Category: Health

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People Share Facts That Might Save Your Life One Day

You never know when you’re going to be in a situation where your life might be in danger.

That’s why it’s important to LISTEN when people share these kinds of facts and tips about things that could potentially save your life one day.

So sit back and take all of this in, okay?

Pay attention to these tips from folks on AskReddit. They might come in handy one day.

1. This is important.

“Airplane depressurizes and the masks drop?

Put your damn mask on first, as instructed.

At 35,000 feet you have 30-60 seconds of useful consciousness.

Make it count.”

2. Get out as fast as possible.

“Do not delay getting out of a burning building.

The flames are not what will kill you. The smoke will get very thick and toxic very quickly and you will not be able to see the way to get out.”

3. Stay safe out there.

“If you are driving in inclement weather pay attention to truckers, they are often warned ahead of time of wrecks and things due to their radios.

Also never drive in the rain without headlights!!”

4. Keep an eye out.

“Maybe not your life, but someone else’s. Most drowning is silent. The victim quite literally cannot speak to call for help, as they are too desperately trying to get any air at all.

Drowning can look simply like a person bobbing in the water until they no longer come back up. Keep a watch out. Especially if it’s kids.”

5. Get to the hospital ASAP.

“If your vomit look like coffee grounds, you are bleeding internally and you need to go to the hospital.”

6. What’s that smell?

“If you smell a fish smell in your house (some people also report a smell like urine) for no reason, 9 times out of 10 it means there’s an electrical fire.

I actually was the hero in this situation!

Was visiting my sister a number of years back. Hanging out on her couch. Smelled a smell of urine (with a bit of dead fish mixed in) …I asked her what that was. She answered, “it’s been here for weeks. We think a rat or squirrel got trapped in the walls.”

That didn’t sound right to me. a dead animal would smell different.

And for whatever reason, I googled “smells like urine.”

Electrical fire was the first answer.

So, I sniffed all around the room… and found it was coming from the plug of an old lamp. Unplugged it, odor vanished.

Instant hero!”

7. Don’t pull it out.

“If you get impaled or stabbed leave the object in and call 911 (or your country’s equal).

That object is keeping all the blood on the inside of your body.”

8. Sounds terrible.

“If you are ever buried in rubble (earthquake, tornado, building collapse etc).

Don’t shout. You’ll lose your voice and waste energy.

Instead, grab a piece of rubble and knock in patterns of threes. Humans are expert pattern makers and pattern noticers.

Rescuers will hear the distinctive pattern sound and go toward it.

Once you can hear people, then use your voice.”

9. Sadly, you hear about this a lot.

“If someone is in trouble and you want to leap in to save them, make sure you have a way to get out yourself.

I recently saw a video of a drowning man. Another man jumped in to try and save him. Instead both drowned.”

10. This is extremely important.

“If you’re visiting an unfamiliar location like a cinema or concert hall, take a few moments to look around for the nearest exit, then pick out a second as a backup in case the first becomes blocked or cut off.

If something happens, especially in a crowded public place, most people’s first instincts are to turn around and head for the main entrance but this is not always the closest, safest or easiest way out. Nine times out of ten there will usually be a closer exit.”

11. Take shelter.

“If a tornado looks like it isn’t moving, it’s heading right towards you.”

12. Absolutely true.

“There are no rules if a stranger puts their hands on you.

Yell, scream bloody murder, kick, bite, make the biggest scene you possibly can and run away as fast as you can.

Make sure your kids understand that this is the exception, the time they MUST draw as much attention as possible and do ANYTHING it takes to get away and get help.”

13. Always get it checked out.

“Treat all head injuries seriously.

Even a bonk on the head can lead to brain swelling and bleeding. Also, signs and symptoms for a head injury may or may not express immediately.

Get them to a hospital ASAP.”

14. Riptide.

“If you get caught in a current, don’t swim towards the shore and instead swim parallel to the shore.

15. Hopefully, this never happens.

“If you are being shot at, follow Army infantry tactics.

Find any form of cover (car, tree, dirt), and run to it while finding the next cover location

Drop to the ground in your cover location, and don’t raise your head!

Roll left or right so they can’t track your last position, this is very important.

Run to the next cover location while finding your third one. You shouldn’t be running longer than three seconds before the next drop.

I hope you never have to use this.”

16. I didn’t know this…

“If you ever almost drown to the point of throwing up water or passing out, even if you feel 100% fine, get to a hospital.

Your lungs can unwittingly self-fill up with fluid over the next few hours.

Secondary drowning is no joke. More people definitely need to be aware of the dangers!”

17. You have to chew it.

“When having a heart attack, you don’t swallow aspirin, you chew it.”

There is definitely some wisdom in those words…

Okay, now it’s your turn.

In the comments, please share some facts that might just save someone’s life one day.

Please and thank you!

The post People Share Facts That Might Save Your Life One Day appeared first on UberFacts.

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This Is When You Should Replace Your Nasty Kitchen Sponge

You know that gray lump of a sponge you use with detergent to clean your dishes in your sink? It might be time to toss it and replace it with a new one.

Pulling out a brand spanking new sponge every week will keep you from spreading bacteria and viruses all over your kitchen, including illness-causing germs such as E. coli, Salmonella, and maybe even the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

Photo Credit: Flickr

But how dirty is your sponge? A study published in the July 2017 issue of Scientific Reports suggests that kitchen sponges can get more germ-y than toilets.

Report author Markus Egert, PhD, professor for microbiology and hygiene at Furtwangen University in Schwenningen, Germany, and a team of researchers, noted there were 362 different kinds of bacteria living inside kitchen sponges. They found approximately 5.5 trillion microscopic bugs per sponge.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC Your Best Digs

If you would rather try to clean your sponge instead of replacing it every week or two, Egert suggests using a washing machine at 60° C (140° F), and using a bleach-containing, heavy-duty detergent.

Another acceptable way to clean a kitchen sponge is to lather it up with soap and flush it with water. Then put it in the microwave oven for two minutes. You’ll want it be wet so that it doesn’t start a fire in the microwave.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Store your sponge in a holder to dry out between uses and don’t use the same sponge for cleaning dishes and surfaces, especially outside of the kitchen, like in your bathroom.

Finally, if you really don’t like the idea of bacteria growing in your kitchen, use silicone brushes and scrubbers. Those don’t have the same kinds of germ friendly surfaces of your sponge. Or use microfiber washcloths and wash them in your washing machine on high heat after using.

Using a sponge around the kitchen can be convenient. But, for a safe and clean kitchen, be aware of how long you keep the same one by your sink. You may be spreading some pretty gross stuff around.

The post This Is When You Should Replace Your Nasty Kitchen Sponge appeared first on UberFacts.

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In 1918, People Protested Wearing Masks and the “Anti-Mask League” Was Born

If you’re a person who knows your history, this article probably isn’t going to surprise you. There really is nothing new under the sun, and the majority of human beings don’t evolve all that quickly (or at all). We’re very similar to those who founded democracy in Greece, to those who conquered the world for Rome, to those who kidnapped and sold men into slavery – and to our forebearers who did great things, and made good decisions, too.

We’re in the middle of a burning, deadly pandemic right now, but we’re not the first human beings to find ourselves in this situation – we’re not even the first Americans, of course, because in 1918-1919, the Spanish flu (a strain of H1N1) decimated the country.

Many of the same social distancing techniques we’re undertaking now were recommended at the time – and, like today, people quickly grew tired of being told what to do.

In early 1919, people in San Francisco were cautiously optimistic that they were coming out the other end when they learned that a second wave of the influenza was choking the city. Authorities were once again requiring the use of masks in public in order to stop the growing spread of the disease.

While most people in San Fran got back to work organizing mask-sewing events and wearing the required PPE in public, there were some who stubbornly refused – even though police were handing out fines and even putting people like John Raggi in jail.

Read the article in the San Francisco Chronicle,

“John Raggi, arrested on Columbus Avenue, said he did not wear a mask because he did not believe in masks or ordinances, or even jail.

He now has no occasion to disbelieve in jails.

He is in the city prison.”

Oof. Stone cold journalism right there.

Out of people’s frustration at the return to required face coverings, the Anti-Mask League was born. Emma Harrington, a lawyer (and San Fransisco’s first female voter in 1911), chaired the league, which saw two thousand people attend the first meeting.

They struggled to come up with common, actionable goals – some wanted to organize a petition, some wanted government health officials to be fired – and the fact that the mask-wearing seemed to be helping really did nothing to further their cause.

The day before the renewed decree to wear masks, there were 510 new cases and 50 deaths, but after just 11 days of proper PPE, the numbers had fallen to 12 new cases and just 4 deaths.

The league never got off the ground, with their last meeting dissolving into such chaos that someone had to shut off the lights to put a stop to the nonsense.

It didn’t matter much in the long run, since on February 1 – not even a month after the second round of mask decrees – the requirements were lifted once and for all.

The message? Just hang in there, y’all. Don’t lose your heads.

If history has consistently taught us anything, it’s that this, too, shall pass.

The post In 1918, People Protested Wearing Masks and the “Anti-Mask League” Was Born appeared first on UberFacts.

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These 10 Compelling Facts Will Make You Think

It can be very difficult to impress people these days.

And when I say that, I mean that it can be hard to impress them with anything.

But we think our fact sets knock the ball out of the park on a regular basis. Because we work hard to curate our facts day in and day out.

So, without further ado, dive into these facts, let them sink in, and enjoy!

1. The effects of corporal punishment?

I have a feeling many parents don’t do this anymore…

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

2. I really wish this wasn’t true.

There’s no such thing as “alternative facts”, people.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

3. Try to keep it separate.

If you can, that is…

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

4. All hail the Ravenmaster!

A tradition that goes way, way back.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

5. Take that, Boomers!

Hey, leave those young people alone!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

6. Flatter than a pancake.

The verdict is in.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

7. That makes sense to me.

God bless Texas!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

8. A terrifying real-life killer.

The inspiration for a lot of movies…

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

9. Next on the list.

Scary to think about.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

10. A total accident.

But we’re all glad it happened!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

There are some damn good facts in there, if I do say so myself.

Now we’d like to hear from all the readers out there.

In the comments, please share something interesting with us that you think we’d all enjoy: an interesting fact, a story, a unique photo, etc.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The post These 10 Compelling Facts Will Make You Think appeared first on UberFacts.

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“Safety First” to This Mom Means Strapping Her 7-Year-Old Into a Car Seat

Things have changed in the world of parenting since I was a kid.

There are all kinds of scientific research and evidence that support a different way of doing things – not spanking your kids, raising children with emotional intelligence, talking about things like sex and racial tensions at a young age, and yes, keeping children in car seats long past when they could reasonably be considered “babies.”

My own kids’ car seats allow them to face the rear of the car until they weigh 50lbs, and they can stay in the same 5-point harness seat, facing forward, until they weigh 65lbs.

Which is to say, they could outgrow elementary school before they outgrow the car seats they rode home in from the hospital. Crazy, right?

I’m pretty sure that I quit riding in a car seat when I was like, one.

Even though things are different now, and most parents want to do what will keep their kids the safest for the longest amount of time, kids themselves can still feel the peer pressure to graduate to a “big boy” seat before the weight limits expire.

Louise Thomsen took on the topic with a picture of her 7-year-old son in a car seat, shared on Facebook, with the following caption:

“Here is a photo of my 7 year old on a long road trip we took over the school holidays. He has been teased for being in a ‘baby seat’ from his friends at school this past term. 

No parent wants their child to experience ridicule, BUT the statistics speak for themselves regarding children & approved car seats…especially when they fall asleep in their seats. 

Take all the factors into consideration when making these choices. Don’t just follow the trend, follow the safest option to protect your family.”

Here is a photo of my 7 year old on a long road trip we took over the school holidays. He has been teased for being in a…

Posted by Paging Fun Mums on Friday, 17 January 2020

Those statistics she’s talking about do make quite the statement – the CDC estimates that children riding in a properly installed car seat are between 71%-82% less likely to be injured in a car accident than children riding just in a seat belt.

I mean. Wow.

The American Academy of Pediatrics updated their recommendations similarly in 2018, recommending that children stay rear-facing to at least 40 lbs, and in a 5-point harness until they weigh 65lbs (longer, if the seat’s guidelines allow for it).

Basically, we should all be keeping our kids in a 5-point harness – rear-facing as long as possible, then front-facing as long as possible – until we literally can’t anymore.

The people who replied on Thomsen’s post seem to agree, and maybe if every parent followed the guidelines and recommendations, kids wouldn’t be getting picked on for having responsible parents who care about their safety in an accident.

Just sayin’…

The post “Safety First” to This Mom Means Strapping Her 7-Year-Old Into a Car Seat appeared first on UberFacts.

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Your Parents Gave You the Sex Talk. Now It’s Time for You to Give Them the Death Talk.

A talk about the birds and the bees is a moment that no parent looks forward to when they bring a precious innocent baby home from the hospital. If the kid knew what was coming, they wouldn’t be looking forward to it, either.

Talking about sex, puberty, masturbation, pregnancy, STDs, and all the rest with your kid (or your mom and dad) is super uncomfortable, but we do it, because we don’t want anyone to be unprepared when and if the moment arises.

We want to be on the same page, to know that our kids understand the basics and learn the truth – not whatever their friends or the internet are saying – so they’re not blindsided by a pregnancy or disease.

Your parents (should have) ignored all of the discomfort and gone ahead with a talk they knew no one was going to like because they knew it was the best thing for everyone in the long run.

Now, experts say you’ve got to return the favor and push a talk about another uncomfortable topic – the death talk.

No one likes to think about losing their parents, and parents don’t want to think too much about leaving this world for whatever comes next. That said, there are many arguments for not pushing it off another day – namely that not one of us knows when our last day is going to be.

And if you’re avoiding the talk because you think your parents have already figured everything out, the truth is, many people haven’t. The best time to do it, according to Paul Malley, President of Aging with Dignity, is when everyone is still healthy.

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“There are families that are being put on the spot with a phone call from an emergency room or an ICU and their loved one can’t communicate anymore. And then they’re left to guess.”

This advice also applies to illness that can crop up as parents age, like dementia and Alzheimers, that make it hard for them to tell you how exactly they want the end of their life to work.

Hashing things out ahead of time can not only ensure your parent or loved one is treated the way they want to be, but it can also ease tensions between family members who might not agree with each other on how to proceed.

“There is never the question ‘Is this what they would want?’” says Sarah Roffee, co-founder of Kind Minds Therapy. “Because it’s already out in the open and they have confirmed with you directly that these are your wishes.”

If you’re convinced that you need to have this talk with your parents, but aren’t sure where to start, many experts recommend the Five Wishes program. It was created in 1996 and helps families create a living will, power of attorney, and resolve issues related to comfort and religion.

It’s basically a five-step checklist you can use to begin the conversation and resolve the big questions.

Wish 1:
The Person I Want to Make Care Decisions for Me When I Can’t

Wish 2:
The Kind of Medical Treatment I want or Don’t Want

Wish 3:
How Comfortable I Want to Be

Wish 4:
How I Want People to Treat Me

Wish 5:
What I Want My Loved Ones to Know

Malley says that “the whole idea with five wishes is that it keeps the discussions and the documentation simple and it’s intended for families to be able to use on their own. So you don’t have to consult with an outside expert. You are the expert on what’s important to you and to your family.”

He has some advice on broaching the subject, too, and advises starting with how much you love and care about your parent, and that you want to make sure they’re taken care of as they want to be in the future.

“Start with a simple statement of, ‘I want to be a good son or daughter to you, mom or dad, and I want to make the right decisions for you. So help me to understand what’s important to you.”

The Five Wishes program attempts to take things out of legal language and translate it into language any family can understand. Malley and the others who created it hope that their list of wishes can make this uncomfortable but necessary talk easier on everyone, without losing the focus on what’s important.

“There’s a message of empowerment to the person who’s filling it out. And also a message of instruction to the family. Because most of us don’t have experience being at the bedside of somebody who’s sick. We all want to do the right things, but most of us don’t know what the right things are. And when a family completes Five Wishes together, they have practical things that they can do for one another to show them that they are loved.”

Also, you know. You’ve probably got kids of your own, now, so this will be good practice for being on the opposite side of the sex talk.

Just know that your parents love you, you love them, and open lines of communication have always been the best way to get through all of the tough stuff.

The post Your Parents Gave You the Sex Talk. Now It’s Time for You to Give Them the Death Talk. appeared first on UberFacts.

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People Discuss What It Would Take to Make Them 100% Happy in Life

This is a difficult question for any person to answer: what would it take to make you 100% happy.

I think some folks out there don’t even believe that a person can be 100% happy…but I guess it all depends on the individual…

Some people want big, grand things in their lives and others want simplicity

Here’s what folks on AskReddit had to say about the matter.

1. Very lonely.

“A friend or, God forbid, a girlfriend.

I’ve been out of college several years now and I’ve been friendless ever since. Hard to be excited about something and have nobody to tell.”

2. All they’ve ever wanted.

“I think finding someone who genuinely loves me for who I am and wants a present and future with me.

That’s all I’ve ever really wanted.”

3. Needing a break.

“Man if I had childcare in this moment I would totally lay down for like 2 hours for a nap!

But I. I am the childcare.”

4. Money issues.

“Being debt-free.

Student loans make up at least 80% of my stress…”

5. A big loss.

“Having my dog. His final vet visit was a couple hours ago.

I’m out of country working so I had to say my goodbyes when I left after Christmas. It’s very difficult by myself.

He was a great pet. He picked our family at 8 weeks. He was well loved and looked after.

His ashes will be joining me when it’s my turn.”

6. Like it used to be.

“My wife to be well again. If she felt better and we could hang out like we used to, I honestly feel like my life would be perfect.”

7. This sounds nice.

“A cabin in the woods, near a river. Solid and beautiful. Lots of windows, and an incredible view. It’ll smell like cedar and pipe tobacco. A simple wood shop, and maybe a small painting studio. A large wood-burning fireplace. A cozy kitchen; nothing fancy.

Really good coffee in mismatched mugs. Plenty of bourbon and wine. Loooots of books, and enough time to actually read them. Walks in the woods with my wife and dog. Fishing, canoeing, and shore lunches. Watching wildlife. Drawing and painting. A nice little town nearby (but just far enough away) with a good bookstore, an old diner, and a lively tavern (need a spot to watch those Packers games).

A well-seasoned and reliable old truck to get us there and back. Long days with my wife, listening to music (on vinyl), laughing, cooking, making love. Never feeling bored, never feeling rushed. Time enough to be able to just be us, and do all those things we never seem to get around to doing.”

8. Three things.

“A cure for writers block, a long attention span, and 3 extra inches in height.”

9. Best wishes to you!

“My daughter being old enough so I can take her home, she was born at 32 weeks, she might be coming home in a week :)!”

10. Need to recapture that.

“To just have energy and enthusiasm again.

It feels like I’ve had very little energy for anything for almost 10 years now. I feel like a passive observer in my life most of the time. Im doing what I’m supposed to, but any enjoyment has long since died.”

11. These are good goals.

“To finish college ( pretty soon), get my optometry degree and become an optometrist in the rural and underserved areas in US.

Also, a significant other who will be there beside me.”

12. Wouldn’t this be nice for everyone?

“Affordable healthcare forreal. I have to wait until I can save up enough to see the ENT again.. last run it went : see specialist, go to imaging center, back to specialist for results (that can be relayed via phone.

Cost $165 just to have him hand me a piece of paper), then to the surgical center. Just to find out what he thought was causing my eustachian tube issues, isn’t the problem. Back to square fucking one with $0.. America, please get your shit together.

I work 50 hours a week, I bust my ass, I haven’t been without a job since I was 15.. I’m in my thirties. At this rate I won’t see 60 because it’ll cost too much to fucking live that long”

13. In a lot of pain.

“No more pain.

I want to be able to check my own mail, take a walk out back, do groceries without using the go cart. Walk without using a cane. Be out of bed for most of the day.

Hell, I’d be 100% happy with 70% less pain.”

14. Here’s the list.

“8-9 hours of sleep every night, at least 4 very good friends and a knowledge of who everyone around me is, being really smart and having a secure job as a marine biologist studying the deep ocean. Also a happy family with kids who I take to get cookies on Fridays.”

15. For my son.

“My son’s doctor to call me and say he is completely cured and will grow up normal and healthy, he can stop any medicine he currently takes (about 16 pills a day for a 2 year old is a lot) and we never have to go back to the doctor.”

16. Go for it!

“Being able to ask out a woman i am attracted to instead of always chickening out.”

17. Another chance.

“Being pregnant again, with the 100% assurance that this time the baby will live.”

18. The good stuff.

“Get hired for a really awesome part time job.

Find a gym buddy I connect with and start exercising again.

Make strides every week in therapy and in managing my addictions.

Meet a great girl who I have tons of chemistry with.

My mom getting really good news about her medical condition and her recovering as close to 100% as possible.

Meeting new friends with healthy habits.”

19. Something to think about.

“Happiness is an inside Job.

I spent many years chasing “the dream.” Dream job, SO, toys, etc. It’s all just stuff. Only when I almost lost everything did I finally wake up and realize what is truly important in this life. Right now.

What are you doing right now to make your life better? No one else is/can make you happy, truly happy. Tomorrow is a wish and yesterday is gone. If you try and live in those two places you are pissing all-over today.”

20. I think a lot of people feel this way.

“Start earning enough money to not be stressed, and to be free of any mental health issues.”

Everyone is different, and that’s one of the things that makes living in the crazy world very interesting!

What about you?

What would make you a completely happy person?

Please share your thoughts with us in the comments.

We’d love to hear from you!

The post People Discuss What It Would Take to Make Them 100% Happy in Life appeared first on UberFacts.