Posts Tagged ‘home’

Allergies are a distressing condition and there are plenty of people who suffer from them. Sneezing, watery, puffy eyes are just two of the more common symptoms of a allergy sufferer but many have problems breathing as well.The probability that this will occur is at some point in any time of the year but the most chances can be during the season where the blooming of flowers start therefore the scattering of pollens come about.The presence of these contaminations may vary from one location to another so it still depends on the area where you reside. This article would focus on allergy relief electronic air cleaner or air purifiers and what value they can add to the overall situation.

Hypersensitivity can not only be taken outside and more often than not, your home is much more prone to contaminants than anywhere else therefore using an electronic air cleaner or air purifier at home can really be of use.We are continuously breathing an air of the same sort repetitively from our homes that can be more of like considered as enclosed spaces. Attacks that can set off very quickly may be caused by some of the common things found at home such as the dust and dust mites. An allergy relief electronic air cleaner or air purifier will filter the air you are breathing in and remove the unwanted particles that are causing you the problems.

Since most of the allergy relief electronic air cleaners are made in portable form, you can use it in any room and carry it along anywhere in the house as all it needs is to be plugged to an outlet. One of these units can not only remove dust and dust mites, but it can eliminate odors that can set off an attack like perfume or air fresheners. The unconscious inhalation of such smoke or smoke smells can no longer hurt you as they can also entrap those so that such pollutants can’t set off an attack. An allergy attack can’t be avoided especially if you are near a person who smokes as the smell is still within that person lingering through his or her hair, hands and clothes which can be enough to trigger an attack. What the electronic air cleaner does is to capture the smoke as well as the smoke odor and run it through its own filtering system after which it releases fresh and clean air for you to breathe in.

Air purifiers can be purchased from a variety of outlets such as home improvement stores and a wide selection of stores offering groceries, clothing and home improvement supplies. There are different types of units available with many made solely for home use. There are units designed for room use only and some for utilization around the house with some pieces that be placed into your car or truck are also available as well as units that are necklace-like in form which you can bring along with you to give you filtered air wherever you go. Never have I ever imagined that putting an allergy relief electronic air cleaner or air purifier into you cat box can possibly remove undesirable odors.

Your health is all you have without it little else matters. Stay informed and get the best health for yourself and those you love.

Learn more about an electronic air cleaner. Stop by Peter Greden’s site where you can find out all about honeywell electronic air cleaner and what it can do for you.

If you suffer from a stiff neck or have trouble getting a good nights sleep then you should be thinking about buying a neck support pillow. A neck support pillow will allow you to go to sleep and wake up refreshed and ready for the day ahead.

You should give a neck support pillow a try if you suffer from chronic back pain or stiffness. The pillow is designed to support and comfort your neck, shoulders and back. It will cradle your neck and will restore the natural curve of your spine therefore releasing any pressure that is on your joints. Your spine could be out of alignment due to any number of reasons such as bad sleeping position, not sitting properly or spending hours on a keyboard typing.

Neck support pillows relieve the symptoms of poor posture. They work as the weight of the head gently stretches the neck to its maximum extension while relaxing the spinal cord. It also stretches the muscles in the front of the neck allowing the joints to receive proper fluid motion and helps to restore the normal position.

If you suffer from poor posture then you may have other health issues that are affecting your life such as headaches, pain in the neck and snoring problems. A neck pillow can help ease these problems by rectifying your poor posture and therefore giving you a good nights sleep.

When you lay on this support pillow face up with your neck curved over the top of the pillow, the upper chest portion and anterior neck muscles are stretched by the weight of the head. While there is no stretching and tension in the neck, the muscles no longer spasm. In the absence of muscle spasm, there is a great reduction of the nerve impingement, neck pain, headaches and associated health problems.

Some neck pillows have added advantages:

1. Massage features: These pillows permit one to select the massage action out of many intensity settings in them.

2. Buckwheat pillows: These pillows are made from buckwheat hulls which can mold to your bodies sleeping positions. It works as a good support and will help cradle the neck.

3. Microwavable.

4. Water Pillows: Provides good neck support and adjustable as per your needs. Very comfortable and excellent neck support no matter whether the water compartment is full or empty.

5. Inflatable neck pillows: Facilitates the adjustment of the amount of air inside the pillow. It provides the right fit around the neck by the usage of air release valve permitting the release of pressure in the pillow.

6. Travel neck pillows: These pillows can be used just about anywhere including planes, trains and cars. They prevent your head from rolling sideways while you sleep upright.

7. Neck roll pillows: These pillows can be used under the neck, under the legs or behind the back. It can be used when sitting up or lying down. It cradles your neck for a good nights sleep.

There are so many different types of neck support pillow that many people invest in two or three. There is no one pillow that suits everyone as we all have different sleeping positions and different needs. Whichever pillow you choose you can be sure you will be in for a good nights sleep.

Do you hesitate to use neck support pillow? Don’t hesitate. Find out the top 5 benefits of neck support pillow at my neck pillow guide site.

Bed bugs used to be a nuisance back in the early days, but they were nearly wiped out in the middle of the 20th century. However, bed bugs have been making a comeback lately due to the fact that less powerful insecticides are used today.

Another cause of the resurgence of bed bugs was due to more international traveling where people from countries with bed bugs would go to countries that did not have them. Hotels throughout the U.S. became infected by the pests as well.

Bed bugs can hide anywhere. They can hide in your clothes, luggage, mattress, furniture, or in cracks and crevices in your home. Usually they will hide close to their food, which is you, so they stay in the mattress.

Bed bugs come out at night and drink your blood. They leave chemicals in the bite wound so that you will not feel pain. Once the bed bug leaves and the chemicals wear off, your skin will feel irritable.

If you want to kill all the bed bugs, then you will need to seek out all the places that they hide. They normally like to hide somewhere close to their food source. If you miss just one bed bug, they will quickly reproduce so it is imperative to get all of them.

If you suspect that bed bugs are hiding in your mattress, then may want to buy a mattress cover. These plastic covers kill bed bugs by closing them inside the cover. After 6 months or longer, the bed bugs will be starved to death.

Once you kill the bed bugs hiding in your mattress, you need to do a sweep of the surrounding areas. Since the bed bugs could hide anywhere, you have to do a thorough check.

If you feel that you cannot find all the places where bed bugs hide, you might want to call up a professional exterminator. They have the resources and knowledge to kill bed bugs.

Henry has been a professional exterminator for many years. For further information on how to kill bed bugs at home, please visit his website.

A chlorine shower filter may be one of the best investments you can make to protect your health. Your entire body is affected by showering in chlorinated water, and these effects accumulate over time. They can be insidious, so you do not even realize what is happening until later. There are many things to be aware of about bathing and showering in tap water.

Most of us would never dream of drinking tap water. The chlorine levels are so high, in an effort to kill off any bacteria, that the smell and taste of our tap water is of chlorine. Drinking chlorinated water is almost like drinking diluted bleach.

And yet, we shower in chlorinated water without giving it a second thought. The thing is, the chlorine in the water becomes a gas at a lower temperature than the water becomes steam. So what we are breathing in that shower is a higher concentration of chlorine.

When we take a hot shower, our pores open up more because of the heat. And we are absorbing all of that chlorine into our pores and into our blood stream. You are also breathing the toxin into your lungs. Basically, you are taking far more chlorine into your system in a shower than you possibly could by drinking tap water. Scientific research is now confirming that showering in chlorinated water is toxic and can result in various dangers to your health.

Chlorine shower filters are plentiful on the market, and in many different styles. There are still charcoal filters available which do filter out chlorine, but generally they are not able to filter out all of it. This media can also become a breeding ground for bacteria.

There is a new technology out on the market is called KDF and it is a media that filters out several elements including chlorine and heavy metals. It does this by using ionic charge to remove the chlorine from the water. It is able to remove approximately 99% of the chlorine. Additionally, bacteria cannot form in this media.

Whichever type of filter you choose, it will probably have filters that need to be replaced. How often you will need to do this will depend on how many people use the shower, how long they take showers for and how often. You will know when it is time to replace your filter when you can start smelling the chlorine again.

Physical design can also be important in choosing your shower filter. Some filters have the media attached in place of the shower head or between the shower head and the pipe. This has the effect of decreasing the space to stand underneath the shower. Other types have the media to the side or above which does not take away any precious head space.

You may have to take a bit of time to go through the various types of chlorine shower filters available on the market. However, you will find one that meets your needs. Make your decision not just on design or price but on effectiveness. For the benefit of your health, the effectiveness is without question the most important consideration.

Save yourself and your family from harmful chemicals-buy a shower water filter to give your family clean water. A chlorine shower filter will keep your family from harmful chlorine! Make the logical choice today that could save your life!

As the news of influenza is seen everywhere we turn, more and more people are seeking every available means to support their immune system and potentially prevent the infection by any number of serious viral contagions — most notably these days is “Swine Flu”, though there may be more in our future. Historically, essential oils have been used during major plagues as a means to prevent infection. Pictures can be found in natural medicine textbooks of medical practitioners wearing facemasks stuffed with cinnamon, cloves, sage and other botanicals to ward of illness. Today’s leading professional aromatherapists also suggest the most important use of essential oils for humanity will be in the treatment and prevention of such infectious illnesses. Are essential oils a viable option as an alternative therapy for home use? Here’s a look at the scientific research, as well as formulas and practices to make use of aromatic medicines.

Essential Oils’ Antiviral Activity: The Research

Over the last decade, laboratory researchers around the world have found many essential oils are capable of directly eradicating viruses. Further, they may even prevent viruses from moving between cells within the body and limiting the spread of infection. This is not an over-optimistic interpretation of the data by an essential oil proponent, but the actual conclusions of controlled research studies. Abstracts of all the research mentioned here can be found through pubmed.gov, the database maintained by the National Institute of Health and the US National Library of Medicine. If you wish, you can browse these results by entering search terms such as “essential oil virus”, “antiviral essential oil”, and more specifically “laurus nobilis SARS” (Laurus nobilis being Bay Laurel essential oil, and SARS a highly-infectious viral respiratory ailment). While there is not yet data where essential oils have been tested against Swine Flu and Avian Flu specifically, as we’ll see there is every reason to believe the oils will be effective against these virus strains as well.

Looking At The Data: Many Viruses And Many Oils

With more than one hundred published research papers on the subject, a summary is in order. What scientists are finding is that many of the essential oils commonly in use today have antiviral properties. Whether an oil is effective against a particular virus depends upon the natural chemical makeup of the oil and the structure of the virus being studied. The data, without a doubt, is very encouraging. One study performed in Germany this year concluded with the note that Tea Tree was able to “reduce viral infectivity by greater than 96 percent”. The same study went on to clarify that the whole, natural oil, rather than any single chemical synthetically extracted, was up to TEN TIMES more effective as an antiviral agent. The precise reason for this is not known — it is clear that some of the most chemically complex oils exhibit the greatest antiviral effects, and perhaps this mixture of nature’s chemicals attacks the virus AND supports immune function is several ways at once.

Laurus Nobilis and SARS

Many of the studies utilize the Herpes Simplex Virus as a “test subject”, because of the widespread prevalence of infection, along with the relative ease of testing. However, if one digs into the data, many papers present information relevant in in influenza pandemic. SARS ‘Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome’ is caused by the highly infectious SARS-CoV virus that made world-wide news in 2003. A study in the March 2008 Journal of Chemical Biodiversity noted Bay Laurel essential oil to have significant antiviral action against this virus. They’d also noted the natural constituents of this oil, which are also found in a great many other essential oils. This is why you’ll see MANY essential oils noted as antivirals — because many oils share similar natural chemical constituents. So while this next oil is not readily available, the data is very interesting. In 2005, Chinese researchers evaluated the anti-influenza potential of the essential oil from a root used in Chinese medicine, concluding: “In vivo…it prevented influenza virus-induced deaths in a dose-dependent manner”. And the list of oil/virus combinations goes on and on. But this begs the question: how do we derive a formula for Swine Flu prevention?

Selecting Oils For Daily Flu Protection

Here’s where we’ll make the leap from the scientific evidence to relying on many many years of Aroma Medicine practice throughout the world. In the aromatherapy textbooks, the list of antiviral essential oils is long. This corroborates with the scientific findings that a great many essential oils DO in-fact have antiviral activity. Where the help of skilled professional practitioners comes in is that in these texts, oils are prescribed by how effective they are against viruses that produce particular symptoms — respiratory tract infections are treated with cineol-containing oils such as Eucalyptus Radiata and Ravensara Aromatica. Viral infections of the skin are often treated with Melissa and/or Tea Tree. The doctors who have been using essential oils as medicine for years in Europe have developed a solid system, and can be relied upon in defining the appropriate list of oils for us.

A selection of potentially helpful essential oils includes the following: Melissa (also known as Lemon Balm), Eucalyptus Radiata (one of many kinds of Eucalyptus, this one specifically noted for its antiviral effects), Ravensara (similar to Eucalyptus, also a highly regarded antiviral), Lavender (don’t let its flowery aroma trick you — it is also considered antiviral and an immunostimulant), Maleleuca ericifolia (a relative of Tea Tree), Hyssop, Bay Laurel, and Thyme.

An Influenza Prevention Recipe

An example blend including these oils: 2 parts Melissa, 1 part Thyme (Thujanol, Geraniol or Linalool), 4 parts Lavender, 3 parts Ravensara, 4 parts Eucalyptus Radiata (Narrow Leaf), 3 parts Hyssop, 6 parts Rosalina (Melaluca ericifolia) and 3 parts Bay Laurel. A “part” can be anything — a milliliter, a drop, an ounce — just as long as they’re consistently the same volume. For children between 2 and 13, use 4 parts Lavender, 3 parts Rosalina, 1 part Ravensara, 1 part Eucalyptus and 3 parts Bay Laurel. This recipe is excellent as a lower-cost version for adults as well — and has been made more gentle for the young ones (consult Valerie Worwood’s “Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child” for more on using essential oils with kids).

Diffusion: Getting The Oils Into The Air

The best way to use these oils is through diffusion, which is essentially “rapid evaporation”. A nebulizing aromatherapy diffuser will make a fine mist of essential oil which cleanly evaporates in your surroundings. This method allows a low concentration of the oils to be inhaled regularly. The effect is to actually disinfect the air in your home, as well as getting the oils into one’s lungs and bloodstream in small amounts. A feature of oils’ activity is that they are reported to reduce the ability of viruses to penetrate cell walls, so the lungs and sinuses become protected just by breathing the oil-infused air. Be careful not to overdo it though — the aroma should never be overwhelming or irritating, and your body will tell you if you’ve had enough. The oils do their immune-supportive job in subtle ways, which require only the smallest amounts of oil. The casual inhalation of the oils also gets them into circulation throughout the bloodstream, penetrating all the organ systems, and most importantly the lymph system — home to our immune function. A cold air nebulizing diffuser (as opposed to an ‘ultrasonic’, which dilutes the oils with water) would ideally be run 5-10 minutes every hour for this purpose.

Topical Application and Baths

In cases where diffusion is not practical, topical application of the oil formula is the next best thing. This can be done in a couple of ways: either though an aromatherapy bath, or through the ancient practice of reflexology — where the oils are absorbed at the reflex points of the feet. For the bath, mix 4-6 drops of the essential oil recipe in a little carrier oil (or any off-the-shelf bath oil). Swirl this blend into an already drawn bath and soak! For children, lessen the amount of essential oil 2 drops (for ages 2-8) or 4 drops (9-13). The feet and the areas of the body where the lymph nodes are close to the surface are also excellent places to massage in this recipe. The oils readily penetrate the skin and are rapidly absorbed. For adults, make a 5% concentration of the essential oil recipe in any carrier oil (Coconut, with its own antiviral activity may be best — otherwise any one will do). A 5% concentration is simply a 1 to 20 ratio — 1 part essential oil blend to 19 parts carrier (this same concentration is made by adding 44 drops of the formula to each 1 fluid ounce of carrier oil). Lower this concentration for children in a manner similar to the aromatherapy bath. A daily foot massage, and/or massage into the armpits, neck and sternum is an excellent means of treating yourself and your family to these wonderful herbal medicines.

Conclusion: Essential Oils, Infectious Illness and the Future

As noted earlier, the world’s leading aroma-medicine practitioners believe the most important healing potential for essential oils is in the prevention and treatment of infectious illness. Of course, one should evaluate every available means of strengthening their immune system and those of their loved ones — there are many ways health professionals will recommend to do this. Considering the scientific data, essential oils are certainly a very worthy method of providing this support. Given all the contagions, Swine flu, Avian flu, and ones yet to be named, natural medicines have the long-term advantage of not being easily “adapted to” by viruses. The oils are so complex, and have evolved as the defense mechanism of plants over millions of years that they may present a far greater challenge to a virus to become resistant to when compared to synthetic preparations. And they’re such a joy to use — you’re house will be smelling fantastic while you’re keeping healthy; a great many amateur practitioners will concur that think you’ll find essential oils very worthwhile.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. They are not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease. The statements included in this document are the opinions of natural health professionals drawing on historical therapeutic practices and relevant scientific data. They are not meant to be a substitute for face-to-face consultations with trained and licensed medical professionals. Essential oils are considered to be supportive of the immune system’s actions my a great many health practitioners; at the same time, it is important to be aware of all the options available to you to make the best choices for your health and the health of your family.

The author is a natural health professional utilizing aromatherapy essential oils and offers wholesale essential oils through her website.

A dehumidifier pump is a necessary item for any dehumidifier owner to have. These pumps pull the water from the inside of the dehumidifier reservoir and drains it out elsewhere, eliminating the need to do it yourself. While this is a rather niche item, there are a wide variety of brands and styles to choose from. You can find pumps for both small and large model dehumidifiers, so no matter your system you can find a pump.

One thing to keep in mind about purchasing a dehumidifier pump is that it is absolutely imperative that you read reviews from other people who have purchased specific models. Low quality models can end up leaking all over the floor — which can completely ruin your flooring wherever you place the pump in your home. You need to make sure that you get a quality pump, otherwise you could be looking at a huge mess to clean up as well as some possible repair bills.

The pump needs somewhere to run the water that is taken from your dehumidifier, so you should place the pump somewhere that is close to an accessible and safe draining area.

The pump’s motor is also something that you need to consider. Cheaper and lower quality models will have an engine that is unprotected from the water it is extracting, which can make the pump stall and leave water in the dehumidifier If it is stalled for too long your dehumidifier could fill up and stop working until you have discovered the problem. Quality models have engines that are protected and powerful that are not at risk from being waterlogged or damaged by the intake. It is much better to purchase a more expensive dehumidifier pump and not have to repair it than it is purchase a cheaper one and have to have it repaired a few months to a year later.

You can also find automatic models, which will drain the water on its own whenever the water in the dehumidifier’s reservoir gets to be too high. These types of models can save you quite a bit on power bills because of the automatic shut on and shut off, not to mention the convenience of not having to manually power it on yourself.

If you are looking to get a dehumidification system for your whole home, it is going to be a good idea to invest in a pump as well. Without a pump, maintaining a dehumidifier can be a huge task because of the heavy lifting to drain out the reservoir once in a while. Save yourself the effort and the aching joints and try a dehumidifier pump. They come in various price ranges, and they take a giant chunk out of the hassle of owning a large dehumidifier.

Thinking about getting a whole house dehumidifier, but worried about hauling the water out to drain? A dehumidifier pump can drain it for you with absolutely no inconvenience.