Wellness Corner

As we get older, the number of medications that we have to take tends to go up. Unfortunately, this means that the risk of experiencing the symptoms of adverse reactions to medications goes up as well. If you find a doctor who is working closely with you to improve your health and wellness, you shouldn't have to worry too much about this problem. But there are some things that you and your doctor can both make sure to do that will decrease your risk even further.

An article put out recently by Tufts University Medical Center reviews some of these tips. You can read more about the article here. To summarize, some of the tips include:

- Check your medication to see if it's on any lists as "inappropriate for older adults".

- Double-check for potential reactions when taking multiple medications. Remember to inform doctors about such medications as hormone replacement therapy that you may overlook because you're so used to taking them.

- Tell your doctor that you want to use the lowest dose possible for most medications.

- Always adhere to the guidelines about the medication prescribed by your doctor.

Of course, you should always discuss the details of your medication with your doctor and alert him or her to any concerns that you may have.

Question of the Day: What adverse reactions to medication have you noticed as you've aged?

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