Animals and Insects

Household Pets

Pets are valued members of many households. However, animals can also pass germs and diseases to humans. The chance that healthy dogs and cats will make you sick is small, but reptiles, such as turtles, snakes, and lizards, can easily transmit bacteria to their owners.

You can reduce the risks by practicing good personal hygiene, keeping pet areas clean, and keeping pets’ vaccines current. The following tips will help you enjoy a happy and healthy relationship with your pets.

Pets and Cleanliness

• Wash your hands often, especially after touching animals or their treats, toys, leashes, bedding, etc.
• Avoid raw animal-based pet treats (beef, pork, chicken, fish, or seafood), which carry the risk of Salmonella bacteria.
• Make sure pets have their own feeding dishes and utensils that you clean separately from other household items.
• Immediately clean and disinfect any surface contaminated with animal saliva, mucus, feces, urine, or blood.
• Regularly clean and disinfect floors, feeding areas, and the sinks and tubs you use to wash pets.
• Never allow pets onto counters or tables where you prepare food.
• Don’t clean pet cages and tanks in your kitchen. Use a bucket and go outside if possible.
• Do not let your pet share your plate or lick your—or your baby’s—face.
• Keep all exotic pets—especially ferrets—away from your baby.
• Never allow turtles, snakes, lizards, and iguanas or their cages near your baby. Reptiles can transmit Salmonella bacteria.

Be Ready For Baby: Your Pet’s Health

• Check with your veterinarian to make sure your dog and cat are fully immunized and regularly treated for fleas, ticks, intestinal worms, and other parasites, including roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, tapeworm, and heartworm.
• Check pets regularly for signs of ill health and take them to a vet immediately if anything is wrong.
• Keep their claws trimmed to reduce the risk of scratches.
• Train your pets not to jump on people.

Introducing Your Pet to Your Baby

• Ask the veterinarian for tips before your baby arrives.
• In the first few weeks, you will probably have a lot of visitors and the focus will be on you and the baby, so this could be a stressful time for your cat or dog.
• Give your pet time to adjust and make the introduction to your baby a positive one for the pet.
• Never leave small children and animals alone together.

Safety Tip for Pets and Toddlers

• Don’t let toddlers use pets as a guide for walking.
• Teach your children how to handle pets, for their safety and for the animal’s safety.
• Supervise children less than 5 years of age when they are around animals.
• Watch for warning signs from the pet, such as guarding its food and toys, etc.
• Contact your health care provider if your child is bitten or scratched by any animal.

Household Pests: Insects and Rodents

In Canada, household pests range from very small insects and spiders to mice, rats, bats, squirrels, pigeons, and raccoons.

Pests enter our homes in order to get food, water, or shelter. They can be attracted by light, warmth, moisture, food, or smells. Prevention is the best approach. Even when pests do get into the house, you will rarely need to use pesticides. Simply removing their food supply and breeding sites is the most effective way to control them.

• Never leave sources of food or water (including garbage) exposed.
• Clean up spills immediately.
• Do not leave pets’ water and food out 24 hours a day.
• Keep food in tightly sealed plastic or glass containers.
• Regularly clean dark and/or humid places in your house.
• Clear away small branches, grass, and debris that may be around the outside of the house.
• Seal any entrance holes you discover on the inside or outside of your home.

Mice, rats, and other rodents can carry disease, some of which are spread by their urine and droppings. Breathing in the dust from droppings can cause illness so follow these safety tips.

Safe Clean-up Tips

• Never sweep or vacuum dry droppings.
• Wet the droppings and debris with a bleach and water solution before wiping up.
• Wear rubber gloves and a dust mask.
• Wash your hands completely after you finish cleaning up.
• Change your clothing after cleanup and launder those clothes in hot water.
• Wear gloves to dispose of dead rodents.

Make sure that children and pets cannot reach poisons and traps. Follow the directions when using pest control treatments.

Check yourself, other family members, and pets after spending time outdoors where ticks reside.

• Ticks should be removed immediately with tweezers by applying gentle, steady pressure until they release their bite.

Note:Shared you-and-your-baby.cpha.ca

17 Simple Ways to Prevent Air Pollution in Your Home

When you think of air pollution, you most likely don’t conjure up images of the inside of your home or office. But because we spend so much time indoors — especially in colder weather — keeping the air quality as clean as possible in your home, car and workplace is important for your health.

And, unfortunately, we bring most of those pollutants indoors ourselves.

Cigarette smoke

Experts say that one of the most common indoor air pollutants is cigarette smoke.

“The residual gas and particles from cigarette smoke that settle … [do] pose health hazards, particularly in rooms with a lot of fabric or carpeting,” says pulmonologist Sumita Khatri, MD.

She says the risks are disproportionately high in children, who are more likely to be playing on the ground, and in people with chronic heart and lung problems.

“We all have heard of second-hand smoke; this is called third-hand smoke.”

Household cleaners

Household cleaning supplies are another common cause of indoor pollution. Harsh chemicals that give off fumes can irritate your nose, mouth and lungs, as well as your skin.

“Those with sensitive lungs and upper airways, like people with asthma and chronic sinusitis, may notice their symptoms getting worse,” Dr. Khatri says.

The fumes can cause inflammation that can make it more difficult for people with chronic lung conditions to heal from infections. It can also worsen inflammation due to other triggers, such as allergies.

Dr. Khatri recommends using natural cleaning supplies and elbow grease to minimize risks.

Other indoor pollutants that exacerbate asthma or other chronic lung conditions include:

• Particulates from candles and incense
• Irritating perfumes
• Odors from harsh household cleaners
• Craft and office supplies, such as paints, glues and toner ink
• Fumes from dry cleaned garments (many solvents used are carcinogenic)
• Allergens, such as mold, pollen, pet dander and dust mites
• Wood-burning fireplaces or stoves
• Improper ventilation in homes (can increase levels of radon and carbon monoxide gas
• Gas stoves that are not not well ventilated with hoods to outside (can increase exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide and formaldehyde)
• Materials used in older buildings such as asbestos, formaldehyde and lead

Illnesses caused by indoor air pollution

Indoor air pollution can increase a person’s chances of having flares of chronic lung problems, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

There are also likely longer-term effects from ongoing exposure that are more difficult to measure, such as the likelihood of lung cancer from radon exposure, as well as secondhand and thirdhand smoke.

“In addition to worsening the symptoms of asthma and other chronic respiratory problems, indoor air pollution can also cause irritation of the nose, throat, eyes and lungs,” Dr. Khatri says.

Role of ventilation, air filters

Although opening windows helps ventilate your home, car or office, that’s not always possible due to allergies or extreme temperatures.

Consider using air filters and getting your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems) checked regularly.

Also, air purifiers and aromatherapy can often make air quality worse unless they are the the right kind, Dr. Khatri says. They need to be HEPA (high-efficiency particulate arresting) air filters.

How to cut down your risk

Fortunately, there are ways you can minimize air pollution in your home, car or at work, Dr. Khatri says.

Here are some simple steps you can take:

1. Avoid smoking indoors (quitting smoking is the best answer for overall health)
2. Use craft supplies in well-ventilated areas
3. Make sure your gas stove is well-ventilated
4. Minimize clutter
5. Remove carpeting if possible
6. Use a dehumidifier and/or air conditioner to reduce moisture
7. Keep trash covered to avoid attracting pests
8. Remove shoes at the door
9. Have car emissions tested regularly
10. Minimize air freshener use
11. Test your home for radon
12. Use carbon monoxide detectors
13. Fix water leaks
14. Dust surfaces and vacuum frequently
15. Wash bedding weekly in hot water
16. Make sure exhaust fans are functioning in your bathrooms and kitchen
17. Keep a lid on scented candles

Taking some simple precautions can help boost air quality in your home and improve your health.

Note:Shared from health.clevelandclinic.org

Protect Yourself and Your Family from Air Pollution

What is air pollution?

Highlights

1. Air pollution can harm our health and the health of the ecosystem. Taking steps to reduce air pollution benefits humans and the entire planet.
2. Though everyone is at risk from air pollution, people with lung or heart diseases are especially vulnerable.
3. Some ways to reduce the impact of air pollution are to avoid going outside during the hottest part of the day, use air filters indoors, and clean your house regularly.

Air pollution is substances in the air — either man-made or natural — that can harm human health and the environment. Fine particles from burning coal, fossil fuels, and wood can get deep into our lungs and spread to blood vessels throughout the body.

A 2013 report from the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that outdoor air pollution is a major risk to human health. They reported that air pollutants could aggravate asthma, increase coughing, and decrease lung function. It could also increase the risk of bronchitis, headaches, irregular heartbeat, nonfatal heart attacks, and premature death in people with heart or lung diseases.

Major contributors to air pollution in cities include exhaust from cars, buses, and airplanes. Ground-level ozone, which results from engine and fuel gases interacting with the sun's rays, is also a factor.

Acid rain forms when moisture in the air interacts with nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide released by motor vehicles and factories and power plants that burn coal or oil.

However, rural areas aren't immune to air pollution. Dust from tractors plowing fields, trucks and cars driving on dirt or gravel roads, rock quarries, and smoke from crop fires and wood burning can all pollute clean air.

Part 2 of 4: Risk factors

Who is affected by air pollution?

Though everyone is affected by air pollution, populations that are particularly at risk include:

• people with asthma
• people with heart disease
• people with respiratory diseases
• children
• active adults who exercise outdoors
• older adults
• people with diabetes
• pregnant women

Part 3 of 4: Measurement

How is the level of air pollution measured?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses the Air Quality Index (AQI) to provide the public with an easy way to understand the local air quality on any day. The AQI assigns the air quality a score from 0 to 300.

The higher the AQI value, the greater the health concerns. When AQI levels reach above 100, air quality is unhealthy. You can track the AQI for your area in your local newspaper, on television or radio weathercasts, and online.

When levels reach 101 to 150, at-risk groups should reduce time spent outdoors and prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion, as exercise increases air intake. When the AQI reaches unhealthy levels of 151 to 200, everyone should limit exposure.

When levels reach 201 to 300, it is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups — especially those with heart disease. People at risk should avoid alloutdoor activity.

Part 4 of 4: Strategies

What can I do to protect my family and myself?

Air pollution is highest during the heat of the day, so plan your outdoor activities for early morning or late evening. Avoid walking or biking on busy streets. If you're sitting in traffic, use the recycled air setting on your air conditioner to help cut down on fumes.

If you're in a location where you can't escape the pollution, try putting a handkerchief over your mouth and nose to help filter gas and smoke.

Antioxidant-rich foods like fruits and vegetables can also help shield your body from the damaging effects of free radicals created by air pollution.

Finally, don't forget that indoor spaces can be polluted, too. To limit pollution in the home, follow these recommendations:

• Consider purchasing an indoor air purifier.
• Avoid air fresheners and candles.
• Keep filters on air conditioners and heaters clean.
• Vacuum often.
• Wash sheets and stuffed toys to get rid of dust mites.
• Wash mold and mildew off hard surfaces.
• Open the windows to circulate the air on days when the air quality is good.

With a little extra effort, you and your family can breathe cleaner air and enjoy better health.

Note:Shared from healthline.com