|
|
Rockport Public Schools Health Services |
|
General Health Topics Q & AThis page contains answers to common questions of older students and their parents.
Can listening to my MP3/iPOD put me at risk for hearing loss? Can listening to my MP3/iPOD put me at risk for hearing loss? Loud Music can cause hearing damage. This is particularly important with the new MP3 or IPODs. These devices can really harm the delicate hair cells in the inner ear. These cells transmit sound impulses to the brain. CD players can do this also, but the MP3/IPOD players pump the music directly into the ear canal. Many middle and high school students don't think of hearing loss when they listen to loud music. Some kids feel that some type of medicine will help their ears if they are damaged. Unfortunately, this isn't true. The resulting damage is nerve damage. This type of damage can't be reversed. An article in the Pediatrics magazine estimated that 12.5% of children ages 6- 19 (5.2 million kids) in the US have noise-induced hearing loss. Sometimes, voices sound muffled or people have difficulty following a conversation in a loud room full of people. People can also have ringing in their ears. The most important way to prevent this is by lowering the volume of the music. IPOD have marketed an ear pad accessory that clips on the ear, instead of the small speakers that fit directly into the ear canal. Remember, you can't toughen your ears by listening to loud music. If the music is loud enough and is on long enough, it will cause permanent damage to your hearing. Noise and aging are the two primary causes of hearing loss. Here are a few things you can do to prevent damage from noise: Earbuds can boost the sound in your eardrums to a damaging level. Listen via earbuds for no more than an hour a day, and keep the iPod/MP3 volume control at 6 or below. If you want to listen to your iPod/MP3 player for longer periods of time, use earmuff-style headphones and turn the volume down even more. ( don't bother with expensive headphones, the inexpensive sets work just as well). Parents should monitor their child's headphone/earbud volume. Put the headset on and adjust it, if necessary. Always wear earplugs at concerts and clubs. Earplugs don't have to be the expensive, pre-molded kind; the cheap ones sold at drugstores are fine. Be sure your concert seats aren't right next to the speakers. Amplified rock music can damage ears after one-half hour/day. Rapper Foxy Brown is 26 years old, and has been deaf for 6 months. She will undergo surgery this month (January 2006) to restore SOME of her hearing. Phil Collins and Pete Townshend also have marked hearing loss. In Europe, there is a limit to how much sound comes from the personal music players (decibels). Currently, the US doesn't have limits on the level of noise. Please consider the above recommendations to protect your hearing.
Why do I need a Carbon Monoxide detector?
How do I take a tick off my skin? A tick bit may transmit diseases. The goals to remove a tick are: -remove safely, -remove quickly, and -to watch for symptoms of disease. Signals of a tick bite: -tick embedded in the flesh -sore, reddened area after the tick is removed Watch for: -fever and chills -flu-like symptoms, joint pain, and muscle pain -Bull's eye spot or black and blue rash around the bite or on other body parts To remove: -Grasp the tick with fine-tipped tweezers close to the skin and pull slowly. Use plastic wrap, paper, or a leaf if you don't have tweezers -Do not try to burn the tick off -Do not apply petroleum jelly or nail polish to the tick -If you can not remove the tick or if its mouth parts remain embedded, seek medical care, -ALWAYS call your doctor when you remove a tick from yourself or your child. This is VERY IMPORTANT! -Try to save the tick if you can. Your doctor may want to test it. -Wash the bite area very well with soap and water, and apply antiseptic ointment. IF you don't feel well after you remove the tick, be sure to call your doctor's office back to let them know. Do you have any tips to keep me safe on my bike? -Be sure to keep your tires inflated properly -Always ride on the right side of the road-with traffic -Be sure to ride in a straight line, and don't swerve. -Check your helmet before you ride each time. Be sure it doesn't tip backwards -Wear brightly colored clothing if you are biking during the day. -If you are biking after sunset, be sure to wear reflective tape on your clothing, and have a front light and rear reflector. -Be sure to make eye contact with motorists if possible. This will let motorists know you are there. How can I stay safe in the sun?
Which Helmet for Which Activity Guide Which Helmet for Which Activity Guide NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 29, 2006 Release #06-122 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: Julie Vallese or Patty Davis, (301) 504-7908 Gear Up, Strap It On - Helmets Can Save Lives and Reduce Injuries CPSC Releases New "Which Helmet for Which Activity" Guide WASHINGTON, D.C. - Spring is here and millions of Americans are heading outdoors to take part in their favorite sports activities. But gearing up for fun also means wearing the right gear. For CPSC, that means wearing a helmet each time you jump on a bike or skateboard, or put on your in-line skates. At a press event at CPSC's headquarters, Chairman Hal Stratton released CPSC's new guide, "Which Helmet for Which Activity." This safety brochure is being released in conjunction with "Brain Injury Awareness Month." CPSC believes the guide will help consumers determine the best type of helmet for their activity and help to prevent head and brain injuries. "Thousands of consumers could reduce the risk of serious head injury or death by wearing a helmet. It's important to wear the appropriate helmet for your sport," said Chairman Stratton. Ice skating Olympic gold medalist and sports commentator Dick Button, a national spokesman for the Brain Injury Association of America, spoke about his brain injury due to a fall on the ice and strongly encouraged greater helmet use. Not all helmets, however, are created equal. Different activities require different helmets, and there are helmets for every season's sports. Each type of helmet is designed to protect your head from the impact that can take place in the particular sport for which it is intended. In a collision or fall, a helmet absorbs most of the impact energy, instead of your head. Wearing a bicycle helmet while biking, for example, can reduce your risk of head injury by 85 percent, and reduce the risk of brain injury by 88 percent, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. According to CPSC's 2004 estimates, bicyclists received about 151,000 head injuries that were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms. Nearly 11,000 or 7 percent of those emergency room visits resulted in hospitalization. Skateboarders visited hospital emergency rooms with about 18,000 head injuries, and approximately 760 or 4 percent were hospitalized. CPSC estimates horseback riders received about 14,000 emergency room-treated head injuries. Approximately 2,400 or 17 percent of those head injuries required hospitalization. Many of these injuries could have been prevented through proper helmet usage. Bicycle helmets manufactured after 1999 must comply with the CPSC bicycle helmet mandatory safety standard. The standard also requires that chin straps be strong enough to keep the helmet on the head and in the proper position during a fall or collision. Other helmets are subject to other safety standards. A proper fit is as important as wearing the correct helmet in helping prevent head injuries. A helmet should be both comfortable and snug. Be sure that it is level on your head, not tilted back on the top of the head or pulled too low over the forehead. It should not move in any direction when adjusted properly. Make sure the chin strap is securely buckled so the helmet doesn't move or fall off during a fall or collision. CPSC's "Which Helmet for Which Activity" guide is a free publication and can be ordered by calling CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772. An on-line version of the guide (pdf) can be found at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/349.pdf Also in the web site copy of the press release at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06122.html is a table of estimated head injuries for selected sports. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.asp. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov. Tips for Internet safety usage for Kids and Teens 1-Don't give out personal information such as: name, age, address, telephone number, parent/guardian's name, school name and address 2-Don't respond to mean, offensive, threatening or unwanted e-mail or instant messages 3-Choose a screenname that doesn't identify you as a young boy or girl 4-Don't share your password with anyone (except a parent/guardian)-not even your best friend 5-Remember, people online may or MAY NOT be who they say they are What is the hype about My Space? This is very important to be aware of the information contained on the website for ALL parents!! www.MySpace.com According to the website, MySpace.com is defined as a social networking service that allows members to create unique personal profiles online in order to find and communicate with old and new friends. BUT............ this material may contain inaccurate, inappropriate, offensive or sexually explicit material, products or services. Myspace.com isn't held liable for this info. Please speak to your kids about this. You'll be surprised what your kids know about this website! As the days get longer, so does the need for Sunscreen. Did you know that wrinkles and other age related changes result from long term exposure to sunlight? Incidence of skin cancer could be reduced by 75-80% if people use sunscreen and sun-protective clothing. Sunblock should have a SPF of at least 15-30. When going outside, apply sunscreen 20-30 minutes before going outside. If you are swimming or moderately sweating, you may need to reapply sunscreen every 80 minutes. The American Cancer Society has a slogan: Slip, Slop and Slap. Slip on a shirt, Slop on sunscreen and Slap on a hat. Remember to check the expiration date on the Sunscreen. It's best to buy new sunscreen each spring. Your Child's vision is the most important tool for success in school. When vision suffers, chances are schoolwork does, too. School age children also spend a lot of time in recreational activities that require good vision. After-school |
|
