facial skin. Other ingredients used in creams and wipes to treat acne, such as sulfur or Azelaic acid, are much better choices and irritate facial skin less.

Some people with severe acne may need to consult a dermatologist for help with their acne control.  A dermatologist may suggest a cleansing regime, use lights or lasers to treat and prevent breakouts, or prescribe medication.  If you are prescribed medication, you should be wary of the side effects, as most acne medication is very harsh, even toxic.  Some of these numerous side effects are somewhat discomforting, but others are very permanent.  A few acne prescriptions have even been linked with depression, sometimes resulting in suicide. 

If you are hesitant to go to a dermatologist for prescription treatments, you could try some of the over-the-counter treatments first. You might find that one of the more inexpensive and easily available acne care products like benzoyl peroxide might work best for you, and you’ll avoid the dangers of harsh acne control medication.

Acne is a common skin problem for most adolescents and also afflicts some adults. People of all ages and backgrounds have had to deal with acne at some point. Hence, there has long been a desire to prevent it or cure it. We will look at some of the causes of acne as well as some of the ways in which people have followed treatment. Our hope is that you will gain a better understanding of why people get acne and what they can do for treatment and prevention.  

What is acne?

For thousands of years, people have struggled with acne. Known in some cultures as a curse from the gods for immoral behavior, acne has largely been misunderstood. Only within the past century or so has the medical field been able to identify the true causes of acne. As one might expect, this has allowed those who suffer the blemishes to gain a certain sense of relief.

An inflammatory disease of the skin, acne is the result of severe changes in the skin’s structure. Acne is thought to be the body’s unusual response to a relatively normal production of testosterone, a male hormone. Rather than a sign that one’s skin is not clean, acne is more closely associated with the hormonal and bacterial activity beneath the skin, which eventually leads to the irritation of the skin. The result is the red swelling we know as acne.

To learn more go to Acne Scar Laser Treatment and at Acne Scarring Treatment also Laser Acne Treatment

While acne care for people with mild to moderate acne is not usually a terrible enigma, people with cystic acne, considered the worst type of acne, can be very difficult.  For individuals that consistently develop cystic acne lesions or have lesions that will not go away, the majority of over-the-counter acne medications have little effect.  In this event, the help of a dermatologist is usually needed. 

Depending on the severity of your acne, your complexion and how oily your skin is, a dermatologist has a wide variety of acne care options to control cystic acne or even remove acne scars.  Oral medications are the oldest type of treatment for severe acne, but many of these medications are very harsh and have some very undesirable side effects.  If a dermatologist does suggest an oral acne medication, you should inquire to the side effects and possible alternatives. 

Lasers are becoming a more common solution for severe acne care.  Lasers can even be used to remove acne scars, if used properly.  However, an inexperienced laser operator can cause permanent scarring. 

There are two types of lasers used to treat acne, called ablative and nonablative lasers.  Ablative lasers are the oldest type and the most potentially dangerous.  Both types of lasers shrink the oil glands, which slows oil production and prevents acne breakouts, but ablative lasers destroy the outermost layer of your skin.  This causes the area treated by ablative lasers to be very red, sensitive and painful until the skin fully heals.  Because the scar tissue is destroyed, the skin that grows back will lack acne scars or wrinkles. 

Nonablative lasers, on the other hand, do not harm the outer layer of skin, but get rid of acne scars by stimulating collegen growth.  However, nonablative lasers, because they are gentler, require multiple treatments, while ablative lasers only require a single treatment. 

One over-the-counter acne care product that can help reduce acne scarring and wrinkles is Azelaic acid.  It is commonly found in the form of a lotion that increases skin moisture.  Although it does not work for everyone, many people do report a reduction in acne scars if they use Azelaic acid.

If you do have chronic cystic acne that you cannot keep under control, a dermatologist may be a good option.  Acne care for severe acne can be difficult, and the risk of acne scarring raises the stakes.  In most cases, it is far easier and cost effective to deal with severe acne early rather than acne scars later.

Who is most likely to get acne?

This question is one that you have probably heard before, and it is usually asked out of fear more than anything else. Due to the negative reaction to acne, people of all ages are concerned that they may end up with the skin problem, or, if they have had acne in the past, that the problem will return.

The truth is that while acne can happen to people of nearly all ages, it common in those who are going through puberty. Most teenagers experience some form of acne. It can begin as early as age eleven or as late as age sixteen. The extremely volatile and changing hormone levels of prepubescent life and the body’s response to those changes are the main reasons why teens experience acne more often than people of different ages. People who have had acne at an earlier stage in their life are also susceptible to a return.    

To learn more go to Acne Light Treatment and at Home Treatment For Acne also Acne cure

Nail fungus most often affects the toenails, and perhaps a ramification by mycosises of the foot like athletes foot. What may commence as a white or brown spot on a single nail can address crumbling, yellowed, and sometimes painful nails when fungus takes control. Nail fungus are particularly difficult to remove because they’ve found a perfect home in your nails. The nails don't barely allow wet, they as well allow protective cover. Nail fungus infections, also referred to as onychomycosis, are extremely common. Approximately twelve percent  of all Americans bear of nail fungus.

Toenail fungus infection (also called onychomycosis ) is purportedly one of those medical conditions that doctors immediately abandon on, much like my warts . It’s very hard to eliminate simply because the fungus lives comfortably underneath the hard and well-protected nails. Nail fungus is very painsome condition and it can be spread to the other parts of the body. I think use such cream which can counter the germs, stop the further spreading and grouth for new nail. Nail fungus affects older people whose skin is thickening, Nail fungus also tends to affect men more than women and those with a family history of this infection. Those suffering from diabetes, circulatory problems or weakened immune system are at a higher risk of contracting nail fungus, that’s when toenail fungus trea oil can help to preven this issues

Nail fungus can be very stubborn to treat and people whose infection clears often find that it returns soon after discontinuing the medication. Oral antifungals all have significant side-effects and interact with many other medications. Nail fungus may also spread from one of your nails to other nails. Nail fungus is an awful condition that can really be bothersome. It’s a condition in which a fungus invades the skin in and around the nail bed.

Eyeglasses are great for some people. Laser surgery works for many. But millions now enjoy the comfort, ease of use and sharp optics given by contemporary contact lenses.

Because of the way the eye and visual system work, it’s relatively straightforward today to design contact lenses that correct most vision problems. Manufacturing techniques have been raised to a high art and most of the research now goes into finding materials for longer wear or less likelihood of eye health problems.

That makes choosing a contact lens a snap today. A modern, professional eye exam allows for extremely accurate measurement of the eye and vision correction needs. The result is a prescription that fits you perfectly in any of dozens of designs and types you might want.

Choices run the gamut.

Soft contact lenses have been in use for a generation now and they continue to be the choice of millions. Virtually gone are the hard, glass contacts of yesteryear. Today’s soft lenses come in disposable, extended wear and many other options, including different types of tinting or coloring. Some tints are only meant to make the contact easy to see and handle and hard to lose. Others are intended to shift or change entirely your eye color.

But firmer lenses are still desired by or needed by many. RGP (rigid gas permeable) types are the most common here. Midway between a hard lens and a soft lens, they allow considerable oxygen through the lens to optimize eye health. Their extra firmness makes them a good choice for those with mild astigmatisms or who desire extra long life in a contact lens.

Toric contact lenses, particularly the prosite type, are useful for those with more pronounced astigmatisms. They’re also a good choice for those who want a multifocal lens, such as bifocals or progressives.

Whichever type of contact lens you get, they will generally be comfortable and provide excellent vision, if cared for and used correctly. That means cleaning them when needed, inserting and removing them according to the manufacturer’s and your doctor’s guidance. It also means using them the right way, not trying to treat daily contacts like extended wear, for example.

But, even lenses that are designed and used perfectly can occasionally cause complications. Dry eye, blurred vision, discomfort and other issues do happen to a small percentage of contact lens users. In some cases, conjunctivitis, corneal abrasions and other eye health issues are possible. When they happen, remove the contacts and consult your physician immediately. In most cases, the problem can be cleared up quickly and you can resume wearing your contacts soon.

Get a careful exam, buy from reputable dealers and use your contacts the way they were meant to be worn and you can enjoy years of perfect vision.

Weight loss lie 1. You will not be hungry on this diet.

One of the first questions you want to know the answer to is this and you want to know for sure you will not go hungry. Overeating is why you are overweight and by eating less you send a message to your body that you are not eating as much? I have followed over 20 diets in the last 30 years and they are all wrong - you will be hungry on any diet. You will not be stuffing your stomach with food all day like you normally do so it means you will be hungry.

Weight loss lie 2. You do not need willpower on this diet.

Another way they phrase this is that you will find it easy to stick to. The strict dieting requires iron willpower and complete commitment. You are in a personal struggle for your bodies health. You will find it hard.

Weight loss lie 3. You can eat what you like and no one will know you are on a diet.

You most definitely cannot eat what you like. That is how you became overweight. You will not be eating all your favourite foods while you are on the diet. You will be eating things you are not used to and may not enjoy very much. But by doing this you will lose weight

Weight loss lie 4. You will find it easy to keep the weight off when you finish.     

You will find it very difficult to keep the weight off and will have to plan your strategy for keeping slim at the end of your diet. It will not just happen.

I hope this dose of reality doesn’t make you too miserable about your diet. My intention is to help you lose weight. If I can do it so can you.