The recent swine flu pandemic should send warning signals to countries to prepare in advance for such a virus. So whether a bird flu or swine flu, the secret to good health is to prepare in advance and to ensure the safety of your home and family.

Preparing for a Flu Pandemic
Preparing for a flu pandemic in advance also prevents you from falling prey to the virus. Follow the precautions listed below:

• Boost your immunity levels now by eating and drinking healthy foods and engaging in regular exercise
• Keep your home especially the kitchen clean
• Stack up on and use antibacterial soap and disinfectants at home
• Use hot soapy water for dishwashing
• Use disposable paper towels to dry hands
• Instruct kids to cough into the tissue and throw them away
• Stock up essential foods such as dry beans, flour, sugar, milk, water for an upcoming flu pandemic
• Also stack up on pet food
• Avoid crowds
• Avoid using public bathrooms or toilets
• Prepare to isolate your family for nearly three weeks when the flu pandemic strikes

Prepare yourself for a flu pandemic before it strikes to increase your chances of surviving it. Stay home if you feel ill and get medical assistance as soon as possible.

Whether a hurricane or a tornado, you must know that finding shelter can save you from both. No matter where one stays and what budget one plans, a storm shelter will always give you and your family a better chance to survive.

How to build a storm shelter?
Follow the steps below to build a storm shelter:

• Select a suitable place such as an old vegetable cellar with an angled door to build a shelter
• The basement can work best for immediate shelter though not suitable for floods
• A bathroom, central hall without windows can also work as an immediate shelter against storms
• Engineered wood can be used to build a room in the basement as these woods are more humidity resistant ad stronger than other woods and wouldn’t even splinter
• Secure the ceiling with hurricane clips
• Construct storage space for housing food, water, clothing, blankets and other supplies for emergency situations
• Construct a makeshift toilet that can be easily disposed for long stays during violent storms
• Gas and water lines can be damaged during such calamities so always prepare in advance to tackle with their shortage

Ensure that a storm shelter should be big enough to house people, food and other supplies for survival when nature is at its violent best.

Vomiting is induced by the ingestion of toxic substances such as either too much of alcohol or food poisoning. It leads to a sickening feeling with a churning stomach that hurts and feels unsettled.

First Aid for Vomiting
Follow these safe steps to help someone who is vomiting:

• Lie the person down in recovery position and turn him or her towards his left side (this will prevent choking and suffocation)
• Administer plenty of fluids to the person in the form of juice, lime water, etc
• Avoid carbonated drinks, alcohol and caffeinated beverages
• Serve food only hours after the vomiting stops
• Jello or soup can be served if the person is hungry
• Avoid solid food till the next day giving time for the stomach to recover
• Seek medical help if the person is vomiting continuously for more than 24 hours
• A baby below 6 months should be taken to the doctor if the vomiting lasts for more than 6 hours and especially when it is accompanied with diarrhea, fever, bleeding and/or dehydration

Though the symptoms fade away within a few days, if the person is suffering from a medical condition and is vomiting continuously, it could be dangerous if immediate medical assistance and care is not sought.

Rain storm is not an uncommon feature. However, sometime the rains and winds can become very aggressive. Protecting yourself from dangers such as lightning, floods and harsh winds should then become very essential.

Surviving a Rain Storm
Follow these steps to survive a rain storm:

• Keep windows and doors closed
• Stay warm and dry (next to a fireplace or covered with blankets)
• Stack up on clean drinking water in case the pipes burst (one gallon per day ensures proper hydration)
• Keep non-perishable, canned foods stacked in advance because you may not be able to move outdoors for days or you may run out of gas
• Clear drainage to avoid floods
• Install backflow pipes and valves in the lowest points to redirect the water below the soil and prevent your house from flooding

If proper precautions are taken well ahead in time, it is easy to survive a rain storm.

Tylenol is proven safe for pain relief but when taken more than the prescribed amount or in excess it can turn lethal for the person. Acetaminophen is the compound in Tylenol. An excess of acetaminophen can cause liver failure or even death in people.

First Aid for Tylenol Overdose
Follow the steps below to help someone with a Tylenol overdose:

• Call 911 especially if the person is not breathing or is unconscious
• Call the National Poison Center (1-800-222-1222) if the person shows no symptoms and follow the instructions given by the operator
• Get medical help within 8 hours of overdose or rush to a hospital with the victim at once
• If the victim is rushed to the hospital minutes after the overdose stomach cleaning is the procedure followed (though the victim rarely reaches the hospital so early doctors nevertheless induce vomiting or put a pipe down the throat to remove pill fragments)
• An antidote is administered through the mouth or a tube as soon as the victim reaches the hospital (n-acetylcysteine is the antidote given for Tylenol overdose)
• Sometimes activated charcoal is used as a treatment for Tylenol overdose by pumping the stomach to absorb the toxic substances in the gastrointestinal tract (through the mouth or a tube)

It is possible that the symptoms of a drug overdose do not show up for the next 12 hours or more. If drug overdose is suspected, it needs to be treated at once.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless and colorless gas that has a severe impact on both humans and animals. Typical symptoms of hazardous carbon monoxide poisoning include – chest pain, fatigue, headaches and even deaths.

How to treat carbon monoxide poisoning?
Carbon monoxide poisoning should be treated in the following ways:

• Remove the person or animal from the source of poisoning
• Get fresh air and get outside the building or scene of contamination
• Call 911 at once
• Check whether the victim is breathing (administer the CPR if he or she is not breathing)
• Oxygen will be administered to the victim once the paramedics arrive

Usually, victims suffering with moderate to severe cases of carbon monoxide poisoning are rushed to the hospital for treatment thereon. It is very essential to act QUICKLY for carbon monoxide poisoning to save the life of your near and dear ones. Exposure to carbon monoxide causes carbon monoxide poisoning which is a very common type of poisoning people suffer from today.

Seizure itself is a scary thing and when it happens under water to someone it can get even more difficult for someone to help. Knowing how to help a victim going into a seizure inside water can help save a life.

First Aid for Seizure in Water
Follow the steps below to help someone getting seizure inside water:

• Call 911 or ask someone else to call 911
• Remove objects around that could hurt the victim
• Support and grip the head with your hand so that the victim does not go underwater
• Do so till the seizure stops
• For fluids in the mouth in the form of blood, vomit, water or saliva roll them on their side to avoid choking
• Pull the victim out of water once the seizure stops
• Monitor breathing and pulse and give mouth to mouth respiration and CPR if the victim is not breathing and if you are trained to do so
• Turn the victim onto his or her side if he wants to vomit and remove all obstructions from the mouth

It would be completely difficult for the victim to prevent himself from drowning or to pull himself out of the water. Never let such an event go unnoticed and call emergency services for help till you provide the necessary aid to reduce injury or prevent death.

The tonic-clonic seizure is a kind of seizure that is characterized by the abnormal discharge of cerebral neurons in the absolutely centre part of the brain. A person generally loses control of the muscles or may also experience muscle stiffness. Immediate response to tonic-clonic seizures can help reduce impact of injury in the victim till he becomes normal.

First Aid for Tonic-Clonic Seizure
Follow the steps below to help someone suffering from a tonic-clonic seizure:

• Remove harmful and sharp objects that maybe close to the victim’s reach
• Remove a victim from high traffic
• Try padding the head with a cushion to avoid injuries caused to the head
• Try rolling the person to his or her side to avoid choking
• Keep yourself at safe distance from the victim as you could get hurt too
• Keep objects away from the mouth
• Once over explain to the victim of what happened and advice him or her get medical help at once

For tonic-clonic seizures, call your physician for a proper examination. You would also need to get the electroencephalogram done to ascertain the parts of the brain which cause abnormal amounts of electricity. You need to go for a brain scan if seizure is detected. Anti-convulsive medications can be recommended by your doctor. Surgical solutions can also be recommended for some.

Knowing what to do for an insulin overdose can help a person suffering with diabetes. Typical symptoms for an insulin overdose include cold sweats, trembling hands, anxiety and confusion. Such symptoms often result from low blood sugar levels in the blood or hypoglycemia.

First Aid for Insulin Overdose
To help someone or yourself for an insulin overdose, follow the steps below:

• Test your own blood sugar levels if you can
• Drink half a cup of fruit juice or sweetened soda
• Eat if you have skipped a meal
• Carbohydrates can raise the blood sugar levels
• Rest for a while
• Recheck the blood sugar levels after about 15-20 minutes
• Continue snacking in case of low blood sugar levels
• Retest once again till the blood sugar level gets normalized
• Get medical help if blood sugar levels have been low for nearly two hours

Insulin overdose can occur under many circumstances such as these – injecting the wrong amount, injecting from the wrong vial, failing to eat during appropriate hours thereby conflicting with the insulin shots taken during the day that can in turn cause the blood sugar levels to fall dangerously.

Depressants can provide the desired relief if taken correctly such as pain relief or relief from anxiety. However, an incorrect effect or an overdose of depressants can affect the central nervous system causing permanent damage or death.

Comas, convulsions and deaths are the outcomes for an overdose of depressants which can be caused by the increased addiction towards the drug. Benzodiazepines, barbiturates and alcohol are some common depressants that can be used to relax the mind and body.

First Aid for Overdose of Depressants
Follow the steps below for helping someone who may have had a depressant overdose:

• Call 911 or poison control
• Check if the person is conscious or not
• If not, check the pulse and breathing
• 8 breathes per minute should be the rate of breathing
• Place the person in recovery position
• Tilt head to open airway

Taking more than the prescribed amount can be considered as an overdose. Overdose of depressants tends to occur when a person mixes depressants together. This is common in people who take prescribed depressants and those who also drink alcohol.