FAQ

Hi everyone! How yall doing? Here I have provided below some simple yet frequently asked questions about a range of health and exercise issues. So, have a read and I hope this information is beneficial to you and your loved ones. Do enjoy! 

What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure is a measure of the force that your heart uses to pump blood around your body.

How is blood pressure measured?

Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and is given as two figures:

• systolic pressure – the pressure when your heart pushes blood out
• diastolic pressure – the pressure when your heart rests between beats

For example, if your blood pressure is "140 over 90" or 140/90mmHg, it means you have a systolic pressure of 140mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 90mmHg.

As a general guide:

• ideal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg
• high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher
• low blood pressure is considered to be 90/60mmHg or lower

High blood pressure

High blood pressure is often related to unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, being overweight and not exercising enough.

Left untreated, high blood pressure can increase your risk of developing a number of serious long-term health conditions, such as coronary heart disease and kidney disease.

Low blood pressure

Low blood pressure is less common. Some medications can cause low blood pressure as a side effect. It can also be caused by a number of underlying conditions, including heart failure and dehydration.

Why is it important to test my blood sugar?

Blood sugar testing — or self-monitoring blood glucose — provides useful information for diabetes management. It can help you:

• ·    Judge how well you're reaching overall treatment goals

•      Understand how diet and exercise affect blood sugar level

•      Understand how other factors, such as illness or stress, affect blood sugar levels

•      Monitor the effect of diabetes medications on blood sugar levels

•       Identify blood sugar levels that are high or low

When should I test my blood sugar?

Your doctor will advise you on how often you should check your blood sugar level. In general, the frequency of testing depends on the type of diabetes you have and your treatment plan.

•  Type 1 diabetes. Your doctor may recommend blood sugar testing four to eight times a day if you have type 1 diabetes. You may need to test before meals and snacks, before and after exercise, before bed, and occasionally during the night. You may also need to check your blood sugar level more often if you are ill, change your daily routine or begin a new medication.

•  Type 2 diabetes. If you take insulin to manage type 2 diabetes, your doctor may recommend blood sugar testing two or more times a day, depending on the type and amount of insulin you need. Testing is usually recommended before meals, and sometimes before bedtime. If you manage type 2 diabetes with noninsulin medications or with diet and exercise alone, you may not need to test your blood sugar daily.

What is my target range?

Your doctor will set target blood sugar test results based on several factors, including:

• Type and severity of diabetes
• Age
• How long you've had diabetes

• Pregnancy status

• The presence of diabetes complications

• Overall health and the presence of other medical conditions

What are calories?

Calories are a measure of how much energy food or drink contains. The amount of energy you need will depend on:

• your age – for example, growing children and teenagers may need more energy
• your lifestyle – for example, how active you are
• your size – your height and weight can affect how quickly you use energy

Other factors can also affect how much energy you burn. For example:

• some hormones (chemicals produced by the body) – such as thyroid hormones
• some medications – such as glucocorticoids, a type of steroid used to treat inflammation
• being unwell

Calories and kilocalories

The term calorie is commonly used as shorthand for kilocalorie. You will find this written as kcal on food packets. Kilojoules (kJ) are the equivalent of kilocalories within the International System of Units, and you'll see both kJ and kcal on nutrition labels – 4.2kJ is equivalent to approximately 1kcal.

Maintaining a healthy weight

To maintain a healthy weight, you need to balance the amount of calories you consume through food and drink with the amount of calories you burn through physical activity.

To lose weight in a healthy way, you need to use more energy than you consume by eating a healthy, balanced diet with fewer calories while increasing your physical activity.

For more information on weight loss, download the NHS weight loss plan, our free 12-week diet and exercise plan.

Gaining weight

You should get advice from your GP if you're underweight (your body mass index is less than 18.5).

To gain weight, you need to eat more calories than your body uses each day. 

What foods and beverages to avoid while I am pregnant? 

Fish

DON'T EAT

• Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish (such as oysters and clams)
• Fish with high levels of mercury, including shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish (golden or white snapper)
• Refrigerated smoked or pickled fish that's unpasteurized, unless heated until steaming (165° F)
• More than 6 ounces (one serving) a week of canned "solid white" or albacore tuna

TIPS FOR SAFE EATING

• Cook fish to 145° Fahrenheit or until opaque in the center.
• Eat up to 12 ounces (two servings) a week of low-mercury fish, such as salmon, shrimp, pollock, tilapia, or trout.

Meat and poultry

DON'T EAT

• Raw or undercooked meat or poultry
• Refrigerated meat of any kind (including ham, turkey, roast beef, hot dogs, bologna, prosciutto, and pâté) unless heated until steaming (165° F)
• Dry, uncooked sausages (such as salami and pepperoni) unless heated until steaming

TIPS FOR SAFE EATING

• Use a food thermometer. Cook beef, veal, and lamb to 145° F. Cook pork and all ground meats to 160° F. Cook poultry to 165° F.

Eggs

DON'T EAT

• Runny or undercooked eggs
• Raw cookie dough or cake batter that contains raw eggs
• Homemade desserts or sauces that contain raw eggs (such as eggnog, ice cream, custard, chocolate mousse, hollandaise sauce, béarnaise sauce, mayonnaise, and Caesar salad dressing)

TIPS FOR SAFE EATING

• Cook eggs until yolks are firm. Cook other dishes containing eggs to 160° F.
• Use pasteurized eggs or a pasteurized egg product when making food that calls for uncooked eggs.

Cheese

DON'T EAT

• Unpasteurized or "raw milk" soft cheese. Nearly all cheeses in the United States are pasteurized. Just make sure the label says so, particularly on soft cheese. Don't eat any uncooked food made from raw, unpasteurized milk.

TIPS FOR SAFE EATING

• Check the label when buying soft cheese to be sure it says "made with pasteurized milk."

Other foods

DON'T EAT

• Prepared salads from the deli (especially if they contain eggs, chicken, ham, or seafood)
• Buffet or picnic food that's been sitting out for longer than two hours (one hour on a hot day)
• Stuffing cooked inside a bird, unless heated to 165° F
• Raw sprouts or any unwashed produce, especially lettuce and cabbage

TIPS FOR SAFE EATING

• Reheat previously cooked leftovers until steaming (165° F).
• Keep cold buffet food on ice and hot buffet food heated to 135° F, or roughly the temperature of a hot cup of coffee.
• Peel fruits and vegetables or wash them well. Keep cut fruits and vegetables refrigerated or on ice.

Beverages

DON'T DRINK

• Alcoholic beverages
• Unpasteurized (raw) milk - Option: Unversity Brand Fresh Pasteurized Cow Milk
• Unpasteurized or "fresh squeezed" juice from a juice bar or grocery store
• More than 200 mg of caffeine per day (12 ounces of coffee)

TIPS FOR CAFFEINE & FRESH-SQUEEZED JUICE

• Be aware of how much caffeine is in tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolate, and coffee ice cream.
• Wash fruit thoroughly before squeezing it for fresh juice. (Making your own fresh juice at home is safer than buying fresh squeezed juice from a juice bar or grocery store because you can't be sure how safely fruit has been handled in a retail setting.)

What to do if your child (younger than 12 months) is choking? 

Step 1: Assess the situation quickly.

If a baby is suddenly unable to cry or cough, something is probably blocking her airway, and you'll need to help her get it out. She may make odd noises or no sound at all while opening her mouth. Her skin may turn bright red or blue.

If she's coughing or gagging, it means her airway is only partially blocked. If that's the case, let her continue to cough. Coughing is the most effective way to dislodge a blockage.

If the baby isn't able to cough up the object, ask someone to call 811 or the local emergency number while you begin back blows and chest thrusts (see step 2, below).

If you're alone with the baby, give two minutes of care, then call 811.

On the other hand, if you suspect that the baby's airway is closed because her throat has swollen shut, call 911 immediately. She may be having an allergic reaction – to food or to an insect bite, for example – or she may have an illness, such as croup.

Also call 811 right away if the baby is at high risk for heart problems.

Step 2: Try to dislodge the object with back blows and chest thrusts.

First do back blows

If a baby is conscious but can't cough, cry, or breathe and you believe something is trapped in his airway, carefully position him faceup on one forearm, cradling the back of his head with that hand.

Place the other hand and forearm on his front. He is now sandwiched between your forearms.

Use your thumb and fingers to hold his jaw and turn him over so that he's facedown along the other forearm. Lower your arm onto your thigh so that the baby's head is lower than his chest.

Using the heel of your hand, deliver five firm and distinct back blows between the baby's shoulder blades to try to dislodge the object. Maintain support of his head and neck by firmly holding his jaw between your thumb and forefinger.

Next, place your free hand (the one that had been delivering the back blows) on the back of the baby's head with your arm along his spine. Carefully turn him over while keeping your other hand and forearm on his front.

Then do chest thrusts

Use your thumb and fingers to hold his jaw while sandwiching him between your forearms to support his head and neck. Lower your arm that is supporting his back onto your opposite thigh, still keeping the baby's head lower than the rest of his body.

Place the pads of two or three fingers in the center of the baby's chest, just below an imaginary line running between his nipples. To do a chest thrust, push straight down on the chest about 1 1/2 inches. Then allow the chest to come back to its normal position.

Do five chest thrusts. Keep your fingers in contact with the baby's breastbone. The chest thrusts should be smooth, not jerky.

Repeat back blows and chest thrusts

Continue alternating five back blows and five chest thrusts until the object is forced out or the baby starts to cough forcefully, cry, or breathe on his own. If he's coughing, let him try to cough up the object.

If the baby becomes unconscious

If a baby who is choking on something becomes unconscious, you'll need to do what's called modified CPR. Here's how to do modified CPR on a baby:

Open his mouth and look for an object. If you can see an object, remove it with your little finger.

Give him two rescue breaths. If the air doesn't go in (you don't see his chest rise), tilt his head and try two rescue breaths again.

If his chest still doesn't rise, do 30 chest compressions.

Look in his mouth and remove the object if you see it. Give him two more rescue breaths.

Repeat the chest compressions and so on, until help arrives.

How to perform CPR?

What is CPR?

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This is the lifesaving measure you can take to save a baby who shows no signs of life (consciousness or effective breathing).

CPR uses chest compressions and "rescue" breaths to make oxygen-rich blood circulate through the brain and other vital organs until emergency medical personnel arrive. Keeping oxygenated blood circulating helps prevent brain damage – which can occur within a few minutes – and death.

CPR isn't hard to do. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Check the baby's condition.

Is the baby conscious? Flick her foot or gently tap on her shoulder and call out. If she doesn't respond, have someone call 911 or the local emergency number. (If you're alone with the baby, give two minutes of care as described below, then call 911 yourself.)

Swiftly but gently place the baby on her back on a firm, flat surface.

Make sure she isn't bleeding severely. If she is, take measures to stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the area. Don't administer CPR until the bleeding is under control.

Step 2: Open the baby's airway.

Tilt the baby's head back with one hand and lift his chin slightly with the other. (You don't have to tilt a baby's head back very far to open the airway.)

Check for signs of breathing for no more than ten seconds.

To check for breathing in a baby, put your head down next to his mouth, looking toward his feet. Look to see whether his chest is rising, and listen for breathing sounds. If he's breathing, you should be able to feel his breath on your cheek.

Step 3: Give two gentle "rescue" breaths.

If the baby isn't breathing, give her two little breaths, each lasting just one second. Cover the baby's nose and mouth with your mouth and gently exhale into her lungs only until you see her chest rise, pausing between rescue breaths to let the air flow back out.

Remember that a baby's lungs are much smaller than yours, so it takes much less than a full breath to fill them. Breathing too hard or too fast can force air into the baby's stomach.

If her chest doesn't rise, her airway is blocked. Give her first aid for choking, described above.

Step 4: Do 30 chest compressions.

With the baby still lying on his back, place the pads of two or three fingers in the center of his chest, just below an imaginary line running between his nipples.

With the pads of your fingers on that spot, compress the chest about 1 1/2 inches. Push straight down. Compressions should be smooth, not jerky.

Do 30 chest compressions at the rate of 100 per minute. Count out loud: "One and two and three and...", pushing down as you say the number and coming up as you say "and." (The song Staying Alive is the right rate!)

When you complete 30 compressions, give two rescue breaths (step 3, above). (Each cycle of chest compressions and rescue breaths should take about 24 seconds.)

Step 5: Repeat compressions and breaths.

Repeat the sequence of 30 compressions and two breaths. If you're alone with the baby, call 911 or the local emergency number after two minutes of care.

Continue the sequence of compressions and breaths until help arrives, you find an obvious sign of life, an AED (automated external defibrillator) is ready to use, the scene becomes unsafe, or you are too exhausted to continue.

Even if the baby seems fine by the time help arrives, a doctor will need to check her to make sure that her airway is completely clear and she hasn't sustained any internal injuries.

Below is a list of organisations in Trinidad and Tobago that provides the courses for learning CPR and First Aid Training. Check them out and get certified! 

Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society

Venues: Port Of Spain, San Fernando & Tobago

Call Our Office To Sign Up 627 9411, 627- 8215 Or 627-8128

What You Need: 3 Passport-Sized Photos & $500

JARIC Environment Safety and Health Services

Tel:(868) 221-4100 or 223-1198

Email: http://www.jaricesh.com/

A.R.C. Safety Training LTD. (ARCST)

Cunupia, Chaguanas
393-9744 (Tel1)
381-4463 (Tel2)

Emergency First Response

Cunupia
693-2636 (Tel1)
765-3690 (Tel2)

HHSL Safety Systems Ltd

1A Chootoo Road
EL Socorro Extension
San Juan
675-1234 (Tel1)
675-3354 (Tel2)

Standard Medical Advance Institute of Technical Training LTD (SMAITT)

Chaguanas
671-8925 (Tel)
482-8171 (Cell)

What happens if my child has an allergic reaction to a food?

When kids are allergic to a food, their body treats the food like an invader and launches an immune-system attack.

Sometimes the body makes an antibody called IgE, a protein that can detect the food. If your child eats the food again, the antibody tells your child's immune system to release substances such as histamine to fight the "invader." These substances cause allergy symptoms, which can be mild or severe.

Symptoms usually show up within minutes to two hours after eating a specific food. Your child may complain that her tongue or mouth is tingling, itching or burning, or just say that her mouth feels funny. Her ears may itch, or she may develop hives or have trouble breathing.

If your child has a severe allergic reaction, it can be life threatening.

In some cases, though, food allergy symptoms – such as eczema or gastrointestinal problems like vomiting or diarrhea – are chronic, or ongoing. (Eczema is dry, scaly patches of skin that show up on a child's face, arms, trunk, or legs.)

Children can have a reaction to a food even if they've eaten it before without any problem. So a child who inherits the tendency to be allergic to eggs might not have a reaction the first few times he eats them – but eventually the symptoms will show up.

Keep in mind that your child's early exposures to the ingredient may have been when it was combined with something else – for instance, the eggs, milk, or ground nuts in a cookie.

Then there's a specific type of food allergy that mostly affects babies. It's called food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES), and it results in gastrointestinal reactions, such as profuse vomiting and diarrhea, and dehydration. It's uncommon, but it can be very serious.

The severe symptoms of FPIES generally show up about two to three hours after the baby eats the food, though sometimes infants who are ingesting the food regularly (in breast milk or formula, for example) develop increasingly severe symptoms.

Cow's milk or soy (in formula), and proteins in breast milk are the most common triggers of FPIES in the first months of life. Once a baby starts eating solid food, rice and oats are the most common culprits, though any food protein can be responsible.

FPIES can be difficult to diagnose (there's no standard allergy test for it). Most babies with FPIES recover from it in early childhood.