Linh's Pharmacy

12/24/2023

10/31/2022

Safety for Pets --

For many of us, Halloween brings us laughter and memories. But a constant parade of people in costumes and masks in and outside of the home, candies, decorations and lights can frighten and hurt our pets. These Halloween safety tips allow pet lovers enjoy their evening while keeping their animals safe.

No treats - Chocolate, many sugar-free candies, gum and baked products contain Xylitol (sugar substitute) are toxic to dogs. Call a veterinarian immediately if you suspect that your pet has ingested these products or tinfoil, cellophane, and plastic candy wrappers.

Pets are often curious about decorations. Please keep pumpkins with candles inside, lights and electrical wires out of the interested paws of your pets.

Constant doorbell causes stress, confuses and frightens your pets. If possible, keep dogs, cats in a quiet and safe area, away from the front door. Turning on music or television helps mask the sounds of unusual noises. Thundershirt (anxiety and calming vest) is a great option; boarding the pets if you host a big party is another.

Costumes must fit your pets properly. Leave it on for just enough time for pictures. Pets can’t tell us what is bothering them about the costume and may try to get it off by chewing off and, in the process, ingesting a portion of the costume.

Glowing sticks, when chewed, release liquid that can make pets drool excessively or act strangely.

Make sure microchip data (or tag) is current in case your dog or cat escapes.

These are some, but not exhausted, steps to help make the evening fun and safe for all. Have an amazing Halloween!

10/30/2022

“On the last night of October,
Comes the mystic Halloween.
The night when ghosts and witches,
By mortals can be seen”

-- Whatever you'll become when night falls, enjoy the evening, these fun facts, and … of course, food safety tips for parents.

* Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Celtic end-of-harvest festival of Samhain. Because of the belief that phantoms walked the earth on the night of Samhain, people would dress up in costumes to repel the spirits.

* According to Irish legend, a man named Stingy Jack who fooled the devil, and in turn, was forced to walk the Earth with just a lump of burning coal in a hollowed-out turnip to light his way. The Irish called him "Jack of the Lantern."

* Orange signals the harvest of autumn, while black symbolizes darkness and death.

* The mystical rituals of earlier times evolved into today fun and games. For example, the somewhat heavy concept of connecting to the dead was replaced with the “love and fate” game: bobbing for apples. Apples were pre-assigned to potential love interests. If it took a young woman only one try to grab the apple, it meant the young couple was destined to be together. If it took her two tries, it meant that her beloved would pursue her but ultimately their relationship was fated to fizzle out. Three tries? Don’t even think about it :-)

* Though many would argue that candy corn tastes like chicken feed, that's not how it got its original name. This candy was called "Chicken Feed" and the box was marked with a colorful rooster because the shape of candy corn looks like corn, and corn was used to feed chicken.

* Chances are the pumpkin pie filling we enjoy comes from the Land of Lincoln, With more than 15,000 acres devoted to gourd growing, Illinois farms grow more than 300 million pounds of pumpkins annually –producing up to five times more of this fruit (a type of squash) than any other state.

* Potatoes were the first "pumpkin." In Ireland, where the jack-o’-lantern was first created, people used potatoes since they were more readily available. Americans are the ones who changed it to pumpkin.

Food Safety --

FoodSafety.gov offers a number of simple food safety tips to ensure children enjoy their collectible treats, including the following:

Snacking -- Children should not go trick-or-treating on an empty stomach to minimize the temptation of indulging the loot before inspection.

Safe treats -- Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.

Food allergies -- If a child has a food allergy, check the label to ensure the allergen isn't present. Do not allow children to eat home-baked goods they may have received.

Choking hazards -- For very young children, remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies or small toys.

Bobbing for apples -- Bacteria can cause foodborne illness while playing the popular game: reduce the number of bacteria that might be present on apples and other raw fruits and vegetables by thoroughly rinsing them under cool running water. As an added precaution, use a produce brush to remove surface dirt.

For Halloween house parties, keep the following tips in mind:

• Unpasteurized juice or cider can contain harmful bacteria such as Salmonella. To stay safe, always serve pasteurized products.

• No matter how tempting, don't taste raw cookie dough or cake batter that contains uncooked eggs.

• Keep all perishable foods chilled until serving time. These include finger sandwiches, cheese platters, fruit or tossed salads, cold pasta dishes with meat, poultry or seafood, and cream pies or cakes with whipped cream and cream-cheese frostings.

• Don't leave perishable goodies out of the fridge for more than two hours (one hour in temperatures above 90 degrees).

If you are among the thousands in Hollywood on this night, leave “Silly string” at home. Deemed as a public safety hazard and environmental threat, it is banned. Wishing all a fang-tastic, full-of-fright night … and a bag full of delights.

Stay safe.

12/25/2021

“In Who-ville they say, that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day.” ~ Dr. Seuss

When the ill-tempered and mean spirited Grinch realized that his wicked action didn’t ruin Christmas for the Whos, he realized that Christmas is much more than just gift-giving. In that moment, the Grinch had a change of heart, returning all the gifts he had stolen and joining the Whos celebrating the birth of Baby Jesus.

In the same but much more menacing way, COVID-19 is threatening to steal our Christmas. But much like Dr. Seuss’ classic, we are the people of Who-Ville. We will not let the stolen trappings of this sacred celebration dampen the true spirit of the holiday.

The next time when we are fortunate enough to receive (or give) a gift, we should think of what happened in that little town in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. On behalf of Linh’s Pharmacy II, I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a New Year full of health, love and laughter.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

08/18/2021

COVID-19 Booster Shot Update -

* The Food and Drug Administration recently authorized an extra COVID-19 shot for some people with compromised immune systems **.

* The administration has not formally confirmed that it will encourage Americans to get a booster shot; however, The Wall Street Journal reported that the announcement could happen this week that all Americans may get the booster shots on September 20.

* For now, the plan applies only to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, calling for all Americans to get a booster shot eight months after the second dose. Officials are still reviewing data on Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and will announce plans at a later date. But they expect a booster shot will also be needed.

** Examples of persons with weakened immune systems include those with HIV/AIDS; cancer and transplant patients who are taking certain immunosuppressive drugs; and those with inherited diseases that affect the immune system (e.g., congenital agammaglobulinemia, congenital IgA deficiency). The risk of developing severe disease may differ depending on each person’s degree of immune suppression. Following all the recommendations can be a great personal burden, so consult with your healthcare provider to determine whether your medical condition makes it advisable to follow all of these recommendations. (CDC Guidelines)

05/01/2021

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” - Benjamin Franklin

Robert Martindale, MD, PhD, works in the ICU as a general and trauma surgeon. In this video Martindale discusses inflammatory-based diseases (heart disease, ...

04/23/2021

Loquats -- You may have seen these round fruits, grown in clusters everywhere now. It’s in season. And if you have enjoyed them before, you’ll remember its sweetness, a touch of tart, with notes of citrus. But did you know these loquats (Eriobotrya japonica) may offer a variety of health benefits?

1. Low in calories, loquats provide vitamin A, some types of vitamin B, magnesium, potassium and manganese.

2. An excellent source of carotenoid antioxidants, including beta carotene. A review of 7 studies shows that there’s a positive correlation between high beta carotene intake and lower risk of certain cancer such as colorectal and lung cancer.

3. Rich in phenolic compounds—antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties—may help with diabetes and heart disease.

4. A 4-week study reveals that, on a high-fat diet, mice fed loquats had lower triglyceride and insulin levels than mice without consuming loquats. Chinese medicine has been using the fruits including leaves and seeds to treat metabolic issues like high blood sugar, etc.

Various parts of the loquat tree, including its leaves and seeds, have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat different aspects of metabolic health. An example is high blood sugar. Still, human studies are needed.

5. A cup of loquats (approximately 150 grams) contains:

• Calories: 70
• Carbs: 18 grams
• Protein: 1 gram
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Provitamin A: 46% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Vitamin B6: 7% of the DV
• Folate (vitamin B9): 5% of the DV
• Magnesium: 5% of the DV
• Potassium: 11% of the DV
• Manganese: 11% of the DV

I keep them in the refrigerator, wash these fruits right before enjoying them. But you can add loquats in your fruit salad, smoothie or yogurt. They also make great jam or jelly.

Have a loquat day, everyone.

04/19/2021

Vaccines Update -- The data of Moderna’s phase three clinical trial of 900 cases, including more than 100 severe cases, through April 9, shows that its Covid-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective at protecting against the virus, and more than 95% effective against severe disease up to six months after the second dose.

The New England Journal of Medicine showed antibodies induced by the vaccine were still present six months after individuals were fully vaccinated. Earlier this month, Pfizer said that its vaccine is highly effective six months after the second dose.

Responding to the back-to-back great news, Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist who has sat on several drug data and safety monitoring boards, said, “I think it is fair to estimate that they will both have decent efficacy for many months beyond this.”

On a different but related subject, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former Food and Drug Administration chief who led the regulatory agency from 2017 to 2019 in the Trump administration, predicts that Covid cases to drop heading into May. Still, he warns that in some parts of the country may experience outbreaks due to vaccine hesitancy.

Back to latest data from both Moderna and Pfizer, the great news brings both firms a step closer to filing their requests for full U.S. approval for its vaccine. Once approved, Moderna and Pfizer may begin to market the vaccines directly to consumers and private companies in the U.S.