Harboring Hidden Germs? What to Keep, What to Toss
Posted on 16. Feb, 2012 by aqiumlogin in cold and flu, family, health & safety
Just because it looks clean doesn’t mean it’s free of bacteria, allergens or worse. From sponges to pillows to toothbrushes, here’s what you should throw out and when. In the Bedroom: Pillow Stash it, but wash and cover it. Your head propper piles up gross sweat, drool, dander and dust mites. But instead of throwing it away, invest in a washable allergy case, which blocks mites and their leftovers, advises Amy Newburger, M.D., a dermatologist in Scarsdale, New York. Wash pillows every few months and change linens weekly, and you can rest easy. In the Bedroom: Mattress Trash it every [...]
STUDY: Uni students with good hand hygiene pull 43% less sickies
Posted on 31. Jan, 2012 by aqiumlogin in cold and flu, health & safety, schools
This US Study shows that practicing good hand hygiene has a significant effect on the overall health of Uni students living in residence halls. BACKGROUND: Several studies have indicated a connection between hand sanitisation and infection control in numerous settings such as extended care facilities, schools, and hospitals. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of both a hand-hygiene message campaign and the use of an alcohol gel hand sanitiser in decreasing the incidence of upper-respiratory illness among students living in university residence halls. METHOD: This study involved a total of 430 students recruited from 4 residence [...]
Back To School Health Tips
Posted on 23. Jan, 2012 by aqiumlogin in cold and flu, schools
Be warned – your child will bring home more than just new textbooks when they return to school this term. Germs, bullying and backaches are just some of the problems facing youngsters in the playground. Sick days can’t always be avoided but you can help protect your child’s health and wellbeing when school goes back. Colds Most young children catch between eight to 10 respiratory illnesses every year. It usually peaks within two years of starting childcare, kindergarten or school. Around 200 different viruses are responsible for the common cold. Symptoms include sneezing, sore throat and runny nose. You may [...]
New common cold virus may cause SARS
Posted on 09. Aug, 2011 by aqiumlogin in cold and flu, health & safety
A new and dangerous type of common cold virus has been named as the chief suspect behind the deadly SARS infection that has caused 100 deaths. Scientists in Hong Kong found strong evidence that a new kind of human coronavirus is the main cause of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Coronaviruses are thought to be the second most common cause of cold symptoms after rhinoviruses. They also infect a wide range of domestic animals, including dogs and cats. One theory is that the human virus spread from animals. Normally in humans coronaviruses produce mild symptoms such as sore throats, coughs, sneezing [...]
Top 10 Worst Things for Your Immune System
Posted on 20. Jul, 2011 by aqiumlogin in at work, cold and flu, health & safety
These great tips by Prevention Magazine are a great way to keep your immune system strong and help keep the nasty bugs at bay. It turns out some pretty surprising daily habits—like how you fight with your husband or whether you stay up late for Letterman—can impact how well your body fends off colds, flu and other pesky bugs. Here’s a list of science-backed tips to add to your stay-healthy arsenal today. 1. You Avoid the Water Cooler Friendship may be Miracle-Gro for your immune system. Research shows that the fewer human connections we have at home, at work, and [...]
Monday most common sick day
Posted on 12. Jul, 2011 by aqiumlogin in at work, cold and flu
No surprises that this UK study has shown that Monday is the most popular day to call in sick. More than a third of all sick leave is taken on a Monday, research suggests. The study, by consultant firm Mercer, also found that the highest rate of absence by far occurs in January. The most common reason for absence was musculo-skeletal problems, followed by viral infections and stress-related illness. The findings are based on an analysis of sickness management records for 11,000 employees from a range of private sector organisations. They showed that, during 2008, sick leave in January ran [...]
Five ways to stay healthy in Winter
Posted on 05. Jul, 2011 by aqiumlogin in cold and flu, family, health & safety
Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you have to suffer the winter sniffles – these common sense tips are good reminders for you and your family. HERE are five easy ways to boost your immunity and avoid colds and flu this season. 1. Boost your diet Eating foods that are high in vitamin C will help keep your immune system strong, so include fruit and vegies such as lemons, kiwifruit, capsicum and broccoli in your weekly shop. If you’re struggling to get the recommended two serves of fruit and five serves of vegies each day, try juicing them. Nutritionist Zoe [...]
Who take more sickies – men or women?
Posted on 26. May, 2011 by aqiumlogin in cold and flu
The average woman pulls 189 sickies over her lifetime while men only call in sick an average of 140 times Men are more likely to skip work because of minor ‘illnesses’ such as hayfever, a sore throat or headache Men are often accused of exaggerating how serious their ‘man flu’ is. But a new study, that found that women pull more sickies, goes some way towards vindicating them. The average man fails to make it to the office for a total of 140 days during their career, while women phone in sick 189 times. However, it is not all good [...]
Whooping Cough Epidemic Hits Australia
Posted on 18. May, 2011 by aqiumlogin in cold and flu, family, health & safety, mother and baby
Whooping cough is sweeping the country and can be fatal so make sure you protect you and your family from this nasty infection. DOCTORS have warned parents to keep newborn babies at home to protect them from a whooping cough epidemic triggered by the “chardonnay set and alternatives”. There have been 4580 cases of whooping cough so far this year, new data from NSW Health reveals. Northern Sydney and South Eastern Sydney have led the way in this year’s resurgent epidemic, recording the highest incidence of whooping cough, with 669 and 522 cases respectively. The Illawarra region was next highest [...]
10 Ways to Stave Off Hospital Superbugs and Other Nasty Germs
Posted on 13. May, 2011 by aqiumlogin in cold and flu, health & safety
Every year some 1.7 million people in the U.S. who are admitted to hospitals hoping to get well instead end up getting sicker after picking up infections during their stays, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 100,000 of them die every year as a result of the hospital bugs—more deaths than all the U.S. casualties in the Vietnam War—and it costs an estimated $20 billion annually to treat these infections. Hospitals are pooling places for sick people and all the germs they carry; just walking into one a puts everyone at a greater risk [...]
