2010-07-17 2333
"The Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival in our country. Citizens start visiting relatives and friends, preparing for the festival, but while welcoming the Spring Festival, health is also a compulsory course for every citizen. In order to allow citizens to enjoy a happy and peaceful Spring Festival without affecting their mood due to neglecting their health, our reporter recently interviewed medical experts in our city to learn about common diseases during the Spring Festival and their preventive measures. The experts also provided information on commonly stocked home medicine cabinets and how to deal with accidents, addressing the concerns of the citizens and providing them with self-treatment tips and advice for the Spring Festival period."
"Prevention Section:
Prevention for All - Influenza A (H1N1)
The winter and spring seasons are the peak periods for respiratory diseases, and this year, the situation of the global spread of influenza A (H1N1) has become a top priority for epidemic prevention and control. "Although the current situation of influenza A in our city is relatively stable, we cannot ignore the prevention of H1N1 influenza. Therefore, influenza prevention is one of the essential courses for citizens to ensure their own health during the 2010 Spring Festival," said Chen Yuqing, head of the Disease Control and Prevention Department of the Municipal Health Bureau. "Especially for patients with chronic diseases, pregnant women, obese individuals, the elderly, and infants, they are high-risk groups for H1N1 influenza. Therefore, during the Spring Festival, these individuals should try to minimize their travel, avoid crowded transportation, and avoid places with large crowds, such as supermarkets and shopping malls. If they must travel, they should wear masks as much as possible. If they or their family members experience symptoms such as high fever and body aches that resemble H1N1 influenza, they should seek medical attention promptly and consciously avoid places with large crowds to prevent infecting others. In normal times, household hygiene should be maintained, and even in cold weather, windows should be opened regularly for ventilation to keep the indoor air flowing."
"Prevention for Children - Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease + Measles
Infants and children are an indispensable part of the Spring Festival atmosphere. Cute babies and lively children bring joy to the entire festival. At the same time, infants and young children are the most vulnerable group who cannot take care of themselves, so the responsibility falls on parents. For children under 5 years old, parents should focus on preventing the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease. Chen Yuqing explained that although hand, foot and mouth disease is a gastrointestinal infectious disease that mainly occurs in May and June, based on the occurrence of hand, foot and mouth disease in the city in 2009, there is a trend of early onset in January and February. Hand, foot and mouth disease is mainly spread through skin, respiratory tract, and diet, with multiple transmission routes. Therefore, Chen Yuqing hopes to remind parents to pay attention to daily hygiene. Parents with children aged 0 to 5 years old should encourage their children to wash their hands frequently, maintain good hygiene habits, exercise, and adults should try not to smoke or drink in indoor areas with children, maintain balanced diets for children, and balance work and rest to improve their resistance to diseases. For children under 14 years old, this period is also a high-risk period for respiratory infectious diseases such as measles, so citizens should be cautious."
"Prevention for the Elderly - Chronic Diseases + Cardiovascular Diseases
The elderly look forward to the Spring Festival. With their children and grandchildren working or studying year-round, they have little time to accompany their elderly parents. The Spring Festival is the best time to reunite the family. However, for the elderly, especially those with chronic diseases and cardiovascular diseases, the Spring Festival is also a period of high risk. Chen Yuqing said that elderly people with chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and other chronic diseases, should strictly control their diet, exercise properly, and take medication regularly during the Spring Festival. "The Spring Festival is a festival of reunion, but the diet during the festival is often too high in fat and sugar, which easily leads to a sudden increase in blood lipids and blood sugar. In addition, for elderly patients with cardiovascular diseases, because the winter and spring seasons are high-risk periods for cardiovascular diseases, they should avoid sudden changes in temperature, keep warm, avoid crowded places, and maintain a good mood to prevent cardiovascular events." Chen Yuqing said."
Prevention for Middle-aged Adults: Alcohol Abuse and Drunk Driving
During the Spring Festival, which is a rare opportunity for relaxation after a busy year, middle-aged and young people can finally temporarily set aside their work and spend time visiting relatives and friends. Many people who work or labor outside can also bring their spouses and children back home to celebrate the New Year with their elders, showing filial piety. Therefore, middle-aged and young friends have the most important role during the Spring Festival. With responsibilities towards both parents and children, it is crucial to act as a "pillar of support." While it is inevitable to have a few drinks during festive gatherings, Mr. Chen, the section chief, specifically reminds young and middle-aged friends not to overindulge and to drink in moderation, strictly avoiding drunk driving.
■ First Aid Section
During an interview with Vice Director Wan Jie of the city's 120 Emergency Command Center, it was learned that the period before and after the Spring Festival is a high-risk period for traffic accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning, deaths caused by foreign bodies obstructing the airway after alcohol abuse, firecracker injuries, cardiovascular diseases, and other injuries and illnesses. It is always better to be prepared than to act in haste, so it is hoped that the general public will increase their knowledge of emergency medical care and be prepared for unforeseen circumstances.
Self-help after Firecracker Injuries
Firecrackers are a distinctive symbol of the Spring Festival and a favorite pastime for children during this time. In recent years, with the loosening of restrictions on firecracker use, firecracker-related injuries have been on the rise. Every year before and after the Spring Festival, there is a high incidence of trauma accidents, and the emergency department receives children injured by firecrackers. Therefore, parents should take good care of their children, especially those in mischievous age groups such as junior high and elementary school students. If injured by a firecracker, immediate medical attention should be sought.
Before the arrival of emergency medical services, citizens can take appropriate first aid measures to minimize the trauma and after-effects of injuries as much as possible upon arrival at the hospital. When the skin is injured, first carefully remove any debris on the surface of the wound and rinse it with saline solution. If blisters form on the skin, do not burst them and avoid applying self-prescribed medicines or ointments, as it may increase the difficulty of wound cleansing and cause greater pain to the injured person. In case of facial injuries, apply firm pressure with clean gauze or a towel to stop bleeding. If the eyes are injured, do not force open the eyelids or attempt to clean them to avoid worsening the injury. Instead, gently cover the eyes with a cloth or towel and seek medical attention by going to the hospital.