Birth Control Pills - What you should know!

It's one of the most widely used medications out there.  There are a number of reasons why many young ladies take them including to prevent pregnancies, to manage painful cramps and to avoid having a period altogether.

While many people know about these positives, few know about the possible side effects, the worst of which are blood clots that have lead to a number of deaths as reported by CBC news.  The statistics show that approximately 1 in 10,000 women taking any form of birth control experience some form of blood clot, but Yaz and Yasmin have higher incidences.

Usually side effects such as mood based changes (ie. depression) are noticed by the women taking the drugs, but few know about the slow creeping effects of the pills.  Over time, birth control pills can leach nutrients from your body, the way other medications such as steroids and reflux medications can.  Take a look at this article from a registered pharmacist describing what vitamins and minerals are leached from chronic use of these meds.

http://metronews.ca/health/709891/taking-a-birth-control-pill-it-might-be-leaching-nutrients-from-your-body/

Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND

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Puffers/Steroids don't work for wheezing children

The details are little bit vague, but I recall going to a doctor when I was younger and being prescribed puffers for wheezing symptoms. The doctor said it was for prevention. And that's the advice many children are given when it come to wheezing. My parents are big believers in Traditional Chinese Medicine and didn't believe in steroid use (ie. puffers) for prevention so I went off it. I've never experienced any wheezing or asthmatic symptoms since that one summer. Lucky for me I guess and lucky that I didn't continue taking the steroids.

Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine is now advocating that most steroid use for children prone to wheezes and colds is largely ineffective. This article reported on two studies conducted. One involved British preschoolers who were admitted to hospitals for wheezing attacks. Those treated with the steroids had the same recovery period as those given fake pills. The second study was on Canadian kids taking steroids for prevention. The results showed that preventive steroid use had modest improvement with the wheezing, but the side effect of possible stunted growth outweighed the benefits.

Even I was surprised by this research because steroids are quite effective at opening the airways, especially during asthma attacks. For those of you with asthma, it's still important to carry your puffer, but if your child experiences transient wheezing episodes (like I did), you should consult your doctor about this latest piece of research.

Yours in health,

Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"