Key activities to prepare for the hurricane season

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Hurricane season officially started on June 1 and it will last until November 30. That’s the time when most tropical cyclones can form. According to information provided by the storm-prediction specialists in Colorado State University there are as many as 18 named storms you should be prepared for this year.

What can you do, what are the key activities you should do to prepare for the hurricane season? For starters, of course, you need to have access to timely weather information. One such option is Allstate Alerts, it’s free and it can send you either texts or email messages when the weather is about get ugly at your location. You can sign up for it at http://www.allstatealerts.com/.

Secondly you should definitely plan an evacuation route to make sure you can get out of the town safely and as fast as possible. GPS would be a good thing to have in your car should you have the need to drive untraveled roads. By then you should definitely also have an emergency kit put together. as well It would also be good to take pictures of your belongings, a room by room inventory.

All in one, you need an evacuation plan that includes everything mentioned above as well as a meeting place should your family get separated, and out-of-state contact for in case of emergencies.

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Help create anaphylaxis awareness

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It is estimated that anaphylaxis or life-threatening allergic reactions are the cause of 1500 deaths every year, 1500 deaths of which many could be prevented with raised awareness and preparedness.

Anaphylaxis occurs when our body is exposed to an allergen. Let’s be honest, many of us don’t even have any idea what we might be allergic to in such a way that it can cause our death. The main risk group for anaphylaxis is children (as well as adolescents). Exact causes can be different, but mainly they fall into one of these three categories – food, insect bites and stings, medications. Right now approximately 13 percent of U.S. children are affected by food allergies in one way or another. In serious cases the only suggested first-line treatment is epinephrine.

Julie Bowen, actress known from series such as Modern Family, recently kicked of a competition called Raise Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness. Supported by Mylan Specialy L.P. it has been designed to raise both awareness and preparedness. Bowen is Rallying people to “raise their hand” for their school district. Four school districts in which most hands are raised will get a grant of $15 000 to support educational programs. Details on how you can help your school district and take part of the competition can be found at www.Anaphylaxis101.com.

Additionally you should also spread the word about anaphylaxis among your loved ones – your family, your friends and ask them to do the same.

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You should be screened for potential health risks annually

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Teens up to age 26 can remain under their families’ health coverage based on the Affordable Care Act to make sure they have access to preventive health care. But although teens have the chance to have annual health checkups, only two third of them actually use that opportunity.

That’s according to the data from the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Census. Recently a survey was conducted to find out why. The online survey was conducted among teens, health care professionals and also parents. All together more than 2000 people were surveyed.

At least half of the teens admit to worrying about their health, even though only 28% of their parents feel they do. But when it comes to reasons why not to have annual checkups, 60% of the teens can think of at least one reason. And one third of them believe that they shouldn’t go to the doctor unless they are sick.

Then again, based on the answers from physicians the annual checkup is a great opportunity for informative health discussions as they trigger more questions from both the teenagers themselves as well as their parents. Even though the survey also revealed that if the teen is joined by a parent in the exam room, it might restrict the conversation.

The survey was conducted by NFID (National Foundation for Infectious Diseases) in collaboration with Pfizer Inc and fielded by Harris Interactive.

“NFID has long been an advocate of preventive health. With the drop in annual checkups during the teen years, we wanted to take a look at the attitudes and behaviors of the people closest to teen health to see if we can better understand the reason for the decline, ” said NFID medical director Susan J. Rehm, MD.

For more information about the survey and teen health in general, see myteenshealth.com.

Disclosure: This post was requested by an advertiser.

Best Islands to Escape To

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What with vacation season just around the corner check out some of these great islands here in America the whole family can enjoy.

  1. Hilton Head Island, S. Carolina
  2. San Juan Islands, Washington
  3. Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
  4. Caladesi Island, Florida
  5. South Bass Island, Ohio
  6. Monhegan Island
  7. Anna Maria Island

For more information about some of America’s Best Island Escapes http://www.familycircle.com/family-fun/travel/best-american-islands-family-vacation

Gather your family and vote for the cause you care about

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If you want to help create a positive impact on your neighborhood, now is your chance. All you have to do is go to www.statefarm.com/neighborhoodassist and vote for the cause that matters to you the most. You can vote up to ten times a day until April 22. The voting is open since April 4 and the top 40 vote-getting causes will be awarded a grant of $25 000.

March 6 was the last day when people across the U.S. and Canada had the chance to answer the call from State Farm to submit a cause that would make a positive impact. Total of 3000 submissions were received.

State Farm Youth Advisory board, comprised of 30 students in ages 17-20, reviewed all the causes and based on their selected criteria, chose 200 causes that were put on a public vote. Forty of those causes, the ones getting the most votes, will be getting the State Farm grant.

“The beauty of State Farm Neighborhood Assist is that it places decision-making power directly in the hands of the public,” said Mary Crego, State Farm Senior Vice President. “We hope the 2013 program is able to increase last year’s widespread positive impact on U.S. and Canadian communities.”

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