Tuesday November 10, 2009
Thanks to H1N1 coughing is nearly a felony -- especially if you don't cover your mouth.
Luckily, not every cough is a sign of the swine flu. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do for a cough. It's probably one of the most complicated responses in the human body.
The next time you have a cough that doesn't seem to go away, try a home remedy. Honey has had some luck as a cough suppresant. Some medicines help a little.
If the cough is from an allergic reaction, treating the allergy might help.
Since almost everything you try has such a small chance of working, be sure to carry tissues with you when you have a cough. Always cover your cough and toss the tissue in the trash. If you don't have tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow rather than your hand -- you're less likely to pass your germs on to others that way.
Wednesday October 28, 2009
Time to change the clocks back.
This Sunday at two o'clock in the morning is when Daylight Saving Time goes away and standard time comes back.
Woo-hoo! Bring on the extra hour of sleep!
Clocks aren't the only thing that should change. The US Fire Administration wants to remind you to change the batteries in your smoke alarm when you change the time.
Don't have a smoke alarm? It's time to get one!
According to the USFA, almost two thirds of deadly home fires from 2003-2006 didn't have working smoke alarms. Either the homes didn't have smoke alarms at all, or the smoke alarms didn't make any noise.
The trick to making your smoke alarm work: good batteries.
You should change your batteries at least once a year, twice a year is better. That's why the USFA recommends changing batteries when the time changes -- it's a great way to remember.
You should also change the batteries if your smoke alarm starts to chirp for no reason.
Have fun sleeping in Sunday morning, and don't forget to be safe.
Monday October 26, 2009
Flu season is going to be rough this year.
I watch Google.org's Flu Trends website rather than the CDC only because it tends to be a bit ahead of the curve reporting trends in flu cases (and it has an easy to use interface).
Wow. There's an early spike this year.
I don't know how much the media hype of H1N1 is affecting Google's numbers, but I'm still a little concerned about the impact this will have on emergency services as we get deeper into the traditional flu season.
Apparently, the White House is concerned, too. President Obama declared an emergency, which should give hospitals additional options for treating tons of flu cases.
The flu season is the busy time for emergency departments and ambulances around the country. The flu leads to shortness of breath and coughing. It makes folks tired, dizzy and confused. It gives you body aches and fever.
It sends you to the ER.
Now, thanks to H1N1, we're dealing with the flu at numbers near a typical peak season before the season should have even started.
The CDC has these tips to protect yourself, which look strangely similar to the things Mom always told you:
- Get vaccinated.
- Cover your cough with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water.
- Keep your hands out of your face -- touching your eyes, nose and mouth spreads germs.
- Stay home if you're sick.
Thursday October 15, 2009
Spiders get blamed for all kinds of bites because whether they are the culprits or not; everyone knows they will bite you because they like to eat meat.
Not all spiders.
A researcher in Costa Rica found a veggie-loving spider living on an acacia tree. It's a hairy, ugly little critter. I don't know if it bites for protection, but it certainly won't bite you because it's hungry.
I guess that's good news.
