Choking Hazards During the Holidays
The holidays are a time of year when we get together with friends and family to share a meal or exchange gifts, but did you also know that it is also a time when choking is much more common. Whether its food or foreign objects like small toys, more people choke during the holidays than any other time of year. We tend to get in a hurry, and unfortunately, that is when choking is likely to occur. Consuming alcoholic beverages can also slow our reflexes and contribute to a higher risk of choking. Here are a few tips for how you
Keeping Kids with Allergies Safe
The Teal Pumpkin Project, inspired by a local awareness activity run by the Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee (FACET), is a campaign from the Food Allergy Research & Foundation designed to build awareness of food allergies and promotes inclusion of all trick-or-treaters throughout the Halloween season. The goal is to encourage neighbors to offer non-candy treats at Halloween for children not only with food allergies but other conditions, such as diabetes, for whom candy is not an option. Getting involved is easy. Provide non-candy treats for trick-or-treaters. Place a teal-colored pumpkin in from of your home to indicate that you
How much Tylenol should my child take?
With school in full swing, so are school germs, and it is only a matter of time before your child gets sick. The first course of treatment for fever in most cases is Tylenol or Ibuprofen, but how much should you give your child? Fever is our bodies natural response to infections and can help our bodies fight them. In most cases, fever is not harmful to school-age children unless there is an underlying medical condition or virus. However, if your child is running a fever they likely don’t feel very well, and a dose of Tylenol or Ibuprofen may help
Does Hand Sanitizer Really Work?
If you are a parent of elementary-age children you'll have no doubt received your school supply list for the new school year by now. Alongside pencils, erasers, and plastic folders without prongs (lord forbid you to send the ones with prongs) you'll likely see a large bottle of hand sanitizer somewhere on that list. Hand sanitizer is an important part of illness prevention, especially in schools and hospitals, but does it really work? Well, it depends on what you mean by "work". If you are expecting 30 seconds of hand rubbing as that cold wet gel magically disappears to kill all
What is heat stroke?
Heat-related illnesses, like heat exhaustion or heat stroke, happen when the body is not able to properly cool itself. While the body normally cools itself by sweating, during extreme heat, this might not be enough. In these cases, a person’s body temperature rises faster than it can cool itself down. Heat stroke occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature. When heat stroke occurs, the body’s temperature rises rapidly, your natural sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. Body temperature may rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can
5 Pool Safety Tips to Keeping Your Family Safe
During the summer months, one way many families beat the heat is by spending time by the pool. Whether it's your own backyard pool, a blowup kiddie pool or a pool at your vacation resort, all pools pose safety risks. According to the CDC, drowning is the number one cause of unintentional death for children between the ages of 1 and 4. Also, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 390 deaths a year on average are attributed to drowning in a swimming pool or at a spa. So how can you keep your family safe at the pool this summer?
Keep Your Children Active This Summer
Summer will be here before you know it, and if you are a parent that may not be such good news. Soon, your children will be home, with you, for 10 whole weeks. We all love our children, but how do you keep them occupied all summer long? Studies show that too much screen time for children can be detrimental to their health and development. Aside from the obvious consequences lack of physical activity has, too much screen time can affect children’s mental health and has been shown to increase the chances of depression in children. So, what can we do?
Don’t Neglect Your Dental Health
Easter is just around the corner, and you can smell the sugar in the air. Whether you like Goldbrick Eggs, Peeps, or Cadbury Eggs, taking care of your teeth is especially important. When thinking about your health and wellness most people think of diet and exercise, but did you know that your oral health can impact your overall health? Your mouth is full of bacteria, most of them harmless, but if neglected bacteria can grow and lead to infections, gum disease, and tooth decay. Some studies show that there is a link between certain diseases and poor oral health. Some of those
Reading Nutrition Labels
So how is your New Year’s diet resolution going? If you answered not so good, read on to find out how reading nutrition labels may help you get back on track. Most medical professionals recommend sticking to a well-balanced diet. Diet fads don’t last and are usually very restrictive making them hard to live with. A well-balanced diet, while it may provide slower weight loss, avoids the side effects of most fad diets, such as low energy or simply feeling deprived, which can lead to giving up. A well-balanced diet is one that gives your body the nutrients it needs to function
Dealing With Diabetes During The Holidays
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In 2015, 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4% of the population, had diabetes, a treatable, but yet uncurable disease that affects the way your body regulates blood sugar. There are two main types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. People with Type 1 diabetes don’t produce insulin whereas people with Type 2 diabetes don’t respond to insulin as well as they should. In type 1 diabetes, your immune system mistakes your body’s own healthy cells as foreign invaders. The immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. After these beta cells are destroyed, the body is unable