Over one million people suffer from eye injuries each year. Of these, 10-30 percent will be disabled because of temporary or permanent vision loss. Below are some suggestions on how to prevent eye injuries:

AT HOME:

1. Make sure that spray nozzles are directed away from you before pressing down the handle.

2. Read instructions carefully before using cleaning fluids, detergents, ammonia, or harsh chemicals. Wash hands thoroughly after use.

3. Use grease shields on fry pans to decrease spattering.

4. Use opaque goggles to avoid burns from sunlamps.

AROUND CHILDREN

1. Pay attention to age and responsibility level of a child when selecting toys and games. Avoid projective toys such as darts, pellete guns, etc., which can be thrust into the eye from a distance.

2. Supervise children playing with toys and games that can be dangerous.

3. Teach children the correct way to handle potentially dangerous items such as scissors and pencils.

IN THE GARDEN:

1. Don’t let anyone stand beside or before a moving lawnmower.

2. Pick up rocks and stones before mowing the grass. These objects can hurl out of the rotary blade and “rebound” off curbs or walls, causing severe injury to the eye.

3. Make sure that pesticide spray can nozzles are directed away from your face.

4. Be careful when going under low-hanging branches.

AROUND THE CAR:

1. Before opening the hood of the car, put out all cigarette or matches. Use a flashlight, not a match or lighter, to illuminate the battery at night.

2. Keep protective goggles next to your jumper cables.

3. Wear protective goggles when grinding metal, or striking metal against metal, tennis, while doing auto body repair.

IN SPORTS:

1. Wear safety goggles especially for sports such as raquetball, badminton, tennis, baseball, and basketball.

2. Wear protective caps, helmets, or face protectors when appropriate.

3. Avoid wearing contact lenses when swimming.

4. Use safety goggles when playing under the sun for protection from ultraviolet.

AROUND FIREWORKS

1. Do not use explosive fireworks.

2. Never allow children to ignite fireworks.

3. Do not stand near others when lighting fireworks.

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http://www.eyesite.ca

http://www.stlukeseye.com

http://www.michiganeye.com

I read today in Yahoo health news that there are 5 ways pets can improve our health.  There are 5 ways which is also supported by WebMD.   For many years long back, we have dog pets until one died in an accident then  we just did not care to have one again.  The pain of separation was felt.  When we moved in to current place, their was  a stray cat that stayed with us until she gave birth to 4 kitties then later many more.  When she had more we have to sent her away, leaving us her 4 first kittens until the three of them got lost and maybe died and only one left.  For now that lone kitten gave bith to 1 baby and it’s our family’s cuddly pet.  We talked to her (she’s a she) hehehe, play with her.

Reading the news today gave me the assurance that it is not really wrong to have hairy pets. Here are 5 reasons why we should let our pets stay:

1. Prevent allergies: Many new studies show that children who grow up in a household with furry animals or on a farm, have less risk for allergies, and asthma and a stronger immune system.
2. Friend magnets: Pets are natural conversation starters so your pet can help you meet people if you have social anxiety or chronic shyness.
3. Benefit the aged: For the elderly, caring for a pet can offer exercise and companionship. Studies have also shown that for Alzheimer’s patients, those who have a pet have fewer anxious outbursts.
4. Good for the mind and soul: Those who have pets are less likely to suffer from depression, are better equipped to handle stressful situations, and they also have lower blood pressure.
5. Good for your heart: Pet owners who suffer from a heart attack will live longer than those who are petless. Studies have also shown that men who own pets have lower cholesterol.

I now conclude that our pet cat is good for a depressed me, and for mom who has high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST CA-MRSA

Learn more about it so that you will know how to prevent yourself from it.

CA-MRSA stands for community associated – Methecillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Keep your hands clean. Washing with soap and warm water several times a day is the single best way to fight off staph. Teach kids to rub their hands briskly under running water for at least 15 seconds (about the amount of time it takes to recite the alphabet). Carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer for times when soap and water are not available. It’s also helpful to keep kids’ fingernails short and please discourage nose picking.

Cover cuts and scrapes. Any would should be washed with soap and water, then covered with dry, sterile bandages until it heals. Apply a clean dressing daily. Pus from infected sores can contain CA-MRSA, so it’s also important to wash your hands after changing bandages to avoid spreading staph.

Don’t share personal items. Tell your kids not to use friend’s and teammates’ towels, washcloths, clothing, uniforms or razors. People who appear perfectly healthy can still be CA-MRSA carriers. Shared sports equipment, such as helmets and gym mats, should be cleaned with an antibacterial solution after every use.

Sanitarize gym clothing and linens. If anyone in the family has a cut, sore or infection, wash bedding and towels in hot water with added bleach. Wash sports clothing and washable athletic gear with laundry detergent after each use. Drying laundry in a hot dryer, not on a clothesline, also helps kill bacteria.

Remember flu shots. Since the flu lowers resistance to CA-MRSA, getting vaccinated every year helps protect against both diseases. Flu shots are approved for kids over six months of age.

Get tested. If you have skin infection that needs medical treatment, ask the doctor to check for CA-MRSA, which responds only to certain antibiotics. Many doctors prescribed the wrong drugs because they don’t do the test. That can worsen the infection. Normally it takes 48 hours to do the culture and the carrier can continue spreading the infection while waiting for lab results.

Luckily in some countries, they use the DNA technology that results will be available in an hour.

Be sure to take all your prescribed medication even if your skin heals. Bacteria you leave alive today can morph into tomrrow’s superbugs.

Source: RD August 2007
Story: Deadly Superbugs

When I was younger, I had scanty periods but now that am a total full grown adult, I can say that it’s more than scanty. I have steady big flow periods. Those times when I have light ones, I was not alarmed about it nor worried about it. But there are some who does panic. They think that something bad may be going on. According to Dr. David Soper, a professor of gynecology at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, don’t panic if you have shorter and scantier periods because it is not always a sign of trouble. Further he said that the following can be common causes:

- Birth control pills. The hormone progesterone thins your uterine lining, so there’s less tissue buildup and less blood to shed.

- Thyroid conditions may be the cause if you have other symptoms like excessive fatigue and weight loss or gain. You should get a blood test to check your thyroid hormone levels.

- Stress. Stress suppresses estrogen, causing light short periods. Cut your stress and wait three months if your normal flow returns. If not, see your doctor to rule out pregnancy, a benign pituitary tumor, perimenopause, or in rare cases, endometrial cancer.

source: redbookmag.