Health: Checklists
- Sanitize drinking water before using or drinking it by boiling it, using water purification tablets, or using water filters.
- Eating a healthy diet, limiting the amount of alcohol you drink, exercising, and not smoking are smart ways to cope with stress.
- Take a multivitamin to help you get nutrients you may not be getting in your regular diet.
- Consider getting a pet to help prevent loneliness. Pets can be good companions.
- If you smoke, try to quit by using nicotine gum or patches, they help increase your chance to quit smoking successfully.
- Take time to play or listen to music to avoid or help with your stress.
- Talk to your doctor or nurse to find out about new treatments and medications for any ailments you may have.
- If you feel more sad than normal or have thoughts of killing yourself, speak to your doctor. If you are in the U.S. you can contact http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255), which offers a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone experiencing a suicidal crisis or emotional distress. If you are outside the U.S., you can find helplines at: http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html.Your doctor can also help you cope and deal with your depression, so speak to them about it as well.
- Talk to family members about diseases and illnesses that run in your family. Diseases often run in families so it is important to let your doctor know about your family’s medical history.
- Begin talking to your children about sex and changes that will occur in their body early on. It is better they hear things from you rather than from media or other teens which may give them inaccurate information.
- Ask your local pharmacists about the drugs and medications you are taking to know about their side effects and to make sure there are not any problems with reactions that may occur.
- See your doctor if you have any problems with blurry vision, spots, or glare at night. They may be signs of greater eye problems.
- Wear sunglasses that block UV rays and a hat to protect your eyes from the sun.
- Set a consistent wake-up time to help combat sleepiness. The more you have a scheduled sleep, the better.
- Make sure to get enough regular sleep. Major health problems are all linked to not getting enough sleep: hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, weight gain, and dementia.
- Eat all the colorful fruits and vegetables. They contain antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E, and beta-carotene, which help prevent colds and flu.
- Get a flu shot to help prevent from contracting the seasonal flu.
- Keep gel sanitizers close by, especially if you use public transportation. If you are around sick people and can’t wash your hands right away, gel sanitizers may be the next best thing.
- If you have dry skin, use petroleum jelly (Vaseline). It is inexpensive and you can use it on almost all areas of your body including lips and feet.
- Examine your body to check for any changes in moles on your body. Notify your doctor or seek a health care professional’s advice if you develop new ones or there are changes, sometimes moles can be cancerous.
- If someone gets stung by an insect and they have trouble breathing, feel faint or dizzy, have hives, a swollen tongue, or is severely allergic to insect stings, call your local emergency number right away.
- Call your doctor right away if your baby seems sick and experiences irritability, poor feeding, respiratory distress, rash, vomiting, or diarrhea. These may be symptoms of sickness or a greater problem.
- Eating a diet high in protein can help make you feel fuller so you do not eat a second helping.
- Read health journals and books and explore websites devoted to health topics and nutrition to stay up-to-date on how to be good to yourself.
- Pack a lunch instead of eating out. By doing so, you have more control over portion size and the healthy ingredients in your lunch.
Moderate physical activity is an important way to stay healthy.
Wearing sunglasses helps protect your eyes against the sun’s harmful UV rays.
Comments