Health Tip: Ease PMS Symptoms
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects many women before the start of the menstrual cycle. Symptoms can include moodiness, fatigue, insomnia, upset stomach, and joint and muscle pain, among others.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers these suggestions to help alleviate PMS symptoms:
* Take a daily multivitamin with folic acid, and a calcium supplement with vitamin D.
* Get plenty of exercise.
* Stick to a healthy diet, including lots of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, before and during your period.
* Avoid salt, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and smoking, especially when you have PMS symptoms.
* Try to get eight hours of sleep every night.
* Alleviate stress by talking to friends, exercising or keeping a journal.
* Try an over-the-counter pain reliever to ease sore breasts, muscle pain, headaches or painful cramps.
Health Tip: Prepare a Fire Safety Plan
Fires in the home can spread quickly, so it's important to devise a fire safety plan.
Here are suggestions to prepare for a fire emergency, courtesy of the U.S. National Safety Council:
* It's best to sleep with the door closed. Teach children, in the event of a fire emergency, to feel the door for heat before opening.
* Create an escape route for each area of the home, and decide on a meeting point outside the home.
* Create a map that's easy for everyone to read.
* Tell young children not to hide during a fire. Also explain that they shouldn't be afraid of firemen -- that firemen are there to help.
* Teach children to drop down and crawl beneath the smoke to escape the home.
* In low-level homes, make sure that bedroom windows open easily (aren't painted shut), as they may be a secondary means of escape.
* Make sure that everyone in the house knows how to use an escape ladder.
* Explain that no one must ever go back into a burning building.
* Young children should know their last name, street address, and how to dial 911 from a neighbor's house or cell phone.
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