How is Menopause Related with Overactive Bladder?

When a woman’s ovaries stop releasing eggs, and her menstruation ends, then this phase of her life is known as menopause. Most of the women experience menopause during later forties or early fifties. When a woman is expected to reach menopause or has already met with it, then it might experience a medical situation known as overactive bladder or OAB. Overactive bladder can be witnessed with following symptoms:

·         Increased frequency of urination

·         An instant urge to urinate

·         Frequent urination during the night time

·         Difficulty controlling urination

As per a study conducted by the Urology Care Foundation, women after menopause are at a great risk of experiencing this problem.

Relation between Menopause and Overactive Bladder

Pre-menopause or the phase just before the actual menopause women experience a fall in the level of estrogen, which is an important hormone essential for female sexual development. This hormone is released by the ovaries, and besides playing a crucial role in thedevelopment of reproductive and sexual systems, this hormone affects the well-being of other body organs, such as pelvic muscles, urinary tract, and more.

Once a woman reaches menopause her body stops producing estrogen, which further reduces the strength of the bladder and pelvic tissues. Low levels of estrogenresult in lost strength of the pelvic muscles and even cause intense pressure around the urethra muscle. There are various types of bladder related problems that a woman might experience due to menopause, and one of them is anoveractive bladder.During this ailment, a woman feels like urinating very often and wish to go to the bathroom even when there is no need. Sometimes the problem is so severe that a woman experiences aleak of urine during a cough, sneeze, or laugh.

Diagnosing Bladder Control Problem

In order to diagnose the problem, an experienced doctor would perform a proper physical exam of the body and even the pelvic muscles. You even have to undergo some laboratory tests to identify signs of urinary tract infection. Once the examination process is completed, you would be then asked to maintain a schedule of your urination frequency and timing. You even have to maintain a record of your diet in the diary or any overwhelming desires you could recall.

Treatment for Menopause Related Overactive Bladder

If you are diagnosed with this problem, then the very first thing you need to do is to change your diet and include drinking fluids like water, almond milk, soy milk, and avoid drinking coffee, tea, and juices. You even need to stop eating chocolates, tomatoes, spicy food, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners. In addition to this, you need to perform Kegel exercise ideal to strengthen your pelvic muscle. If there is aneed, then you need to take estrogen supplements in order to strengthen urethra muscle and enhance blood flow. If anything else does not work, then you need to go through surgery.

The symptoms of overactive bladder are irritating and can make it difficult for you to enjoy your everyday activities. But the good thing is that a correct treatment can combat this problem with ease. So, if you are experiencing any such troubles, then it is essential that you consult an experienced doctor instantly. 

Are your hands totally germ free?

You can never be sure if your hands are carrying germs or not. Take the guesswork out of the equation and be germ-free by using a hand sanitizer.

The human hands are carriers of many germs, and they are inadvertently passed from one person to another. Keeping them germ-free at all times is not as tough as you think – simply use an antibacterial hand sanitizer that kills up to 99.9% germs on your hands.

When should you use hand sanitizer?

After eating. Whether you eat using your hands or using spoons and forks, you must get rid of germs you may have picked up. Germs can lurk on unclean spoons and plates, and they may also be ingested. After you have had your meal, err on the side of caution and clean your hands with antibacterial hand sanitizer. This is helpful for those at work and school.

After visiting the restroom. You would think people who visited the restroom would wash their hands with soap, but you would think wrong! Most people just rinse their hands with plain water. This is risky behaviour, especially at the workplace, where germs may spread rapidly from one person to another. But you can be responsible – use antibacterial hand sanitizer after visiting the restroom, especially if you are not certain that the soap provided by the office is an antibacterial one.

Before handling a baby. Babies are delicate and easily prone to infections. You cannot touch your baby with germs lurking on your hands. But keeping a baby unattended while you nip to the bathroom to wash your hands with soap is also not an option. Take the easier route out – keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in the baby’s wardrobe or near the diaper changing station. That way, you can quickly clean your hands prior to changing your baby or picking them up. It is a good idea to use sanitizer afterward, too.

After cleaning a pet’s bowls and litter box. Your pets are precious, but they also trail a lot of infectious germs and mud all over the house. They pass germs on to you and your family members. Often, the pet’s feeding bowls and trays can get neglected – merely giving them a rinse with water will not clean them completely. Add disinfecting liquid to the detergent when washing their plates, bowls and trays, or use a kitchen disinfectant spray. Clean out the litter box diligently and spray it liberally with air disinfectant so as to kill all germs.

After reaching work. Your car harbours many germs that you are unaware of. The steering wheel, car phone, entertainment system buttons and the door handle are all hotbeds of germs. Once you park your car and reach your desk, just reach out for hand sanitizer and clean your hands before you touch other surfaces. 

Face flu season with confidence

Good personal hygiene and maintaining cleanliness in your work space can go a long way in preventing flu.

Flu season is awful! Apart from a temperature, you suffer from a runny nose, headaches and nausea. But if you think getting flu is inevitable, think again. Preventing flu may be easier than you think!

Consider the following tips that show how to prevent the flu:

* Get a flu vaccine. Ask your doctor about taking an annual flu vaccine, making special mention of any other medication you may be on. During flu season, doctors recommend a preventive dose of antiviral medication such as Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) and/or Relenza (Zanamivir).

* Wash your hands frequently. The easiest route for the flu virus to reach you is through your hands. You are less likely to contract the virus by inhaling its germs directly through the air. In fact, the germs are more likely to implant on your hands after you touch surfaces contaminated by them. Once they are on the hands, they enter the system when you accidentally touch your eyes or nose. So if you want to know how to prevent the flu, start by washing your hands every hour with antibacterial soap.

* Keep a hand sanitiser in your bag. You may not always have access to soap and water, especially when you are out of doors or on a commute to work. No matter – let a hand sanitiser ‘wash’ your hands for you. Just take some sanitiser on your hands and rub them together till the liquid is completely absorbed. It kills the harmful germs lurking on the skin, and you can use it after you have inadvertently shaken somebody’s hand, or turned a door handle or even handled a common telephone receiver at work.

* Keep the house and work spaces clean. It is a myth that contaminated surfaces are only found in the workplace. They are found even in homes that are less than careful about hygiene, especially during flu season. Flu germs can easily be transmitted from hands to surfaces. They can affect you and your loved ones, especially if the person handling the food and cooking duties has them. The best way to ensure that the home is free of flu germs is to use an air disinfectant spray. Spray it on the surfaces of contamination and let it dry.

* Eat healthy, light food. Lowered immunity can invite flu germs into the system. It is up to you to build your family’s immunity during this trying time. Prepare hot, nutritious meals that are easy to digest. Include a lot of fruit and vegetables in the daily diet, preferably in raw or pureed form. It is also important to rest adequately and take light exercise to build resistance to disease.

Is your child’s school first-aid ready?

We list the basics you must check to ascertain if your child’s school has the tools to help children maintain good hygiene.

So your child is going back to school for a new term. It is a bittersweet feeling to watch your child grow up so quickly. But apart from your pride at watching them grow up, you are also worried about them catching various illness from other children. Young children are prone to sharing play time and love to be in close proximity to each other. This means that illness-causing germs and bacteria can spread very easily in a classroom environment.

Your child may be vaccinated for certain infections, so they may be better prepared to fight those. However, daily personal hygiene practices are most important when your child goes back to school. 

Check your child’s school for the following:

Soap dispensers. When your child goes back to school, visit the restroom with them and show them how to wash their hands using soap and water. This is very important for young children beginning school, or for those who are recovering from an illness. Explain how to soap and lather the hands and give them a thorough rinse, before drying their hands on a clean paper towel. If the school does not have liquid soap dispensers, suggest to the management that they provide the same.

A big box of tissues per class. Children can fall ill quite easily because they are in close proximity to each other in class. This means that if even one child has a cold or cough, there is high risk of the entire class falling ill by turns. You can help your child break this cycle of germ transmission by teaching them to sneeze or cough into tissues, and to throw their used tissues in the garbage bin. Do ask the teacher if there is a box of tissues provided per class. The school will be responsible enough to provide the same. If not, then you can pack tissues and a hand sanitiser in your child’s bag.

A garbage bin in the class and corridors. Children are often tempted to ball up their used tissues and throw them on the floor. Discourage this practice at home, and they will learn not to do it at school, either. Every classroom has a garbage bin, and your child must throw their used tissues in the bin.

A first aid kit with sufficient supplies. Every classroom must be equipped with a first aid kit. Children get cuts and grazes from falling or playing, or they may even develop fever at school. The kit must include bandages, gauze, disinfecting liquid, medicated tape, thermometer, spare tissues, cotton, scissors, sanitiser (for use by the person administering first aid), etc. If the classroom has a kit, check it to ascertain if the products are within their expiration date. If the classroom does not have a kit, you could prepare one for the class’s use. 

How to keep your kitchen spotlessly clean...

…and germ-free as well! This is a handy list for busy homemakers who want to ensure that their kitchens are 100% sanitised.

Try as you might, keeping your home, and particularly the kitchen, completely clean is really tough. You feel like you are on a constant war against water spots, dust, dirt and pests. You wipe down the kitchen every single day, you dust it often, and you don’t let a single cobweb settle. But still, you suspect that the kitchen is not as clean as it should be – and maybe it isn’t!

Why the kitchen should be germ free

The kitchen is the most important space in your house. It is where you cook for the family and serve food as well. You also do the dishes here. As such, the kitchen is a major wet area in the home, since you have a kitchen sink here, and there are frequent food and liquid spills as well.

But since the kitchen is warm and often humid, it attracts pests, mould and fungal growths. Germs and bacteria are instantly attracted to raw food, as also the splashes of purees, juices and other substances. They lurk on the cooking and serving surfaces, waiting to contaminate food and make you and your loved ones really sick.

Maintaining kitchen hygiene is a daily task – but it need not be a difficult one. Here’s how you can keep your kitchen clean and germ-free:

1 Wash your hands often: Your hands can touch contaminated surfaces, and then touch raw food and plates. Thus, they spread germs from one spot to another. Make it a point to wash your hands every couple of hours with antibacterial soap. Always wash your hands before and after preparing food, after doing the dishes, after visiting the restroom, and after cleaning the kitchen.

2 Mop up food spills immediately. You can be forgiven for spilling a little food in the kitchen, but be sure to clean it up at once. After wiping it, spritz some antibacterial spray on the spot so that germs are removed completely. Keep an antibacterial kitchen wipe handy for such spills.

3 Use disinfectant on the floors. This is most important for kitchen hygiene: the floors must be clean enough to sparkle. This means that not only must the floor be swept and mopped every day, they must also be treated with disinfectant cleaners mixed in clean water. The floor can get really dirty, and all bacterial growth must be removed with the best disinfectants.

4 Scrub the sink. The sink harbours a lot of grime and germs. Pour undiluted disinfectant down the drain and scrub the sink bowl with kitchen gel. Use an antibacterial wipe on the taps and sink sides. 

Are you using the right soap at home?

The soap you use may well be the difference between a healthy home or a frequently sick one. Using an antibacterial soap is a good solution.

Every house has soap in it. Soap is necessary for a variety of purposes: to clean the skin, to clean surfaces and also to wash clothes and other inanimate objects. Soap is also used to give your pets a bath. Naturally, soaps differ in composition based on their end use.

Of all the soaps that are found in the house, the one that we use to wash our hands and skin with are most important. This is because washing the skin with a good soap removes the visible dirt and other impurities on it. A good soap also has the potential to remove hidden impurities like germs and dried sweat – but only if it is an antibacterial soap.

Why use antibacterial bar soaps?

Most of us are used to bar soaps – we’ve used them since we were really young, when liquid soaps were not so prevalent or popular as they are today. Bar soaps are easy to use and they can be placed in a soap dish and forgotten. You can use them in the bath, or have a place for them at the wash basin or kitchen sink.

But merely using perfumed soap which may, at best, contain hydrating ingredients, is no use in the fight against germs and dirt. Most soaps offer a rich perfume and good lather, but do little else than remove dust and dirt particles. They cannot kill the infectious germs present on the skin, nor can they help stop the spread of bacteria.

If you are keen to maintain good standards of hygiene in your home, you must take up the cudgels against germs and viruses lurking in the house. The best way to do this is to use antibacterial bar soap, both in the shower and for washing the hands. The human skin harbours many infectious germs and bacteria, and these must be killed before they proliferate and cause illnesses.

How to use antibacterial bar soaps

Wet the skin with plain water and run the antibacterial bar soap on it. Work up a rich lather, covering every inch of the skin. The soap is mild on the skin while being harsh on germs – it can kill up to 99.9% germs on application. Meanwhile, the soap hydrates the skin and perfumes it, leaving it soft and clean for hours after use.

You can place antibacterial bar soap near the washbasin as well, and be sure to wash your hands with it every couple of hours. It will keep you and your loved ones safe during epidemics and flu season.

5 easy ways to care for a sick family member

We explain how caring for a loved one can become easy, provided you have the right approach to disinfection.

it is human nature to dread illnesses, because many of them necessitate bed rest. It is quite tough to care for a sick person in the home; you are also afraid of the illness spreading to other members of the family. We present 5 steps to care for a sick family member:

1 Separate them from the others. The first thing to do is to quarantine the patient. This means segregating them from the rest of the house. Prepare the guest room for them, so that you can access it easily and bring them their meals and medicines. Keep pets and small children away. If caring for a child, make sure that they have their favorite toys and games to amuse themselves with. Keep the windows open so that they may benefit from the fresh air.

2 Prepare hot, nutritious meals. You can fight most infections with the right foods. Home cooked food that is easily digestible helps the patient gain strength and recover faster. If the person is not very hungry, try giving them soup, or fruit/vegetable juice, or rice broth, or even steamed chicken. Insist on them finishing their meals because they medication cannot be taken on an empty stomach.

3 Change their bedding every day. If the person is suffering from an infectious disease, it is important to keep their room sanitised as much as possible. For a few minutes a day, shift them to a couch or settee in their room while you change their bedding. Do wear latex gloves when you touch the bedding, because it may be rife with infectious germs. Help the patient into freshly laundered clothes after a sponge bath.

4 Clean the surfaces in the room with a disinfectant. The ill person can feel better when their room is sanitised properly. You can do this by using disinfectant sprays on the bedstead, handrails, night stand, cabinet handles, etc. You can remove traces of the illness-causing germs by spraying the surfaces of common use in your house with the disinfectant spray – it kills 99.9% germs and viruses that cause illnesses. Spray the cleaned surfaces at a distance of 15 cm, and allow the mist to dry. Once the room is cleaner and germ-free, the patient recovers much faster.

5 Wash their clothes separately. The ill person’s clothes and bedding cannot be washed with the rest of your laundry load. Also, just washing the clothes in your usual detergent is not enough. Make a separate load and add at least one capful of disinfectant liquid to the washing water. The disinfectant liquid kills the germs present in the clothes.