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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-08-26, Page 22Feature GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1987—PAGE 23 It's hayfever season in the ra Finding Relief from the Ragweed Sneeze It begins with a few sneezes. Then your nostrils become leaky pipes or completely blocked. You feel a tingling, it- chy sensation spread from your nose, to your eyes and your throat. If only you could turn yourself inside out and scratch! Your eyes water and turn red. You ache and your temper flares. Even the simplest of tasks becomes an in- surmountable feat. . These symptoms are only too familiar to the estimated 1.8 million Canadians who suffer from hay fever. And up to 85 per cent of hay fever sufferers are allergic to ragweed, which blossoms in mid-August and continues to pollinate until the first good frost. Those allergic to ragweed have a number of options, in- cluding: avoid all contact with ragweed pollen - which in some cases may mean a move to Arizona; visit a doctor for a series of injections to help the body build up a resistance to the allergy; or take medications, the most common being antihistamines, to relieve the symptoms. Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in the newer "non -sedating" or "without drowsiness" an- tihistamines. According to Hugh MacGregor, Product Manager at SmithKline Consumer Products, makers of Contac Allergy Formula, "Some people may not unders- tand all the possible side effects and factors. involved in taking these new medications, as well as the so-called "traditional" medications which have been available for a much longer period of time." The three most commonly used, over-the-counter an- tihistamines in Canada are chlorpheniramine maleate,. terfenadine and astemizole. These are the' names of .the actual antihistamines, not the brand names. Contac Allergy Formula and Chlor-tripolon contain chlorpheniramine ma leate. Seldane contains terfenadine and Hismanal contains astemizole. DROWSINESS A common misconception about chlorpheniramine is that it makes everyone drowsy. But clinical studies, un average, show that drowsiness is reported by only 10 to 20 per cent of thosewho take chlorpheniramine maleate. It is also reported that some of these people will experience less and less drowsiness after they've taken chlor- pheniramine for two to three days. As far as the new nonsedating antihistamines are con- cerned, clinical studies actually report that from five to 10 per cent of the people who take terfenadine or astemizole will experience drowsiness. However, because the same number of people also reported drowsiness after taking a placebo i sometimes a sugar pill), these antihistamines have been determined to be non-seda,ting. CLEARING UP A RUNNY NOSE Some of the most common symptoms of, hay fever are a runny nose, watery eyes and an increase in saliva. Clinical studies show that of the three most commonly us- ed antihistamines, chlorpheniramine maleate is the most effective in treating these so-called "wet symptoms." As a result of this drying effect, some people may find they have a dry mouth. If you're one of those people who experiences these wet symptoms, you should know that clinical studies indicate twieenadine is less effective in arresting these symptoms than a placebo. Astemizole has also been found to have lit- tle or no effect on the reduction,of salivary flow. • CLEARING A STUFFED -UP NOSE One of the most common misconceptions about an-, tihistamines is that they will clear nasal congestion. An- tihistamines alone, are not particularly effective in clear- ing nasal congestion. Hay fever sufferers who experience a stuffy nose may be advised to take a medication that contains both an antihistamine and a nasal decongestant. INSTANT RELIEF • Astemizole takes much longer than chlorpheniramine weed capital or terfenadine to provide maximum relief from hay tever symptoms. Astemizole can take from •two to three days while studies indicate terfenadine takes from two to four hours and chlorpherrirarrrine maleate takes from six to eight hours. WEIGHT GAIN Clinical studies also indicate that people who take astemizole may notice an increase in their appetite, which can lead to weight gain. An increase in appetite is not reported as a possible side effect for chlorpheniramine maleate or terfenadine. You can take chlorpheniramine maleate or terfenadine at .any time of day. Those people who experience drowsiness with chlorpheniramine maleate, may wish to reduce the dosage or take the medication at bedtime. But you should take astemizole on • n em ty stomach - one hour before, or two hours after°k3eal Some hay fever sufferers may not understand that if they wait until their symptoms are severe, antihistamines are not as effective. Many doctors will tell you that the best time to take a quick -acting antihistamine, is when hay fever symptoms first appear. It's also important to understand that everyone reacts differently to an- tihistamines. A dosage that's too weak for one person, may be too strong for another. You should consult your doctor or allergist to determine the dosage that's best for you. "Whichever medication you use," says MacGregor, -it's very important to follow the instructions for useand to read any cautions or warnings listed on. the package. If you have any questions, ask your pharmacist or doctor." Finally, if you're a hay fever sufferer looking for com- plete relief, ,MacGregor says antihistamines alone, may not do the job. "A hay fever sufferer should check with his or her family doctor or allergist, who may be able to recommend other treatments which can help them find as much relief as possible." 1(®UR NEAREST I-IENISALL CO—OP RECEIVING, ELEVATQR Now 3 locations to receive white beans Help increase the market share of the only Farmer -Owned Comprehensive White Bean Dealer in the industry! New Improve USIA Bean • Pulling edge does r dull and thick • Bean Knivesnever«; hammering • Con , be rebuilt,; .. oI petitf1 prk ' Flensall District Co-operative Varna 262-3002 Office 527-0770 402-5850 Elevator 527-2024 Mensal) See.forth Blake - Kirkland Suzanne Arlene Kirkland and Douglas James Blake exchanged wedding vows on May 9, 1987 in the •Lucknow Presbyterian Church, with Reverend Allison J. Ramsay officiating. The parents of the bride and groom are Mr. and Mrs. David Kirkland of R. No. 2, Lucknow and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Blake, R. No. 2, Goderich. Suzanne's matron of honor was her sister, Annette Hendriks of R..7, Lucknow. Bridesmaids were her sister-in-law, Carla Blake of Burlington and a friend, Audrey Phillips of R. No. 7, Lucknow. Henry Hendriks, R. No. 7 Lucknow, the groom's brother-in-law, acted as groomsman. A brother of the groom, Bev Blake of Burlington and friend, Bob Philips of Kit- chener were ushers. A reception was held at the Lucknow District Community Centre following the wedding. Suzanne and Doug honeymooned in the Dominican Republic and now are residing in Kitchener. (Photo by Harvey McDowell) New regulations enhance working conditions Ontario Labor Minister William Wrye an- nounced recently that new regulations -to enhance • ,basic working conditions for domestics. All of Ontario's full time domestics and nannies will be entitled to standard over- time pay 'starting October 1, according to' the new regulations. Under existing legislation, only domestics living outside the household qualify for ex • - tra compensation for hours worked in ex • - cess of 44 hours a. week: Live-in domestics are now excluded from the. overtime provi- sions of the Employment Standards Act. The new regulations extend the right to overtime pay to all full-time domestics (those employed more than 24 hours a ' week) as well as to nannies with special training in child care. The measures also eliminate daily, week- ly and monthly wage minimums for domestics. Starting in October, only the pro- vincial hourly minimum wage will apply. And for the° first time, part time domestics will qualify for the minimum hourly wage. Other provisions require employers to keep records of hours worked by domestic workers. They must also provide employees with written particulars of employment, set- ting out hours of work and the hourly rate of pay. In announcing the regulations; the labor minister pointed out that the special nature of domestic ,employment makes it difficult to apply standard job regulations to this seg- ment of the work force, especially where child care is involved. "At the same time, domestic workers have as much right as anyone else to free time, to adequate wages, and to extra com- pensation far extra effort," Mr. Wrye said, "It is our intention in framing this regula- tion to ensure that theybe afforded this right to the fullest possible extent." The regulations also change the status of sitters - that is, those caring for children in the household but who lack the specialized training of nannies. Such employees are currently exempt from substantive protec- tion under the Employment Standards Act. Starting in October, however, full time live-in sitters will be entitled to overtime pay, the minimum wage and all other rights of live-in domestics. The change is designed to end situations in which ordinary domestics are classified as sitters by employers wishing to avoid paying overtime and other benefits. The labor minister noted that private organizations have .been urging that hours of work of domestics be made subject to the maximums set out in the Employment Stan- dards Act ( eight hours per day and 48 hours per week). On the other hand, he said, it is argued that the measure would not be prac- tical when applied to live-in domestics, and that any attempt to enforce maximum hours could lead to tensions in some domestic and child-care situations. "We therefore feel that a resolution of this question should await the outcome of the Task Force on Hours of Work and Overtime. The final report respecting domestics is ex- perted in September. In the meantime, the new overtime pay provisions should' make it less likely that employers will place ex- cessive demands on employees," he said. HELP KEEP RED CROSS READY! la