Archive for November, 2009

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Buy the Right Helmet

November 29th, 2009

A helmet can come handy in almost all kind of outdoor activity such as hiking, river rafting, and rock climbing, skateboarding, cycling or biking. Choosing the wrong helmet, either loose or tight can cause more injury to your head than you could imagine.

How to choose the right helmet?
Listed here are ways to choose the right helmet for yourself:

  • Look for a store that sells more than just one or two varieties of helmet
  • Choose one that fits you comfortably and not that which only looks cool
  • Check whether the helmet fits you right and has straps to tighten or loosen it
  • It is not about an expensive or cheap helmet but the right helmet so do not judge by the price
  • Look for damage especially a broken strap
  • Choose the helmet that would the activity you intend to go out for because the wrong type will not help in providing any protection or safety against injuries

Also, an expensive would not necessarily mean a good helmet or one meant for the right purpose. Protection, durability and suitability are the three things you need to consider while purchasing a helmet for outdoor activities.

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Posted in Outdoor Safety

Getting Out of Quicksand

November 29th, 2009

Getting into a quicksand can take your life away within minutes or even seconds. But if you want to survive, you would need to stop wiggling which people do often. Try lying on your back if you are already sucked waist deep inside the quicksand. Try remaining calm, stretch out for some branches, object, etc to pull yourself out and take off your shoes which acts as a suction cup when you try getting out, especially those with flat soles.

How to Pull Yourself Out of Quicksand?
To get yourself out of quicksand follow the procedure below:

  • Try avoiding quicksand usually in wet grounds like the beaches, along rivers and marshes where underground springs bubble up
  • Carry a long pole or stick with you if you’re going hiking to a suspected quicksand area
  • Quicksand pulls you in quickly only if you struggle and wiggle too much or if you are carrying heavy things so take off all your backpacks once you get stuck in quicksand and stand still and calm
  • Try keeping still because your body’s buoyancy will help you keep afloat even if you are waist or chest deep in really deep spots of quicksand
  • Breathe heavily to keep yourself afloat and to calm yourself (as long as you have air in your lungs you cannot sink)
  • If you are already hip or waist deep in quicksand bend backwards and spread your weight while you gradually lift your legs out and propel with your arms to safety (if you are at the edge of quicksand you can also roll out to safe ground)
  • Move slowly and gradually because quicksand can react very abruptly to your aggressive and otherwise quick movements
  • Take time and rest in between because it may take several hours to pull yourself out of quicksand
  • Using a stick is not particularly essential for pulling yourself out of quicksand but it can prove to be useful if its taking several hours and if your legs and muscles have completely tired out

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Posted in Outdoor Safety

First Aid for Ear Injury

November 29th, 2009

The ear typically has two functions – to aid hearing and it is an organ of balance. When an injury is caused to the ear, it is the hearing which is affected than the balance. Children are more at a risk of injuries caused to the ears because they might put things into their ears without noticing how dangerous it can be. Serious consequences of an ear injury means damage caused to the tympanic membrane or the eardrums.

First Aid for Ear Injury
Safety tips for treating an ear injury should include:

  • If it is an insect then try floating it out with warm water or vegetable oil
  • If it is an immovable object refer a doctor
  • Avoid poking the affected ears

For a ruptured eardrum:

  • Cover the affected ear to avoid infection
  • Seek medical help
  • Do not use eardrops unless prescribed by a doctor
  • Avoid water sports and/or swimming

Eardrum injuries can happen very easily like while swimming, change in altitudes or forceful blowing of the nose during a cold or flu. Though minor eardrum injuries heal spontaneously within just a few hours; severe ones need medical diagnosis and treatment.

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Posted in First Aid & Safety Tips

First Aid for Internal Bleeding

November 29th, 2009

Internal bleeding can be potentially life-threatening because you are unable to determine at the very beginning. Heavy internal bleeding can happen in the abdominal cavity, the digestive tract, the chest cavity and tissues surrounding a broken bone. Excessive internal bleeding is not apparent though the organ affected can cause pain to the victim. Eventually, the bleeding becomes apparent with symptoms such as vomiting or coughing blood or bleeding from the nose, ears or rectum, shock instigated by weakness, thirst and skin appearance.

First Aid for Internal Bleeding
Following are the first aid and safety tips for internal bleeding:

  • Call emergency services immediately
  • Make the person lie still with legs elevated
  • Keep the victim warm
  • Reassure the victim
  • Monitor the airway and breathing
  • If the victim is unconscious be prepared to manually press the chest to pump blood into the heart (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
  • If unconscious make the victim lie still with legs elevated and bent at the knees
  • Treat all external injuries
  • Do not give the victim anything to eat or drink

Internal bleeding can occur in any part of the body such as the stomach, spleen or liver which have a rich blood supply. In most of the cases, the symptoms are hard to identify and internal bleeding starts days after an accident had happened. Though less serious internal bleeding can be treated with cold compression, severe internal bleeding should not be ruled out.

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Posted in Emergencies

Heredity and Acne

November 29th, 2009

Though people remain confused about whether acne is a result of genes; experts say yes heredity can cause acne. So if one or both you parents have or are prone to acne, you are most likely to develop acne conditions starting as early in you teens to later years. A prolonged family history of acne is also said to purport acne in young teens and adults.

Also, as acne is a result of the over production of oil glands in the skin or oily skin, in other words; it is heredity again. A study published in the March 2009 Journal of Investigative Dermatology suggests that the incidence of acne occurrence increases if the mother had acne at any point in her life. This brings us to the conclusion that acne is passed on by the x chromosome.

Treatments for Acne
If acne is caused by heredity, one cannot do much about it but treat it. Look at the treatment options available and maintain a healthy diet for clearer skin. Some topical over the counter medications include:

  • Salicylic acid
  • Benzoyl peroxide
  • Sulfur
  • Resorcinol

Prescribed medications for acne treatment include:

  • Azelaic acid
  • Topical retinoids
  • Topical antibiotics

Though mild acne can be cured at home with regular cleansing and exfoliation, severe cases of acne have to be diagnosed and medically treated.

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Posted in Causes of Acne

Occupational Acne

November 28th, 2009

Occupational acne is a result of the skin to chemical and irritating substances. A localized for acne, the occupational acne is common in industrial setups. The irritants which cause occupational acne have a comedogenic effect on the skin thereby causing the development of comedones, which has been proved scientifically.

Some harmful substances that can cause occupational acne include halogenated hydrocarbons such as the chlor-naphthalene which leads to a persistent kind of acne called Chloracne. Other dangerous substances that cause acne include tar and mineral oil.

Diagnosis for Occupational Acne
Since it is a localized form of acne it is usually self-diagnosed by the person himself. The acne spots appear only in the exposed areas of the skin. It is also quiet possible to match the pattern of acne spots with the pattern of chemical or substances one is exposed to I his or her workplace.

Treatments for Occupational Acne
The treatments for occupational acne depend on the extent and length of exposure of the chemicals to the skin. Sometimes, such acne disappears on its own provided that the person is no more in direct contact with the irritants and substances. However, for occupational acne conditions such as the Chloracne, it may take weeks or months to heal. Medical assistance is absolutely essential for treating occupational acne.

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Posted in Acne Types

First Aid for Angina

November 28th, 2009

Angina attack is a medical condition where arteries cannot cope with the demand for blood flow into the heart that is usually caused due to increased heart rates while an excessive exercise routine or during a sudden emotional breakdown. During an angina attack, the victim experiences acute chest pain, which acts as a warning sign for the victim to stop activity and rest.

First Aid for Angina
While helping a victim suffering an angina attack, follow the procedure below:

  • Try calming the victim down to rest and reassurance would help in reducing the heart rate
  • Generally a victim of angina attack has some medication (a puffer or tablet) prescribed and which needs to be placed under the tongue to increase blood circulation to the heart. So help the victim find the medicine and administer to him or her.
  • If chest pain continues call an ambulance or emergency sufferers
  • Call for medical assistance if the victim has not suffered an angina attack before
  • If the victim is an angina sufferer listen to what he or she wants you to do carefully and do as asked

Arteries get narrowed down by the fatty acids and therefore, an increased demand for blood flow to the heart cannot be met. Owing to the lifestyles and unhealthy diet patterns people follow today, chest pain and angina attacks have become very common. The only way out is to eat healthy and engage in moderate exercises.

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Posted in Emergencies

First Aid for Fits

November 28th, 2009

Fits can be described as an electrical discharge through the brain. In minor cases of fits, the victims suffers some disturbance in the brain’s normal functioning which may lead to lack of understanding of his or her surroundings. All that you can do to help such victims is to reassure them and lead them away from danger or harm. If the victim has never suffered a convulsion, seeing a doctor is recommended.

First Aid for Fits
In major cases of fits or seizures, the victim is aware of its coming and the electric impulses cause muscle contractions which makes him fall to the ground. When fits subside, the victim enters a state of unconsciousness. And when awoken, he or she feels sleepy and would want to rest.

Some first aid and safety tips for major fits are listed below:

  • Do not restrain the victim during fits or else you could cause injury to yourself or the victim. Instead move away things that can hurt him or her.
  • Once the fits stop, monitor the airway and breathing of the victim and you may have to manually apply pressure on the chest to pump blood into the heart and also sit the person up in a recovery position.
  • Once the victim comes back to consciousness, reassure him and he may have lost control of both his bowel and bladder functions so help him clean up. He may feel sleepy and would want to rest so provide the environment for rest.

Most people who get fits know how to manage themselves once they are back to consciousness through their own coping strategies.

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Posted in First Aid & Safety Tips

First Aid for Heat Cramps

November 28th, 2009

Heat cramps are often a result of inadequate fluid intake. It is a kind of painful, involuntary muscle spasm which usually occurs while exercising in extremely hot conditions or environments. Heat cramps can be more painful and stays for a longer time than the night time leg cramps which is just momentary and lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes.

First Aid for Heat Cramps
First aid and safety tips for heat cramps include the following:

  • Try cooling down and rest for a while
  • Drink plenty of fluids such as juice or an electrolyte-based sports drink
  • Gently massage the affected muscles
  • Try range of motion stretching exercises for the muscle cramps
  • If the heat cramps don’t go away within one hour you must visit a doctor or get medical help

Although heat cramps can affect any muscle group that is involved in exercise; the muscles generally affected include the abdominal wall and back, the arms and calves.

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Posted in First Aid & Safety Tips

First Aid for Gastroenteritis

November 28th, 2009

Gastroenteritis is a condition when the stomach and intestines swell due to viruses, contaminated food and drinks, side effects of certain drugs and reaction to a new food. The general symptoms of gastroenteritis are nausea or vomiting, abdominal cramps, bloated feeling, slight fever and diarrhea. Depending on the severity of the condition, the symptoms may last from one day to more than a week.

First Aid for Gastroenteritis
If you sense your stomach going uneasy with all the above symptoms, you would need to follow this regime:

  • Avoid eating or drinking for a while to give your stomach some rest
  • In order to prevent dehydration drink plenty of fluids
  • Get eating gradually but on easy to digest foods such as rice, bananas, toast
  • Acetaminophen can be taken for stomach relief but under due recommendations of a doctor and if you are not suffering from a liver disease
  • You may feel very weak so get rest and sleep

For acute cases or no control of symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, fainting or continuous abdominal cramps, get medical help immediately. For children, you would need to check for additional symptoms of gastroenteritis such as – vomiting blood, drowsiness, blood diarrhea and continuous fever (more than a day for children below 2 years and three days for 2 years and older).

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Posted in Emergencies