Getting Rid Of Cockroaches

Parents worry a lot when their kids are outside the house. Yet, even inside your home where children spend most of their time, they are still far from being safe. Besides having an offensive smell, cockroaches pose risks to family members because they can cause respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.

Antigens from cockroaches can also pose risks to family members suffering from asthma. Based on a research, cockroaches' droppings and other debris such as old shells, body parts, and saliva, contain antigens or proteins that may trigger an asthma attack. When mixed with pet furs, cigarette smoke, dust mites, and some chemicals, high concentration of these allergens may be present in your homes.

It isn't easy to eliminate these pests. Cockroaches thrive where there is food and moisture. That is why they abound in the kitchen and bathroom. While it is difficult to get rid of these household pests, it isn't impossible to control them.

Repair leaking plumbing fixtures to minimize moisture and avoid accumulation of food trash in the kitchen. Proper disposal of garbage and applying integrated pest management techniques may help minimize, if not totally, rid your home of cockroaches.

For inquiries, health concerns and in need of health services within reach visit Online Consultation @ Easy Health MD

Written By Monch Bravante

Campus Health Hazards

You don't have to be an athlete to have an athlete's foot. It may sound weird, but it's a skin condition that is far from a laughing matter. It goes by its medical term of Tinea Pedis, a fungal infection found at the soles of feet and in between toes.

Athlete's foot is characterized by itching, redness, blistering, peeling, or cracking of the skin. It is contagious and easily spreads in damp places like bathroom floor tiles, locker rooms, and pool areas. Since this type of infection is prevalent in communal areas, athlete's foot is considered a health hazard in college dorms.

To protect your feet from getting infected, make sure you always wear slippers or your favorite flip flops whenever you frequent the showers and hallways. Keep your feet dry before wearing socks. Avoid socks that can make your feet sweat. The best socks are those made of cotton or wool. Do not wear shoes that have poor ventilation which traps moisture in your feet.

Usually, athlete's foot is easy to treat. You can apply over-the-counter antifungal creams to the affected areas. To avoid athlete's foot to recur, regular use of antifungal powder can do the trick.

For inquiries, health concerns and in need of health services within reach visit Online Consultation @ Easy Health MD

Written By Monch Bravante

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

The winter season usually brings colds and flu. Recently, however, the cold weather has brought not just the usual maladies, but has caused the build up of carbon monoxide levels in a condo unit in the southeast. As the thick crust of ice covered the air vents of the building, carbon monoxide levels increased, causing the alarms to go off. Paramedics asked the tenants to stay in their vehicles or in the lobby of another building while fire-fighters ventilated the affected units. After 90 minutes, tenants were allowed to go back and no one needed medical help.


Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that is formed when materials containing carbon is burned. At home, common sources of carbon monoxide are non-electric heaters such as:

-- gas water heaters

-- kerosene heaters

-- stoves

-- charcoal grills

-- cigarette smoke

-- indoor tractor pulls

-- spray paints

-- solvents

-- degreasers

-- paint removers

Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause flu-like symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and dizziness. But when the level of concentration is high, it can lead to brain damage and death.

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Written By Monch Bravante

Disregarding Worker Safety And Health Concerns

The death of a maintenance worker and injury to two others resulted in a closure of Mueller Industries in Memphis, Tennessee. This company owns and operates 20 facilities located in eight states and two foreign countries. The cause was a leakage of naphtha, a flammable liquid chemical, from an electric pump that exploded.

Thanks to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) for enforcing sanctions on Mueller Industries on exposing their workers to safety and health hazards which resulted to the death of a worker.

Below are the citations issued to the erring corporation:

-- A willful citation with $40,000 penalty for alleged failure to repair a corroded live electrical disconnect, which exposed workers to electrical shock.

-- Ten repeat citations with $150,000 penalty for alleged failure to guard machinery; failure to label hazardous chemicals, and unsafe electrical equipment and practices; and

-- Sixty-nine serious citations, with $223,500 penalty for alleged unsafe cranes; fall hazards; unsafe ladders; blocked and inadequate exits; unsafe flammable liquid and compressed gas use and storage; locking out hazardous energy sources during maintenance and service; a lack of machine guards; unsafe electrical equipment and practices; and failure to establish a respiratory protection program.

For inquiries, health concerns and in need of health services within reach visit Online Consultation @ Easy Health MD

Written By Monch Bravante

Get Rid Of Chemical-Based Insecticides

Environmental issues like global warming is very much in the news today. Many factors contribute to its cause, one of which is the use of chemical-based insecticides to control pests that plague farms and crop plantations.

While the main purpose of insecticide use is to eradicate pests that are feeding on the crops and affecting its production, its chemical contents have some adverse effects on the plants that are being treated, the ground or soil where these plants grow, the animals in its surroundings, and on humans within the vicinity of the farm as well as those who get to buy the produce the comes from the farm.

These insecticides are found to have elements that are carcinogenic and neuro-toxic. The effects of these harmful elements usually lead to various health conditions. That is why insecticides and fertilizers made from biological and natural ingredients are developed to serve as a solution in reducing, if not totally eradicating, contaminants in the farm minus the detrimental effects of harmful chemicals that come from commercial insecticides. This is called organic farming and produce from this method is called organic products.

For inquiries, health concerns and in need of health services within reach visit Online Consultation @ Easy Health MD

Written By Monch Bravante

Shiftwork As Probable Carcinogen

Did you know that in 2007, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer has listed “shiftwork that involves circadian disruption” as probable carcinogen?

In this age of information technology, the rapid growth in the call center industry has resulted to the increase in the numbers of nightshift workers, particularly in Asia. But nightshift workers are everywhere especially in the hospitals, police departments, wherever there is a need for 24/7 operations.

According to research, multiple studies have been conducted linking the increase of breast cancer with nightshift work. When the body's circadian rhythm is disrupted, melatonin production is suppressed. Melatonin is partly responsible in the sleep-wake cycle regulation. Reduced melatonin weakens the immune defence system of cells in fighting cancer development. Melatonin is also found to produce powerful antioxidant activity which helps our body resist cancer.

The link between carcinogen and circadian disruption was based on sufficient evidence from animal experiments, but limited evidence in humans.

For inquiries, health concerns and in need of health services within reach visit Online Consultation @ Easy Health MD

Written By Monch Bravante

Those Furry Greenish Dots Called Molds

When you see furry greenish dots on the surface of any food, particularly bread, don't ever try to scrape off the affected area to save the rest of the bread. Chances are, molds have rooted deeply beneath the surface.

Molds are a type of fungi that are microscopic and threadlike. Like other fungi, molds produce spores that easily spread when airborne. They are found in both indoors and outdoors, usually in damp, humid, and wet environment. They may also be transported by insects and can contaminate the water system.

Molds are not like bacteria that only have one cell. Molds are multi-celled organisms that resemble thin mushrooms having roots, stalk, and spores on top of the stalk. Usually, there are unseen bacteria living around these molds, that is why it isn't safe to eat any part of the food contaminated by molds. There may be toxins and other poisonous substances even in the unaffected areas of the food.

Molds can withstand the temperature in your refrigerator. To control the growth of molds, make sure you enforce the following practices:

--- Dissolve 1 tablespoon of baking soda in a quart of water to clean the inside of your refrigerator.

--- For stubborn molds, use 3 tablespoons of bleach in a quart of water and scrub along the rubber casing.

--- Dispose used dish clothes, mops, and sponges that smell musty.

--- Make sure humidity in your house is below 40%.


For inquiries, health concerns and in need of health services within reach visit Online Consultation @ Easy Health MD

Written By Monch Bravante

Hazardous “E-Waste”

Technology changes rapidly. In the case of electronics, it has resulted in a surplus of electronic waste worldwide. All secondary electronic devices like computers, mobile phones, cassette recorder and players, television sets, refrigerators, and other electronic machines are considered “electronic waste” or “e-waste.” Secondary means the items were either sold, donated, discarded by the original owner.

Re-using secondary products that are still in working condition is one way of extending its lifespan. Most developed countries export their old electronic products to developing countries in Asia. The problem lies when these devices are no longer in used, they are dumped in areas where there are no facilities for e-waste disposal.

Recycling is another way to save the spare parts of old products that are still reusable. However, the hazardous chemicals may harm the workers in the recycling site as well as the surroundings.

Whether in developed or developing countries, recycling and disposing of e-waste pose hazard not only to human health, but to the environment as well due to the chemical contents of electronic devices such as beryllium, brominated flame retardants, cadmium and lead, among others. Proper e-waste processing needs to be given emphasis by authorities worldwide.

For inquiries, health concerns and in need of health services within reach visit Online Consultation @ Easy Health MD

Written By Monch Bravante

Pet Peeves

Pets can be really adorable, like my brother's cute little chow chow and my sister's regal-looking Siamese cats. But everytime I get near them, I always sneeze up a storm and start scratching all over. I don't have asthma, but I just can't help reacting this way. If you happen to have had the same experience, then you must be allergic to pets just like me. It's our immune system's reaction to certain things due to allergens or the substances that cause allergies.

While the job of our immune system is to protect us from harmful bacteria and viruses that enter our body, those who have super sensitive immune system tend to overreact even with harmless allergens found in pet dander or the dead skin shed by animals. Pet fluids like saliva and urine contain harmless protein or allergens which can get into your clothes, surfaces like floors and walls, or into the air during pet grooming. Airborne allergens can float in the air for a long period of time.

People with asthma are susceptible to pet allergens, especially to cats which can lead to chronic asthma. Hence, asthmatic people like me have no choice but to stay away from pets.

For inquiries, health concerns and in need of health services within reach visit Online Consultation @ Easy Health MD

Written By Monch Bravante

Too Hot To Handle

Burns are common hazard at home. Either you get scalded by hot water or burned by fire while cooking. Sometimes, even minor burns can be serious depending on the affected areas. The three types of burns are as follows:

First-degree burns – are mild burns affecting only the epidermis, which is the top layer of the skin. It is characterized by redness of the skin, painful and may have a little swelling. Though considered minor, it may need serious medical attention if it affects a large area of the face, groin, neck, hands, and feet.

Second-degree burns – are more painful because they involve the layer of skin next to the epidermis, which is the dermis. It can lead to blisters and may break open. The wound is brighter red and looks like it's wet. It may take about three weeks to heal depending on its severity, especially if the burns affected the critical areas. However, if it covers three inches or less, it may be considered minor.

Third-degree burns – are so severe because the affected areas have reached deep down the underlying tissues, muscles, and fat. The wound appears either white or black.

For inquiries, health concerns and in need of health services within reach visit Online Consultation @ Easy Health MD