Children's diseases caused by the negative influence of the environment

There are many reasons why children are more likely to develop diseases caused by negative environmental influences. Their body grows and develops, they have a higher level of development of new cells, less developed metabolism and a relatively high level of contact with harmful substances. Children who live in urban environments are more likely to develop such diseases due to frequent contact with pollutants, allergens, cigarette smoke, pesticides, lead and other toxins.

According to the research, children can develop such diseases as:

• Asthma. Over the past 15 years, the number of children with asthma has doubled. To date, more than 5 million children under the age of eighteen suffer from this disease. Every year the cause of every sixth urgent visit to a pediatrician is asthma, because of her students miss more than 10 million days of study.


• Cancer. Each year the number of cancers increases by 1-2%.


• Low birth weight and heart disease. Since the mid-1980s, the number of babies born with low body weight has increased annually, and the number of newborns with serious heart disease has doubled.


• Developmental disability. About 17% of US children have developmental disabilities.

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Factors that affect children's health include:

• Air pollution. In New York, where schools heat mainly coal, and the number of diesel buses is the highest in any other city, the largest number of children with asthma live in the Harlem area. Six terminals of city diesel buses are in Harlem, and five of them near educational institutions. Since the diesel engine needs to be heated for a long time, the buses work idle in the garage, and the ventilation system exhausts the exhaust gases to the outside. Other factors can also cause such high rates, but the main cause is the exhaust fumes in the area.


• Lead. According to the Center for Disease Control, every twentieth child in the United States has an elevated level of lead in the blood, which can lead to disruption in development. The main source of lead is paint, dust, toy ornaments and some imported toys. In 2007, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission survey showed that many imported toys and children's jewelry contain a high level of lead.


• Pesticides. Every year in the US use more than two billion kilograms of pesticides. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, about 33-39% of foodstuffs contain pesticide residues. In many training areas, these chemicals are used, for example, in California, 93% of the 46 school districts use 73 different pesticides. Seventy percent of school districts use substances that can cause cancer, and 54% of these substances are classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as toxic and harmful to the nervous system. Pesticides can also be found in drinking water.

Find out how many toxins your home and child's school contain

Parents may be concerned that their child is exposed to toxins at home and at school. If you believe that there is a risk of developing a disease caused by the negative impact of the environment, your child, discuss with the pediatrician the following questions:

• In what state is your house? Is there any peeling of zinc-based paint or mold appeared due to a faulty drainage system?


• Do you do repairs? It can cause the effect of paint based on zinc or other toxic substances.


• How do you heat the house? Is the heating system adequately ventilated? Do you use fireplaces and wood stoves? Do you use a gas stove?


• Are there carbon monoxide and smoke sensors in the house?


• Do you use pesticides in or near your home?


• Do you use glues, paints, solvents or other chemicals?


• Is it possible that you bring toxic substances from work on your clothing?


• Is your child's school being renovated at school? Do your children have symptoms that worsen during their stay in school?


• Do you live near an industrial plant or a hazardous waste storage facility? Did you have any chemical emissions in your area?


• Do you smoke in the house, car or anywhere in the presence of children? Do other members of your family smoke?

How to control the accumulation of mold in the house

Mold (fungus) is a common occurrence in wet rooms, it develops in houses where there are wet areas, for example, a cellar. Mold can cause asthma symptoms, such as wheezing and coughing, or other allergic reactions, for example, a rash with atopic dermatitis or a stuffy nose in an allergic rhinitis. The substances that cause these reactions are called allergens.

[caption id="attachment_693" align="aligncenter" width="320"] mold in the house[/caption]

Mold may be the cause of an allergy that worsens during wet weather. In the warm months, mold spores move in the air from the street to the house, like pollen. In the winter months, mold can cause inconvenience, the source of which is in the house.

Although there is no weighty evidence that reducing the number of wet areas or staying in them can reduce the symptoms of allergy and asthma symptoms, the following tips can be effective:

• Ware wood on the street.


• Clean in the bathrooms and showers, wash the curtains and wipe the windowsills at least once a month, use a disinfectant or bleach solution. Use these remedies cautiously, as they can irritate the nasal mucosa, and this can exacerbate the manifestation of symptoms.


• Ventilate the room and keep it dry. This is not easy to achieve depending on the season and climatic conditions.


• To get rid of excess moisture, use the exhaust fan in the bathroom and in the kitchen.


• In humid weather, use a moisture reducer. Try to keep the humidity in the house below 50%.


• Close the damp rooms, such as cellars and cellars, avoid contact with things that were there. Use in these rooms moisture eliminators.


• Remove the carpet from the concrete floor, especially in the basement.


• Eliminate leaks in the roof or basement. Check for leaks in the pipeline and drainage system, mold may appear in such places.


• Check to see if the drying clothes for clothes dry out onto the street.


• Check the dressing rooms for items that may contain moisture, such as shoes.

 

To reduce the amount of mold:

• Clean in bathrooms and wash the blinds at least once a month, use a disinfectant or chlorine solution.


• Wipe the humidifier or evaporator once a week with a solution of vinegar and once a month with a solution of chlorine to prevent the accumulation of mold. Do not use these devices if you are allergic to dust, as the moist environment is favorable for the reproduction of ticks.


• Often, do the cleaning in the kitchen and in the bathroom, use a bleach solution.

Since adults spend a third of the day, and children are half a day in the bedroom, it is very important to minimize the number of allergens in this room.

Tips to help limit the amount of harmful substances in the house

The influence of harmful substances in the room can cause respiratory diseases such as asthma and lung cancer. Among such substances, smoke, animal hair, radon, mold, detergents and other chemicals. You can make your home more health-friendly if you follow the following tips.

Fresh air

The salt lamp is a living combination of ancient wisdom and modern scientific knowledge, the embodiment of harmony of beauty and practicality. The salt lamp is a means of ionizing the air, the atmosphere of salt mines is recreated during the luminaire operation, this natural sterilizer creates a natural atmosphere of sterility, in which the protein structure of microbial bodies perishes.

The salt lamp has a beneficial effect on health: it strengthens the immune system and increases vitality, harmonizes the psyche, increases the resistance of the organism to various diseases, is very useful in dealing with stress, nervous shocks, fills the house with positive energy. Recommend the use of salt lamps for general strengthening of the body, with diseases of bronchial asthma and other respiratory diseases, for the normalization of blood pressure, for people genetically predisposed to various forms of allergy and skin diseases.

Reduce the number of allergens

• Often bathe and clean animals to reduce the amount of hair. Do not allow animals to sleep in the bedroom of a person who suffers from asthma or allergies. If possible, do not let the animal on the carpet or furniture.


• Choose shutters for windows that can be easily cleaned, for example, wooden blinds. Curtains accumulate dust.


• Check whether there is mold on the indoor plants, if it is present on the soil, replace it or transfer the pot to the street.


• Do not allow smoking in the house.


• Clean the carpet and replace it with wood or tile, if possible.


• If the humidity in the room is above 50%, the problem may be the accumulation of household mites and mold. To solve it, use hypoallergenic underwear. Do not use down pillows or blankets. Wash bed linens in hot water.


• Use a vacuum cleaner with high-efficiency bags or install a central air purification system.


• Do not store firewood indoors. Wood may contain mold spores.


• Plant trees and shrubs at least one and a half meters from the house. Roots can form voids, through which water enters.


• Keep clean and dry in the bathroom, kitchen, basement and other areas where mold can form.

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Monitor the humidity

• Repair pipes and other sources of moisture, replace all materials damaged by water.


• Install and clean the exhaust fan in the kitchen regularly. Make sure that the fan in the bathroom draws air to the street, and not to the basement, cellar or house.


• Make sure that the exhaust fans do not draw too much air, and there is no negative pressure situation. In this case, the pressure in the house is lower than on the street. Negative pressure can change the flow of combustion products in gas boilers, stoves and water heaters, thus directing water vapor, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide into the house.


• Seal the external and internal cracks in the house, especially those that are near the windows and ventilation systems.


• If you are building a new house, install a waterproofing system that will limit the foundation from moisture.


• Clean the drainage system.


• Replace the moisture-damaged carpet with wood or tile.

Troubleshoot heating systems

• Once a year, check the operation of the exhaust systems of boilers, water heaters and gas stoves. The best option is if the heating systems are out of the house, for example in a garage.


• Do not use kerosene and gas heaters in which there is no ventilation, as the main source of heating.


• Install a carbon monoxide detector in the house. This gas has no smell, no color, you can ignore it before the appearance of health problems. If you notice an orange non-uniform flame in a gas boiler or stove, this may indicate the release of carbon monoxide. In this case, call a specialist.


• Take care that the doors in the wood stove and fireplace are snug. Check the vent pipes and chimneys for cracks that can pass gas into the house.

Check the furniture

• Many pieces of furniture can contain formaldehyde and other organic substances. When choosing new furniture, buy one that is entirely made of wood, and not a chipboard that is covered with veneer. Veneer can be glued with glue that contains formaldehyde.


• If the house is inhabited by people suffering from asthma, replace the carpet with a tiled or wooden carpet. If the coating is still necessary, use carpets with short nap and not large in size, which can be cleaned.


• If you are making repairs, use dry plaster, gypsum or wood. Plastic panels and panels of wood fiber can contain formaldehyde.

Be careful with household products

• Before using detergents, paints, solvents and pesticides, read the instructions. To get rid of odors and vapors in the house, use a ventilation system. Remember that the paint can give off minor gas crosses even a month after its application. Try to use paint that does not contain volatile organic substances.


• Use a non-toxic adhesive to install the floor.


• If you clean the furniture, use products that do not contain methylene chloride.


• Do not mix detergents. Use natural remedies such as vinegar, lemon juice, boric acid or kitchen soda


• Chemicals that are part of air fresheners, bathroom cleaners, moth and other deodorized products can be harmful to the lungs. Use alternative methods, for example, baking soda absorbs odors and can be used in a freshener place.


• Do not store items that can be sent for recycling, for example, newspapers, rugs, cans and bottles. They can evaporate harmful substances.


• If the house was built before 1978, wooden or other surfaces can be covered with lead white. If you need to clean the surface of paint, call an expert.


• Install a radon sensor in the basement.


• Wet cellars must be ventilated.

Improve ventilation

• Take care that the house receives the right amount of fresh air.


• Install an air filter in the bedroom and clean it every three months.


• Air conditioning will not allow pollen and other allergens to enter the house, but for this you need to clean the filter.


• Replace filters in the gas boiler and air conditioner every two three months.


• Use the exhaust fan in the bathroom and in the kitchen.


• In the old house, check for asbestos insulation on gas boilers and pipes. Use the services of an expert who has experience with asbestos insulation.


• Often clean the humidifiers.


• Check if air is coming through the ventilation system. The air conditioning system should be located above the ground from the side where there is no air pollution by vehicles.


• Check the air supply to the gas boilers.


• Take care that the drainage system has a water separator and a connection to the ventilation system. If you smell from the sewers, this is a sign of poor ventilation.

If you think that your home or workplace negatively affects your health

If you think that you are in contact with toxins, allergens and other materials that adversely affect your health, consider the following questions that concern your home and workplace. Write detailed answers to these questions and discuss them with your doctor.

• Are the following materials and substances in your home or workplace?
  
  
  
  
  • Metals
  
  
  • Dust or fibers
  
  
  • Chemicals that are used in new or renovated homes, or that are used for dry cleaning clothes.
  
  
  • Pairs
  
  
  • Radiation
  
  
  • Biological substances
  
  
  • Noise, vibration, too high or low temperature.
  
  
  
  


• Have you contacted these substances or phenomena in the past?


• Did any member of your family fall under such influence?


• Do you know what substances affect your body? Did any material affect your clothes or skin?


• Do you wash working clothes at home?


• Do you smell the chemicals or materials that you work with? Should you use protective equipment, such as gloves or a mask?


• Do you wash your hands using detergents?


• Do you smoke or eat in the workplace?


• Do your employees or family members have unreasonable symptoms?


• Has the health or behavior of pets changed?


• Does your symptoms change at work, at home or on weekends?


• How effective is the air ventilation in the workplace?

 

Questions that concern the home environment

• Do you live near an industrial plant, landfill, commercial enterprise or not residential property?


• Do you have at home:
  
  
  
  
  • Air conditioner, purifier or humidifier
  
  
  • Fireplace or wood stove
  
  
  • Gas or oil heating
  
  
  • Gas or electric cooker
  
  
  
  


• Did you recently make repairs, replace carpets or repair furniture?


• Do you notice the fading of the walls? Fading is white, powdery or crystalline substances that protrude on the surface of concrete, plastic or masonry, they indicate the accumulation of mold or moisture that can cause mold.


• Do you use pesticides or herbicides, for example, beetle and weed control agents, flea and ticks sprays, powders or flea shampoos that you use at home in the garden or on animals?


• Are you renovating the car or are you into hobbies or crafts at home?


• Do you take water for drinking from a well, water system or store?


• When was your house built?

 

The influence of harmful substances in the room can cause respiratory diseases such as asthma and lung cancer. Among such substances, smoke, animal hair, radon, mold, detergents and other chemicals. You can make your home more health-friendly if you follow the following tips.

 

 

What are diseases caused by pollution?

Diseases caused by environmental pollution

Chemicals, fumes, allergens and other harmful substances are always present in the environment, sometimes they can cause disease. Perhaps you already experienced an unreasonable headache on the weekend, or you had nausea and a rash after moving to a new home. Such symptoms can cause toxins that are in the home, workplace and public places. For example:

• Headache can occur due to the action of carbon monoxide, which comes from a faulty stove. During the use of the fireplace, a back draft of gas can be created, which can also cause a headache. Troubleshooting will relieve headaches.


• Building materials (insulating material, particle boards, glue for carpet) can release formaldehyde, which causes nausea and rash. Also, the paper that covers the surface of the dry plaster creates favorable conditions for the development of mold, contact with which can cause respiratory problems, allergy symptoms, and provoke asthma attacks.

Both you and the doctor may not know about the causes of your illness or you can confuse them with other problems. The harmful effects of the environment can cause many medical problems. An objective assessment of the environment in which you work, live and spend time, can help to find out the causes of many diseases.

Causes

Short or prolonged contact with harmful chemicals, allergens, atmospheric emissions and other toxins can cause disease. It is known that chemicals that are in cigarettes can cause cancer. Asbestos, an insulating material that was used in old buildings, can cause tumors of the tissues of the chest and abdomen, lung cancer and other diseases. The use of a wood-burning stove or a gas stove with poor ventilation can cause respiratory illness. The use of water from a rural well that is contaminated with pesticides and waste from a nearby plant can cause cancer and neurological diseases. Inhaling mold spores, which are found in building materials, can cause respiratory illness or aggravate asthma.

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But, as a rule, people do not know that such contact affects health. There are also no known types and quantities of chemicals that are susceptible to the body, especially if symptoms show up in years. For example, cancer often has a latent, latent, form that can last for decades until symptoms appear.

Symptoms

Symptoms depend on the causes of the disease. The main symptoms are headache, cough, fatigue and nausea. In some cases, signs of the disease do not appear for many years until the disease progresses. On the other hand, contact can cause a sharp allergic reaction, as well as contact with household mites, cockroaches, pollens and pets triggers an asthma attack. Or the symptoms may appear gradually and become more acute after some time after contact.

For some people, staying in a room with poor air quality can cause headaches, coughing, drowsiness, fatigue and nausea. The appearance of such symptoms can be explained by poor ventilation and exposure to vapors of cleansers and cigarette smoke. New homes or carpet can emit formaldehyde, which is known to cause symptoms such as nausea, respiratory problems, dry or inflamed skin, eye irritation.

The house can be bacteria, mold or viruses that settle on heating and ventilation systems, carpets, roofing and insulation materials, which can cause fever, chills, pain, cough and other respiratory diseases. Symptoms of diseases caused by environmental pollution are very difficult to identify and can be confused with other diseases. If you think,

The doctor will not be able to determine what the disease causes toxins until the symptoms appear in a certain place at a certain time. A detective can help, but in order to make a diagnosis, you need a doctor. For example, if you observe symptoms, you may notice that you feel sluggish and passive during the workweek, not on weekends or holidays. The cause of your illness can be poor air quality in the room, which is often called "sick home syndrome". Symptoms may disappear as soon as you leave the environment that causes weakness, such as a newly renovated room or office. But until you discuss with the doctor all the manifestations of symptoms, he can not figure out their cause.

Presence on the walls of the house or workplace of salt spots (white, powdery or crystalline substances that protrude on the surface of concrete, plastic or masonry) indicate the accumulation of mold or moisture, which can cause mold. Another effective method for determining mold is the analysis of air samples that can be done by professionals.

Very often to find out the mysterious causes of the disease is not so simple. The cause of serious diseases can be events that occurred decades ago. Perhaps in the past you lived not far from the place of storage of harmful waste or your work was associated with the repair of old houses, and you inhaled the fibers of asbestos. Before visiting a doctor, remember your past, activities, places of residence and activities.

Diagnostics

The doctor can identify the diseases caused by environmental pollution, only after studying the patient's history, and this is a whole series of questions about the place of residence, work, habits, activities, lifestyle, family and other areas. Answers to these questions will help identify the chemicals or other harmful substances that have ever influenced your body, and decide whether you need specific tests.

The main method of treatment of diseases caused by environmental pollution is the elimination or restriction of contact with the substance that is the cause of the disease. For example, the best way to improve air quality is to eliminate the cause of its contamination. You can adjust the gas stove and reduce the emission of gas or replace it with an electric one. You can also increase the amount of fresh air in the room if you change the air conditioner filters and set up the exhaust fan in the kitchen and bathroom. Gas boilers should be located away from residential areas or even in the garage.

One of the first steps to cleaning the air in the house is a ban on smoking, if there are smokers in the house or live, they should smoke on the street.

The subsequent steps in treatment depend on the symptoms, causes and the affected organ.

During the treatment of diseases caused by the action of mold spores, limit contact with this fungus. The dryness of the room will not allow the mold to develop. Humidity must be below 50%. It is very important to limit contact with mold in the home at work and at school, although this is not easy to achieve. Fungus in the room must be removed by specialists, and you or your children should not be indoors until the end of this procedure.

5 reasons why you need to eat lemons every day

If life gives you lemons - make a lemonade out of them. Well, or, as an option, add to tea, bake lemon cakes and use them as the main constituent of marinade for chicken or fish. The matter is that in lemons it is full of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants, extremely important for health and excellent state of health.

"Lemons can boast a high level of vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, flavonoids and compounds called lemons, which are contained in lemon juice," - says LiveScience nutritionist Alyssa Rumsey (Alissa Rumsey). According to World's Healthiest Foods, a quarter of a cup of lemon juice contains 31% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, 3% of the normal folic acid, 2% of the potassium norm and only 13 calories. In general, the lemon contains an impressive 139% of vitamin C.

5 reasons why you should eat lemons, if not every day, then as often as possible - in this material.

Strengthening immunity

"Vitamin C plays an important role in strengthening immunity, helping to neutralize free radicals in our body," comments Ramsey.

According to a study conducted at the University of Oregon (Oregon State University, OSU), vitamin C stimulates the production of leukocytes, which, in turn, maintain the integrity of immune cells. In addition, these leukocytes themselves produce antiviral substances, which in this case is no less important.

Heart and Vessel Health

"It is said that folic acid helps prevent stroke and can help maintain cardiovascular health by lowering homocysteine levels," notes Alyssa Ramsay. However, in a meta-analysis of 2010 published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine, it was found that the results of clinical studies studying folic acid and heart attacks were inconclusive. However, scientists have found that the consumption of folic acid can indeed lead to a moderate reduction in the risk of stroke.

Vitamin C is also associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

A study with more than 100,000 participants, whose results were published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2015, showed that people who had higher levels of vitamin C in their blood plasma had better indices related to cardiovascular health.

Scientists theorize that vitamin C can have such advantages because it is a powerful antioxidant that protects our body from dangerous free radicals. According to researchers from the University of Maryland (University of Maryland), he can also reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol, while maintaining the flexibility of the arteries.

Destruction of kidney stones

Lemons and lemon juice contain more citric acid than any other fruit, which makes them extremely useful for people suffering from kidney stones. According to a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin, citric acid is able to inhibit the formation of stones, plus, it can destroy small stones that have already formed. Scientists found that half a cup of pure lemon juice every day (in the absence of stomach problems, of course) has almost the same effect as pharmacological therapy.

Reducing the risk of cancer

A 2011 study published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention suggests that the lemon extract applied to breast cancer cells induced the death of these cells. Despite the fact that the experiments were conducted in vitro (in vitro), scientists believe that the results, in any case, indicate the strong anti-cancer properties of lemons.

"Today, quite a lot of research is being done, whose purpose is to understand the role of flutes in the fight against cancer," adds Alyssa Ramsey. An article published in 2007 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes that the possible benefits of using folate derivatives are related to their role in the formation of substances that block the activity of cancer cells. On the other hand, in the same article, it is noted that in a number of studies it was possible to see that high levels of folate can promote the growth of cancer cells so that additional and much larger studies are definitely needed here.

Restoration of liver function

A new study by BioMed Research International suggests that lemons can also help the damaged liver. Rodent experiments conducted in 2017 showed that in rats, whose liver was severely damaged by alcohol consumption, there was an improvement in the basic indices after lemon juice. Sounds at least not bad.

7 Shocking Food Facts You Don't Know

This article will show you 7 shocking food facts. Not only that, you'll find some food hacks too here.

1. Baby carrots are just adult carrots that have been checked down to nothing just because people like baby carrots and it's easier on that way.

2. Airplane food isn't very tasty because our sense of smell and taste decreases up to 50% percent in the airplane which is the equivalent of having a bad cold.

The reason is the drop in cabin humidity in the airplane. So be happy, if you get fake baby carrots that looks nice at least.

3. Eskimo's actually use refrigerators to stop their food from freezing

4. Nearly 50% of fountain soda machines contain fecal bacteria. Half of 19 beverages from soda fountain machines in the area in Virginia tested positive for coliform bacteria. Even worse, most of them were resistant again plenty of antibiotic use.

5. Oranges aren't necessarily orange. The skin of oranges from tropical countries are actually green when ripe.

Then why can't I find green oranges in my supermarkets?

What you may ask and that's because most people associated green with unripe. The oranges you buying in supermarkets have been treated with ethylene gas just for you.

6. One of my favorite burger places - Burger King; this is one of the many fast food hacks you definitely want to know about. When you order a burger from Burger King, you have no idea how long it's been sitting in the warming basket. I mean for all you know the store could have been quiet and the same burgers we're sitting around since the beginning of the lunch rush.

Well, if you want to make sure that you're getting the freshest burger possible, order a customized burger. This way they need to make it fresh the way you want it. Even if that means asking for no ketchup and then putting it on yourself afterwards you can be sure that your burger was just made after you placed your order.

7. Get a free water from Starbucks

Bottled water can be really pricey these days. It can cost up to $2 for a 16-ounce bottle. Well if you're going to get a coffee at Starbucks, ask them to add a venti cup of water as well. They give you the water in the cup for free saving you a couple of bucks and the best part is that Starbucks uses filtered water so you won't even have to worry about it coming straight from the tap.