Medicines should be measured carefully

HELOISE: Medicines should be measured carefully

Dear Readers: With the cold-and-flu season here, many people are taking medicines, whether over-the-counter or prescription or giving them to their children. It’s very important to follow proper dosing instructions when dispensing liquid medicine, especially to the very young and the very old. Too much or too little can be dangerous!

A lot of over-the-counter liquid cough and cold medicines come with their own measuring cup, which you should use. If you have a prescription medicine with no dosage cup and are going to use a tablespoon, please note this information:

We’ve done a little research here at Heloise Central and found that a tablespoon from the silverware drawer is not equal to a measuring-spoon tablespoon. The flatware spoon measured about 1 teaspoon less than the tablespoon from the set of measuring spoons. This is a significant and potentially dangerous difference. Test for yourself and see. It could make the difference in a full, healthy recovery or not. Heloise

P.S.: You can buy accurate measuring devices at the pharmacy.

Dear Heloise: I do a lot of work on the computer and have accounts with several different Internet companies. To keep track of all my passwords, screen names and other important information, I have started using an address book. Everything is in alphabetical order and is very easy to find. To help keep this information safe yet nearby, I simply put it in the locking drawer of my computer desk. I also recommend having a few backup copies in a fireproof safe or possibly a filing cabinet. Melissa from Arkansas

Melissa, your hint is right-on! I do something similar with a small notepad. I, too, copied it, just in case. Thanks! Heloise

Dear Heloise: I read with interest a column about disposable cameras. Another use for the camera would be to keep one in your vehicle for emergencies.

In the event of an accident, take pictures of the crash site before moving the vehicles. Make sure to take photos from different angles, since one may not be enough to substantiate your claim. Also, always include in at least one photo a view of the license plate of your vehicle, to prove it was your vehicle and not someone else’s. Al from Nebraska

Dear Heloise: When I read your hints on finding lost children, it brought back an idea I used when my daughter was little. If any stranger were to take her or pick her up and she didn’t know the person, and it wasn’t prearranged, she would ask him or her what the secret word was. If that person didn’t know it, she was to run in the opposite direction. Our secret word was her special name for her grandmother. Crystal Radziszewski, Stafford, Va.

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate