Not all echinaceas are the same

I am on my second cold of the season. It is boring!

The first one was over Christmas and I blame my two small germ carriers (delightful though they are!) for most of the snotty noses and coughs and sneezes in our house. This time I decided to do my own small scale study on Echinacea,

I like the A Vogel products. The brand is well supported with great campaigns and good educational support for the pharmacy team and for customers. 
I have been using Echinaforce drops since starting with a sore throat last Thursday and I have to say I am quite impressed. you add 15 drops to water three times a day. Easy enough to and not unpleasant tasting.

Research has shown that Echinacea 

• strengthens the immune system
• is anti-viral 
• is anti-inflammatory

A Vogel Echinacea use a combination of the herb ad the root from the plant. This makes sense to me and has been shown to have a greater effect that either the herb or the root alone. 

Although I still have a stuffy nose, this cold has really not come to much whilst others around me have taken to there beds. Perhaps it is luck, but I am certainly convinced enough to try it next time.

At Barnton Pharmacy we can give you advice on a rage of herbal alternatives and natural products to help you feel great through the winter months.

Coughs and sneezes...

We are all coughing and spluttering in my house at the moment. The children get it, then the adults get in, then the children get it again, and on it goes. Only the dog seems to be immune!

It is that time of year. There are more than 200 common cold viruses spread when we cough and sneeze. A normal cold passes through three distinct phases and usually include a sore throat, congestion and a cough.

The nice people at Benylin have come up with a symptom checker on their website which helps you decide which product is best suited to your needs. There is a huge range of cough and cold products available and new ones are added to the market every year. It is hard to keep on top of it and that is what I do for a living!

So although you may know what you want and that you want it now, please remember that the staff in the pharmacy are trying to help you find the most appropriate product for you by taking into account what other medication you may be on or what conditions you may have.

Did you know, for example, that  most oral decongestants may affect your blood pressure or that some cough medicines will not be suitable for diabetics or people with asthma. So when my staff ask you some questions, they are not prying or trying to hold you up. It is their training to ask the following questions every time:

• What are the symptoms?
• Who is it for?
• How long have they had them?
• Action already taken?
• Medicines being taken for other problems?

So, if you have a cough a cold or even flu, the staff at Barnton Pharmacy will help you find the right product for you and your family and keep you well this winter. Don't forget we can also help you avoid flu, with a flu jab and discuss other products such as echinacea to help boost your immune system at this time of year.

Time for a seasonal boost

 The leaves are falling, mornings are almost dark. It's the long week before the half term holidays and we are all feeling a bit under par.
Now is the time to boost your immune system and get yourself in tip top form for the winter ahead.

Here are a few tips from Barnton Pharmacy to

1. Consider starting echinacea to give you and additional boost.
2. there is lots of fantastic seasonal veggies around in all those autumn colours. They make great soups to put in the freezer for a warming winter lunch.
3. Think about a vitamin supplement at this time of year. Our friendly team can advise you on which one would best suit you.
4. As the days get shorter (much much shorter in Scotland) we need to boost our vitamin D reserves. try and get at least 15 minutes of daylight every day. Take a walk around the block at lunchtime. Not only will you feel a boost during the afternoon, but you will sleep better at night time.
5. What about a flu jab? Free if you are eligible on the NHS, or come and see us in the pharmacy if you want to protect yourselves and your family privately.

Watch out for a future post about what to do if you do get a cold, but hopefully if you follow some of this advice now, you will be better able to fight off those bugs!