Online Health Blog

Accidents can happen anywhere – part 1

Accidents are going to happen, and no one is immune from this. You, me and the rich and famous are all prone to them. Yet there are several levels of accidents that occur. From the very minor to the fatal, each one is still considered an accident. For some people an accident can be through not fault of their own, and they become caught up in it all. But for some, they are the cause of accidents. People many years ago did not have the benefit of a no win no fee solicitor to make a compensation claim on their behalf, in those days it was just put to down to bad luck.

Many things can be a contributor to an accident but more often then not, it is usually down to a persons lack of consideration for someone else’s welfare.

This is a two part blog post that will look at some accidents that have been fatal to people and the reasoning behind them.

In 1814, 9 people were reported killed when 323,000 gallons of beer gushed onto the streets. ‘The London Beer Flood’ occurred when a local brewery burst their vats and the streets became engulfed with beer. This was probably caused by a build up of pressure or an improper storage container.

1912 saw the death of Franz Reichelt a local tailor, fall to his death from the Eiffel Tower. The tailor did not commit suicide but was trying to display the effectiveness of his invention, the coat parachute. It was it first ever attempt with the coat and he had previously told local authorities that he would use a dummy for the first run. Might have been a good idea to stick with the dummy.

This gives you an insight to the possible ways in which accidents can occur and not only change, but end some peoples lives. The Second part of this post will be available to read soon.

Bruce Lees Death - Accident or Not

For many people, Bruce Lee was an icon. Actor, film star, martial artist, philosopher, film director, screen writer and founder of the Jeet Kune Do concept, he is, for many people, the most influential martial artist of the 20^th Century.

Lee was a great influence on film and martial arts and many people were in disarray at hearing of his passing. To make matters worse he was to die at the young age of 32. As with any untimely death of someone cut down in their prime, rumors began to surface about the star’s death.

Many stories surround his death. Some people say that an accident claimed his life when filming his latest movie. Others believe that he was injured on set whilst working and his body was then moved to another location to remove suspicion.

Some theories are a little more speculative. It is rumored that the star could have died in a multitude of ways. One theory was that Hong Kong Triads (gangsters) had killed him, as he had refused to pay them protection money like many other Chinese movie stars did at that time. An additional theory was that Bruce Lee was cursed as he had just bought a house that was haunted and this was all contributing towards his untimely death.

Other suggestions indicate that he had angered the Chinese Martial Arts industry by teaching foreigners his skills and he was then killed in a challenge match. One far fetched theory suggests that the star is not actually dead and instead has gone undercover working for the Chinese police trying to break into the Chinese Mafia and then when the time is right he will be reintroduced back in to society.

What ever the reason is for his death there are plenty of theories to fuel the fire of what might have happened to this star.

Slippery Floors at Work

A slippery floor, as we all know, is a dangerous floor.

The typical British weather can be a contributor to hazards itself.

Whilst out and about shopping it is all too common that the floors in supermarkets and clothes shops, become engulfed with rain water making them as slippery as an ice rink.

One false move or the lack of a ‘caution sign’ could send you free-falling to the ground and injury is only seconds away. All these events can then result in medical assistance, time off work and even long term disability.

In a short space of time, you have gone from healthy-happy-go-lucky to broken-bruised-victim. Through no fault of your own you could find that regular trips to the hospital become part of your routine and you are forced to take time off from work, making that promotion a little harder to achieve.

So what can you do now?

Well, like many people that have suffered from accidents that were not their fault they have gone on to seek accident compensation. ‘Quite rightly so’, some might say, as you might feel that being without a regular income or restricted body movement would leave you entitled to compensation.

There are some experienced compensation claim companies that offer no win no fee compensation and 100% of your compensation paid out.

Making a claim is a way of making companies look at how they handle possible accident situations, and what steps that they would take to avoid them. After all ‘prevention is better than cure’. It is important that these accidents are avoided and the staff become aware of the reasons behind it, as to ensure that no one else is victim to these dangerous hazards.

Get a Good Nights Sleep

For many of millions of people getting a good night’s sleep is merely something other people have and something they long to experience. In many cases though a sleepless night can be fixed and your sleep could be improved dramatically.

Here are a few tips which may just help you get a better nights sleep.

Get Regular Exercise

Regular exercise as we all know is extremely good for, yet perhaps one benefit which doesn’t get talked about is the benefit to our sleep. Exercising for just 30 minuets during the day can help you fall asleep much easier. However it is advised that exercise be ideally carried out in the morning or during the day as exercising to close to bed time can have a negative impact.

Avoid Stimulants

There are a number of stimulants which we take throughout the day even knowingly or unknowingly which keep us up at night. Caffeine, alcohol and smoking are all stimulants which have the ability to cause a restless night. It is then a good idea to try and avoid these stimulants before you plan on heading to bed. Alcohol should be avoided at least a few hours before going to bed, Caffeine found in coffee and to a lesser extent tea and fizzy drinks should not be drunk close to bed time, and ideally coffee should be cut out of your diet after lunch. Smoking has a number of negative affect on a persons sleep, from being a contributory factor to snoring to nicotine acting as a stimulant and withdrawal symptoms during the night causing a disturbed sleep.

Stop Napping

Although many of us will feel sleepy during the day we should avoid the temptation to nap as this could have an impact on sleep later that night. If you do start feeling a bit dozy in the afternoon why not take up the fine English tradition of having an afternoon tea with some delicious cakes, if however you do decide to nap try to make sure it last no longer than 30 minutes.

Stop Snoring

Snoring can be a real disruption to a person sleep, though more often than not its not the snorer who suffers it’s the person they are sleeping with who is kept awake all night long. There are a number of different cures for snoring available which try to fix the different types of snorers (there are many different causes of snoring) so why not give one of them ago.

Sex, Sex and More Sex

Sex is another great away to get a good nights sleep and certainly the most fun!

Pregnancy: What not to eat?

There must be something in the air. I have recently started a new job and in the office there are at least three pregnant ladies all at varying stages of pregnancy. I turn on the TV and it seems there isn’t one channel where I won’t stumble across a model, actress or presenter all showing their wonderful bumps to the world. I browse news sites online and articles pop up about pregnancy from the ‘Best ways to conceive’ to ‘How to financially prepare for a baby’. None of which is a subject I care too much for at the moment but what did catch my eye recently was an article about what you can and can’t eat whilst pregnant, which had arisen after a supermarket worker had refused to sell a pregnant lady unpasteurised Cheddar cheese.

It throws up the argument ‘What rights did this worker have to refuse to serve a lady due to her observation?’ The answer is none. Not only could the pregnant lady in question have no intention of personally consuming this and was merely buying it for the rest of her family, even if she did intend to eat it, it is her prerogative and I have no doubts that she would have researched the subject enough to establish whether this was a safe or unsafe food for her and her baby.

But is it safe? You may ask. For any first time mother the subject of what you can and cannot eat is broad and varied, not to mention confusing and often conflicting. From seafood to coffee, chillies to rasberries, eggs to honey. How is any first time mother supposed to obtain a definitive list of do’s and don’ts? Well, there is a huge amount of resource you can acquire from the net, be sure to visit recognised and official sites. The other important advice to any first time mother would be to seek professional advice from their doctor or nutritionalist. Once you are equipped with the right knowledge from the safest source then you are less likely to be railroaded by those who think ‘they know best’.

A brief guide to help you along the way:

Avoid:

1. Raw or undercooked eggs
2. Cheese: Soft or blue
3. All pate

Guidelines:

1. All meat should be cooked thoroughly.
2. Oily fish is good for you and the baby but should be kept to a maximum of 2 portions a week
3. Follow strict food hygiene guidelines such as maintaining clean surfaces, washing hands after dealing with raw meat etc