Keep Your Cool in Hot Weather

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Learn about heat-related illness and how to stay cool and safe in hot weather.

Now is the time to prepare for the high temperatures that kill hundreds of people every year. Extreme heat caused 7,415 heat-related deaths in the United States from 1999 to 2010 . Heat-related deaths and illness are preventable, yet annually many people succumb to extreme heat.

Take measures to stay cool, remain hydrated and to keep informed. Getting too hot can make you sick. You can become ill from the heat if your body can't compensate for it and properly cool you off. The main things affecting your body's ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather are:

• High humidity. When the humidity is high, sweat won't evaporate as quickly, which keeps your body from releasing heat as fast as it may need to.
• Personal factors. Age, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug and alcohol use can play a role in whether a person can cool off enough in very hot weather.

People age 65 and older are at high risk for heat-related illnesses.

Drink plenty of fluids to prevent heat-related illnesses.

Those who are at highest risk include people 65 and older, children younger than two, and people with chronic diseases or mental illness.  Closely monitor people who depend on you for their care:

• Are they drinking enough water?
• Do they have access to air conditioning?
• Do they need help keeping cool?

People at greatest risk for heat-related illness can take the following protective actions to prevent illness or death:

• Stay in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible. Contact your local health department or locate an air-conditioned shelter in your area. Air-conditioning is the number one protective factor against heat-related illness and death. If a home is not air-conditioned, people can reduce their risk for heat-related illness by spending time in public facilities that are air-conditioned, and using air conditioning in vehicles.
• Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device during an extreme heat event.
• Drink more water than usual and don't wait until you're thirsty to drink.
• Check on a friend or neighbor and have someone do the same for you.
• Don't use the stove or oven to cook—it will make you and your house hotter.

Even young and healthy people can get sick from the heat if they participate in strenuous physical activities during hot weather:

• Limit outdoor activity, especially midday when the sun is hottest.
• Wear and reapply sunscreen as indicated on the package.
• Pace activity. Start activities slow and pick up the pace gradually.
• Drink more water than usual and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink more. Muscle cramping may be an early sign of heat-related illness.
• Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.

If you participate on a sports team that practices during hot weather protect yourself and look out for your teammates:

• Schedule workouts and practices earlier or later in the day when the temperature is cooler.
• Monitor a teammate’s condition, and have someone do the same for you.
• Seek medical care immediately if you or a teammate has symptoms of heat-related illness.
• Learn more about how to protect young athletes from heat-related illness by taking this CDC course.

Everyone should take these steps to prevent heat-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths during hot weather:

• Stay in an air-conditioned indoor location as much as possible.
• Drink plenty of fluids even if you don't feel thirsty.
• Schedule outdoor activities carefully.
  • Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and sunscreen.
  • Pace yourself.
• Take cool showers or baths to cool down.
• Check on a friend or neighbor and have someone do the same for you.
• Never leave children or pets in cars.
• Check the local news for health and safety updates.

More Information

• Beat the Heat (When Working Outdoors) [5:30 minutes]
• Downloadable Extreme Heat Media Toolkit
• Extreme Heat and Your Health
• Frequently Asked Questions about Extreme Heat
• Heat and Athletes
• Heat and Infants and Children
• Heat and Low Income
• Heat Stress in the Elderly
• How to Stay Cool in Extreme Heat
• Prepare for Diabetes Care in Heat and Emergencies
• Protect Workers from Heat Stress
• Warning Signs and Symptoms of Heat-Related Illness

Source: CDC

World Blood Donor Day | You Can Save a LIFE

Background Information Every year, on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day, the event established in 2004. The event serves to thank voluntary unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood and to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations to ensure quality, safety and availability of blood and blood products for patients in need. Transfusion of blood and blood products helps save millions of lives every year. It can help patients suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer and with higher quality of life, and supports complex medical and surgical procedures. It also has an essential, life-saving role in maternal and child care and during man-made and natural disasters. However, in many countries, demand exceeds supply, and blood services face the challenge of making sufficient blood available, while also ensuring its quality and safety. An adequate supply can only be assured through regular donations by voluntary unpaid blood donors. WHO’s goal is for all countries to obtain all their blood supplies from voluntary unpaid donors by 2020. Today, in just 62 countries, national blood supplies are based on close to 100% voluntary unpaid blood donations, with 40 countries still dependent on family donors and even paid donors.	2015 World Blood Donor Day The theme of this year’s campaign is "Thank you for saving my life". It focuses on thanking blood donors who save lives every day through their blood donations and strongly encourages more people all over the world to donate blood voluntarily and regularly with the slogan “Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters.” The campaign aims to highlight stories from people whose lives have been saved through blood donation, as a way of motivating regular blood donors to continue giving blood and people in good health who have never given blood, particularly young people, to begin doing so. The objectives of this year’s campaign are to: - thank blood donors for their life-saving donations; - promote regular voluntary unpaid blood donation; - create wider public awareness of the need for regular donation because of the short shelf-life of blood components and to encourage existing and potential donors to donate blood at regular intervals - focus attention on donor health and the quality of donor care as critical factors in building donor commitment and a willingness to donate regularly; and - persuade ministries of health to show their appreciation of regular voluntary unpaid donors and provide adequate resources to provide quality donor care.	·         For more details visit www.WHO.int

World No Tobacco Day 2015: Stop illicit trade of tobacco products
One in every 10 cigarettes, and many other tobacco products, consumed worldwide are illegal, making the illicit trade of tobacco products a major global concern from many perspectives, including health, legal, economic, governance and corruption. The tobacco industry and criminal groups are among those who profit from the illegal tobacco trade, leaving the public to pay the health and security costs. Ratification by governments of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products is necessary to respond to the financial, legal and health impacts of the illicit trade of tobacco products. The public, academia and other sectors can take action by urging their lawmakers to make their countries Parties to the Protocol.
WHO response WHO is committed to fighting the global tobacco epidemic. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control entered into force in February 2005. Since then, it has become one of the most widely embraced treaties in the history of the United Nations with 180 Parties covering 90% of the world's population. The WHO Framework Convention is WHO's most important tobacco control tool and a milestone in the promotion of public health. It is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of people to the highest standard of health, provides legal dimensions for international health cooperation and sets high standards for compliance. In 2008, WHO introduced a practical, cost-effective way to scale up implementation of provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on the ground: MPOWER. Each MPOWER measure corresponds to at least one provision of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The 6 MPOWER measures are: ·         Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies ·         Protect people from tobacco use ·         Offer help to quit tobacco use ·         Warn about the dangers of tobacco ·         Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship ·         Raise taxes on tobacco. The WHO FCTC Protocol to Eliminate the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products requires a wide range of measures relating to the tobacco supply chain, including the licensing of imports, exports and manufacture of tobacco products; the establishment of tracking and tracing systems and the imposition of penal sanctions on those responsible for illicit trade. It would also criminalise illicit production and cross border smuggling.	Key facts ·         Tobacco kills up to half of its users. ·         Tobacco kills nearly 6 million  people each year. More than five  million of those deaths are the  result of direct tobacco use while  more than 600 000 are the result  of non-smokers being exposed to  second-hand smoke. Unless urgent  action is taken, the annual death toll  could rise to more than eight million  by 2030. ·         Nearly 80% of the world's one  billion smokers live in low- and  middle-income countries. For more details visit www.WHO.int

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6 Ways Water Makes You Beautiful

Have you ever noticed how you feel tired and cranky, and your hair and eyes are dull when you haven’t had enough water? This is because the human body is roughly 70% water and it is an essential nutrient for your body to function. You should be drinking a minimum of 8 glasses a day in order to replace the large amounts you lose through skin evaporation, sweating, breathing, and urine. If your water intake doesn’t match your output then you can become dehydrated, which is unhealthy and potentially dangerous, especially for small children. Water loss is even more rigorous in warmer clients, so for us Pakistani’s drinking water is a priority.
Although you might be aware of the health reasons for water, you might not be informed about its beauty benefits. Read further to learn about ways in which water makes you beautiful from the outside:

Pore Cleanser

Our skin and body is exposed to a number of pollutants and toxins throughout the day. If the body accumulates more toxins than what the liver and kidneys can handle, then the skin takes over. Excessive toxins then leave through the skin and if the body is even slightly dehydrated then the pores become clogged. To help your skin remove toxins and keep your body and pores clear, drink water and stay hydrated.

Toned Skin

One of the numerous benefits of drinking water is that it gets stored in our cells, which expand when properly hydrated with essential H2O causing our skin to look tighter and toned. So instead of visiting the dermatologist for a jab, drink up and help smooth out the appearance of wrinkles, cellulite and flappy skin.

Shiny Hair

You can be getting a weekly protein treatment at your local parlor, but if you hair is dehydrated, there aren’t enough hair treatments to bring it back to life. Our hair is made up of 5% water and 95% protein so when you drink lots of water your hair looks more alive and bouncy. Not only can water make it shiny, but it can help stimulate hair growth, so put down the Rogaine and drink up!

Fight Acne

Like we said before, water is your body’s way of getting rid of toxins and if you’re dehydrated then your pores become clogged. When ridding itself of toxins, your skin’s pH can change. When combined with clogged pores, this is an acne breakout waiting to happen! When you have acne, look at it as a sign that your body chemistry is imbalanced and your detoxification system is backed up. Before begging for harsh retinoid creams from your dermatologist start by drinking half your body weight in ounces of water and see the magic happen.

Sparkling Eyes

Dull, lifeless and bloodshot eyes can be due to many factors, such as illness, diet and dehydration. If you’ve crossed out any medical reasons then it’s time to pretty up those peepers by treating them internally by drinking water.

Weight Loss

Have you ever had a full meal, felt stuffed and then craved food soon after? This might be because your body is dehydrated and is sending you signals to drink up but you’re confusing it with eat up.   Although eating will give you the necessary fluids your body is craving, it’ll also give you unnecessary weight gain.  So next time you feel hungry try having a glass of water instead and see if it kills the craving.

The Takeaway

After reading about the numerous health and beauty benefits of water, we hope you’re chugging away as you read this last paragraph. With benefits like clear skin, sparkling eyes, shiny hair and a smaller waist line, there is nothing keeping you from going above and beyond your minimum eight glasses a day.

7 Things You Should Know About Heart Health

You should know the importance of the heart as an organ. Without a heart, you can’t live! With that said, you need to take care of your heart. Here, I’m going to talk about the vital things you must know to make sure your heart runs like a horse. Well, not exactly like a horse, but here are 7 things you should know about heart health.

Check Your Cholesterol Level

You can only find out information about your blood cholesterol via a blood or cholesterol test. Otherwise, you can be skinny and fit and still have high cholesterol. Don’t make the mistake of assumption and put yourself at a risk of cardiovascular disease!
It is imperative to keep a track of your blood cholesterol every now and then due to the strong impact of high cholesterol on your heart health. Too much cholesterol leads to its deposition in the walls of the arteries in the heart, leading to a condition known as atherosclerosis. In this disease, the arteries are narrowed because of the cholesterol build up and blood flow throw them is impaired.

Check Your Heart Rate

Heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute. This is crucial to your heart health. The normal heart rate varies from one age group to another. The average heart rate (in resting state) of an adult is 60-100 beats per minute. The most common place for finding your pulse is the wrist.
If your heart rate is increased by a great margin or irregular, it’s imperative to go see a doctor!

Blood pressure: Key to Heart Health

You often hear doctors saying ‘blood pressure’s dropping’ or ‘BP’s shooting!’, but do you know what it really means? Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood on the artery walls of the heart, while the blood is being pumped out.
Normal blood pressure is below 120/80. When blood pressure is consistently higher than that, it hints towards hypertension. Hypertension is a silent killer – it doesn’t come with symptoms.
It is therefore necessary to monitor your blood pressure frequently. You can do it yourself at home using a digital blood pressure device.

Know Your Numbers

Blood pressure and heart rate aren’t the only numbers you need to keep track of. Another measurement you need to be monitoring is your waistline. Obese people are multiple times greater at risk of heart attack, hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Keep a track of your BMI. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. If your BMI is above 25, you are over-weight.

Quit Smoking!

Of course, smoking as you should know, affects your lungs and can cause lung cancer. But, did you know that smoking also increases your risk of a heart attack? An estimated 1 out of 5 deaths from heart disease is directly linked to smoking. The nicotine in cigarette raises your blood pressure and shoots your heart rate.

Stress

Stressing out does not only mentally frustrate you, but also has an impact on your heart. Stress is an established risk factor for heart disease. Stress leads to persistently high levels of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol and has also been linked to changes in the way blood clots.

Exercise More to Keep Your Heart Young

Make exercise a part of your life. Take a walk or go for a run every day, join the gym or do an easy cardio work-out at home! It strengthens your heart, helps maintain you blood pressure, and also helps regulate your weight!

7 Bad Habits for Mental Health

An especially bookish definition of mental health is ‘emotional psychological and social wellbeing which affects the way we feel act and think.’ However, mental health covers a broader range than that. It affects every aspect of one’s life from childhood to adolescence till finally adulthood. It alters the ability to manage and control stress, complete daily chores and maintain healthy relationships. Your approach to common everyday events can affect your mental health and lead to unhappiness, depression and unsatisfied life. Here is a list of habits that you might be doing that keep you from functioning to your best ability.

Bad habit no. 1: Bad Posture

Often people slouch while walking or sit with their back bent and stomach loose.  This gives an aura of exhaustion, sleepiness and untidiness. To look smart is to feel smart. Having a bad posture gives a negative impression and also attracts negativity. According to a study published in the “Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry,” subjects who were asked to walk in a sloppy manner with decreased hand movements and hunched over had worse mood swings and remembered more negative things than positive. Therefore, always keep your chin up, shoulders rolled back while you are walking for a better outlook to life.

Bad habit no. 2: Snap Happy

Here is one aimed at all the Instagram addicts, according to a study published in “Psychological Science” subjects took a tour of a museum while taking pictures of some of the objects while simply observing others. They had difficulty remembering the ones they had taken pictures of where as the ones they observed were remembered easily. Camera lens actually forms a veil in front of our eyes which takes away the ability to observe things while we are focusing on taking a picture. Hence, individuals more intent on taking pictures to ‘create memories’ actually lose focus of what is a precious memory. Instead of taking a picture, next sit back and soak up the beauty of the moment and have more fun participating in it.

Bad habit no. 3: Couch Potatoes

All the bed lovers and couch potatoes need to get up and get moving for the sake of their mental health. There has been plenty of research showing the correlation between physical activity and depression and inactive individuals are known to have higher risk of depression. Inactivity can lead to a build-up of toxins and when they accumulate in the body they effect mental health in a way that can lead to depression. Introduce exercise and physical activity in your life for a better you.

Bad habit no. 4: Toxic Relationships

In some cases, an individual can spend the majority of their time and effort trying to unsuccessfully satisfy their partner and failure to do so means they’re made to feel incompetent, selfish and boring. Relationships such as these that negatively affect your well-being are toxic relationships. Majority of the people do not realize that the sadness that’s seeping into their life is because of their spouse. If that’s your case you need help, either through a psychiatrist or friends and family, who can help you create coping mechanisms and change the situation or leave your toxic partner for good

Bad habit no. 5: No Laughter

Something’s in our life are meant to be laughed off instead of clinging to them and making them bigger than they are. If you are not laughing enough, you may be standing on the first step of the staircase to depression. Find out what gives you joy in life, whether it be a light hearted friend, surrounding yourself with kids or even a funny TV show, so that you can regain a balance and see the lighter side of life. Laughter is known to be the most rapidly acting medication for depression and anxiety.

Bad habit no. 6: Lack of Zzzz

Sleeping is a mechanism of nature that has provided us to repair and regenerate system breakdowns. A proper sleeping routine leads to better emotional and mental handling and a better metabolism. If you are not able to sleep properly or are suffering from insomnia you might need mental attention along with help from family members in creating a restful environment.

Bad habit no. 7: Not Enough ‘ME’ Time

Between your struggle to keep up with the office, housework and your family you might be missing out on important YOU time. Spending time on yourself is important because you need to connect with yourself and make sure your needs are being met. If you spread yourself too thin and never feel like what you want is important, bitterness, anger and depression can creep in. Make regular spa days, visit the gym, go out with friends or sit quietly with a book and enjoy time that’s just for yourself. The concept behind ‘me time’ is making an appointment with yourself and keeping it.

5 Ways to Have Healthy Hair

Imagine a world in which every day was a great hair day. Does it seem like something from your dreams? Well, we’re here to tell you it IS possible. No matter what your hair type is, your locks can still look sleek, shiny and flaunt-able in any situation. Find out what you can do to rejuvenate your hair. Read on!

Avoid heat

Avoiding heat doesn’t just apply to straighteners and blow driers, but also avoid showering with hot water. If the water that comes into contact with your hair is too warm, it will dry it and make it brittle.
Tip: Brush your locks in different directions to promote circulation of the scalp.

Blow driers can be more beneficial than air-drying!

If used correctly, blow driers do a better job at drying than air-drying. Put it on a cool setting and hold it some distance away from your locks for protection from any heat. Holding it too close to your hair will cause the water to boil; hence the stereotypes against blow-driers.
Tip: Avoid wringing your locks in a towel right after a shower. Wet hair is fragile, and wringing it will cause it to fall and break. Also, use heat protection sprays when you blow dry your hair, or in case you use flat irons, or curlers.

Massage your locks and scalp

Massaging your mane and scalp with oil or a protein cream stimulates blood circulation, rejuvenates cells and nourishes dry hair, all promoting healthy growth. Using oil, slightly warm the oil of choice and put it in a bowl. Part your locks, and apply oil with your fingertips to your scalp. Make sure your fingers are moving in a circular motion. Continue this process until you’ve covered your entire scalp and the entire length of your hair. Leave the oil for at least 30 minutes, or longer if you desire. Shampoo it out, making sure you apply shampoo BEFORE wetting your locks to sufficiently remove all the oil. Try not to wash more than once, since over washing can strip your locks of nutrients and healthy oils. Basically taking away all the hard work the oil and protein just did.

Try home-made remedies for healthier locks

Make your own conditioner at home for chemical free conditioning:

• One great source of protein is mayonnaise. Apply it your hair until entirely coated and leave it on for an hour. After you wash it out you’ll love the silky feel and the shiny look.

• Another splendid source of protein is yogurt. It’s good enough to substitute with your regular conditioner.

Tip: Mix one egg with shampoo and create a “shampoo omelet.” It might smell, but good news is that you don’t need to leave it on for more than five minutes. The mixture will help enhance the protein in your hair.

Wash your locks correctly

• Massage your scalp with shampoo (NOT conditioner) and continue to do so for about 40 seconds before washing it out. Massaging your scalp with conditioner stimulates blood circulation which also helps prevent dandruff.

• When applying conditioner, make sure you’re doing it right. The right way to apply conditioner is to pour conditioner in your hand and rub it from the roots to the tips of your locks. If you want silkier softer hair, leave the conditioner on for a minute or two before washing it out.

• Try to wash your hair in a cool setting. As we already mentioned, exposure of warm water will dry it out. At least give your locks a cool final rinse to seal the cuticles.