The Meaning of Labels On Medication

Be extra careful where medicine is concerned. Read the labels without fail and clear your doubts, if any, with your practitioner or pharmacist.

Some of the labels on medicines read as:

Take with a full glass of water: Water helps in diluting the drug, so it won't irritate the esophagus or stomach lining. Water also helps in flushing the drug into the abdomen and getting it disintegrated properly. A full glass of water usually means 8 ounce glass of water at room temperature.

Stay out of the sun: Certain drugs increase the skin's sensitivity of getting sunburned. If someone usually gets tanned in 20 minutes, it might take only 10 minutes while he is on a particular drug.

Avoid dairy: Calcium in dairy products can delay the absorption process of the said drug. Eventually, you might end up not getting the right dose.

Take with food: Food boosts absorption of certain drugs. It also helps to reduce nausea.

Avoid driving or operating heavy machinery: Some drugs induce drowsiness and make a person dizzy or lightheaded. This increases the risk for accidents. They also slow down the reaction time and motor skills.