Archive for December, 2009

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First Aid for Allergies

December 2nd, 2009

An allergy is when the body recognizes a substance or as an allergen as harmful for itself and reacts with hypersensitivity. Though some allergies are minor and occur in the form of a skin rash, sneezing, minor swelling, red and irritated eyes; a major anaphylaxis can result in shock, which if not treated in time can lead to death. Severe allergy sufferers show symptoms such as difficulty in breathing and impaired consciousness and need immediate medical help.

First Aid for Allergies
Some first aid and safety tips for an allergic reaction are:

  • Reassure the person and try finding any history to allergies suffered by the person
  • Calamine lotion or cold compression can be applied to the skin rashes and itchy areas
  • Try identifying the allergen so that a person is not exposed to the substance often
  • Medical advice is always helpful because tests will help finding the allergen or substance you maybe most likely be allergic towards

Mild allergies are caused by common allergens such as insect bites, long grass, stings, flowers and hairy animals who are potential carriers of allergens that are shed through their dander.

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Posted in Emergencies

First Aid for Abdominal Pain

December 2nd, 2009

Though not always serious, abdominal pain can be a sign of a serious underlying ailment such as appendicitis, hernia, stomach ulcer, muscle strain or severe internal bleeding. In case an infant or a child has abdominal pain accompanied with symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and fever, immediate medical attention is absolutely necessary.

First Aid for Abdominal Pain
In order to assist someone who is suffering with abdominal pain you would need to take the following steps:

  • Assess the history of the pain to rule out injury, internal bleeding, poisoning or any internal ailment
  • Make the person sit or sleep in a comfortable position and provide a hot water bag to get relief from the pain
  • Medical assistance is necessary if the pain does not subside within half an hour

Call 911 or rush to hospital under the following circumstances:

  • If the person or child vomits blood (stomach ulcer)
  • If the person has high temperature (infection)
  • If the abdomen becomes rigid (internal bleeding)

The above three symptoms are signs of serious internal problems and medical attention is vital.

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Posted in Emergencies

First Aid for Splinters

December 2nd, 2009

Though embedded objects next to sensitive areas such as the eyes need medical attention, minor debris such as a wood splinter can be removed at home. It is always easier to remove a half stuck splinter but a completely embedded one would need medical attention.

First Aid for Splinters
Ways to remove a wood splinter from your finger or hand is explained below:

  • If the splinter is completely embedded, wipe the area clean and cover with a gauze or clean cloth before you seek medical help
  • If the splinter is partially out, you can try pulling it out with the help of tweezers
  • To reduce infection, sterilize the tweezers by holding it over flame
  • Try pulling out the splinter in the same angle that you held it with the end of the tweezers
  • If the splinter breaks while trying to pull it out seek medical help
  • Once you manage to take out the splinter, squeeze the spot to allow some blood to come out
  • Wash the spot with soap and water and cover the area with a clean dressing and/or gauze

Though it may not seem like a big injury, splinters can cause infection and tetanus. Check for infection in the future and consider when you last took an injection for tetanus. You may need a booster dose.

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Posted in First Aid & Safety Tips

Oil-free Cosmetics – Tips for Skin Care

December 2nd, 2009

Unlike the very popular mineral makeup which has properties that naturally hydrates the skin, there also many oil-free cosmetics in the market. These products contain little or no ingredients that can affect the skin such as oleic acid, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl esters, stearic acid, etc. Sometimes you maybe duped by a cover that says oil-free but you need to read the contents or ingredients the product contains to identify the triggers for acne or acne aggravation.

Similarly, not all cosmetics react the same way in every skin. Oily foundations too seem to appear very long lasting but they can be quiet harmful for acne prone skin and can aggravate the condition.

Tips for Skin Care
Some tips for skin care and use of oil-free cosmetics are explained below:

  • Use alcohol or water based liquid under your foundation
  • Oil-free, matte or semi-matte foundations are the best choices always
  • Transparent foundations are suggested for blackhead prone skin
  • Fuller or opaque foundations for red lesions and scarred skin
  • Mix transparent base powders with foundation to give a lasting cover

Though use of cosmetics is not recommended for an acne prone skin; mineral makeup and oil-free cosmetics do come in handy to merge the scars and red lesions. Check the product constitution nevertheless, and confirm whether any makeup is at all permissible for your skin type.

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Posted in Acne Treatments

Mild Cleansers

December 2nd, 2009

Cleansing is an important part of acne treatment. However, different skins react differently to products. For sensitive skin type, mild cleansers are generally recommended. There many specific mild cleansers available in markets today. Oil-free and non-comedogenic cleansers are usually safer to use and cure acne. This is because if your skin is already aggravated or irritated the grease in products can only make your acne condition worse. In such cases, where an oily product is used, you may have to use a toner to remove the excess oil which will further irritate your acne.

Types of Cleansers
Cleansers are grouped into the following:

  • Cold creams and make-up removers (wipe-off cleansers)
  • Gentle water soluble cleansers, and
  • Soaps

Mild cleansers, such as the water soluble ones (recommended for acne treatment) should bear the following characteristics for acne cure – unscented, non-oily, non-irritable, and should be able to remove excess oil and cosmetics.

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Posted in Acne Treatments

Packing for Survival

December 2nd, 2009

Outdoor activities such as trekking, hiking, etc can cause you a great a deal of challenges. Sometimes, the needs are unexpected for which you would have necessary equipments and gadgets all packed for an emergency situation.

Packing for Cold Trips
Incase you are treading higher altitudes or lost and marooned in snow, be sure to carry the following with you:

  • Insulators such as blankets, jackets, sweaters, etc
  • Carry enough water (never feed on snow which can take away all your energy and heat from the body which you would need at that time)
  • If you are lost in the snow, take off the layers of clothing to prevent perspiration because perspiration causes excessive and quicker cooling when dry
  • If you have been stranded from an airplane crash, tear off the aluminum sheet from below the seats of tables and make a funnel to make water from the ice and drink

Packing for Hot Trips
For treading hot places and/or having lost your way there, you would need the following:

  • Carry electrically power backed fans and plenty of water
  • Jackets, sweaters can be necessary because even hot places can be very chilly on nights
  • You may need a machete or a knife but in case you are travelling by flight it maybe a problem
  • Grab an aluminum sheet from the table if you experience a crash (can be used to collect water)

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Posted in Outdoor Safety

Sleep and Acne

December 1st, 2009

Sleep works not only as an effective tool to cure acne but to completely worsen it. In fact, experts also suggest that sleep deprivation can also hinder other treatments for acne cure. Sleep is absolutely essential for mental and physical fitness and we all know that. But there aren’t number of hours that can give you specific rest. For example, one can sleep 8 hours and feel fit and the other 6 hours and he keeps going. The importance is therefore, not to just get sleep but to get quality sleep.

Acne is supported by two factors – inflammation and insulin resistance

Inflammation, Acne and Sleep
Scientists from the University of California found that lack of sleep increases pro-inflammatory cytokines in the blood, which can worsen the inflammatory and hence the acne condition in a person.

Insulin Resistance, Acne and Sleep
Insulin resistance is a condition when the cells are not able to take in glucose because of sleep deprivation. Being too sides of the same coin, insulin resistance and inflammation work and support each other in a way which aggravates acne conditions and makes other treatments for acne feeble in front of their vicious cycle.

Research claims that deprived sleep can lead to additional health burdens such as diabetes, poor mental and cognitive performances and more. Sufficient and more importantly, quality sleep can help fight acne.

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Posted in Causes of Acne

What to Eat in the Wild?

December 1st, 2009

You can be stranded and hungry if you don’t the track well and if you haven’t packed well for your trip. Surviving on wild berries and plants won’t suffice and isn’t safe because you don’t know what it constitutes and what effects they can have on eating. The only option at hand is to hunt, cook or eat raw depending on the time and resources you have at hand.

What to Eat in the Wild?
You could go days without food and a groaning stomach. In order to feed yourself, here’s what you need to do:

  • You need to have a stick or knife to defend yourself
  • Cooking can take several hours so you could consider something raw
  • You need to know when and to what extent things need to be cooked to kill the bacteria and germs
  • Salt water fish is considered a healthy option for eating raw (if near a beach hunt for fish because the salt water helps in killing bacteria

Remember that cold temperatures (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit) can also stop further bacteria reproduction. Food poisoning could be a dangerous outcome in case you are stranded and have no food to eat. Watch out and keep your bag pack filled with essential foods and water to avoid being stranded and hungry in the wild.

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Posted in Outdoor Safety

Skydiving Gone Wrong – Survival Tips

December 1st, 2009

Slipping off a ten storey building or a failing parachute are some associated risks of skydiving. Experts suggest there are still some chances of survival if one is able to influence the velocity, the duration of deceleration and the impact of forces on the body.

Survival Tips for Skydiving Mishaps
Some survival tips for skydiving mishaps are:

  • Arch yourself out facing the ground and your head bending backwards as if to touch your legs with bent knees (you wouldn’t have much time to do this unless you are falling from an airplane)
  • Observe the terrain below and judge the safe spots to fall to minimize injury (possible only if you are falling from a great height such as an airplane)
  • Try to stir yourself towards the best and/or safest spot for landing (in case you are falling from an airplane it should take you 1-3 minutes before impact to do this)
  • Bend your knees as it reduces impact 36-fold say findings
  • Try relaxing your muscles before touching the ground because tenses muscle can directly impact vital organs of the body
  • Land on your feet to reduce impact on body
  • Land on the balls of your feet so that the lower part of your body is able to bear the impact
  • Try rolling with your arms tucked under your legs and head bent towards your chest to distribute impact (do not roll after having bounced once)
  • Cover your head with arms after having bounced once to ground to reduce second impact on your head
  • Control the impact of bounce by landing on your feet (mortality is highest when the point of impact is the head and it decreases with the front part of the body, the back, the side and safest if the impact point are the legs)
  • Get medical help on landing to treat the visible and invisible fractures and/or injuries

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Posted in Outdoor Safety