Facing a Natural Disaster

May 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment

After the horrendous weather of these past few days, the widespread destruction, and tragic loss of life, we find ourselves wondering what we would do in the same circumstances. Are there lessons to be learned from this catastrophe? There are some websites that offer good, sound, practical advice to help you prepare for disasters. The Red Cross has some excellent information. The Department of Homeland Security also offers some training exercises available to the public.

The first item to consider is what types of disasters are found in the area where you live. In the Midwest, tornadoes are a common occurrence. The West Coast can experience earthquakes, while the East Coast is plagued with hurricanes. Raging forest fires is another that can strike anywhere. Regardless of the circumstances, there are some basic rules that could apply to nearly everyone.

Take a personal assessment of your own living situation and determine if you have any special needs that need to be addressed in your disaster preparedness. Do you have small children, aged parents, someone with a disability, or pets? You must take into consideration each individual that you are responsible for.

Do you have relatives or friends that live nearby that can offer assistance to you with respects to housing? You should work together to look out for each other and coordinate your planning strategies to best fit everyone’s needs. Knowing that you have someone to depend on can make facing life’s difficulties easier.

Planning family drills is another way to help prepare for potential life-threatening situations. Children in school and parents at work can result in families being separated. Basic communication may be interrupted and you may need to rely on other sources for information. Careful advance planning can help to relieve these concerns.

If you are interested in purchasing some first aid kits for your home, automobile, office where you work, our BetterhealthInnovations.com website offers a nice selection. Air and waterpurification systems can also be purchased there. Two of our other sites offer survival kits; SurvivalCampingWorld.com and Survivalcentral.com.

Perhaps you would like to share what lessons you have learned from your own experiences. You are welcome to leave a comment anytime. Take care and may God Bless, Angela O’Malley

Filed Under: family health, Wellness Tagged With: , ,

Conveying Public Health Messages: Are We Effective?

May 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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Through the years, public health officials have experimented with a number of ways to spread the word about certain issues that are crucial for widespread well-being. Here, we’ll explore three methods to see whether or not they’re worthwhile, and why.

International Days of Focus

April 25, 2013 has been designated as World Malaria Day, and promoted as a way for the world to examine the status of the disease and related treatments. Currently, the goal is to eliminate all malaria deaths within the next two years, and although the number of annual death has greatly lessened recently, it still stands at over 700,000 per year.

Although international days of focus such as this one seemed to have good intentions, some websites, such as a public health website run by the Scottish government, note that World Malaria Day is an opportunity for people who are already working in the malaria community to collaborate and refocus efforts. Perhaps the outcome would be more favorable if efforts were made to include more members of the general public.

That’s a mission that has been done well by the organizers of World AIDS Day, which occurs every year on the first day of December. Marked by red ribbons, the occasion has also been brought into the public sphere with help from global retailers like Starbucks. Last year, the coffee company donated a portion of all sales on December 1st to the Global Fund of the RED Foundation, an effort started by Bobby Shriver and U2 frontman Bono.

Although the number of people living with AIDS has risen in the past two decades, and now stands at about 34 million worldwide, AIDS organizations clarify that related deaths have dropped, and people now have a heightened awareness about how the disease is transmitted and treated.

Podcasts

The Pew Research Group and Arbitron recently teamed up to find out how people use media. Data found that there are about 91,000 different podcasts in existence, although it’s worth noting that the figure only climbed by about 1,000 from the previous year. Also, only about a quarter of Americans reported listening to podcasts, and nearly half admitted to not knowing what a podcast is.

Despite those less-than-promising results, dozens of podcasts aim to make people more aware of public health topics. The World Health Organization (WHO) has one, as does the drug company Pfizer. Although podcasts seemingly would appeal to the tech-savvy generation, statistics about adoption of podcasts throughout the world may be too low to cause substantial improvements just yet.

Promoting Public Transit

Public Transit Advertisements

Statistics have shown that alcohol abuse is particularly a problem for people under age 21. With that in mind, the Pittsburgh Port Authority began running anti-drinking advertisements aimed at youths who ride the city’s trolley and bus system. The transit website notes that over 230,000 people use those transit services there each day, so any anti-drinking campaign should at least reach a wide audience.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says that the advertising costs about one million dollars per year, however professionals from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health note that in the United States, there are only about 5,000 underage drinkers who die each year as a result of their habits. That may suggest that there simply aren’t enough of them in Pittsburgh to justify the money spent.

As these examples show, public health messages have been broadcast with varying levels of success. Although many have certainly succeeded in making people more aware of existing problems, it’s sometimes necessary to weigh the costs versus the benefits when evaluating methods.

WriterTracy Rentz is a professional writer. Do you enjoy solving public issues? You may find yourself interested in pursuing public health degrees such as those offered at USC.

 

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4 Construction Materials That Pose The Highest Health Risk

May 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Home is where we can rest our worn out body, raise our children, and stay protected from the climate changes and elements. With that said, it is essential for the home to be a safe and healthy environment. Unfortunately, the materials used in constructing homes are usually toxic, and buying a brand new house makes no difference.

Although you may not be able to smell, see, or taste it, home construction materials usually emit different gasses and other highly toxic compounds into your home. In addition, these materials can contain volatile organic compounds which can put you and your family at risk. For instance, you may suffer from:

  • Fatigue
  • Allergies
  • Dizziness
  • Respiratory illnesses, such as asthma

If you are thinking of building a new house from scratch, you must educate yourself about the common construction materials that may pose a huge health risk for you and your family. The following are a few of the most toxic building materials you must avoid using.

Engineered Wood Products

These products are created by sticking together layers of fragmented wood. Engineered wood products are typically used to create cabinets, kitchen counters, wall paneling, and so on. These products are not advisable since the adhesives used to glue together the fragmented wood emit pollutants, such as formaldehyde into the environment.

As an alternative, you can consider using natural, solid wood for your wood product, furniture, and cabinets. If you really want to use engineered wood products, choose those that contain no or reduced levels of chemicals.

PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride

PVC has been used for many years in home construction. As a building material, it is very affordable, easy-to-install, and can be replaced easily. For these reasons, many contractors believe that this is an ideal building material; however, PVC poses a huge health risk for those who use it.

PVC products, such as vinyl flooring, can release chemical compounds known as phthalates. This chemical has been associated with the increase in asthma cases in residential homes. In addition, the lead additives found in PVC mini-blinds are found to be the major cause of lead poisoning in some children. Other health problems which may develop due to exposure to toxic levels of PVC include developmental disabilities, disruption of hormones, and respiratory problems.

Insulation

Most of us are aware of the health risks of asbestos in insulation, but did you know that even the standard fiberglass insulation can be quite dangerous? Small pieces of fiberglass can be toxic if you or any of your family members inhale them. In addition, some types of fiberglass contain formaldehyde which can be released into the environment.

To lower health risks, you can buy safer types of insulation, such as cotton insulation, from a green building supplier. You can also use insulation made from recycled paper since it is formaldehyde-free.

Oil-Based Paint and Paint Strippers

Oil-based paint can contain about 300 toxic chemicals and 150 carcinogens. This is based on the study made by John Hopkins University. Among the toxic chemicals found in this type of paint are mercury, methylene chloride, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, lead, alkyl resin, and kerosene. The vapors emitted by this type of paint can be released into the environment while painting. It can irritate the eyes, skin, and lungs.

Paint strippers, on the other hand, are used to get rid of oil-based paint. They also contain toxic and highly volatile chemicals, such as acetone and methanol.

As an alternative, you can use water-based paints or low-volatile paints since they contain lower toxic solvents. Although water-based paints can still cause eye or skin irritation, they are less harmful and less toxic as compared to oil-based paint and strippers.

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The author, Kris Lim, is a health advocate who offers basic information about the toxic construction materials that can pose the highest health risks. Some of her written works have been used by Hayden Homes in Junction City.

Betterhealthinnovations.com offers a great selection of air and water purifiers to help rid your home of harmful pollutants.

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Living with an Ostomy

May 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Severe Crohn Disease is one of the causes for people getting an Ostomy. An Ostomy is a bag worn on the outside to collect body waste material. Read the following article about one man’s journey from embarrassment to educating the public and becoming somewhat of a spokesman for the many who have to wear an Ostomy.

 

Ostomy saved me from a life in the bathroom – CNN.com

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6 Reasons Why Teeth Turn Yellow

May 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

When you smile at yourself in front of the mirror, do you worry because you have yellow teeth? You might wonder why your pearly whites are becoming yellow. You take really good care of your teeth. What are you doing wrong?

Causes of Tooth Discoloration

Most people worry that their yellow teeth are very off-putting. They are also afraid that others might think that they don’t take good care of their teeth just because these are slightly discolored. But having yellow teeth is not necessarily due to poor dental hygiene. What you should know is that there are many reasons why teeth turn yellow. Read on for some interesting factors that contribute to teeth discoloration.

1. Heredity

Genetics is one factor. If your parents have yellow teeth, chances are that your teeth might turn yellowish too as you grow older. There are also times when children not only inherit the color of their parents’ teeth, but also their susceptibility to certain dental defects.

2. Lifestyle

- Food and Drinks

As you get older, the enamel of your tooth also becomes thinner and more prone to cracking or chipping. Due to this, certain types of food and drinks can now easily stain your teeth. Foods, such as blueberries and dark sauces, as well as beverages, like tea, coffee and dark beer, should be avoided. But if you really are craving for black coffee, indulge yourself. Just make sure to brush your teeth or gargle afterwards to lessen the staining.

- Smoking

Smoking is another factor. Those who smoke and chew tobacco will experience more severe staining as compared with cigarette smokers. Also, cigarettes that contain more nicotine and tar can worsen teeth discoloration.

3. Supplements, Vitamins and Medicines

Supplements or vitamins containing high amounts of iron might cause discoloration. Certain prescribed medications are also known culprits of why teeth become yellow. A few examples are: antihistamines, antipsychotics, and medicines that manage high blood pressure. As much as possible, doctors also avoid giving certain antibiotics to young kids, especially to those whose teeth have not yet fully developed. For example, doctors avoid prescribing tetracyclines and doxycyclines as these can make teeth yellow.

4. Materials Used in Dentistry

Sometimes, dental materials can stain teeth as well or the colors might be different from the natural color of one’s teeth. Those that contain silver sulfide are especially noticeable as these can make teeth look gray-black.

5. Poor Dental Hygiene

Poor dental hygiene is often blamed for the yellowing of teeth. Though it is not the number one cause, it is still a huge factor. When you do not regularly brush and floss your teeth, plaque will develop. Substances that stain teeth will also build up. All of these will make your teeth become more yellow.

6. Old Age

As mentioned earlier, the tooth enamel gradually becomes thinner as a person becomes older. When this occurs, the next layer of the tooth becomes more exposed. This is called dentin, and it is naturally yellow.

Citations:
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Claire Patel is a freelancer who regularly blogs about health-related matters. Many of her articles offer tips about how to improve overall health care, including dental care, and these materials have been used by a number of Forsyth dental clinics.

A healthy body will put a smile on everyone’s face, go to www.BetterhealthInnovations.com for all of your health and wellness needs.

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