The way ahead: Indoor Pollution Prevention Update
Add more pollution fighting plants to your décor in the room, roof or balcony.
Plants are a source of fresh air and some examples include Areca Palm, Sensivera, Mother-in-Law’s Tongue and Money Plant.
Avoid smoking inside the house and ensure that toxic gases and substances are not released indoors during hot/cold variations in temperature indoors.
Taking precautions such as fixing of leakages, maintenance repairs to prevent loss of heat/ cold indoors will ensure better air quality inside.
Appliances like your refrigerator and oven can emit harmful gases without regular maintenance. Make sure you service them at regular intervals.
Regular dusting is important. Every home is prone to dust and dirt accumulation. While you clean your floors and upholstery regularly, you might miss out on the nooks and corners and the roof of tall furniture sets. Use wet mopping of the floor.
Minimize the use of pesticides at home. Use bio-friendly products instead. Limiting the number of toxic products introduced into indoor air will also make the space as less polluted as possible.
Pour water in any mud outside the house or grow grass in these areas.
Use air filters if affordable
Add greenery in RWA
Adequate exhausts for proper ventilation
(Inputs Manoj Sharma)
Pollution Masks: N, R or P
N, R, and Pare NIOSH certification categories that apply to negative pressure air-purifying respirators that protect against respiratory particulates. They do not apply to powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs). The particulate respirator will have an N, R, or P designation along with an efficiency rating such as 95, 99, or 100.
N: When no oil is present in the air; R when oil is present, but only for a single shift or 8 hours of continuous or intermittent use. Re-use beyond a single shift or 8 hours is not recommended. P when oil is present and can be reused and used for longer time.
In 100, the filter is expected to trap 99.97 particles out of every 100 and is as efficient as a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter; in 99, The filter is expected to trap 99 particles out of every 100 and 95 The filter will trap 95 particles out of every 100 of at least 0.3 micrometers.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) director, Dr Balram Bhargava said on Friday that the Pune-based National Institute of Virology has successfully isolated the Zika virus for the very first time.
Epidiolex, the first cannabis-based medication approved by the US FDA, is now available by prescription in all 50 states. The twice-daily oral solution is approved for use in patients 2 and older to treat two types of epileptic syndromes: Dravet syndrome, a rare genetic dysfunction of the brain that begins in the first year of life, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a form of epilepsy with multiple types of seizures that begins in early childhood, usually between ages 3 and 5… (CNN)
Well over half the world’s undernourished people live in the Asia-Pacific region, making it a critical part of the global push to end extreme hunger and malnutrition in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs), cautioned a new report “The Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition” on Friday. The report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) warns of “colossal human loss” to Asia and the Pacific, and its economies, if countries do not recommit themselves to ending malnutrition and achieving zero hunger by 2030.
A new treatment for postpartum depression: An FDA advisory committee voted overwhelmingly to recommend approval for brexanolone, the first drug that would be specifically approved for patients with postpartum depression.
Instant soup scald injuries in children: Microwavable instant soup products cause at least two out of every 10 scald burns that send children to emergency departments each year, according to new research being presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2018 National Conference & Exhibition. The most commonly burned area of the body was a child’s torso, comprising 40 percent of the injuries. Around 57% of the children burned were female.
Overcome ED for better health and a better sex life
Start walking. Just 30 minutes of walking a day was linked with a 41% drop in risk for ED. Other research suggests that moderate exercise can help restore sexual performance in obese middle-aged men with ED.
Eat right. In the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, eating a diet rich in natural foods like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and fish — with fewer red and processed meat and refined grains — decreased the likelihood of ED.
Pay attention to your vascular health. High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides can all damage arteries in the heart (causing heart attack), in the brain (causing stroke), and leading to the penis (causing ED). An expanding waistline also contributes. Check with your doctor to find out whether your vascular system — and thus your heart, brain, and penis — is in good shape or needs a tune-up through lifestyle changes and, if necessary, medications.
Size matters, so get slim and stay slim. A trim waistline is one good defense — a man with a 42-inch waist is 50% more likely to have ED than one with a 32-inch waist. Losing weight can help fight erectile dysfunction, so getting to a healthy weight and staying there is another good strategy for avoiding or fixing ED. Obesity raises risks for vascular disease and diabetes, two major causes of ED. And excess fat interferes with several hormones that may be part of the problem as well.
Move a muscle, but we’re not talking about your biceps. A strong pelvic floor enhances rigidity during erections and helps keep blood from leaving the penis by pressing on a key vein. In a British trial, three months of twice-daily sets of Kegel exercises (which strengthen these muscles), combined with biofeedback and advice on lifestyle changes — quitting smoking, losing weight, limiting alcohol — worked far better than just advice on lifestyle changes. (Source: Harvard)
Video to watch: TEDx Video: Doctor-patient relationship www.youtube(dot)com/ watch?v=i9ml1vKK2DQ
Dr KK Aggarwal
