Beginner's Guide to Home Health

Should I look into buying a medical scooter?

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:14:52 +0000

The number one thing when looking at whether you should buy a medical scooter or not, is to determine if you actually use one. If you are thinking at all about possibly getting a medical scooter than you should definitely have a mobility condition. This could be caused by any number of illnesses, diseases, deterioration of joints and muscles, or because of an over-weight problem that spurns on problems whenever you walk around. Buying a medical scooter is a costly decision and what that should be decided after looking at your condition carefully. Not only does this cause a dent on your wallet, but it also may cause other problems as well. Though a medical scooter can allow a person to go to a lot of places they normally wouldn’t be able to do, if a person prematurely moves to the medical scooter than they may risk deteriorating other muscles and joints because of the lack of movement. You should need a motor scooter.

The alternative to a medical scooter is a manual wheelchair or walker. A person should never jump to a medical scooter from walking, unless they have suffered a serious and long-lasting injury or illness that is extreme. A walker still allows the person to move their legs and use muscles there that will not be used once you start with a scooter. The same is true with the wheelchair when talking about arm muscles. A person should also look at their daily activities. If the ability to use something else, such as a wheelchair or walker, seems more feasible for your daily activities – go with that alternative instead.

What are the different types of medical scooters?

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:15:26 +0000

There are not a whole lot of difference kinds of medical scooters, but there are a lot of things that can be changed between different models of medical scooters. Almost all scooters are going to come with three wheels – one in the front and two in the back with a bicycle-like steering system. Place a comfortable seat on the rear of the vehicles, and possibly a basket to carry additional equipment and you have yourself the basic medical scooter.

The first variable to look at when buying a medical scooter is the weight limit. This is an important fact to make sure that you are correct with because of the power supply and ability to use the vehicle for more years. Some medical scooters only allow a bit over 200 lbs and others go well over 400 lbs of weight limit. The second variable to look at is speed. Most speeds of medical scooters range from 3 miles per hour, while others can almost reach 10 miles per hours. This is an important point to look at for your battery power as well. The faster that you move along in your medical scooter, the more power you are going to suck from your battery.

Another variable that is important is the battery life. The standard chair will allow someone to travel all-day long without the battery going dead – thought weight, speed, and terrain do play into the power that is used by the battery. Many medical scooters used to have to plug themselves directly into the wall, but now many batteries are easily detached so that you can plug a battery in while not having to bring the chair to a specific place. This also allows the user to be able to purchase an additional battery so that you do not run out of power at a crucial point. Other important variables are turning radius, comfort of seat, height of the scooter, the distance between the seat and the steering, and how light the actual vehicle is for transportation purposes.

Where can you buy a medical scooter?

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:15:59 +0000

The first place that you should start with when buying a medical scooter is your doctor. Most of the time your personal doctor will have options for you of different medical scooters that they recommend more than others. Also the doctor will also know your history of illnesses and will be able to tell you if you actually need a medical scooter and what will be the other effects of getting one. But before you do that you should also talk to your insurance companies. Most times insurance companies have specific companies that they like to deal with and will give more of a percentage to these companies. Once you have these two bits of information from both parties – compare them and look at what they agree on and what they disagree on. If your doctor tells you one place and your insurance company tells you the same then the decision will be extremely easy. But if you insurance company tells you one company, and then your doctor tells you to not get a scooter from that company then you may have to make a decision between price and quality.

Also another source of information for buying a medical scooter is online websites. These are great because they allow you to compare different models of medical scooters and buy the correct one for your needs. The downfall of looking at the Internet is that each website usually only shows one brand of medical scooters, and completely ignores the other brands. This may take a little more time to find a medical scooter but they may be more customized and exactly what you need in this vehicle.

How do I take care of my medical scooter?

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:16:30 +0000

Taking care of a medical scooter is almost like taking care of any electronics equipment plus the problems that come with taking care of a vehicle. While you don’t have to worry about an automotive engine in your medical scooter, there are certain other things that come into the realm of vehicles. There are four different areas of your medical scooters that you must pay close attention to. The first is the seat. While this seems incredibly insane to talk about the seat first – this is the area that will give you the most trouble with a new medical scooter. A seat must be very comfortable and in good condition, because you are going to be spending a good amount of time on the scooter. The second thing to pay close attention is the turning of your medical scooter. The turning should be adjusted by your supplying company so that it does not fall out of alignment, or locks up because lack of grease.

The third area to play close attention to is the tire. Just like any car a low tire can cause a number of problems. A low tire can cause your steering to go out of alignment, as well as the constant leaning may cause some medical conditions to be aggravated. But the most important thing that it could affect is your battery life. And this is the fourth area to pay close attention to – your battery. Batteries lose life over time and you want to stay on top of yours unless you want to charge it four times a day. This may require buying a new battery every 2 or 3 years, or possibly rotating out two different batteries in your daily use.

Air Purifiers

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 15:48:09 +0000

Why are air purifiers needed?

What causes poor air quality in our homes?

What does an air purifier do?

What does HEPA stand for?

Allergy Bedding

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 15:51:23 +0000

What is Allergy Bedding?

Why would you need to use Allergy Bedding?

What does Allergy Bedding generally cost?

How do I choose an Allergy Bedding?

Medical Scooters

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 15:54:11 +0000

Medical Scooters Overview

Should I look into buying a medical scooter?

What are the different types of medical scooters?

Where can you buy a medical scooter?

Steam Cleaners

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 15:59:33 +0000

Steam Cleaners Overview

Types of Steam Cleaners

Tools and Attachments

Advantages and Uses of Steam Cleaners

Ozone Generators Overview

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 22:04:17 +0000

An ozone generator is a machine that intentionally produces ozone. The purpose of this machine is to clean the air in an indoor space. Many people use ozone generators in their homes to keep the air pure and clean. Some people even claim that these machines have helped their allergies and asthma.

While ozone generator vendors claim that their products are safe and effective, many health professionals have disagreed with their statements. Also, the United States Federal Government has not approved these machines for use in occupied spaces. This guide will explore ozone generators and discuss their possible effectiveness and dangers.

What is ozone and how is it harmful?

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 22:06:12 +0000

Ozone is a pale blue gas that is present in low concentrations throughout the Earth's atmosphere. At ground level, ozone is an air pollutant; in the upper atmosphere, it is helpful in preventing ultraviolet light from reaching the Earth's surface. Ozone is made up of three atoms of oxygen. Two of these atoms form the type of oxygen we breathe. The third oxygen atom can detach from the ozone molecule and attach itself to other molecules. Therefore, it can react with other substances.

Since ozone's chemical properties allow it to react with other substances, it can not only react with materials outside the body, but it can react with similar organic material that makes up the body and become potentially harmful to your health. When high concentrations of ozone are inhaled, it can damage the lungs. Even low amounts of ozone can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and throat irritation. Contrary to what many manufacturers of ozone generators say, ozone could possibly worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, and it could also hinder the body's ability to fight respiratory infections. As with many things, people's susceptibility to ozone varies. Whether or not you have respiratory problems, being exposed to ozone can cause difficulty breathing. If you exercise in an ozone generated environment, you could be breathing greater amounts of ozone, causing even more respiratory difficulty.

Good Ozone and Bad Ozone

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 22:06:35 +0000

The U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has used the phrase "good up high, bad nearby" to describe the difference between good ozone and bad ozone, or ozone in the upper and lower atmospheres. Good ozone is the ozone in the upper atmosphere, which is also called stratospheric ozone. Stratospheric ozone protects us by helping to filter out damaging ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

The ozone in the lower atmosphere, which is the air we breathe, is considered to be bad ozone. It can be harmful to the respiratory system. The interaction of sunlight with chemicals such as automobile emissions and emissions from industrial plants can produce harmful levels of ozone. Then, other pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, fine particles, and hydrocarbons join the high levels of ozone in the atmosphere, contaminating our breathing air even more. The bottom line is, ozone can be detrimental to your health whether it's in pure form or mixed with other chemicals.

Do ozone generators effectively clean the air?

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 22:07:00 +0000

Some manufacturers of ozone generators claim that ozone will produce a chemical reaction with contaminants, thus making the contaminants harmless. However, scientific evidence shows that ozone has very little potential to remove indoor air contaminants unless the ozone levels exceed public health standards. Research shows that the reaction process between ozone and many indoor air contaminants could take months or years. In fact, ozone may not react at all with these contaminants. It has also been proven that ozone generators do not remove carbon monoxide.

Ozone does react with some chemical contaminants, but instead of rendering them harmless, the reaction can actually form many harmful or irritating by-products. The research example used to prove this is an experiment that mixed ozone with chemicals from new carpet. Ozone did reduce a number of these chemicals, including the ones that produce new carpet odor. However, when the ozone was introduced in this situation, chemicals in the air increased rather than decreased. The reason for this was that the reaction between the new carpet chemicals and the ozone produced a variety of aldehydes.

Aldehydes and formic acid can both irritate the lungs if produced in sufficient amounts, and both of these chemicals were increased in the air upon the introduction of ozone. Some of the other by-products of ozone's chemical reactions to contaminants are very reactive and can produce irritating by-products themselves.

Manufacturers of ozone generators also often claim that ozone removes particles, such as dust and pollen, from the air, which in turn reduces the cause of most allergies. However, some ozone generators also have an "ion generator" or "ionizer" built into the same unit. An ionizer disperses ions that are negatively and/or positively charged into the air. These ions attach to other particles in the air and add their negative or positive charge to the other particles. Then, those particles may attach to surfaces such as walls or furniture.

In recent scientific experiments, high efficiency particle filters or electrostatic precipitators were more effective in removing particles of dust, tobacco smoke, pollen, or fungal spores than ionizers. However, other experiments showed that the effectiveness of all particle air cleaners, including electrostatic precipitators, ion generators, and pleated filters, is varied.

Do ozone generators effectively remove odors from the air?

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 22:07:23 +0000

Evidence shows that ozone does not effectively remove many odor-causing chemicals unless its levels exceed public health standards. An experiment was designed to produce formaldehyde concentrations equal to those of an embalming studio, where formaldehyde is the main odor producer. Results concluded that ozone was not effective in reducing formaldehyde concentration. Other experiments have shown that, since ozone has a particular smell, its scent may mask body odor but will not remove it. Furthermore, ozone is not considered useful for odor removal in building ventilation systems.

There are very few scientific studies that support the claim that ozone is effective in removing odors. However, it is possible that some odor-causing chemicals will react with ozone. In some scientific experiments, ozone reacted readily with certain chemicals, including some chemicals that contribute to the smell of new carpet. Ozone is also believed to react with acrolein. Acrolein is one of many irritating and odorous chemicals in secondhand tobacco smoke.

Do ozone generators effectively remove airborne viruses and bacteria?

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 22:07:46 +0000

Studies show that, unless it is used at concentrations that exceed public health standards, ozone does not effectively remove viruses, bacteria, mold, or other biological pollutants from the air. There is some information that suggests that low levels of ozone may reduce the growth of these and other biological organisms, but the ozone concentrations would have to be five to ten times higher than public health standards allow. Even at these high concentrations, ozone will not likely have any effect on these biological contaminants when they are embedded in porous materials like duct lining or ceiling tiles. While the ozone produced by ozone generators may inhibit the growth of some of these biological contaminants, once the ozone is removed, the contaminants will come back. Only dangerously high levels of ozone can completely kill biological contaminants.

Can ozone be used in unoccupied spaces?

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 22:08:03 +0000

Ozone has been used regularly for the purification of water, but the ozone chemistry is different in water than it is in air. Sometimes, in extreme cases such as fire restoration, high concentrations of ozone are used in the air only when people or pets are not present. For this reason, ozone can be used to help decontaminate an unoccupied space from chemical or biological contaminants or odors. However, there is very little information about the chemical by-products that could be left behind after the process is complete. In these cases, it has been shown that the high levels of ozone can negatively affect indoor plants and damage some materials like rubber, electrical wire coatings, fabrics, and art work.

Sources:
www.epa.gov
www.en.wikipedia.org