Are Expired Medicines really Harmful ?

What does Expiration Date mean?

 The expiration date, indicated the date the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of the drug. At the time of the medication expiry date, the drug must be at least 90% of the original potency under proper storage conditions.

The expiration date does not indicate a point when a medication loses potency and is no longer effective or becomes harmful.

In general, drugs expiration date is 2-5 years from production date. For example, if a company chooses a two year expiration date, it does not have to test beyond that for prolonged effectiveness.

Potency and Efficacy.

 Drug's potency begins to reduce from the moment it is manufactured; it is not in anyway spontaneous after the expiry date. Expired medications have not necessarily lost potency. The expiration date is only an assurance that the labeled potency will last at least until that time.

Important note: Solid dosage forms, such as tablets and capsules, are most stable past their expiration date. Drugs that exist in solution or as a reconstituted suspension may not have the required potency if used when outdated.

Safety and Toxicity. 

Contrary to common belief, there is little scientific evidence that expired drugs are toxic. There are virtually no reports of toxicity from degradation products of outdated drugs.

According to The Medical Letter the only report of human toxicity that may have been caused by chemical or physical degradation of a pharmaceutical product is renal tubular damage that was associated with use of degraded tetracycline (GW Frimpter et al, JAMA 1963; 184:111). Since then, tetracycline products have been changed to eliminate the problem [2]. The lack of other reports of toxicity from expired medication is reassuring, however expired medication toxicity is not a well-researched field.

Liquid medications. 

Drugs in liquid form (solutions, suspensions) are not as stable as solid dosage forms (tablet, powder, capsule). Drugs prepared by addition of a solvent before dispensing or administration (such as suspensions of antibiotics for oral use or lyophilized drugs in vials for parenteral use) tend to be relatively unstable in the liquid state. Suspensions are especially susceptible to freezing. With ophthalmic drugs, the limiting factor may not be the stability of the drug, but the continued ability of the preservative to inhibit microbial growth.

Injectables, that have become cloudy or discolored or show signs of precipitation should not be used.

Drugs that should never be used past their expiration date.

 Certain medications have a narrow therapeutic index and little decreases in the pharmacological activity can result in severe consequences for patients. Respect expiration date is obligatory for the following medications:

• Anticonvulsants - narrow therapeutic index
• Dilantin, phenobarbital - very quickly lose potency
• Nitroglycerin - very quickly lose potency
• Warfarin - narrow therapeutic index
• Procan SR - sustained release procainamide
• Theophylline - very quickly lose potency
• Digoxin - narrow therapeutic index
• Thyroid preparations
• Paraldehyde
• Oral contraceptives
• Epinephrine - very quickly lose potency
• Insulin - very quickly lose potency
• Eye drops - eyes are particularly sensitive to any bacteria that might grow in a solution once a preservative degrades.

Storage conditions -- factors that negatively affect drugs

• light (especially sunlight)
• oxygen
• moisture
• extreme temperatures

Proper storage is an important factor. Medications react to the environment around them and breakdown over a period of time.

Factors to consider in deciding whether to use an expired medication:

• Dosage formulation -- liquids are generally unstable.
• Package-type, container closure system.
• Storage conditions. Medications do retain their effectiveness longer if they are kept unopened.
• Length of time between initial manufacture and final use.
• Appearance of medication. Do not use if: tablets are brittle or breaking apart; tablets or capsules have loss of sheen; tablets or capsules are soft; emulsions or suspensions remain separate despite shaking; injectables appear discolored or a precipitate has formed. With aspirin, it's easy to tell if it's "going bad": the stronger it smells, the less effective it is. Never take medicine that seems suspicious in some other way.

Can you take expired medications or not?

 The wisdom suggests that if your life does depend on an outdated drug, and you must have 100% of the original strength, it is wise to follow the cliché "better safe than sorry".

If your life does not depend on an expired drug -- such as headache, common cold, or constipation -- take the medication and see what happens.

Medical authorities uniformly say it is safe to take drugs past their expiration date -- no matter how "expired" the drugs purportedly are. Except for possibly the rarest of exceptions, you won't get hurt and the drug certainly won't turn into a poison.

References

• 1. Lyon RC, Taylor JS, Porter DA, Prasanna HR, Hussain AS. Stability profiles of drug products extended beyond labeled expiration dates. J Pharm Sci. 2006 Jul;95(7):1549-60. PubMed
• 2. Drugs past their expiration date. Med Lett Drugs Ther. 1996 Jul 19;38(979):65-6. The Medical Letter
• 3. Lee Cantrell. Stability of Active Ingredients in Long-Expired Prescription Medications. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(21):1685-1687
• 4. American Medical Association. "Pharmaceutical Expiration Dates." Report 1 of the Council on Scientific Affairs (A-01). July 25, 2001. Accessed November 18, 2011.

If you are a doctor or going to be a doctor or a common man

To understand better click here to watch a video on youtube made by DNEWS.

Source: emedexpert.com

5 Phone Charging Myths

Myth 1: Using off-brand chargers destroys batteries.

The truth: Off-brand chargers, while not optimal, are fine. It's knockoffs you should avoid.

Don't go for cheap brand knockoff chargers when you can at least purchase inexpensive, off-brand chargers (as long as they're made by legitimate retailers, such as Belkin and KMS). The folks at Lifehacker ran a detailed experiment in which they pitted official chargers against knockoffs and off-brand models.

The results showed that off-brand chargers, though obviously not as good as the official thing, work just fine. Knockoffs barely even get the job done.

Myth 2: You shouldn't use your phone while it charges.

The truth: Use it all you want, as long as you're not using a sketchy third-party charger.

There are scary reasons behind this myth. People believe that using a phone while charging will make the phone explode, or electrocute the user. That actually happened to a Chinese flight attendant named Ma Ailun in July 2013, when she used her iPhone 4 while it was charging.

However, reports say it's because Ailun was using a third-party charger, not an original Apple charger.

If you're using the manufacturer-approved charger and battery, you should be fine.

Myth 3: Charging your phone overnight kills the battery.

The truth: Your phone is smarter than you think. Once it's fully juiced up, it knows to stop charging. That means the battery isn't even in use at all.

However, that doesn't mean you should be charging your phone all night, every night. You wouldn't fill a cup with water if it was already full, would you? Your battery life will last longer if you keep your phone charged between 40% and 80%.

Myth 4: You don't need to turn your phone off — ever.

The truth: Your phone may be a machine, but it still needs to take a few breaks. An Apple Genius said that in order to maximize battery life, you should turn off your phone from time to time, especially when you go to bed at night.

At the very least, Apple experts recommend turning your phone off once a week in order to preserve battery life.

Turning off your phone is important for Android devices as well. A simple reboot can help restore battery life.

Myth 5: Don't charge your phone until it's completely dead.

The truth: It's better to charge your phone every day than to do a "deep charge" from time to time.

Lithium-ion batteries, like the kind used in Samsung and Apple products fare better when they're charged. If you constantly let them drain to 0%, they become unstable. Your battery has a finite number of charge cycles, and every time it fully dies, that's another cycle out the window.

BONUS: Fact — heat will ruin a battery.

The truth: This is absolutely true. Heat and tech don't generally go hand-in-hand, and that's no different with phone batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries heat themselves, and get hotter while they're being charged. Cold weather can also have a negative impact on a phone's life, and a cold battery will die faster than usual in low temperatures.

Your phone will be safe if you keep it within its recommended temperatures; Apple says 32 degrees Fahrenheit is the lowest recommended temperature for an iPhone's environment. Samsung, on the other hand, guarantees its phones can function anywhere between -4 and 122 degrees.

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101 Fast Foods that Changed the World !

101 Fast Foods that Changed the World !

Watch this video to know what are the 101 Fast Foods that changed the World.

Food

Everything You Want to Know About Caviar!

Luxury Caviar

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of luxury food? If you simultaneously thought of caviar, I'd have to completely agree with you, considering its price tag of up to $400 per ounce, or $14 a gram.According to the Guinness World Records, the most expensive food on record is also a caviar: Almas, from the Iranian Beluga fish, sells for roughly $35,000 per kilogram

Caviar is one of those luxurious food items that's completely exotic to many. It's definitely an acquired taste but to me personally, it's synonymous with family gatherings, parties and overall good times because I grew up eating black or redikra (caviar) slathered on white bread and butter or rolled into blini (pancakes) at family gatherings. I love how with every bite, each orange jelly-looking ball or smaller grayish/black ball pops delightfully in your mouth as you put pressure on it and this fishy flavored liquid burst out, enhancing the bread or pancake and completely transforming the taste to a whole new level. I can also totally see though how fish eggs can be something that's hard to get used to and be flat out gross as some of my friends see it.

How much do you know about caviar? Do you know where it comes from and the best ways of eating it? This guide will break down everything you may ever want to know about this little delicacy.

What is Caviar?

The word caviar comes from the Persian word khaviar, and is a variation to the Persian khaya-dar, which literally means “having eggs".

Caviar is usually served as an hors d'oeuvre.

Caviar refers to salted fish eggs (roe) - but not just any type of fish, specifically of the sturgeon species. 

Fish eggs from other species actually cannot be called caviar unless they have the species' name labeled in front of the word caviar. This is common with Salmon caviar.

Health Benefits of Caviar

Caviar isn't only an extravagant hors d'oeuvre, it also has wonderful health benefits.

One teaspoon of caviar contains about a gram of omega-3 and it's a good source of calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, several B vitamins and amino acid.

Source :hubpages

Life

Navratri special: Significance of Garba, Dandiya dance forms.

The festival of Navratri comes with a promise of nine days filled with fun, frolic, dance and festivities all around. It is one of the most vivacious festivals celebrated in the country.

Navratri not only symbolises the victory of good over evil (Goddess Durga's victory over Mahishasur) but also celebrates the spirit of Indian culture in its togetherness. Devotees, not only celebrate the festival by offering prayers to the Goddess but also wear traditional and colourful dresses, sing folk song and indulge in other fun activities like- playing Garba and Dandiya. Garba or Dandiya, are dance forms which were earlier only performed in Gujarat, but have now become very popular across the country. The lively and colourful dance forms' popularity is such that Garba festivals are organised in almost every corner of the country today to grace the occasion of Navratri. 

Dandiya is usually played in the late evening, after performing all the religious rituals (Aarti). While Garba is performed before worshipping Goddess Durga. These dances are generally performed in groups and special large scale events are organised where hundreds of people can come together for the celebrations. 

Besides setting the festive mood, these dance forms also hold a special significance in the 9-day long festival. Garba and Dandiya are believed to be the dramatisation of the fight between the Goddess and Mahishasur– the mighty demon king. The sticks of the Dandiya dance represent the sword of Goddess Durga. This  is the reason why the dance form is also known as ‘The Sword Dance.’

Use of colourful sticks, traditional and vibrant costumes comprising skirts and ornate blouses, designed with lovely embroidery and mirror craft, also not to forget the foot-tapping music, make the dance form unique in itself and also matches with the spirit and joy of the festival. 

Traditional costumes and its significance:

Navratri being a festival of togetherness, people always prefer to wear dresses of similar colours and patters to spread the message of oneness. While women prefer the traditional Chaniya Choli, that has vibrant colours and beautiful embroidery, men wear traditional kurtas and payjamas. Designer sarees and Lehenga sarees are also some of the favourites of women these days, especially in metropolitan cities. 

Changing face of Garba and Dandiya nights:

There was a time when the two dance forms were used to educate people about the festival and its mythological importance but today things have changed. With changing times, when everything has become commercial Garba events have also changed. The once social event has now become more of a commercial affair. With large business organisations and event management companies investing a handsome amount in the so-called Dandiya nights, it has become a grand affair around the country. 

Earlier, Garba used to be played in every nook and corner of the street, but today it has become a glam event filled with the best in fashion, food, events and dance. Garba and Dandiya nights these days are all about big stars visiting the event, delicious food, designer clothes and glamour. The dance element is sometimes lost in the glamour of the stars and people come to the venue more for the star then the festival. 

Despite things changing and turning the commercial way, it is a beautiful feeling to go with your family and attend the colourful and vibrant Garba nights during the Navratri festival.

source: Znews

Wildlife Vacations in India

Where to go to spot Asiatic Lions in India?

Gir National Park is the only protected area in Asia where one could spot Asiatic Lions in their natural habitat. It is located in Junagarh district in Gujarat. A succession of rugged ridges, isolated hills, plateaus, dry scrub land and open deciduous forest characterize the topography of Gir National Park, the last natural habitat of Asiatic lions. The overwhelming presence of the big cat diverts the attention of the visitors from the remarkable bird population which even caught attention of great ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali.  There are over 32 species of mammals, 300 species of birds and 26 species of reptiles present in this national park in India. - See more  click here

Which are the best places to spot tigers in India?

Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan

Ranthambore National Park is one of the finest wildlife sanctuaries in India located in Rajasthan. It is well known for its friendly tigers and is one of the best national parks in India to see these majestic predators in the jungle. Tigers can be easily spotted even during the day time. A good time to visit Ranthambore National Park is in November and May when the nature of the dry deciduous forests makes sightings common. Its deciduous forests were once a part of the magnificent jungles of Central India. The park is also home to one of the UNESCO inscribed World Heritage Sites in the category of hill forts of Rajasthan. - See more click here

Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh

This National Park in India has a large breeding population of Leopards, and various species of deer. Maharaja Martand Singh of Rewa captured the first white tiger in this region in 1951. This white tiger, Mohan, is now stuffed and on display in the palace of the Maharajas of Rewa. Bandhavgarh has the highest density of Bengal tigers known in the world, and is home to some famous named individual tigers. Charger, a tiger so named because of his habit of charging at elephants and tourists and a female known as Sita, who once appeared on the cover of National Geographic are considered to be the most photographed tiger in the world. - See more click here

Tadoba National Park, Chandrapur, Maharashtra

Although Bandhavgarh and Ranthambore are more popular among tourists planning wildlife holidays in India, Tadoba surprisingly is way ahead of competition when it comes to tiger spotting in India. It’s a blessing in disguise, both for this wildlife sanctuary as well as visitors.

Tadoba National Park is for those who prefer relatively unknown, off the beaten path, tourist-free national park and Tiger reserve for their wildlife vacation.

The most recent census, carried out in 2012, found that the Tadoba is home to 69 tigers which means a visit to this park is more about how many tiger will you spot rather than will you spot any tiger at all.
- See more click here

Where to go birding in India?

Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary), Rajasthan

It’s has a bloody history as far as birds are concerned. Keoladeo Ghana National Park or the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary was initially developed as a site for duck shoot. It was organized by the maharaja of Bharatpur to honor the British Viceroy of India for the first time in 1938. More than 4000 birds were shot during the inaugural duck shoot organized to honor Lord Linlithgow, the then Governor-General of India. But now turned into arguably the India's finest bird sanctuary, Bharatpur Bird Santuary is one of the best places for wildlife photography in India. The diverse habitats of Bharatpur bird sanctuary are home to 366 bird species, 379 floral species, 50 species of fish, 13 species of snakes, 5 species of lizards, 7 amphibian species,7 turtle species, and a variety of other invertebrates. Every year thousands of migratory waterfowl visit the park for wintering breeding etc. The best time to visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is from November till March when the rare migratory bird species arrive in the park. - See more click here

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Kerala

Located just 16 kilometers from Mysore, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is one of the most visited sites for birding in South India. This bird sanctuary comprises six islets on the banks of the Kaveri River. Most of the birds – Black Necked Staork, Painted Storks, Ibises and Egrets - stay on tiny islands within the river, which you can approach by boat. However, the river is also home to a few crocodiles, so don't jump in for a swim!
- See more click here

Food

10 Ways to Cut Portions Without Feeling Hungry

by Diana Kelly

Start with a glass of H2O

Drink 16 ounces (a big glass) of water before you eat, suggests Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet. Filling your belly with water will naturally make you less likely to overeat, she says. Plus, some symptoms of dehydration may actually be what's causing your rumbling belly, so sipping some water before you eat may eliminate your "hunger" altogether.

Wear form-fitting clothes

We're not suggesting you squeeze into pants that are too tight. However, wearing an outfit with a waistband or perhaps a jacket with buttons can serve as a tool to prompt you to slow down and assess how you feel during your meal, says Young. As your clothing begins to feel a little snugger, it may keep you from going back for seconds.

Add veggie fillers

Bulking up your meals with veggies is one easy way to cut calories while filling you up fast. Spinach, for example, can be used as a sandwich-topper or can add fiber and nutrients to pasta and stir-fries, says Blatner. Other ideas to eat more veggies: swap in mushrooms for half the ground meat in most recipes, make oatmeal more filling with diced apples, and use a whole-wheat pita in place of bread so you can stuff it with more veggies.

Set the scene for slower eating

Dim lights and listen to relaxing music to set the tone for a more leisurely meal, suggests Blatner. "Taking your time while eating increases enjoyment and decreases portions," she says. Remember to chew slowly, put down your fork between bites, and sip water to make your meal last longer.

Work for your food

Here's another way to slow down your eating: munch on foods that require shelling, peeling, or individual unwrapping, suggests Blatner. Oranges, edamame, and pistachios in their shells are healthy options.

Don't eat from the bag or box

When you sit down with a bag of chips, do you really know how many you're eating? Researchers from Cornell University sought to answer this question in a study and found that people ate 50% more chips when they were given no visual cues as to how large a portion should be. So if you buy a bag of pretzels or tin of nuts that contains 10 servings, divide the contents of the container into 10 smaller baggies ahead of time.

Slurp your appetizer

Before you dive into your entrée, have some soup. Though it may seem counterintuitive to add more to your meal, research shows that starting a meal with soup may help you reduce your overall calorie intake. In a 2007 study, people who ate soup before their lunch entrée reduced their total calorie intake by 20%. Your best bet: a broth-based soup, preferably with veggies to help you feel full from the natural fiber, says Young. Here are a few healthy soup recipes to get you started.

Drink from a tall glass

It's okay to have a cocktail with your meal if that's what you really want, but keep it to one glass and enjoy it slowly, suggests Young. To trick yourself into believing you're having more, pour your drink into a tall, thin glass. A 2005 study published in the journal BMJ revealed that practiced bartenders who poured what they thought was a shot of alcohol (1.5 ounces) into a short, wide glass poured 20% more than when the glass was tall and thin. Add extra ice to your drink to make it look like even more!

Limit mealtime distractions

Turn off the TV and put your smartphone away while you eat. A recent review of studies found that people who watched television during meals tended to consume more than those who ate without any distractions. And for you office dwellers? Consider taking your lunch break away from your desk—in an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study, people who played computer solitaire while having lunch felt less full at the end, and went on to eat more food later in the day than those who didn't play the game.

Use smaller serveware and dishes

Turns out that even food experts aren't so savvy about eyeballing portion sizes. In a Cornell University study, 85 nutrition experts gathered for an ice cream social to celebrate the success of a colleague. They were randomly given either a small or large bowl, or a small serving scoop or large serving scoop. Then, the nutritionists were asked to complete a brief survey while the study researchers secretly weighed their bowls. Those given the larger bowls served themselves 31% more without realizing it, while those who used the larger scoop unknowingly served themselves 14.5% more. Moral of the story? Dish up your own food with a small utensil onto a small bowl or plate, and chances are you'll eat less.

Source: Health.com

Health

Exercise is good for everyone, but some struggle more than others.

People with increased risk of type 2 diabetes need to exercise more than others to achieve the same results, according to new research from Lund University in Sweden.

The cause of type 2 diabetes is linked to both genetics and lifestyle. If you have an immediate relative (mother, father, sibling) with type 2 diabetes, the risk of contracting the diabetes is about three times higher. Preventive treatments involve eating healthier and exercising more.

Researchers at Lund University have studied the effects of exercise in people with increased risk of type 2 diabetes caused by being immediately related to someone with the disease.

The participants consisted of a total of 50 unfit, slightly overweight but completely healthy men in their 40s who, for seven months, exercised regularly at a fitness centre. Half of them belonged to the risk group and the other half served as a control group who did not have relatives with type 2 diabetes.

The participants were offered three training sessions per week, including a spinning class and two aerobics classes, during which their exercise intensity and energy consumption was measured. Before and after the exercise period, they individually underwent a medical examination and a glucose tolerance test (sugar load) to study the cells' ability to absorb sugar (glucose) into the blood. The researchers also performed muscle biopsies on the participants that were analysed to study the activity of various genes.

The exercise routine for both groups was equally hard, but the risk group attended more sessions and as a group expended more energy than the control group. After making adjustments to account for the differences, the results showed that both groups benefited from exercising; they all lost weight, reduced their waist size and increased their fitness. The genetic analyses also showed similar improvements in the gene expressions in both groups.

"The difference was that participants from the risk group had to exercise more to achieve the same results as the participants from the control group," says Ola Hansson, who led the study.

However, more research is required to answer the question why this is the case, and in the future be able to advice on what type of exercise will be most effective in terms of disease prevention for this group.

"Nevertheless, it is interesting to see that there is a difference despite the fact that all of them are actually healthy and otherwise very similar. We now hope to continue with further studies, including examining whether exercise intensity rather than volume is a crucial factor in determining how the risk group responds to exercise," concludes Ola Hansson.

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Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Lund University.Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Carl Ekman, Targ Elgzyri, Kristoffer Ström, Peter Almgren, Hemang Parikh, Marloes Dekker Nitert, Tina Rönn, Fiona Manderson Koivula, Charlotte Ling, Åsa B. Tornberg, Per Wollmer, Karl-Fredrik Eriksson, Leif Groop, Ola Hansson. Less pronounced response to exercise in healthy relatives to type 2 diabetics compared to controls. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2015; jap.01067.2014 DOI:10.1152/japplphysiol.01067.2014

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