Tis the Season For Ailments, Ask A Pharmacist For Help

During summer when the temperature is warm and it seems that no one has a care in the world, we don’t get bogged down with any worries, until the kids go get back to school!

Back to routine also means back to germs and other ailments. Germs become readily accessible now that everyone is in enclosed spaces. Whether it’s at school and the kids are playing sports or even us adults at work getting sick from folks who don’t know how to stay home when they have a bug; the opportunity to “catch something” is very high.

My son attends preschool Montessori and I love to call him my little germ carrier, but that’s just a given! I can’t honestly expect him to be completely mindful about avoiding viruses.

However, for my teenaged daughters both in first and last year of high school respectively; they are also bringing home cold viruses from the many sports they are playing. Accidentally drinking out of the wrong water bottle, not remembering to wash their hands after a volleyball, handball or soccer game, and inhaling the viruses floating through the air where one daughter has her hip hop dance class, all lead to the potential of getting sick. Lucky for them I CAN tell them to be more mindful about their hand washing regimen.

Thanks to the many physical activities my daughters participate in, acne starts to rear its ugly head. The pharmacist has been quite helpful with suggesting products for each of them that aren’t harsh yet achieve results for their skin regimen, as they both have different skin types. I love that the pharmacist asked about their eating habits, as that plays a role in their skincare. Suggesting vitamin supplements for picky teens who don’t eat properly was great advice!

I also know that this time of year the air is really dry so having a humidifier helps and it also assists with battling some of the cold symptoms we’ve experienced.  Receiving tips on how to ensuring our skin stays moisturized is important as both my middle child and youngest child have mild eczema. Cerave cream has been a godsend for my son!

In the past year we had a Shoppers Drug Mart built literally behind our house. It’s about a two minute walk and I can practically see the back of their building from the back of my own house!

We waited so long to finally have a pharmacy in our neighbourhood.  As a matter of fact, the pharmacist that is in the new location used to be the pharmacist I always dealt with in my old neighbourhood.  I love that she already knows me and knows my family so I can easily ask her about anything.

Even when I suggest more natural ways to battle a head cold such as taking Oil of Oregano or drinking echinacea tea, my pharmacist is there to help guide my decision making without telling me what to do and keeping me informed.

Check out your local pharmacist! They can help!