6* BENNETT BANNER - FEBRUARY 14, 1997
• HEALTH & FITNESS • HEALTH & FITNESS • HEALTH & FITNESS •
Bad effects of good medicines
(NAPS)—Although most
drugs are safe and effective when
taken as intended, according to
the magazine U.S. News & World
Report, as many as two million
patients “are hospitalized each
year and as many as 140,000
people die because of side effects
or reaction to various drugs.”
Many of them are common drugs
used by miUions to treat asthma,
cancer, arthritis, infection and
heart disease.
Why is the public unaware?
According to Food and Drug
Administration chief David
Kessler, only about one percent
of all serious drug reactions are
reported to the FDA.
Is this due to a failure of our
medical system? There are many
opinions, but the most balanced
seems to be that, like just about
everything else, it’s a matter of
economics.
The FDA has no funding to test
drugs itself. Instead, it relies on
data supplied by the
pharmaceutical manufacturers
which may test the medication on
only two to three thousand patients
in clinical trials. When a new drug
is introduced to the general
population, it can happen that
unexpected side effects show up—
all too often with fatal
consequences.
Medication-related deaths or
disabilities are not necessarily
caused by drugs that are bad in
themselves. Many medical
malpractice law suits result from
dosage errors. In addition, many
medications are prescribed with
insufficientknowledge about drug
interactions or contraindications.
“Actually, all drugs can be
dangerous,” says a spokesperson
for Attorneys Across America.
Attorneys Across America is a
nationwide law firm that represents
medical malpractice victims. The
firm maintains a toll free helpline
(l-800-A-AAA-LAW)for
seriously injured persons.
Experts advise that, more often
than not, the victim and the family
never know that the real cause of a
death or disability was actually
related to a medication.
While, the lawyers say, the vast
majority of doctors and hospitals
are both trustworthy and highly
skilled, there is a tiny percentage
that make most of the mistakes
that end up as malpractice suits.
Migraine hampers social life
of women sufferers
(NAPS)—Migraine, a serious,
often debilitating disease that
affects one in six American
women—an estimated 18
million—can rob them of their
social life, according to a new
national study.
More than half of women
sufferers reported having to cancel
or postpone social activities due
to migraine.
Migraine is characterized by
severe pain usually on one side of
the head, and often accompanied
by nausea, vomiting and
sensitivity to light, sound or smell.
Attacks occur periodically and can
last from four to 72 hours.
A new study showed that
migraine affects women in
virtually every aspect of their lives,
often isolating them from the
activities and people they care
about most
Self-esteem, career growth and
family life were a few areas in
which women reported
experiencing more negative
effects than men.
According to a psychologist,
the impact of migraine on the
social lives of women is
significant
‘Tirst, women often are not taken
seriously. Second, migraine is a
misunderstood disease. Therefore,
when a woman cancels a social
engagement because of a
‘headache,’ friends may accuse
her of making excuses to avoid
participating,” the psychologist
said.
“Such accusations can condition
women sufferers to mask their
pain for fear of damaging yet
another relationship or being
considered ‘unreliable.’ Such
attitudes can also keep women from
seeking the treatment they need.”
The study showed that life would
be different for women if not for
migraine. Some reported that their
levels of social activity would
increase, and that they would work/
study more/ better, feel more
relieved and happy, and have less
stress.
While migraine cannot be cured,
physicians emphasize that sufferers
do not have to sacrifice their social
life because of migraine—the
disease can be treated and
managed.
If you suffer from headaches and
suspect they may be migraine, it is
important to see a physician for an
appropriate diagnosis and
treatment program.
March 3rd
is the LAST Day
to buy books!
New treatnrients
for sickle cell
(NAPS)—Sickle cell anemia is a painful inherited blood disorder
that strikes one in every 400 African-Americans bom today. New
medical technologies such as gene therapy hold promise as an eventual
cure, but in the meantime, innovative drug therapies are proving
effective in alleviating the disease’s symptoms.
This incurable disease affects hemoglobin, the part of the red blood
cells that carry oxygen. Upon delivery of oxygen to the tissues, the red
blood cells become rigid and misshapen. This severely impedes their
flow through small blood vessels and the body’s tissues become starved
for oxygen. The most severely affected patients face nearly a dozen
hospitalizations each year.
Ultimately, sickle cell anemia can lead to life-threatening stroke,
lung complications, overwhehning infections, and profound anemia.
Studies at the National Institutes of Health have focused on new
treatments and the search for a cure.
One recent advance resulting from early studies here involves the
use of the chemotherapy drug hydroxyurea. It stimulates the production
of a type of hemoglobin called fetal hemoglobin. Such treatment helps
keep blood cells pliable and results in fewer painful episodes in adults
with the disease. Similar studies are underway in children.
For a list of Medicine for the Public booklets, write: Clinical Center
Communications, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bldg. 10,
Room 1C255 MSC 1170, Bethesda, Md. 20892-1170.
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