Lifestyle, Pharmacy

Diagnosis & treatment of insomnia.

by PillPharm LTD June 18, 2022June 18, 2022

Diagnosis

Depending on your situation, the diagnosis of insomnia and the search for its cause may include:

Physical exam. If the cause of insomnia is unknown, your doctor may do a physical exam to look for signs of medical problems that may be related to insomnia. Occasionally, a blood test may be done to check for thyroid problems or other conditions that may be associated with poor sleep.
Sleep habits review. In addition to asking you sleep-related questions, your doctor may have you complete a questionnaire to determine your sleep-wake pattern and your level of daytime sleepiness. You may also be asked to keep a sleep diary for a couple of weeks.
Sleep study. If the cause of your insomnia isn’t clear, or you have signs of another sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome, you may need to spend a night at a sleep center. Tests are done to monitor and record a variety of body activities while you sleep, including brain waves, breathing, heartbeat, eye movements, and body movements.

Treatment

Changing your sleep habits and addressing any issues that may be associated with insomnia, such as stress, medical conditions, or medications, can restore restful sleep for many people. If these measures don’t work, your doctor may recommend cognitive behavioral therapy, medications, or both, to help improve relaxation and sleep.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can help you control or eliminate negative thoughts and actions that keep you awake and is generally recommended as the first line of treatment for people with insomnia. Typically, CBT-I is equally or more effective than sleep medications.

The cognitive part of CBT-I teaches you to recognize and change beliefs that affect your ability to sleep. It can help you control or eliminate negative thoughts and worries that keep you awake. It may also involve eliminating the cycle that can develop where you worry so much about getting to sleep that you can’t fall asleep.

The behavioral part of CBT-I helps you develop good sleep habits and avoid behaviors that keep you from sleeping well. Strategies include, for example:

Stimulus control therapy. This method helps remove factors that condition your mind to resist sleep. For example, you might be coached to set a consistent bedtime and wake time and avoid naps, use the bed only for sleep and sex, and leave the bedroom if you can’t go to sleep within 20 minutes, only returning when you’re sleepy.
Relaxation techniques. Progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, and breathing exercises are ways to reduce anxiety at bedtime. Practicing these techniques can help you control your breathing, heart rate, muscle tension, and mood so that you can relax.
Sleep restriction. This therapy decreases the time you spend in bed and avoids daytime naps, causing partial sleep deprivation, which makes you more tired the next night. Once your sleep has improved, your time in bed is gradually increased.
Remaining passively awake. Also called paradoxical intention, this therapy for learned insomnia is aimed at reducing the worry and anxiety about being able to get to sleep by getting in bed and trying to stay awake rather than expecting to fall asleep.
Light therapy. If you fall asleep too early and then awaken too early, you can use light to push back your internal clock. You can go outside during times of the year when it’s light outside in the evenings, or you can use a lightbox. Talk to your doctor about recommendations.

Your doctor may recommend other strategies related to your lifestyle and sleep environment to help you develop habits that promote sound sleep and daytime alertness.

Prescription medications

Prescription sleeping pills can help you get to sleep, stay asleep, or both. Doctors generally don’t recommend relying on prescription sleeping pills for more than a few weeks, but several medications are approved for long-term use.

Examples include:

Eszopiclone (Lunesta)
Ramelteon (Rozerem)
Zaleplon (Sonata)
Zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar, Intermezzo, Zolpimist)

Prescription sleeping pills can have side effects, such as causing daytime grogginess and increasing the risk of falling, or they can be habit-forming, so talk to your doctor about these medications and other possible side effects.

Over-the-counter sleep aids

Nonprescription sleep medications contain antihistamines that can make you drowsy, but they’re not intended for regular use. Talk to your doctor before you take these, as antihistamines may cause side effects, such as daytime sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, cognitive decline, and difficulty urinating, which may be worse in older adults.

Senior Living

The Common Sleep Disorders

by PillPharm LTD June 3, 2022June 17, 2022

What are sleep disorders?

Sleep disorders are conditions that impair your sleep or prevent you from getting restful sleep and, as a result, can cause daytime sleepiness and other symptoms. Everyone can experience problems with sleep from time to time. However, you might have a sleep disorder if:

You regularly experience difficulty sleeping.
You are often tired during the day even though you slept for at least seven hours the night before.
You have a reduced or impaired ability to perform regular daytime activities.

There are more than 100 million Americans of all ages who are not getting an adequate amount of sleep. Sleep is very important. Not getting enough sleep can have untoward consequences on school and work performance, interpersonal relationships, health and safety.

How common are sleep disorders?

About 70 million people in the United States suffer from sleep disorders.

How many types of sleep disorders are there?

There are approximately 80 different types of sleep disorders. The top ones are:

Insomnia.
Sleep apnea.
Restless legs syndrome.
Narcolepsy.

How much sleep is necessary?

Experts generally recommend that adults sleep at least seven to nine hours per night, although some people require more and others require less.

A recent National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America poll found that adults (ages 18-54) sleep an average of 6.4 hours per night on weekdays and 7.7 hours on weekends. The poll showed a downward trend in sleep time over the past several years. People sleeping less hours tend to use the internet at night or bring work home from the office.

The National Sleep Foundation also reported that older adults (age 55-84) average seven hours of sleep on weekdays and 7.1 hours on weekends. Sleep is most often disturbed by the need to use the bathroom and physical pain or discomfort in older adults.

A downward trend in sleep time has also been observed in children. Optimal sleep time varies by age. An earlier Sleep in America poll found a discrepancy between recommended and actual sleep time in children, with actual sleep time 1.5 to two hours less than recommended. Caffeine consumption caused a loss of three to five hours of sleep and having a television in the bedroom contributed to a loss of two hours of sleep each week in children.

What happens when a person doesn’t get enough sleep?

Not getting the proper amount or quality of sleep leads to more than just feeling tired. Sleepiness interferes with cognitive function, which can lead to learning disabilities in children, memory impairment in people of all ages, personality changes and depression.

People who are deprived of sleep experience difficulty making decisions, irritability, have problems with performance, and slower reaction times, placing them at risk for automobile and work-related accidents. Sleep loss can also adversely affect life by contributing to the development of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Who is more likely to have a sleep disorder?

Disorders associated with daytime sleepiness affect females more than males.

Personal Care

Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3))

by PillPharm LTD May 2, 2019June 17, 2022

Vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol, is a supplement that helps your body absorb calcium.

It’s typically used to treat people who have a vitamin D deficiency or related disorder, such as rickets or osteomalacia.

Some individuals who might need extra vitamin D include:

Older adults
Breastfed babies
People with darker skin
Obese individuals (or those who’ve had gastric bypass surgery)
People with conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s disease, or liver disease

Vitamin D3 may be used with different supplements or medicines to treat or prevent other conditions.

Personal Care

Caffeine in Skin Care: Does It Actually Work?

by PillPharm LTD May 2, 2019June 18, 2022

Caffeine is not just for mornings anymore.

This simple yet effective ingredient is gaining traction in the beauty world, thanks to its popularity on TikTok and celebrity endorsers who say caffeine-infused skin-care products are a quick, affordable way to give your face a little pick-me-up.

Why Caffeine Is Added to Skin-Care Products

While it may sound too good to be true, those caffeine skin-care devotees may be onto something.

Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it makes your blood vessels get smaller and tighten, says Jeffrey Hsu, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and codirector of Oak Dermatology in Chicago.

“When used in skin care, caffeine reduces blood flow to the skin and makes it look brighter and tighter,” Dr. Hsu says. “It’s often seen as an anti-aging or wrinkle-smoothing ingredient in face care, eye care, and even body care.”

The key to making skin-care products work is proper formulation. In particular, when the right amount of caffeine is used, it can be an effective ingredient to freshen up your skin, eliminate dark under-eye circles, and reduce puffiness in your face.

Several studies, like one published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, show that caffeine molecules are small enough to pass through the top layers of your skin, so it can really dig in and do its job intradermally, explains Hsu.

But it’s worth noting that just because a product claims it contains caffeine, it doesn’t mean it will automatically give you the benefits you’re looking for, he says.

“In order for caffeine to be effective as mentioned, it must be applied in highly concentrated doses,” says Hsu. “I always recommend patients to go with medical-grade skin-care products, as they are backed by controlled studies that prove the products’ formulations, ingredient transparency, and efficacy.”

When evaluating skin-care labels, marketing jargon like “clinically proven” and “pro grade” are not necessarily synonymous with “medical grade,” adds Hsu. “Medical-grade products are dispensed at a physician’s office or a med spa that has a medical director overseeing their operations.”