Winter Safety Series: Your Vehicle - Preparedness Tips

With the chill of winter upon us now, I thought it might be good to focus several posts on winter survival and health during the winter months. Today I want to talk about taking care of your car and preparing for the worst, preparation beforehand is the best thing you can do to survive during these nasty cold months. If you are like me you travel back and forth to work and feel like you live in your car most weeks,our lives revolve around our vehicles.  I sometimes feel like I take advantage of the fact my car starts and goes when I put the keys in the ignition. What a surprise and aggravation if you are not prepared for your car/truck/suv to not start or stop running when you least expect it. It is also a very helpless feeling to be stranded on the side of the road and think help is never coming. We often put off things we could do ahead of time until it is to late, taking care of your vehicle is something you must do today.

What can you do to be better prepared? 

1. Know some basics about your vehicle- how to change a tire, how to jump-start your battery, how to add fluids and where each fluid actually goes. (get someone to teach you these things, read and become familiar with your vehicles manual beforehand), little things go along way to solving a problem on the road.
2. Check your tires- make sure you have good tires before winter gets here, check the tread and the amount of air pressure in the tires.
3. Change or have your oil changed- cold temperatures can make your oil thicker and then it will not lubricate as well.
4. Wax your car-- helps to protect it from corrosive salts on the road (you know that stuff they are spraying all over the roads to melt the ice/snow) 
5. Wiper blades- check them for wear and tear, change them if you are not sure. Heated wiper blades are an option now too. Windshield washer fluid for winter should have some de-icer/ antifreeze component to it, that will really help you on cold mornings (I use this all the time in the winter) 
6. Get a good tune-up and have the mechanic check all your belts and hoses, this will help prevent any mishaps due to a faulty belt or loose hose. A mechanic can check your vechicle for all of the above items and winterize it for you if you are not comfortable doing it yourself. A good mechanic will not mind showing you the ins and outs of your car either, they are good teachers of car care. (So I am a little biased, my little brother is a mechanic and is awesome..lol)
7. Check your antifreeze (in the radiator that is..), this is a no-brainer.... the water in your radiator needs to have antifreeze added to keep your engine from freezing to death....literally. Make sure you get antifreeze that is rated for your area of the country. Here in the south (I live in NC) we don't use the same kind as say somebody in Buffalo NY due to the range in cold temps here in the south. Although it was a chilly 8 degrees the other morning and I about froze my tushy off. 
8. Fill your tank with gas-- you don't wanna get stuck on the side of the road and have to walk in the cold because you ran out of gas. 
9. Pack an emergency tote box in your vehicle-- this goes a long long way to saving your butt if you totally did not do any of the above tips and your car is dead on the side of the road or in a ditch somewhere..... I like to use a simple plastic tote box with handles that is clear so I can see what is inside. I keep my jumper cables, first aid kit and other emergency car care accessories in it all the time. During the winter I also keep these items in my .............

Emergency Winter Tote Box : 

• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Paper towels
• De-icer spray
• Scraper and small shovel
• Energy boosting type Snacks (granola bars, dried fruits, canned fruits, beef jerky etc)
• Water- no sugary sweet soda, keeping hydrated will help save your life
• Another cell phone charger (maybe a juice box type charger too)
• Road flares and /or reflective triangles to signal you need help
• Extra gloves, hats, warm clothing
• Flashlights, camp light
• Pocket knife or multi-tool with knife,scissors and screwdrivers on it.
• Deck of cards or simple games for kids (coloring books/crayons work well too)
• List of emergency numbers or small phone book 
• Toilet paper, wet wipes for personal hygiene (extra feminine hygiene items too)
• Basic meds like Tylenol (acetaminophen), Ibuprofen, Antacids, Anti-diarrhea , etc.(unless your first aid kit has these in it)
• Hand sanitizer 
• Kitty litter- nonclumping kind- to help with tire traction and make walking easier around car
• Battery powered weather radio if possible (with extra batteries)

Think "what would I need if I was stuck in a ditch somewhere in the middle of nowhere with my kids and nobody could find me for a couple days", that is how I determined what I needed to pack in my winter emergency tote box. 

In the event of an emergency while driving in winter weather conditions the best advice I can give is STAY CALM! Getting anxious and all upset will help nobody in the event of any emergency. Stay in or near your car if possible and if it is safe. Make sure your phone is charged before the car battery dies, make sure your gps location service is on via your cell phone settings.

Tomorrow we will focus on "Winter Home Safety" and how to prepare your humble abode for the frigid winter weather safely. I hope these tips are helpful and can someday safe a life. Feel free to share this post/blog via social media.

Anaphylaxis And It's Effects On The Body

Anaphylaxis is an acute allergic reaction that affects the entire body. If you have ever experienced a life threatening allergic reaction to something, you remember how scared you were I am sure. Anaphylaxis is bad, an emergent condition that needs emergency care immediately or the person will die! Call 911! Emergency care providers are trained to care for these type of events. Driving yourself or your family member to the hospital yourself is not smart. You will delay care and possibly cause their death. Wait for EMS! 

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Allergic Reactions What's All The Buzz About #health #allergies

Allergic reactions are sensitivities to substances called allergens that come into contact with the skin, nose, eyes, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract. They can be breathed into the lungs, swallowed, or injected( like a sting)

Allergic reactions are common. The immune response that causes an allergic reaction is similar to the response that causes hay fever. Most reactions happen soon after contact with an allergen. Severe reactions usually happen within minutes to a couple hours after the contact.

Hives on the back of an acute allergic reaction- courtesy of WikiMedia 

Many allergic reactions are mild, while others can be severe and life-threatening. They can be confined to a small area of the body, or they may affect the entire body. The most severe form is called anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. Allergic reactions occur more often in people who have a family history of allergies.

Substances that don't bother most people (such as venom from bee stings and certain foods, medications, and pollens) can trigger allergic reactions in others.

Common Allergens

Although first-time exposure may only produce a mild reaction, repeated exposures may lead to more serious reactions. Once a person has had an exposure or an allergic reaction (is sensitized), even a very limited exposure to a very small amount of allergen can trigger a severe reaction. These people need to carry an Epipen at all times. Your doctor can prescribe one for you to use.

For example you develop a small red rash after taking an antibiotic, your body produces a reaction to that medication and sensitizes you. You are now much more likely to develop a severe or life threatening reaction the next time you take an antibiotic in the same drug family as the first one.
What are we allergic to?

It can be: foods, plants, latex, medications, dyes, insects,animals,bee stings, fibers, soaps,chemicals, you name it.

Cockroaches are a major source of allergen exposure in inner-city areas. Of the thousands of species, only a few are important sources of indoor allergens. The German and American cockroaches are the most commonly encountered (shown). Cockroach allergens are derived from saliva, feces, secretions, and dead bodies. The allergens are similar in size to house-dust mite allergens (roughly 10 μm), and remain airborne for short periods of time. An association between cockroach sensitization and asthma exacerbation has been described and may be a major source of morbidity for inner-city, low-socioeconomic patients. An image of an American cockroach is shown courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Sometimes you can develop an allergic reaction to something and never figure out the culprit unless you have testing done.

Identifying a culprit allergen can be very difficult, given the wide variety of compounds that humans are exposed to on a daily basis. A number of grid-based skin tests are available. In prick, or scratch, testing a purified allergen is intradermally injected to evaluate for a response. This method is commonly used for pet dander, dust, pollen, foods, and house-dust mites. In patch testing, allergens are kept in contact with the skin via hypoallergenic tape for an extended period of time to assess for a subsequent allergic inflammatory response. This method is commonly used for latex, medications, preservatives, and metals. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Allergic Reaction Treatment from eMedicine.com
Self-Care at Home
Avoid triggers! If you know you have an allergic reaction to peanuts, for example, do not eat them and go out of your way to avoid foods prepared with or around peanuts (see Food Allergy).
Self-care at home is not enough in severe reactions. A severe reaction is a medical emergency.
Do not attempt to treat or "wait out" severe reactions at home. Go immediately to a hospital emergency department.
If no one is available to drive you right away, call an ambulance for emergency medical transport.
Use your epinephrine auto-injector (Epi-Pen) if you have been prescribed one by your doctor due to previous allergic reactions.
Slight reactions with mild symptoms usually respond to nonprescription allergy medications.
Oral antihistamines
Loratadine (Claritin or Alavert), cetirizine (Zyrtec), and fexofenadine (Allegra) are nonsedating antihistamines that can be taken over the long term.
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can also be taken but may make you too drowsy to drive or operate machinery safely. It can affect concentration and interfere with children's learning in school. These medications should be taken for only a few days.
For rashes or skin irritations, an anti-inflammatory steroid cream such as hydrocortisone can be used.
For small, localized skin reactions, use a cold, wet cloth or ice for relief. Apply a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel as an ice pack.

Emergency Numbers That You Can Really Use!

Lest we forget sometimes that the Great Physician is really in control! A bit of prayer and faith goes a long way in the recovery and healing of our souls. Remember that!

                                                                         Source: hannicraft.blogspot.com via Theresa on Pinterest