CHIKUNGUNYA

Introduction

What is Chikungunya?

Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito.

Signs and Symptoms

The incubation period of chikungunya fever is usually 3-7 days. The symptoms are very similar to that of dengue, but unlike dengue, hemorrhagic or shock syndrome does not take place with chikungunya fever.

The infected person may experience the following symptoms:

• fever
• chills
• headache
• fatigue
• nausea
• vomiting
• muscle pain
• rash
• joint pain.

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Treatment

There are currently no medications or vaccines for the treatment of chikungunya fever. However lots of rest, a nutritious diet, plenty of fluids and mild pain medications may relieve symptoms of fever and body aches. If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, you are advised to see a doctor immediately.

Prevention

Tips when travelling:

• Use insect repellent on exposed skin surfaces when outdoors, especially during the day.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.
• Where possible, stay in accommodations that have secure screens on windows or air-conditioning to keep the mosquitoes out.

However if you still develop a fever, see a doctor immediately to test your blood for any signs of the chikungunya virus. If your blood test shows positive signs of the virus, stay indoors to limit mosquito bites in order to avoid further spread of the infection.

At home, the prevention of chikungunya fever is similar to that of dengue fever. Clear any stagnant water in flower vases, flower pots, roof gutters and watering cans to prevent the breeding of its carrier, the Aedes mosquito



ARTICLES SOURCE: http://www.myhealth.gov.my

ELECTRICAL SAFETY

Free electrical safety tips

by Sir Sparks



One of the most common concerns of our customers is the safety of their electrical installation; almost everyone is understandably wary of something they can neither see, smell nor hear, yet is capable of killing or setting fire in an instant. There are a few basic do it yourself safety rules that will help you reduce the risks, we would like to deal with a few of the more simply detectable ones in this article.


Current National Electrical code, or NEC, requires the use of GFCI protection on receptacles and other equipment in certain wet locations such as bathrooms, swimming pools and yards, These areas are mainly where the presence of water will greatly increase the risk and severity of electrical shock, this GFCI protection will eliminate almost all fatalities and is a critical safety measure. Make sure at least once a month that your device protection works. This is the simple action of pressing a Test button to see if the receptacle or circuit breaker automatically disconnects, if it does it is working correctly, and you can simply reset it.


Another important safety measure is the regular inspection of extension cords, a damaged cord can be a significant risk of both electrical shock and fire, yet a quick visual inspection for cuts or chaffing to the cord will eliminate most of the risk. Never use electrical tape to make temporary repairs, if it is damaged simply throw it away, the extra few dollars spent could easily save your, or a loved ones life.


A common practice in most homes is the use of multiple outlet extension cords; often tucked away behind stereo equipment or TV's, this modern entertainment equipment requires a lot of power which can easily overheat these multiple outlets, even worse they are in a hidden location often with very poor ventilation increasing the risk of fire drastically. Visually check behind the back of your entertainment equipment, if it looks like spaghetti then you need extra receptacles added, both for safety and convenience.


An over zealous electrical do-it-yourselfer is probably one of the greatest risks of all, and yet is possibly the most difficult to detect. Whereas a poor carpentry or other trade job is easily recognized, behind the wall or in attic wiring mistakes often go unnoticed by the homeowner, yet is serious potential fire risk, even worse a fire starting in a location not visible until it's too late.


The only sure way to protect against this last risk is by contacting a professional licensed electrical contractor to check out your wiring, some of these professionals will even make a basic safety check free of charge. Other important yet simple things they should check on are;

Tightness of all terminations in electrical panels. Inspection for signs of overheating in panels. Correct identification of circuits Compliance with National Electrical Code. Correct polarity and grounding of receptacles Correct operation of Arc Fault Devices. Correct Service entrance wiring and grounding.


If you are not the first owner of your home, or it is an older home the risks are much greater. both for deteriorated wiring and previous do-it-yourself work. Even with a new home remember that during our recent housing boom a County/City Electrical Inspector often had a busy schedule, and could only make the briefest of inspections.



articles source: http://www.goarticles.com

Tips for avoiding spam

by Wayne Dunne

Spam is an ongoing problem for all internet users. But by changing your behavior online you can reduce your exposure to spammers and thus help reduce the amount of spam messages that you receive.

The tips in this post can help prevent more spam from reaching you.

Tip #1 - Do not click on the Unsubscribe link on HTML based spam

Clicking on the link will only confirm to the spammer that your email address is active. Trying to unsubscribe in this circumstance will only lead to even greater amounts of spam.

Tip #2 - Do not publish your email address on your website

As a rule of thumb, do not do this. Spammers regularly harvest websites for email addresses knowing that these accounts will be active. If you wish to provide a way for visitors to your website to contact you then do it using a contact form.

Tip #3 - Do not open attachments from people that you do not know

Opening attachments from senders that you do not recognise is giving the sender an opportunity to take control of your system, do not do this. Even if when you do know the sender do not open it unless you are expecting an attachment from them. A virus could have infected their system and be trying to replicate. If you are unsure always delete first and then contact the sender. If the attachment was valid they can always resend it.

Tip #4 - Do not load images in HTML emails

Spammers can use images within HTML to confirm that your email address is active. These images load from a remote server which alerts the spammer to the fact that you have viewed them.

Tip #5 - Report spam offenders

When you receive spam report the sender using a services like spamcop, by doing this you can aid others in preventing spam.

Tip #6 - Do not use your main email address for email lists

If you need to sign up for email lists then sign up to these lists using an account from a free provider such as yahoo or gmail.

Tip #7 - Do not allow companies to share your information with third parties

When you sign up for a product or services online be sure to uncheck any boxes during sign up that gives permission for the company to share your information with third parties.

Tip #8 - Do not list your email address in online directories

When on websites with options such as to list your contact details in an online directory you should always decline.

Tip #9 - Do not click on any links in spam emails

When you receive a spam message containing a link to a website do not click on the link. By clicking the link you are telling that spammer that your account is active and the consequence will be more spam being sent to you.

Tip #10 - Avoid using a common firstname as an email address

Many spammers try to brute force valid account names on a mail server. They will simply try to send mail to hundreds of different combinations of address at your domain in an effort to figure out valid addresses. Examples of this would be to try sending emails to john@yourdomain.com , ann@yourdomain.com , bob@yourdomain.com , xzy@yourdomain.com to see if any of them are successful. If an email to ann@yourdomain.com is successful then the spammer will know that he has hit a valid account and will use it in the future to send spam messages to this account.

Tip #11 - Use temporary or throwaway accounts

Sign up for free email accounts that will allow you to redirect mail. Set up an account with the free provider and redirect it to your own account. Any emails sent to this account will now come in to your main account. Once the spam levels on your temporary account get too high then simply turn off the redirection of mail and if at all possible close the account and go get yourself a fresh account following the same guidelines. Each time the temporary account becomes a target of too much spam for your liking, drop it and start with a fresh account.Use the temporary account for untrusted communications such as sign up forms on websites or any place else you deem appropriate.

articles source: http://www.goarticles.com

AFFILIATE MARKETING

For Success With Affiliate Marketing Choose the Correct Affiliate Site Topic

by Jude Wright

Many people slap up a website, add a bunch of banners and think that they are going to make a ton of money. Sorry...not true. It takes a lot more than some pretty banners and minimal content to make a website profitable. To make money with affiliate marketing, you first need to make sure that you are choosing the correct affiliate programs and topics. If most people really paid attention, they would realize that they chose a program simply because it pays more than others. This high pay will not mean much if they cannot sell the program to make money.

For example, if you have a website a blog setup it is always good practice to put up affiliate links that have something to do with what your site is about. It is not very likely that you will get buyers from your links if you put up banners about high heels on a video game website. You need to choose the right topics because you want to target certain people.

Even offline, big companies make their money by trying to target the sex and age group of the people they think will be more likely to buy the product. For those high heel banner ads, you will get someone to buy from your affiliate if your website is about women's shoes or overall fashion.

It can be tempting to throw up off topic links if you have a site that gets many visitors but by choosing the correct topic, you are showing these affiliate links to a certain target group. These visitors are on your site because of the topic, the title and what your website is about. They want to look at and read what you have to offer. They won't pay much attention to advertising that has nothing to do with them.

Targeted advertising does not do much in more recent times because people have become almost blind to them. They have learned to look past the flashing banners to quickly find the information that they are seeking. If there is nothing of interest, they will hit the back button and continue on their search.

Another reason to choose the correct topic is so that you are advertising something that you understand. Due to the fact that you should be choosing ads that complement your website; you should know what the product is about. If you have created a site solely to get people to buy, you want to know what you are talking about. Choosing a product that you have never used or even heard of can be difficult when you can't give your visitors information about it because you don't know or understand the topic.

So, if you want to make a "real" business from an affiliate website, choose a topic that you know something about. Everyone has some passion or hobby that he or she just loves to talk about. Build your website around YOUR own interests. You'll be better able to recommend appropriate affiliate programs to match that interest...and you'll be less likely to be bored working on your website.

articles source: http://www.goarticles.com

STAY HEALTHY

How You Can Stay Healthy and Avoid Practically Any Disease

by Daniel Brown

I hear so many people say they don't want to live to be old. In fact, I was talking to my 45 year-old friend just the other day. She said she only wants to live to be 75. I told when she's 74, she might change her mind.

Her fear is (as is most people's), that getting old results in getting sick. But, I'm here to tell you, it doesn't have to be that way! Many of the diseases that are prevalent today are man-made. In other words, they're largely due to modern lifestyle habits such as:

Consistently subjecting oneself to stress Consistently eating high fat foods •Consistently eating a diet low in nutrients Neglecting exercise Exposing oneself toenvironmental toxin

I'm going to make a statement that's gonna sound rather narrow minded, but I truly believe it... Nothing on the earth is more valuable than your health! Not your career, not your money, and not even your family!

I know what you may be thinking... "Nothing is more important to me than my family!"

Let me explain it this way; if you lose your health, your family is gonna suffer with you. Surely, you don't want that! So, if you truly value your family, then you should put a priority on your health and well-being.

Now, there are three areas that will help us live long and healthy, and give us a better chance of avoiding degenerative diseases...

1. Balanced nutrition

A lot of the food we eat in today's world is over-processed with various chemicals and preservatives added to improve taste and increase shelf life. All this processing leads to nutritional deficiencies in our bodies.

Obviously, we should eat balanced meals and provide them for our families on a regular basis. But unfortunately, it can be rather difficult with all the demands that are placed on us day in and day out. That's why it's so important to include natural health supplements in our daily diets!

2. Physical activity

It's a well-known fact that exercise significantly lowers our chances of developing potentially fatal illnesses. One of the ways it does this is by eliminating stress.

So many of us are stressed beyond comprehension. We're so busy running around trying to get things done, we don't even realize how stressed we really are!

It's unfortunate that many of us don't even realize what stress is doing to our bodies! I don't want to go into it here, but it certainly is bad news! Just know that remaining active throughout your life will help you stay healthy and disability-free as you age.

3. Healthy lifestyle

Today's world is much more toxic than it use to be, and it seems to be getting worse! These toxins that we're constantly exposed to cause cellular damage. Therefore, making a deliberate effort to avoid excess food additives, second-hand smoke, and stress, to name just a few, will give us a fighting chance to preserve our health.

Conclusion

Making an effort to live a healthy lifestyle is critical! My 45 year old friend doesn't understand that - she's a smoker with no desire to quit. What does she expect? To live to be a healthy 75 year old, with hopes of just dropping dead in order to avoid sicknesses associated with old age? Well, if she doesn't make any effort, she may not even make it to 75.

articles source: http://www.goarticles.com

STRESS

What Is Stress? Click Here!


Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events. It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness.
The events that provoke stress are called stressors, and they cover a whole range of situations - everything from outright physical danger to making a class presentation or taking a semester's worth of your toughest subject.
The human body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system and specific hormones. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into the bloodstream. These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to let more blood flow to large muscle groups, putting our muscles on alert. Pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases some of its stored glucose to increase the body's energy. And sweat is produced to cool the body. All of these physical changes prepare a person to react quickly and effectively to handle the pressure of the moment.
This natural reaction is known as the stress response. Working properly, the body's stress response enhances a person's ability to perform well under pressure. But the stress response can also cause problems when it overreacts or fails to turn off and reset itself properly.

Good Stress and Bad Stress

The stress response (also called the fight or flight response) is critical during emergency situations, such as when a driver has to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. It can also be activated in a milder form at a time when the pressure's on but there's no actual danger - like stepping up to take the foul shot that could win the game, getting ready to go to a big dance, or sitting down for a final exam. A little of this stress can help keep you on your toes, ready to rise to a challenge. And the nervous system quickly returns to its normal state, standing by to respond again when needed.
But stress doesn't always happen in response to things that are immediate or that are over quickly. Ongoing or long-term events, like coping with a divorce or moving to a new neighborhood or school, can cause stress, too. Long-term stressful situations can produce a lasting, low-level stress that's hard on people. The nervous system senses continued pressure and may remain slightly activated and continue to pump out extra stress hormones over an extended period. This can wear out the body's reserves, leave a person feeling depleted or overwhelmed, weaken the body's immune system, and cause other problems.

What Causes Stress Overload?

Although just enough stress can be a good thing, stress overload is a different story - too much stress isn't good for anyone. For example, feeling a little stress about a test that's coming up can motivate you to study hard. But stressing out too much over the test can make it hard to concentrate on the material you need to learn.
Pressures that are too intense or last too long, or troubles that are shouldered alone, can cause people to feel stress overload. Here are some of the things that can overwhelm the body's ability to cope if they continue for a long time:
being bullied or exposed to violence or injury
relationship stress, family conflicts, or the heavy emotions that can accompany a broken heart or the death of a loved one
ongoing problems with schoolwork related to a learning disability or other problems, such as ADHD (usually once the problem is recognized and the person is given the right learning support the stress disappears)
crammed schedules, not having enough time to rest and relax, and always being on the go
Some stressful situations can be extreme and may require special attention and care. Posttraumatic stress disorder is a very strong stress reaction that can develop in people who have lived through an extremely traumatic event, such as a serious car accident, a natural disaster like an earthquake, or an assault like rape.
Some people have anxiety problems that can cause them to overreact to stress, making even small difficulties seem like crises. If a person frequently feels tense, upset, worried, or stressed, it may be a sign of anxiety. Anxiety problems usually need attention, and many people turn to professional counselors for help in overcoming them.

Signs of Stress Overload

People who are experiencing stress overload may notice some of the following signs:
anxiety or panic attacks
a feeling of being constantly pressured, hassled, and hurried
irritability and moodiness
physical symptoms, such as stomach problems, headaches, or even chest pain
allergic reactions, such as eczema or asthma
problems sleeping
drinking too much, smoking, overeating, or doing drugs
sadness or depression
Everyone experiences stress a little differently. Some people become angry and act out their stress or take it out on others. Some people internalize it and develop eating disorders or substance abuse problems. And some people who have a chronic illness may find that the symptoms of their illness flare up under an overload of stress.

Keep Stress Under Control

What can you do to deal with stress overload or, better yet, to avoid it in the first place? The most helpful method of dealing with stress is learning how to manage the stress that comes along with any new challenge, good or bad. Stress-management skills work best when they're used regularly, not just when the pressure's on. Knowing how to "de-stress" and doing it when things are relatively calm can help you get through challenging circumstances that may arise. Here are some things that can help keep stress under control.
Take a stand against overscheduling. If you're feeling stretched, consider cutting out an activity or two, opting for just the ones that are most important to you.
Be realistic. Don't try to be perfect - no one is. And expecting others to be perfect can add to your stress level, too (not to mention put a lot of pressure on them!). If you need help on something, like schoolwork, ask for it.
Get a good night's sleep. Getting enough sleep helps keep your body and mind in top shape, making you better equipped to deal with any negative stressors. Because the biological "sleep clock" shifts during adolescence, many teens prefer staying up a little later at night and sleeping a little later in the morning. But if you stay up late and still need to get up early for school, you may not get all the hours of sleep you need.

Learn to relax. The body's natural antidote to stress is called the relaxation response. It's your body's opposite of stress, and it creates a sense of well-being and calm. The chemical benefits of the relaxation response can be activated simply by relaxing. You can help trigger the relaxation response by learning simple breathing exercises and then using them when you're caught up in stressful situations. (Click on the button to try one.) And ensure you stay relaxed by building time into your schedule for activities that are calming and pleasurable: reading a good book or making time for a hobby, spending time with your pet, or just taking a relaxing bath.
Treat your body well. Experts agree that getting regular exercise helps people manage stress. (Excessive or compulsive exercise can contribute to stress, though, so as in all things, use moderation.) And eat well to help your body get the right fuel to function at its best. It's easy when you're stressed out to eat on the run or eat junk food or fast food. But under stressful conditions, the body needs its vitamins and minerals more than ever. Some people may turn to substance abuse as a way to ease tension. Although alcohol or drugs may seem to lift the stress temporarily, relying on them to cope with stress actually promotes more stress because it wears down the body's ability to bounce back.
Watch what you're thinking. Your outlook, attitude, and thoughts influence the way you see things. Is your cup half full or half empty? A healthy dose of optimism can help you make the best of stressful circumstances. Even if you're out of practice, or tend to be a bit of a pessimist, everyone can learn to think more optimistically and reap the benefits.
Solve the little problems. Learning to solve everyday problems can give you a sense of control. But avoiding them can leave you feeling like you have little control and that just adds to stress. Develop skills to calmly look at a problem, figure out options, and take some action toward a solution. Feeling capable of solving little problems builds the inner confidence to move on to life's bigger ones - and it and can serve you well in times of stress.

Build Your Resilience

Ever notice that certain people seem to adapt quickly to stressful circumstances and take things in stride? They're cool under pressure and able to handle problems as they come up. Researchers have identified the qualities that make some people seem naturally resilient even when faced with high levels of stress. If you want to build your resilience, work on developing these attitudes and behaviors:
Think of change as a challenging and normal part of life.
See setbacks and problems as temporary and solvable.
Believe that you will succeed if you keep working toward your goals.
Take action to solve problems that crop up.
Build strong relationships and keep commitments to family and friends.
Have a support system and ask for help.
Participate regularly in activities for relaxation and fun.
Learn to think of challenges as opportunities and stressors as temporary problems, not disasters. Practice solving problems and asking others for help and guidance rather than complaining and letting stress build. Make goals and keep track of your progress. Make time for relaxation. Be optimistic. Believe in yourself. Be sure to breathe. And let a little stress motivate you into positive action to reach your goals.
Updated and reviewed by: D'Arcy Lyness, PhDDate reviewed: July 2007

ARTICLE SOURCE: http://www.kidshealth.org/