With people busy cleaning up ahead of the holiday, many might be suffering from joint and muscle pain. Using a pain relief patch might provide some welcome relief, but the Food and Drug Administration advises users not to leave it on for more than six hours.
The popular belief that “the longer you leave the pain relief patch on your skin, the better the effect” is a misconception, the agency said.
People should consult a doctor or a pharmacist before using pain relief patches, and read and follow the instructions printed on the package or package insert, it said.
The main ingredients of pain relief patches are methyl salicylate, capsaicin — an active component of chili peppers — mint or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and are absorbed through the skin, so keeping the patch on the skin too long can cause an overdose of the ingredients, or redness, swelling or itching, the agency said.
People should use pain relief patches for no more than six hours and avoid using them on skin with wounds, eczema or ulcers, it said.
People who have allergic reactions to certain drugs should test the patch first by cutting and using a small piece, and immediately removing it if it causes itching or swelling.
Pain relief patches can be differentiated into “oil-based patches” and “water-based patches,” an article published by Taiwan Adventist Hospital on its official Web page said.
The former uses synthetic resin as the base and is generally thicker and stickier, but it is more likely to cause an allergic reaction, the article said.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese