Browsing Tag

safety

Travel

How To Avoid Getting Malaria When Travelling

Malaria is an illness that is still highly prevalent around the world. This disease, caused by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, can be life-threatening. The infection is usually more rampant in warm tropical and subtropical climates where the parasite thrives easily. So if you are travelling elsewhere, take some steps to take care of yourself. In this case, prevention is definitely better than cure!

The first step is to find out if this disease is prevalent in the area where you intend to travel. If so, a visit to your doctor is due. Obtain antimalarial medication and carry it with you.

Once there, you can take a number of preventative measures to ensure that you don’t contract malaria. The most sensible thing would be to try and not get bitten by mosquitoes. But this might not be as easy as you would think. You can, however, try these tricks to see if it works:

  • Mosquitoes are active from dusk to dawn, so try to stay indoors during this period as much as possible.
  • Try to get a room with air-conditioning, as that usually drives the mosquitoes out. They prefer warmth.
  • Spray your room with a mosquito repellent in the late afternoon before the mosquitoes enter. This will prevent the mosquitoes from coming in, and you won’t have to breathe the chemicals over the night. You can find out from the locals which is the most effective repellent.
  • Mosquito repellent ointments are also available. You can spread this liberally on the exposed portion of your skin when you go out or while you sleep.
  • If you go out during the evenings, try to keep your skin covered. Wear full sleeves and cover your legs. Light coloured clothing can also act as a repellent to the mosquitoes.
  • If you are camping out, then make sure that your camping gear is treated with insecticides. Your gear should definitely include mosquito nets for sleeping in.

But even with the best intentions and precautions, people do fall prey to the disease. When this happens, consult the nearest doctor at the earliest to confirm the diagnosis. The symptoms include nausea, tiredness, aches, shaking, fever, and general fatigue. The illness can become manifest around 10 days to 4 weeks after infection, though in some cases, people have been known to become ill after several months.

A blood test is the best way to get yourself diagnosed, so go to a hospital quickly. If you can’t reach a doctor right away, then take antimalarial medication until you can reach one. Once diagnosed, you can start your treatment. Since this infection is often prone to relapse as the parasite can live in your bloodstream for up to 4 years, it is important for you to complete the full course of the treatment and go back for check-ups.

Malaria can give you a tough time, but it is a disease that you can both prevent and cure, provided you are careful.

Travel

3 Tips to Improving Your Safety on the Roads

Each time you get behind the wheel of your car or truck, do you feel as if you are as safe as possible out there?

For millions of drivers, safety unfortunately takes a back seat to reckless driving. As a result, they put themselves and others at risk. In some cases, those risks end up resulting in serious injuries and even death.

While you can’t control the actions of others on the road, you can in fact determine how you drive when behind the wheel.

With that being the case, are you ready to improve your safety on the roads?

Being a Safer Driver Starting Today

So that you lessen the chances of being in an accident, remember these tips to improve your safety:

1. Preparedness

One of the main reasons drivers get into accidents in the first place is rushing. Whether they leave late or they do not take into account inclement weather, they can find trouble.

Always do your best to take your time when heading out. This is true even if you’re only running a mile or two from home to the store or an appointment. There is never a good reason to speed somewhere.

Part of that preparedness also transfers over to your vehicle.

Make sure you prepare your car or truck to be as road-ready as possible. This means regular maintenance visits to your mechanic. It also requires spending the money when brakes are in need of repair or a tire or two is lacking tread.

By making your times on the road as safe as possible, you can very well live to tell everyone about it.

2. Recklessness

As part of your preparations and those for your vehicle, don’t be one of the countless reckless drivers.

Among some of the more common reckless traits:

· Speeding – Even if you had someone in the vehicle about to deliver a baby, there is no reason to speed. Sure, everyone goes a few miles over the limits at times, but that’s where it should end.

· Distractions – From your phone to using makeup or an electric razor, avoid distractions. It only takes a second or two of removing your eyes from the road to cause quite an accident.

· Tickets – Are you wondering if you have a reckless driving ticket or two you may have forgotten? If so, you could be driving around looking over your shoulder whenever you see police. Use one of the online services out there that can show you if you should worry about getting pulled over.

3. Rage

Although it can become easy to get into a rage over someone cutting you off, tailgated, or even flipped off, don’t do it.

While some road rage incidents end up nothing more than a quick exchange, others get more serious.

In the event someone does something to get your ire, do your best to turn the other cheek and drive away.

By doing so, you keep yourself and others out of harm’s way whether on a local drive or a road trip.

With these tips in mind, are you ready for a safer drive each time out?

3 Tips for Being a Responsible Gun Owner

Do you know how to be a Responsible Gun Owner?

If you’re one of the millions of individuals to own a gun, you understand the responsibility that goes with it.

That said being a responsible gun owner is more than saying you know how to operate the weapon.

From having the right gun in the first place to storing it, there is much to do.

When it comes to gun ownership, doing all the right things makes for safer times for you and others around you.

With that in mind, are you the most responsible gun owner you can be?

Buying and Maintaining Your Weapon

When the time arrived for you to buy your first gun, did you put a lot of research into the process?

Taking the time to research the myriad of guns on the market is always a good idea.

If planning to add to your gun collection, shopping around for the right addition makes sense. Now that you have your first gun, you should be more knowledgeable about the process in general.

With that the case, remember these three tips as you look to be the most responsible gun owner possible:

1. Use of weapon

Why individuals buy guns can of course vary for many reasons.

Often, it is for home protection. Even with a home security system and other practices in place, some do not feel safe. With a gun in the home, there oftentimes is a feeling of added safety.

If you ever have to use your weapon in defense of your home and you or family, do it with commonsense.

The last thing you’d want as a gun owner would be to have an accident in your home in the middle of the night. Oftentimes during an intrusion, there is confusion on what is taking place. Only draw and fire your weapon if you know what you are shooting at.

2. Storing weapon

When it comes to storing that gun, it is critical to make it a point to have the weapon stored out of the reach of others. This is especially the case as it relates to any children in the house.

In acquiring your gun holster, you can oftentimes find the right holster online. Companies selling holster and related accessories usually have their websites full of info. This also includes images of the different holsters for sale.

With any children in the home, be sure the gun and holster is under lock and key. If that is not an option, store it somewhere out of their reach.

As many parents know all too well, kids have a curiosity about themselves. With that curiosity, they are apt to search around the home for items.

3. Passing on your weapon knowledge

When you have kids, you may decide down the road that you want them to learn how to fire a gun.

Whether that is for hunting purposes or even defense of your home, teach them the right way from day one.

Never force your child as they get to the appropriate age to use a gun. He or she is likely to come to you and state they want to learn.

For countless families, this oftentimes means sharing the love of hunting. As a parent passes down their love for the sport to a son or daughter, there is much to share. In the process, great memories can occur.

In being a responsible gun owner, you have a lot on your shoulders.

That said you also have a great opportunity to be a good teacher in the process.

Real Estate

Is Your Family Truly Safe at Home?

Is Your Family Truly Safe at Home?

Given how important your family is to you, it only makes sense to do all you can to keep them safe and sound at home.

With that in mind, have you taken time recently to assess how safe your house is? Are there areas of the home that could use some improving? If so, do you have the money to make such improvements?

For many, money is the number one issue in preventing them from carrying out changes they hope to make.

If you find yourself in such a situation, will you try and move ahead with making the home safer for your loved ones?

Protecting Those You Love

So that your home can be as safe as possible from crime, inclement weather, fires and more, keep these ideas in mind:

1. Build of your home

For starters, what went into building the piece of real estate you own and live in? Is it as sound as can be? If the answer is no, would you ever consider a rebuild?

Unfortunately, too many homes are fire traps and more. As such, the residents are putting their lives on the line day after day.

Whether building a new home or thinking of a major re-do, there are options out there for you to make your house safer.

One such consideration would be steel home kits.

These kits give your family more protection than a standard wood home. Remember, those wood homes can oftentimes go up in flames. That should be a big consideration for you if you live in an area of the country that is prone to wildfires etc.

Another advantage is steel holds up better against other elements, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

If you want a sturdy house for protection and comfort, the steel home kit may very well be right up your alley.

2. Use commonsense each day

Given how many criminals are out and about, you must always do your best to stay one step ahead of them.

For instance, do you travel often for business or pleasure? If so, you could be setting you and your family up for problems if you don’t go through a safety checklist.

Among the items on that checklist when away from home:

  • Making sure the mail and newspapers do not pile up
  • Leaving an extra vehicle in the driveway if possible
  • Trimming the hedges and cutting the grass before going away
  • Leaving a light on a timer on at night
  • Not broadcasting on social media that you’re away from home. This includes not posting travel pictures until you return home

By using some common sense, you and your family are less likely to become crime victims.

3. Know when weather is turning bad

Even if you opt for the earlier mentioned steel home kit, you may decide you want to bail when the weather gets bad. If so, you’re not making the wrong move. A relocation for only a few hours or day or two could prove a wise decision.

Too many people try and wait out the major storms that come through their regions of the country.

While they can end up surviving the initial storm surge, things can still go downhill from there. From fallen wires to downed trees, injuries and deaths occur after the storm.

If an option, you may consider getting your family to temporary housing during a severe storm. In doing so, you’re all likely to survive.

Keeping your loved ones safe at home can at times be quite a job.

That said, it is a job that comes with being the head of the household.

Travel

3 Safety Factors for Your Next Road Trip

Are you ready to head out on a road trip? If so, how safe of an experience do you expect it to be?

For millions of Americans hitting the roads, it is imperative their trips focus on safety. That said is safety always of prime importance to you?

Making for a safe road trip doesn’t have to be like pulling teeth.

By having commonsense, along with vehicle safety features, you can oftentimes avoid accidents.

So, are you prepared to get going on your next adventure on the roads?

Making Safety Your Number One Priority

When you make safety your number one priority, good things oftentimes happen.

That being the case, remember these all-important safety factors:

1. Your vehicle

What you drive ends up playing a major factor in keeping you and your loved ones safe on the roads. That said does your vehicle have all the safety features it needs?

One feature that may get overlooked yet plays a major role in keeping people safe is a backup camera system.

If you do not have one on your vehicle, the idea of installing a wireless backup camera system is a good decision.

The system helps remove what are blind spots. Those blind spots can end up being major factors in accidents. Even accidents at low speeds can prove quite destructive in more ways than one.

Once you have a wireless backup camera system, you are better prepared to see the following:

· Other vehicles nearby

· Individuals moving behind your car or truck

· Stationery objects like concrete walls or even poles in the ground

By making sure your vehicle is as sound as possible, you can reduce the chances for an accident.

2. Your driving

As it relates to your driving, be sure to follow the rules of the road whenever you start your vehicle. Even a momentary lapse in judgment can end up having devastating consequences.

For instance, if road rage gets the better of you, you could end up with more than an accident. In some cases, drivers and/or passengers have died when a situation got out of control.

In the event someone is causing you angst, it is best to get away from the situation as soon as possible.

If another driver continues to cause issues, do whatever you can to alert authorities. Although using your cell phone when driving is not a good idea, you may end up having to call 911.

With commonsense; chances of being in an accident or other negative situation decrease.

3. Your trip

As much as you want to avoid accidents and road rage they unfortunately can occur. That said do your best to focus on your road trip.

In concentrating on your road trip, be sure to plan your itinerary as completely as possible.

This means having your vehicle ready to roll and also making sure that you avoid:

· Drowsy driving – It only takes a second to lose control of your vehicle when you nod off.

· Drinking and driving – There is never an excuse for having one too many and getting behind the wheel.

· Reckless driving – From speeding to always changing lanes, don’t be the one everyone hates.

When the time comes for your next road trip, are you going to be as safe as you can be?