Keep Health Up

Archive for June, 2009

According to a 2008 report by the Dental Health Foundation, by the time children are in kindergarten, more than 50 percent already have had tooth decay. It means that when these youngsters reach third grade, that number increases to 70 percent.

Actually taking care of your general health as well as your teeth is the key to getting the perfect smile. There are several very simple advices you can keep your teeth healthy:

Brush at least twice a day – after breakfast and before bedtime. If you can, brush after lunch or after sweet snacks. Brushing properly breaks down plaque.

Brush all of your teeth, not just the front ones. Spend some time on the teeth along the sides and in the back. Brush away from your gums.

Take your time while brushing. Spend at least 3 minutes each time you brush.

Be sure your toothbrush has soft bristles (the package will tell you if they’re soft).

Dont forget to visit the dentist twice a year. Besides checking for signs of cavities or gum disease, the dentist will help keep your teeth extra clean, and he or she can help you learn the best way to brush and floss.

It’s not just brushing and flossing that keep your teeth healthy – you also need to be careful about what you eat and drink. Remember, the plaque on your teeth is just waiting for that sugar to arrive. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and drink water instead of soda.

You must know that airplane crash doesn’t necessarily mean certain death. Surviving a plane crash is reality and in fact over 90% of plane crashes have survivors. For instance only in the US, between 1983 and 2000, there were 568 plane crashes in which from 53,487 people onboard, 51,207 were survived. Every air traveler hopes they will never have to plane crash and I wish you so very much but however each of us have to learn what to do in such situation.

There are many things you might consider to increase your chances of surviving such as:

• how to survive the moment of impact
• the life and death decisions you should make during the evacuation
• what to do if there is a fire onboard
• how to survive if your plane ditches into water
• statistically where you should sit to increase your chances of surviving.

According to BBC world leading aviation safety expert Professor Ed Galea has studied over 2,000 survivor reports and compiled a unique database.

“Surviving an aircraft crash is not a matter of fate. You can help yourself getting out of an aircraft quickly, and so there are things you can do to improve your chances of surviving,” says Professor Galea.
He has discovered what all these survivors were doing that got them off the plane alive and his findings are extraordinary.

“This seat belt is different to what’s in your car; it’s a latch that you’ve got to pull.”

If your plane is about to crash, you may be told to adopt the brace position – an important step, says Tom Barth from AmSafe Aviation, an expert in how to survive an impact.

“The brace position is a position that will offer you the best chance to survive in a crash because it stops you from flying forward and striking the seat or interior in front of you,” says Mr Barth.
“The important thing is to get your upper torso down as much as possible, limiting the ‘jackknife’ effect from impact forces.”

“The airbag is folded up in the seatbelt itself and deploys away from the occupant, making it safe for children and adults. The airbags inflate very rapidly in about 30 milliseconds, which is much faster than you can blink your eye.”

“Look around you and see where your nearest cabin crew are, because they’re the people who will tell you what to do and will make a huge difference. Then look where your nearest exits are, both in front, behind and across, and work out how you would get there.”

“I count the seat rows from my seating position to the exit. So in the event of smoke or if emergency lighting fails and it’s very dark, I know the number of seat rows and I can feel my way to an exit. By counting the seat backs I’ll know when I’ve reached the exit row.”

Public health advice and messages

- If you have returned from an affected area and have flu-like symptoms, stay at home, phone your GP or NHS Direct Wales and you will be assessed and receive treatment if necessary. Do not go into your GP surgery or Accident and Emergency department unless you are advised to do so or are seriously ill, as you may spread the illness to others.

- Further information including health advice can be found at http://www.wales.gov.uk, http://www.nphs.wales.nhs.uk and http://www.hpa.org.uk. You can also call the Swine Flu Information line on 0800 1 513 513 for recorded information, or NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 for health advice.

– It is always good practice to follow respiratory and hand hygiene such as:

- Covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible.
- Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully.
- Maintaining good basic hygiene, for example washing hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to face or to other people.
- Cleaning hard surfaces (e.g. door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product.
- Helping your children follow this advice.