Soap And Water | Health And Wellness Tips

Sinus Infection Prevention

You dont always have to wait for sinus infection to strike before you take action. In fact, there are steps you can take to prevent this from happening and here are a few.

1. Moisten the air in your home. You can do this by buying a humidifier or an air conditioning unit as this regulates the temperature during hot and cold weather.

2. Aside from humidifiers or air conditioning equipment, you can also install electrostatic filters which are designed to remove allergens in the air.

3. If you live in an area that is polluted, move somewhere else. You have to remember that sinus infections area also caused by strong fumes and chemicals that may irritate your sinus linings.

4. Drinking too much alcohol may also trigger a sinus infection because it swells the nasal and sinus membranes which leave them exposed to irritation. This simply means that you should drink moderately.

5. Smoking also causes sinus infections because it irritates the sinus lining which causes bad drainage of the mucus and the sinus to congest. So, you should quit smoking and stay away from people who smoke.

6. If you travel often, you should cut down the number of times you have to fly from one destination to the next. This is because a bubble of air within the body expands as the air pressure in the plane reduces. When this happens, this could result in the blockage of the Eustachian tubes causing your nose to clog during the planes ascent or descent. If you have to fly, be sure to bring with you a decongestant nose drop or inhaler and use this before the flight.

7. When you have a sinus infection, the best way to fight it is to stay hydrated. The same thing goes to prevent it by drinking lots of water, juice or any other liquid to replenish what was lost from the body.

8. You should also practice good hygiene since most sinus infections are caused by bacterial and viral infections. This means taking a shower twice a day and washing your hands with soap and water each time you go to the bathroom. You should also do this every time you sneeze because when you cover your mouth, the germs go to your hands.

9. For years, we have said that consuming dairy products will keep our bones strong. But studies have shown that too much can thicken your mucus and cause nasal passages to narrow down which results to headache and pain.

10. You should also get a flu shot every year.

11. Drinking liquids should also be followed with eating good food especially fruits and vegetables. After all, these are rich in antioxidants that will boost your immune system and help your body resist infection.

12. Lastly, stress makes us prone to sinusitis and many other infections. So we should get sufficient rest like 8 hours at least every night.

13. You should also take some multivitamins and supplements to add to your daily supplement.

You can prevent sinus infections from happening so that you dont have to call in sick and miss a day at work or school. It takes a little effort to take these safety measures which happen to be much cheaper than going to your doctor and buying over the counter medication.

Nurse Assistants and Communicable Diseases

Communicable diseases are those that can be transferred from one individual to another. These include the common cold, tuberculosis, the flu, and HIV, herpes, measles, chicken pox, lice, and strep throat. Are of these are highly contagious. For those who already have medical issues, their immune system has a hard time fighting off anything else, so they are very susceptible.

Communicable diseases spread by human waste including saliva, stools, urine, blood, and other bodily fluids. Airborne droplets from the nose and mouth are also a common transmitter.

Since communicable diseases often spread like wildfire if not properly contained, it is everyones responsibility to do all they can to maintain their own health. Washing your hands often is a very good place to start. Most germs cant survive soap and water. Nursing Assistants are encouraged to wash their hands more than most people because they are in constant contact with other people.

As a Nurse Assistant, it is your responsibility to immediately notify your supervisor if you develop the symptoms of any communicable disease. They can then determine a course of action. It may be recommended that you dont come to work until the communicable disease has run its course. Depending on the disease, you might be able to continue working with a respirator to prevent passing it to anyone else. In some cases, it may need to be reported to the health department.

Some communicable diseases can be cured with antibiotics such as strep throat. Others including the common cold will have to run their course. You can do your part by remembering to wash your hands, taking your vitamins, being current on all immunizations, and getting an annual flu shot.

Learning about these types of diseases is an important part of the Nursing Assistant program. Most medical facilities train all new employees in the area of communicable diseases. There is also ongoing training. While preventing the spread of communicable diseases is important in any work environment, it is especially important in a medical setting.

Each medical agency will have different processes and procedures for handling the spread of communicable diseases. Make sure you are well trained in identifying them, noticing the onset, and knowing how to handle each type of situation. Epidemics of communicable diseases require emergency procedures to take place. It is very important that you agency trains all employees in that area as well.

Nursing Assistances come into contact with bodily fluids of patients on a regular basis, and this is the most common method that they are infected with communicable diseases. You should always use rubber gloves when doing tasks such as changing soiled bedding and clothing and empting bedpans. The use of a sterile disinfectant while cleaning is important as well. If you do get bodily fluids on you, immediately was the area with soap and water, then report the incident. Your report needs to include what took place and what bodily fluids you came into contact with.

Communicable diseases are an area many people dont know much about. It is important that Nursing Assistants do some research on their own to make sure they fully understand the health risks involved with coming into contact with communicable diseases. While it is very rare, there have been reports of Nursing Assistants being infected with HIV and other potentially deadly diseases.

Acne: 10 Most Common Myths

What we think we know about acne is steadily being replaced by what scientists are learning. Meanwhile, many myths continue to circulate and endure. Clearing up some of the misunderstandings about acne is what this article is about.

Myth #1: Acne only affects appearance. Acne can also cause deep psychological distress. Severe acne can lead to low self-image and feeling depressed. There is a strong link between severe acne and social withdrawal.

Myth #2: Acne is caused by poor hygiene. While skin infections are associated with acne, lack of cleanliness is not the reason for acne outbreaks. The combination of oil and dead cells which produce acne is located beneath the skin’s surface where it is impossible to clean it away. Gentle cleansing with soap and water once or twice daily will keep your skin as healthy as possible. Scrubing too hard may worsen acne.

Myth #3: Acne is caused by specific foods. Chocolate has long had a reputation as a pimple producer. Studies have shown no scientific evidence that this is true. The same holds true for potato chips and sugar. There are some foods that do seem to aggravate (not cause) the condition: milk and foods high in iodine, such as seafood.

Myth #4: Acne has to run its course. There are many acne treatments available both over-the-counter and stronger medicines from a dermatologist.

Myth #5: The more acne medicine the better. Some people believe that if their acne gets worse they should just use more medicine. That’s a bad idea because medicines can be dangerous when taken in large quantities. Excess use of acne ointments may just irritate the skin further.

Myth #6: Sunbathing is good for acne. Exposure to the sun dries out excess oils, so it does improve acne short-term. However, long-term the skin adapts and the acne is unfazed. Worse, there is scientific evidence that sun exposure damages the skin and increases the chance of skin cancer.

Myth #7: Makeup causes acne. Some makeup products can clog the pores, which is bad for the health of your skin. Cosmetics that are labeled “noncomedogenic” or “nonacnegenic” are safe to use. Some brands are made with ingredients that actually treat acne.

Myth #8: Acne is only a teenage condition. While most teens have acne, so do many adults. Acne generally clears up by the early 20s. But some people experience acne for the first time as late as their 40s. And for the most unfortunate of all, some people endure acne flare-ups their entire lives.

Myth #9: Acne is related to sex. We’ve probably all heard that either celibacy or too much sex causes pimples. There is no evidence for this. There is a link between sexual activity and hormone production, but the relationship between sex and the production of sebum (the oily substance which combines with dead skin cells to cause acne) is not known. Stress and anger also affect hormone levels.

Myth #10: Popping pimples is the best way to get rid of them
The fact is popping pimples may worsen acne by spreading the bacteria that is causing it. Popping can also lead to eventual scarring, which in severe cases, can be permanent.

Acne: 10 Most Common Myths

Myth #4: Acne has to run its course. There are many acne treatments available both over-the-counter and stronger medicines from a dermatologist.