Flu Activity

Influenza activity continues to increase across Canada. The majority continues to be A(H3N2). In keeping with the early influenza activity this season, several indicators of influenza activity are above the expected levels for this time of year. The majority of hospitalizations and deaths have been among adults 65 years of age and older. Howden Medical Clinic advises you to receive flu shot specially for higher risk people.

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Peel Region Residents

Low risk of infection including hepatitis B and C, HIV in 1000 of Peel Residents who received treatment at a surgical facility in Burlington called Ontario Institute of Facial Surgery. Contact your health care provider to be tested if you have been treated in this facility.

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Diet and Hypertension

The combination of reduced sodium intake and the DASH diet lowered SBP throughout the range of pre- and stage 1 hypertension, with progressively greater reductions at higher levels of baseline SBP. SBP reductions in adults with the highest levels of SBP (=150 mm Hg) were striking and reinforce the importance of both sodium reduction and the DASH diet in this high-risk group.

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Smoking Cessation

Smoking Cessation

Observational studies suggest that the elevated vascular risk induced by cigarette smoking can be decreased by quitting, and reversed after 5 years of abstinence. The success of a quit attempt can be enhanced by the use of a cessation aid. Options available include: nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) (gum, patch, inhalers, lozenges), bupropion and varenicline. While widely promoted as a cessation aide, e-cigarettes are not recommended for smoking cessation due to a lack of evidence supporting their efficacy and long-term safety. Nonpharmacologic interventions, in combination with pharmacologic therapies, are effective in optimizing success rates and may be superior to pharmacologic therapies alone.

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Important Safety Information on ALESSE 21 and ALESSE 28: Packages Containing Broken or Split Tablets

Important Safety Information on ALESSE 21 and ALESSE 28: Packages Containing Broken or Split Tablets

Health Canada and Pfizer Canada Inc. have received reports for packages of ALESSE 21 and ALESSE 28 where the blister packages contained a single active (pink) tablet that was broken. This could reduce the dose of hormones and potentially result in an unintended pregnancy due  to insufficient action of the contraceptive hormones levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol.

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Opioid Use

Health Canada strengthens safety information for all opioid drugs Health Canada held a Scientific Advisory Panel on Opioid Use and Contraindications, to consider whether the current contraindications for opioid use are sufficient, or whether labelling updates and other actions may be needed to reduce risks to Canadians. After thoroughly assessing the Panel’s recommendations, Health Canada is working with manufacturers to update the Canadian labelling of all prescription opioid products.

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HelpThemQuit.ca

Check this great website to help you quit smoking. Here at the Howden Medical Clinic we offer some services in the clinic or resources outside to kick this habit. It is never too late! Knowledge is power but motivation and determination is an additional necessary factor!

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Helping Children with Autism

Helping Children with Autism

From Toddlers to Seniors When most of us hear the term autism, we often think of a childhood disorder where early assessment and intervention are of the utmost importance.  Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is however a lifelong condition for most.  We know that many can and will improve to the point of no longer needing the assistance of a parent or caregiver but just as many will continue to be affected by the disorder and continue to need supports throughout their lives. Click here to read more

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Our Definitive Guide to Cold and Flu

Our Definitive Guide to Cold and Flu

Your ultimate cold and flu survival guide Each year, the typical adult can expect to contract two or three colds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Skip the annual flu vaccine and you set yourself up for a bout of that as well. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Aside from good hand washing (with soap, for at least 20 seconds), “there’s a lot you can do to drastically cut your risk of getting sick,” says Holly Phillips, MD, a general internist in New York City. “And even if you do catch a bug, you...

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