Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

Cleaning and Sterilizing Catheters

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Using catheters on a regular basis means that you have to learn to sterilize your catheters. The type of your catheter will determine how you need to clean it and sterilize it, and the other trappings that go along with your catheter will also need to be cleaned at some point, depending on what all you use on a regular basis.

If you’re practicing intermittent self-catheterization, things are fairly simple. Some catheters for this purpose are disposable, so you can simply get rid of each catheter after you use it. If you use a reusable catheter, on the other hand, you’ll have to clean it after each use. In order to clean it, you’ll simply have to rinse it with soap and water. If you need to use it again immediately for some reason, you can simply rinse it with tap water.

Some people will say that there is no reason for you to sterilize your catheters after you wash them, but you may lessen your risk of urinary tract infections if you do sterilize the catheters. You can sterilize them in a solution of water and vinegar or a solution of water and bleach, but be sure that your solution is mild so that it doesn’t harm your skin upon the next time you use the catheter.

If you’re using catheters just for intermittent self catheterization, you won’t have to use a bag or a leg strap, but if you’re using a Foley catheter that stays in your bladder for a long period of time, you will have these trappings to deal with. Like anything else that sits against your skin for a while, your leg strap might need to be washed once in a while. Also, the bag that goes with a Foley catheter may need to be cleaned with soap and water once in a while to keep the smell and risk of infection down.

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The E-Cigarette Is A Fantastic Alternative To Real Cigarettes

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Stopping smoking is one of the hardest things that most of us will need to accomplish in our lives and if you are reading this no doubt you have tried and failed a couple of times yourself. Everyone who smokes knows that it is bad for them and can be the forerunner to all sorts of terrible diseases but this doesn’t make stopping much easier.

For those of you who are in some doubt concerning why they ought to cease here are a couple of facts and numbers to think about. Since the initial Surgeon General’s statement in the US in 1964 there have been more than 12 million smoking associated deaths. Each year in the US more than 500,000 individuals pass away each year from smoking associated illnesses. Smokers can expect to reduce their typical lifespan by between 13-14 years. It is additionally directly linked to a number of potentially fatal diseases such as heart disease, emphysema, bronchitis and a variety of forms of cancer. If all that wasn’t adequate it makes your clothes smell really bad, gives you wrinkles and it additionally costs a fortune.

Knowing all this though doesn’t make stopping smoking much easier to carry out. It has been estimated that 15 million individuals around the globe try and give up each day but just 3% of these folks will truly succeed. Fortunately for any person who is seeking to kick the addiction there are presently some magnificent products on the marketplace that make quitting much easier. One of the most popular of these is the e-cigarette which is comparable to a real cigarette but devoid of any of the injurious side effects. The original e cigarette is driven by advanced microelectronic technology and brings smoking into the 21st century. It works by making a smoke like vapour in the atomisation chamber that reproduces the sensation and feel of smoking a cigarette lacking any of the injurious effects that come with smoking. It can even be used indoors now that most countries have implemented the smoking bar.

The cigarette electronique has a variety of advantages over traditional cigarettes the foremost of which is the cost which is around a 1/3 of the cost of a packet of cigarettes in the majority of countries. The ingredients in the electronique cigarette are the same as are found in FDA permitted Nicotine Replacement Therapy products and the absence of tar and the 150 or so cancer causing chemicals makes e-cigarettes a healthy alternative to real fags. Among the other perks that the cigarette-electronique possesses are that it means no more standing outside in the cold and heavy rain, no more second hand smoke, no more ashtrays and of course no more tar and cancer causing chemicals.

The e-cigarette is a authentic alternative designed for individuals who love to smoke but hate all of the bad things that come with it. It can be used either as a complete replacement for cigarettes or simply to help as part of the quitting process.

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