Heat Stroke Preventtion

People with high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation (AFib) are 5 times at a greater risk for stroke or heat People with high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation (AFib) are 5 times at a greater risk for stroke or heat stroke than other people.
AFib effets the way your heart pumps and gives you an irregular heart beat. Pools of blood can form in the upper chambers of the heart called the (atria). This pooling can cause a blood clot in your heart. If the clot breaks away it can lodge in your brain causing a stroke.
In hot weather you need to keep well hydrated by drinking lots of water. Dehyration also causes a thicking of the blood slowing down needed blood flow. Also do to sweating (fluid loss) you loose a lot of your electrolytes that control many body functions.
Here are some simple tests if yoy think someone shows signs of stroke or heat stroke:
* Face: Ask your loved one to smile. Does one side of the mouth droop?
* Arms: Ask to lift both arms up. Does one arm drift downward?
• * Speech: Ask them to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred, sound strange are they having a hard time repeating back the phrase?
If you detect any of these signs call 911 immediately.
Remeber, heat stoke is a masked sympton. Many times the victim does not they are going into heat stroke. Light headedness, difficult breathing, feel extreme tiredness, head aches, blurred vision are only some of the signs of heat stroke.
word of the day: Hydration limit the outside time doing activities in this heat wave.zstroke than other people.
AFib effets the way your heart pumps and gives you an irregular heart beat. Pools of blood can form in the upper chambers of the heart called the (atria). This pooling can cause a blood clot in your heart. If the clot breaks away it can lodge in your brain causing a stroke.
In hot weather you need to keep well hydrated by drinking lots of water. Dehyration also causes a thicking of the blood slowing down needed blood flow. Also do to sweating (fluid loss) you loose a lot of your electrolytes that control many body functions.
Here are some simple tests if yoy think someone shows signs of stroke or heat stroke:
* Face: Ask your loved one to smile. Does one side of the mouth droop?
* Arms: Ask to lift both arms up. Does one arm drift downward?
* Speech: Ask them to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred, sound strange are they having a hard time repeating back the phrase?
If you detect any of these signs call 911 immediately.
Remeber, heat stoke is a masked sympton. Many times the victim does not they are going into heat stroke. Light headedness, difficult breathing, feel extreme tiredness, head aches, blurred vision are only some of the signs of heat stroke.
word of the day: Hydration limit the outside time doing activities in this heat wave.

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Keep Your Pets Safe during the Holiday Season

One of the great ways to celebrate the holidays is to adorn your home with decorations that reflect the joy of the season. And if you plan on entertaining guests, you’ll no doubt be enjoying delicious food from various cultural and religious heritages.

With all the changes the holidays bring, curious pets can get themselves in trouble, so it’s a good idea to keep these pet safety tips in mind:

• Pine needles from a Christmas tree, if ingested, can be extremely injurious to an animal’s digestive tract, so be sure to clean up any pine needles that may have fallen from your tree.
• Holiday plants such as poinsettias, lilies, holly and mistletoe can lead to health problems in dogs and cats. Keep these out of areas where your pet could get at them.
• Dogs and cats sometimes think that electrical cords and other items are chew toys, putting them in danger of electrocution. Consider taping down the various cords for tree lights and keep other items out of reach. Unplug lights when you’re not at home.
• Be sure that your tree is stable and secure to reduce the risk of it fallen over on your pet or starting a fire if it falls over when you’re away from home.
• Keep your pet away from the water used to keep the Christmas tree moist, as it may contain fertilizer, preservatives or, at the very least, bacteria. Always check labels and look for items that identify themselves as non-toxic.
• Some animals, especially cats, might be inclined to eat the tinsel, which could prove fatal. If you can’t hang tinsel out of reach of an enterprising feline, it might be better to skip it altogether.
• Artificial snow, packing peanuts and wrapping paper
• Glass ornaments can pose a particular danger, since animals sometimes confuse them for a toy. Even ornaments such as candy canes, dried food (ginger bread cookies) and other decorations can be a severe health risk.
• Store children’s toys when not in use. Dogs that swallow toys nearly always need surgery to have them removed, since they can cause blockages of the digestive tract.
• If you decide to light candles, keep them up and out of reach.
• Keep an eye on baked goods and other people food, as some items will make your animal sick or, at the very least, result in a terrible mess! Never allow your pets to eat people food.

Dogs and cats are naturally curious, so it may be difficult to keep them away from decorations. If all else fails, you might consider surrounding your tree with something noisy like crumpled aluminum foil to alert you if they venture into the “restricted zone.”

Pet safety, in the overall scheme of holiday safety planning, requires a bit of forethought. The benefit, however, is that it will help ensure that our furry friends are around to enjoy many more holidays with us in the years ahead!

*Content expressed in Home Security Source does not represent the thoughts and opinions of ADT Security Services, Inc. unless explicitly indicated. Bloggers featured on HomeSecuritySource.com are paid professionals. Please visit our Community Guidelines. page for additional details.

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Protect Your Home from Fire during the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a festive and joyous time, with glittering lights, ornate candles, decorated Christmas trees and wrapped gifts of all shapes and sizes. All of these staples of the season, however, can be prime catalysts for a fire unless you keep in mind some guidelines for holiday safety.

• Carefully check decorative lights for worn, frayed or broken cords, as well as any loose bulb connections. Tree fires caused by short circuits in lighting are a common cause of house fires.
• Don’t overload outlets by plugging in more than three sets of lights into a single extension cord.
• Unplug Christmas tree lights and extinguish all candles before leaving home or going to sleep.
• Keep lit candles a safe distance from your Christmas tree and keep other items, such as wrapping paper, curtains and anything flammable well clear of an open flame.
• If you must have a live tree, don’t buy one that has dry branches or dropping needles. When you get it home, keep it moist by watering it daily.
• Use a tree stand and candle holders that are stable and won’t tip.
• If you have an artificial tree, check for fire protection: It should be labeled fire-retardant or flame retardant.
• Keep any tree, artificial or natural, away from heat sources.
• Use non-flammable decorations.
• Keep all entries and exits to the house and to individual rooms free of clutter.
• Never dispose of used wrapping paper in your fireplace, as it can result in a large, rapidly burning fire, which could spark a chimney fire.
• When your tree begins dropping needles, it’s time to dispose of it away from the house. Because dry trees are extremely flammable, you should never leave it in your garage or leaned up against your house.

As always, you should check your smoke detectors and know your evacuation routes in the event of an emergency.

Following these fire protection tips during the holidays doesn’t have to spoil the fun. In fact, the added peace of mind will help you enjoy the season more, knowing that you’ve kept your family’s holiday safety in the forefront of your mind.

*Content expressed in Home Security Source does not represent the thoughts and opinions of ADT Security Services, Inc. unless explicitly indicated. Bloggers featured on HomeSecuritySource.com are paid professionals. Please visit our Community Guidelines. page for additional details.

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Holiday Safety: Post Holiday Home Security

Most people know the holidays are prime time for burglars to enter your home and steal from you while you are at a friend or family member’s party. They go after unwrapped and new high end items that they can re-sell or “fence” on the “black market”. It’s pretty obvious who’s home and who is not at home when the lights are off and there is no car in the driveway.
All a burglar has to do is ring a door bell to see of you are actually home. If no one answers they then jiggle the door knob to see if it’s locked or not. If it’s locked they will head to the back door and jiggle that. Many times they will walk right in because people are often irresponsible and leave the doors unlocked because they believe “it can’t happen to me”. If the doors are locked they may try a few street level or basement windows. Brazen burglars will not waste any time and may break glass or use a crowbar and forcibly enter the residence.
Trash day is coming and they may case a neighborhood looking for boxes where electronics such as computers, flat panel TVs, game consoles and other re-saleable items may be.
For holiday safety, use these holiday home security suggestions:
1. Lock your doors and windows
2. Install a monitored alarm system
3. Give your home the lived in look
4. Leave the TV on LOUD while you are gone
5. Install timers on your lights both indoor and outdoor
6. Close the shades to prevent peeping inside
7. Use defensive signage
8. Store item boxes for at least 90 days because if you have a defective product you will need the box for a return
9. After 90 days tear up the box so it’s undistinguishable then recycle or put it in a black trash bag

See Robert discussing personal and home security on NBC Boston
Robert Siciliano is a personal security and identity theft expert for Home Security Source. (Disclosures)

*Content expressed in Home Security Source does not represent the thoughts and opinions of ADT Security Services, Inc. unless explicitly indicated. Bloggers featured on HomeSecuritySource.com are paid professionals. Please visit our Community Guidelines. page for additional details.

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7 Holiday Safety Tips for Independence Day

Who doesn’t love fireworks! But nobody like getting hurt. It’s a small miracle that I have all 10 fingers and can see out of both eyes because during my teens and 20’s I didn’t everything possibly wrong when it came to personal safety and fireworks.
Call it luck or divine intervention I’m here today to tell you how to have a safe holiday with all your digits and eyeballs intact.
The National Council on Fireworks Safety and your local fire department are the best resources to prevent fires and learn how to handle fireworks safely.
Here seven holiday safety tips for this 4th of July:
Always have water handy. (A hose or bucket). If you are more than the length of a hose make sure the bucket is on hand.
Only use fireworks as intended. Don't try to alter them or combine them. Modifying explosives is never a good idea. Use as instructed.
Never relight a "dud" firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water. Great tip because they smolder. And NEVER toss in a fire!
Use common sense. Spectators should keep a safe distance from the shooter and the shooter should wear safety glasses. It’s not a bad idea that EVERYONE wear safety glasses.
Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a "designated shooter." Yes, tequila and roman candle fights might seem like a good idea, but NOT.
Only persons over the age of 12 should be allowed to handle sparklers of any type. At least 12.
Do not ever use homemade fireworks of illegal explosives: They can kill you! Report illegal explosives to the fire or police department in your community. And today making explosives might get the FBI, ATF or Department Homeland Security.
Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse on Fox News. Disclosures.
Related Articles:
Holiday Safety: Post Holiday Home Security
Protect Your Home from Fire during the Holiday Season
Keep Your Pets Safe during the Holiday Season

*Content expressed in Home Security Source does not represent the thoughts and opinions of ADT Security Services, Inc. unless explicitly indicated. Bloggers featured on HomeSecuritySource.com are paid professionals. Please visit our Community Guidelines. page for additional details.

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