American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [103]
• Make a list of the medications (both prescription and over-the-counter) the person is taking, and keep it up-to-date. Bring the list (or the containers) along to each office visit. This information helps the doctor prescribe and properly monitor the person’s medications.
• Tell the doctor promptly about any side effects or changes in the way the drug affects the person.
• If the person has trouble remembering to take medication, try associating doses with specific times of the day—such as first thing in the morning, at bedtime, or with meals.
• Keep a medication schedule on a calendar, and check off each dose as the person takes it.
• Use a divided container to sort the person’s doses of medication for the week. Plastic containers designed for this purpose are available at drugstores. Make sure that the container is labeled correctly.
• Have the person take his or her medications exactly as prescribed. Never change the dosage or stop any prescribed medication unless the doctor tells you to do so.
• Ask the doctor to prescribe medication in the form that is easiest for the person to take. For example, if the person has problems swallowing pills, the medication may be available in liquid form.
• Encourage the person to take medication when sitting or standing rather than when lying down.
• If the person has trouble opening containers, ask the pharmacist to use containers with easy-to-open lids. Always keep the containers out of the reach of children.
• Make sure that the instructions on the labels can be read and understood. Request that medication labels be printed in large type.
• Avoid keeping medications on a bedside table. This helps to prevent the person from taking the wrong drug or overdosing when he or she is not fully awake.
• Keep the person’s prescriptions up-to-date. If the doctor wants the person to continue taking a medication that is nearing its expiration date, be sure to inform the doctor as soon as possible so that he or she can call the pharmacist to renew the prescription or write a new one.
• Dispose of all unused and expired prescription medications and over-the-counter medications. Throw them away.
• Make sure that the person never takes any medication that was prescribed for someone else, and never gives his or her medication to anyone else.
Self-Examinations
In addition to the screening tests recommended by your doctor, you should do some self-examinations regularly at home that can help identify early signs of cancer. When you are familiar with your body, you are more likely to notice any abnormal changes. Regular self-examinations—especially of the breasts, skin, and testicles—provide the best chance of detecting a tumor at an early stage, when it is small, easier to treat, and usually has a better chance for a cure.
Breast Self-Examination
Early detection of breast cancer improves the chances for a cure. Many breast lumps are found by women themselves during regular breast self-examinations. All women should start examining their breasts for changes each month at age 18 and continue performing regular exams throughout their life. Any changes in the shape or feel of your breasts or changes in the skin or nipples can be early signs of breast cancer. Look for hard or soft lumps, changes in skin texture (such as scaling) or color (such as redness), puckering or depression (such as dimpling) in part of the breast, a newly inverted nipple, or a discharge of any kind from a nipple. Each woman’s breasts are unique, so it’s important to get to know your breasts to be able to tell what’s normal for you.
Perform a breast self-examination every month at the same time in your menstrual cycle. The best time to do a self-exam is right after your menstrual period ends (about 7 to 10 days after your period starts), when your breasts are less tender or swollen. If you take oral contraceptives, do the self-exam when you start a new pill pack each month. If you are on hormone therapy