Acetaminophen Secure Use and Males’s Well being Month – Speaking About Males’s Well being™

Enjoying It Secure: Acetaminophen Secure Use and Males’s Well being Month

Creator: Dr. Julius Johnson

I liked enjoying soccer as a child, and as an grownup I nonetheless take pleasure in spending weekends teaching my neighborhood’s youth soccer crew, the Brooklyn Skyhawks. I additionally get my justifiable share of train by figuring out at dwelling and enjoying with my daughter within the park. Typically I overdo it, and find yourself with aching muscle tissues and joints after an formidable exercise.

Like many individuals, one of many first cures I attain for is a chilly pack and an over-the-counter (OTC) ache reliever. It’s what I inform my sufferers to do – and more often than not, it does the trick. However it’s essential to know what elements are within the OTC and prescription medicines you’re taking, for ache and in any other case, and easy methods to take them safely. The commonest piece of recommendation I give, on and off the sector, is to not overdo it. OTC medicines can have critical well being penalties if not taken as directed.

Ache Aid and Males’s Well being

The unhappy fact is that males are in a whole lot of ache. In a nationwide survey, 65% of males reported that they expertise ongoing ache, usually for a yr or longer, and plenty of of them flip to OTC or prescription medicines for aid. Throughout Males’s Well being Month, the Acetaminophen Consciousness Coalition is urging males to take cost of their well being and  take their medicines safely – particularly if these medicines comprise acetaminophen.

What Is Acetaminophen?

Most individuals don’t know that acetaminophen is the most typical drug ingredient in America, discovered in additional than 600 over-the-counter and prescription medicines – together with many commonly-used ache relievers, cough, chilly, and allergy medicines, sleep aids, and fever reducers. When used as directed, it’s secure and efficient, however taking an excessive amount of is an overdose and might result in liver injury.

The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) has set a most day by day dose of 4,000 milligrams (mg) of acetaminophen in a 24-hour interval.

Ideas for Utilizing Acetaminophen Safely

Comply with these 4 steps to make use of acetaminophen safely:

1. At all times learn and comply with the dosing directions in your label. By no means take extra drugs than directed by the label – that is an overdose, and it may possibly result in liver injury.
2. Know in case your medicines comprise acetaminophen. In case your OTC drugs comprises acetaminophen, it is going to be highlighted in yellow on the label. It could typically be listed as “APAP” or “acetam” on prescription medicines.
3. Take just one drugs with acetaminophen at a time. You’ll be able to take an excessive amount of acetaminophen when you use a couple of drugs that comprises acetaminophen on the similar time.
4. Ask your healthcare supplier or pharmacist if in case you have questions about easy methods to take your medicines safely.

The Endgame

In my twin roles as a household nurse practitioner and a coach, I attempt to information males to make choices that preserve them wholesome and secure. Males’s Well being Month is the right time to place these secure use steps into observe, and begin calling the performs by yourself well being.

To be taught extra about acetaminophen secure use, go to KnowYourDose.org and comply with @KnowYourDose on Twitter.

Concerning the Creator

Dr. Julius Johnson is a scientific affiliate professor on the New York College Rory Meyers College of Nursing and teaches within the undergraduate, graduate, and physician of nursing applications. He serves on the board of the administrators for the Nationwide Black Nurses Affiliation, is the quick previous president of the Higher NYC Black Nurses Affiliation, and makes a speciality of creating wholesome fairness by means of group interventions and translational science initiatives. In his spare time, he coaches deal with soccer for the Brooklyn Skyhawks, spends time together with his Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brothers, and is a loving father.