BLS Training for Kids: Things To Keep In Mind

Things to keep in mind, while giving basic life support (BLS) training to kids:

Discuss safety around the house – Kids may have a hard time grasping concepts about ocean safety or injuries that can occur while climbing a mountain. Keep your lesson easy for children to understand by discussing safety at home. Take a tour of your home together and talk about the possible injuries that can happen in each room, like burns or choking in the kitchen, and cuts in the garage. This allows children to see how accidents can happen right at home and they can see the hazards that are present every day.

Explore a first aid kit – Purchase a first aid kit, or assemble one together, and go through the contents with your child. For each item, explain what it is and encourage your child to think of a time when they would need to use that item. Teach them how to use each item in the kit and show them where you store it so they can easily access it in an emergency.

Brainstorm emergency situations – Many kids have a difficulty understanding the idea that first aid emergencies can happen to them or to the people they know. Spend time with your child talking about some of the common emergencies that can happen, like drowning, burns, heart attack, or heavy bleeding. Let your child contribute their own ideas so they are part of the conversation.

Teach kids to use the phone – In today’s world, most parents each have their own cell phone and many households do not have a landline. Younger children may not know how to use either type of phone and it’s important for them to have a lesson so they can call for help if needed. Teach them how to dial 911 and show them which buttons to press on the phone to make a call. Have them call a friend or relative on a regular basis so they have real experience using the phone.

Use videos to teach techniques – Many children respond better to visual lessons than they do to simply listening to you talk about first aid. There are plenty of great resources online or on YouTube where you and your child can watch first aid videos together. Look for videos created specifically for children to make sure they can understand the content and get the most benefit from what they see.

Practice makes perfect – Talking about first aid is one thing, but doing it is a different experience. Use a doll or stuffed toy to demonstrate first aid techniques to children and have them practice these skills themselves.

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Tips for Low The Cholesterol Level in Body

Choice of diet:

We can regulate the levels of cholesterol in the blood through a change of diet. Here are some healthy eating habits:

Reduce the intake of saturated fats:

These fats are made of glyceride and fatty acids, and are solid at room temperature. Saturated fats increase the levels of low lipid proteins (bad cholesterol) in the body. According to the American Heart Association, a daily intake of saturated fats should be 13grams or 2000calories per day. Foods containing saturated fats are dairy products and red meat such as lamb, pork and beef. Protein foods with lower levels of cholesterol include fish, chicken and plant proteins. You should also aim at increasing unsaturated fats in your diet. Unsaturated fats are good as they are critical in maintaining good heart health by fighting cholesterol. An example is omega 3 fatty acids found in fish which helps in different body functions.

Increase the intake of foods high fiber:

These include foods such as fruits, vegetables and wholegrains. There are two types of fiber; soluble and insoluble fiber. Fiber helps in reducing cholesterol levels in the body by binding with the bad cholesterol preventing it’s absorption into the body. When absorbed into the body, soluble fiber helps preventing the formation of plague within blood vessels. 

Reducing on the intake of processed foods:

Processed foods are high in cholesterol and should be avoided.  These include foods such as sausages, bacon and hotdogs. 

Reducing on trans fats:

Trans fats are hydrogenated fats such as margarine. The use of partially hydrogenated oils has been banned by the food and drugs administration due to their cholesterol levels. 

Physical exercise:

Physical activity helps in enhancing the cholesterol levels in the body. It is recommended for one to exercise for 30minutes five times a week. Studies done by AHA also show that physical exercise increases the levels of good cholesterol. Physical exercise also helps in maintaining a healthy body weight, improving on mental health and staying fit. Everyone has their own work out techniques. 

Tracking your heart rate while working out will help you meet your work out goals. The heart rate tells how much energy is going into the activity, and the values are depended on the age of the individual. Persons with health conditions should consult their doctors on the type of activity that would work best for them. There are different physical activities one can engage in such as walking, swimming, jogging and running. The choice of physical activity is dependent on the individual’s hobbies and physical abilities. 

Reducing alcohol:

Excessive intake of alcohol is has a negative effect on the human body. In the liver, alcohol is broken down into cholesterol and triglycerides. When taken regularly in large amounts, alcohol increases the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Increased levels of triglycerides in the liver leads to a condition known as fatty liver disease. The condition affects the functioning of the liver reducing it’s ability to remove cholesterol from the blood. Other effects of the liver are linked to the he cholesterol levels and they include increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, pancreatic diseases and other cancers. 

How much alcohol is safe? The recommended levels of alcohol per week are 14 units. The 14 units should be spread throughout the week with some days being alcohol free. For safety, an individual should not exceed six units in six hours as this could overwork your liver. The body can only process 10ml of pure alcohol per hour. 

These recommendation are also safe for persons with high cholesterol levels. There are, however, some health conditions which should bar the individual completely from alcohol. If you have a health condition, it is crucial to consult with your doctor whether or not you should take alcohol.

Tips to help limit alcohol intake:

• Always check the alcohol percentages in your drink
• Let alcohol accompany a meal
• Too up your drink with ice or water to make it last longer
• Drink slowly by taking small sips

Alcoholism is a disease. If you are having trouble controlling your drinking seek help from a specialist or support group.

Reducing smoking:

Smoking has adverse effects on health. The best healthy advice for anyone is to quit smoking. Smoke from cigarettes contains thousands of harmful substances. Apart from raising the levels of cholesterol, smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. The blood of a smoker is also thicker and carries lower levels of oxygen. The risk of having blood clots is also higher. 

Studies show that smoking worsens the type of cholesterol by making it thicker and easier to stick to the blood vessels. It also lowers the levels of good cholesterol (High density lipoproteins). The good cholesterol helps ferry away the bad cholesterol and prevent it from clinging onto blood vessels. 

Smoke from cigarettes damages blood arteries. As cholesterol moves along the vessels, it sticks to the damaged parts leading to coronary artery disease. For smokers, blood vessels clog up faster, lessening the flow of blood. The thinning and hardening of blood vessels makes it more difficult for blood to flow through. The individual starts experiencing a faster heart rate as the heart gets overworked.

Your health starts to improve once you stop smoking. Your ability to exercise also improves, your breathing gets better and the stress levels fall. You should consult your doctor if you are having trouble quitting. It’s not easy, but the long-term effects on your health are worth the effort.

Getting enough sleep:

Too much or too little sleep can have a negative effect on your cholesterol. Sleeping less than five hours a night or more than  eight hours will raise the levels of triglycerides and lower the levels of good cholesterol. It is critical to establish healthy sleeping patterns. An adult should sleep for eight hours a night. Younger children sleep longer and the effects are different. If you have trouble sleeping, your doctor might recommend some medications. The following tips will help you improve the quality of your sleep:

• Avoid taking alcohol and caffeine before going to bed
• Create some sleeping routines by going to bed at a specific time
• Avoid certain habits that will keep you up such as using the phone before going to bed, reading and watching movies.

Manage stress:

Stress increases the levels of cholesterol in the body. The hormone (cortisol) produced under stress are said to increase the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. Adrenaline is also produced that raises the levels of triglycerides in the blood. There are different ways to manage stress. Long-term stress will not only affect your cholesterol but also the quality of life. Stress leads to depression and other mental disorders which can result in suicide. It is best to talk to someone or seek specialized help whenever we feel overwhelmed. 

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Tips to Stay Healthy During the Global Coronavirus Crisis?

 

The coronavirus pandemic has affected people’s psychological and physical health. However, humans can control both their psychological and mental health. As we all focus on staying free of the COVID-19 virus, it is not unusual for us to forgo the common healthy habit that relates to our daily schedules. Here are certain essential practices that will help us maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Online CPR Certification: Is It Really Effective?

Online CPR certification has become more popular over the last decade with technological advancements, however, there are still some people that are unsure about the effectiveness of online CPR certification. There are several issues that come to mind when people discuss online CPR certification vs. learning CPR in a traditional classroom setting. Let’s take a look at some of them:

1- Cramming:

Many times when you take a CPR course in a classroom setting, you are given a few hours to learn the material in order to pass a certification test. That means that you spend several hours trying to absorb all the information that is pertinent to the test and nothing else. Most educators would agree that the best way to learn is NOT by cramming all the information into a short period of time. One benefit to online CPR certification is that there is no cramming. You have all the time you need to learn ALL the information, whether it is on the test or not.

2- Recertification:

The American Heart Association recommends re-certification every two years and The Red Cross recommends re-certification every year. Since many people do not use CPR skills on a daily basis, the time in between goes without any kind of refresher at all. However, with online CPR certification and re-certification, the student has 24/7 access to their course material so they can keep up to date with and practice their CPR skills before their re-certification.

3- Convenience:

Most classroom based CPR certification programs are designed to suit the instructor, not the student. Many times employers may be required to certify in CPR and be forced to work all day or all week and then spend their evening or weekend in a certification course. An online CPR certification is geared towards the student’s schedule, allowing for a person to study where and when is most convenient for him or her.

4- Practical Skills:

The biggest argument against online CPR certification is the lack of practical skills. In a classroom setting a student is given the opportunity to watch a practical skills demonstration and then practice in front of strangers for several hours. This type of training can last up to 8 hours. The average adult attention span is 20 minutes, which makes about 7 ½ hours of the training part of that aforementioned “cramming” that is less effective than learning on your own time. Online CPR certification does not require a practical skills check, however, studies have not shown that those who learn CPR online can perform it any less effectively than those who learn in a traditional classroom setting.

Although learning CPR in a classroom can be very effective it is not the only way. With advances in technology as well as the increase in people’s work and life responsibilities, online CPR certification is an easy, convenient and effective way to learn a valuable, lifesaving skill.