How to Exercise in the Heat
South Louisiana is known for its hot summers, and with COVID-19 some people are still hesitant to head back to the gym, leaving them few options but to exercise outside in the heat. If you are new to exercising, read our blog post about how to start exercising safely. So how can you workout outside in the hot summer months and avoid heat stroke, or heat exhaustion? Here are a few tips: Stay hydrated. As you exercise, you sweat but when you exercise outside int eh heat, you sweat even more. Make sure to drink plenty of water before you exercise
How to Wash Your Hands Properly
Before COVID-19, washing our hands was not something we thought too much about. However, in a post-COVID-19 world, washing our hands has become a top news story. So, is there a right and wrong way to wash your hands? The short answer is yes. While hand sanitizer kills germs, only the act of washing your hands with soap and water can physically remove dirt and germs from the surface of your skin. To remove as many germs as possible, it makes sense that the longer you spend washing your hands the more germs you will remove. A quick rinse under a
Staying Safe and Healthy During COVID-19
The coronavirus is a serious disease that has taken the lives of just over 113 thousand people worldwide. However, it is far from the worst pandemic the world has seen. In 1918-1919, just over a century ago, the Spanish Flu infected 500 million people, which was one-third of the population at the time, and 50 million people died. By comparison, the coronavirus has infected 0.4% of that figure at just less than 1.9 million people. So while the coronavirus pales in comparison to the Spanish Flu pandemic, certain people do need to take the threat very seriously. For example, those with
Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Month
Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Month February is known for all the heart-shaped boxes full of candy, but did you know that February is also National Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Month? Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) usually affects people 50 years or older. It is a disease of the macula, a small area in the back of your eye that is responsible for your central vision, or what you see directly in front of you. It is like having a spec of dirt on a camera lens. There are two forms of AMD, dry and wet. Most people start with dry AMD which later
How to Start Exercising
How to start exercising With the new year, many people will have a goal to lose weight or get healthier which requires you to get active. "Exercise is the magic pill," says Michael R. Bracko, EdD, FACSM, chairman of the American College of Sports Medicine's Consumer Information Committee. "Exercise can literally cure diseases like some forms of heart disease. Exercise has been implicated in helping people prevent or recover from some forms of cancer. Exercise helps people with arthritis. Exercise helps people prevent and reverse depression." But what if you don’t currently exercise? How do you get started? For those who have not
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
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
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?