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Various Dangers to Be Aware of in Your Backyard

“Your backyard is a place of relaxation and comfort. Whether you’re lounging in the sun or playing with your children, you want to be sure that it’s a safe environment for all those who inhabit it.”

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Two focuses of my blog are Home/Living Discussions and Home/Property Discussions. While your backyard can be your refuge there are also quite a few potential hazards there as well. Numerous people have been injured in their backyards. The following guest post is entitled, Various Dangers to Be Aware of in Your Backyard.

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Your backyard is a place of relaxation and comfort. Whether you’re lounging in the sun or playing with your children, you want to be sure that it’s a safe environment for all those who inhabit it. Unfortunately, there are a variety of dangers lurking in the shadows. From pests to hazardous equipment, explore what potential hazards you need to be aware of in your backyard.

1. Pests & Animals

Depending on where you live, your backyard may contain various pests and animals that can pose serious health risks if not properly managed. Mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects can carry diseases such as the West Nile virus and Lyme disease, so make sure these pests don’t have any access to standing water on your property.

Termites can also cause considerable damage to your property if not dealt with promptly. You want to work with professional termite control services to ensure your home and property are safe from these pests. They can also help to identify any other pests that may be present on your property, from ants to rodents.

In addition, you may have wild animals such as raccoons, opossums, or snakes that could be living in your backyard. These animals can carry dangerous diseases and should always be handled cautiously. You should contact a professional wildlife removal service to help remove any unwanted animals on your property.

2. Hazardous Equipment & Materials

Your backyard may also contain pieces of equipment that could potentially harm someone if they’re not used properly. If a swimming pool or trampoline is present on the premises, ensure these items are inspected regularly by professionals for any damages-primarily if they haven’t been used for an extended period-and always supervise young children when they’re playing on them. Having a good family doctor like Dr. Christopher Cummins MD, who you can turn to for advice and help if you need it is also a good idea to give you peace of mind that you’ve got all the bases covered.

Additionally, be mindful of how much fertilizer or weed killer you use when tending to the garden, as these chemicals can cause health problems if ingested or inhaled incorrectly. Be sure to store these products away from any curious kids or pets! You should also make sure that any power tools, such as lawnmowers or chainsaws, are safely stored away in a shed when not in use.

3. Structural Hazards

You want to be wary of any structural hazards on your property. This can include anything from large tree branches close to the house that could fall in a storm to weak decks or railings. Have a home inspector come and assess any potential risks on your property, and make sure to get any necessary repairs done quickly.

Slips, trips, and falls are the most common backyard hazards. Ensure you keep any walkways or steps on your property in good condition to prevent anyone from getting hurt. Be sure to add extra lighting around these areas, making them easier to navigate in the dark.

4. Harmful Plants

Lastly, be sure to research what plants are present in your backyard and if they pose any potential risks. Some plants can be poisonous if ingested, while others may cause skin irritation. Here are some common plants that should be avoided:

a. Rhubarb

This plant is common in many gardens, but the leaves are extremely toxic if ingested. Avoid planting these near areas where young children, pets, or wildlife can access them.

b. Oleander

One of the most poisonous plants, oleander, contains toxins that can cause vomiting and tremors when ingested. You should always wear gloves when handling it and never burn the plant, as the smoke can be toxic.

c. Poison Ivy

This common weed can cause skin irritation and rashes when touched. Keep this away from any play areas, and wear protective clothing when dealing with it.

d. Nightshade

This plant contains toxic alkaloids that can cause nausea, vomiting, and even death if ingested. Keep this away from any areas where children or pets can access it.

Keeping your backyard safe doesn’t have to be difficult but requires vigilance and knowledge. By being aware of the potential hazards in your outdoor space, such as pests, hazardous equipment and materials, structural hazards, and harmful plants, you can ensure that everyone who inhabits your backyard is safe! Make sure to work with professionals, do your research, and be mindful of any potential risks when maintaining your outdoor space. With these tips, you can keep your backyard safe and secure.

Harmful Public: The Rise of Dangerous Trends

A key focus of my blog is Technology. While technology has improved our lives, it has created several dangers as well both to the individual and to larger groups of people. The following contributed post discusses this and is entitled, Harmful Public: The Rise of Dangerous Trends.

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Humans are, for the most part, an intelligent bunch, and we mostly — with a stress on the mostly — use this intelligence for good. Still, every now and again, something comes along that makes you question this view. Sometimes, a trend will pop up that really has you scratching your head: why do people put themselves and others at risk for seemingly no gain? At other times, it’s not a trend, but a larger cultural shift that poses a danger.

With the rise of the internet, we’ve also seen a rise in these threats. It’s a combination of greater exposure (people are more aware of dangerous trends) and a greater emphasis on the self (people, fishing for likes, are willing to take more drastic measures to get them). Below, we take a look at some of the dangerous and sinister trends we’ve seen in recent years.

Source: Pexels.com

The Tide Pod Challenge

If you’re ever looking for a prime example of just how illogical humans can be, look no further than the tide pod challenge. If you didn’t know, tide pods are used for washing laundry — and that’s the only use anyone can have for them. Or so you’d think. Last year saw the rise of the insane “tide pod challenge,” which dared people — mostly teenagers — to eat them. As you might expect, many a teenager ended up temporarily poisoning themselves. So what caused this trend? How do you get otherwise sane people to eat something that’s made up entirely of chemicals? This one can be chalked up to trusting the word of strangers too much, and a desire to be internet famous. Do not attempt.

In the Skies

The popularity of laser pens seems to come and go. For a month or so, they’re everywhere, and then they disappear for a while. For the most part, these laser pens are harmless — they’re just used to distract the cat or whatever. But in recent years, there’s been an increase in a dangerous trend: the intentional pointing of laser beams at aircraft. Hugely dangerous, this has caused planes to be grounded, and is now a crime in many areas. Still, incidents of this nature continue, and has prompted the development of laser defense aviator glasses by Night Flight Concepts, Inc. It’s not just lasers that are causing chaos in the skies, either. The availability of drones may be good for some things, but it can be a disaster for airports. In the run-up to Christmas in 2018, all flights at London Heathrow Airport – one of the busiest airports in the world – were ground because someone decided to fly their drone in the area, causing thousands of people’s travel plans to be disturbed.

Creepy Clowns

People have always been creepy, but if there’s one thing to be said for the creepy folk of the past, it’s that at least they kept it in the shadows. Today, creepy behavior is more likely to be seen in public — more likely, in fact, to be thrust upon the public. Take the thankfully brief trend of creepy clowns, who terrorized communities in 2016. People would get dressed up as clowns, and then stand menacingly on the streets, scaring children and many an adult. The positive side of this is that the vast majority (likely all) instances were not carried out with some higher crime in mind. They just wanted to freak people out, which they did. Indeed, most analysts eventually concluded that this was an example of hysteria. The actual number of clown sightings was next to zero, but thanks to media and internet reports, concern was much higher.

Selfie Opportunities

Take a visit to anywhere remotely interesting, and what you’ll find are certain people who are thoroughly engaged. Not with where they are, of course, but with themselves. If there’s one major shift that you can see out on the streets these days, it’s people taking selfies. For the most part, it’s all harmless, just a bit narcissistic. But there are times when it is dangerous. Since people are mostly taking the photographs for other people, rather than themselves (they’re to be shared on social media), they’re trying to find the most unique shot they can get — which sometimes involves putting themselves in danger. Nearly three hundred people have been killed taking selfies on top of buildings, near mountains, and out on the water, and there have been plenty of other close calls, too. The rise in risky photographers has led some people to call for ‘selfie-free zones.’

Source: Pexels.com

Vaccinations and Health

Humans have come a long way in the past century. We now have cleaner water, safer conditions, we’re better educated, and people are healthier. This should be celebrated, and, for the most part, it is. But there’s also a certain section of society who doesn’t see it this way — and they’re trying to undo the good work. They’re part of the anti-vaccination movement. They think that vaccinations, instead of helping to immunize children against deadly diseases, aren’t necessary at all. So they don’t get vaccinations for their children, who sometimes fall ill, and sometimes help spread diseases. Alas, their beliefs are all based on bad science — and it’s having a negative impact on the world. The cases of measles, for example, has risen by 50% in the past year.

Public Distrust

Indeed, the anti-vax movement is just part of a broader trend of distrust. Fewer people than ever before have faith in the government, the media, and the corporations — the bodies that effectively run the world. Some of it is most definitely merited, but the distrust sometimes extends too far. Some people think that anything mainstream is to be rallied against.

Technology Overload

Finally, let’s look at something that isn’t overly dangerous, per se, but does have a corrosive impact on people. Smartphone addiction. While it’s all good and well talking with friends during the day, it’s the other aspects of smartphones that are doing the damage. For example, while social media companies try to paint themselves as positive places where people connect with one another, the opposite is true. Studies have shown that sites like Instagram make people feel worse about themselves, and have also had a negative impact on body issues. Another less sinister but just as damaging aspect of smartphones is the impact it has on sleep. People who use their phones in the run-up to bedtime and sleep next to it get a poorer night’s sleep than those who keep their phones in another part of their home.

Conclusion

So what can we learn from all of this? There are a few things. The first is that everything, especially technology, can be dangerous when it’s in the wrong hands. People may have always wanted to, say, fly a drone over an airport, but just never had the option. Also, it does seem that the internet, for all the good it does, has given rise to a level of egotism that can be hard to keep up with. People are willing to do anything if it gives them a few likes on their social media channels. The final thing, something to keep in mind, is that people haven’t suddenly become more idiotic. In general, the opposite is true — today’s younger generation are smarter than their parents are. It’s just that you’re much more likely to hear about stupid things people have done. They happened just as often as in the past, but because the internet and 24 hours news weren’t around, you didn’t hear about them.

The Dangers Of Diagnosing Yourself Online

Two of the focuses of my blog are Health/Wellness and Technology. One of the advantages of our current digital age is that the profuse amounts of information available and our access to it. The danger though is that not all of the information is accurate, and it is so readily available. In some instances false information about health can have harmful effects. The following contributed post discusses and is entitled, The Dangers Of Diagnosing Yourself Online.

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The internet is a pretty wonderful invention and one that’s changed our lives – mostly for the better. We have the ability to connect with people from all over the world with the touch of a button, can learn basically anything about anything, and really have so much knowledge and information at our fingertips than we’ve ever had before.

We can start businesses, organize our lives, make money, order things without ever leaving the house, and even get things like doctors to speak to us over the computer – basically we can do anything we want to do from our computers and smartphones these days, which is a good thing if you choose to look at it that way.

However, we can’t pretend it’s perfect. Like everything, there are always going to be downsides, and the internet certainly isn’t exempt from that.

One of the things that the internet is pretty famous for – especially since the rise of social media is the amount of false information “fake news” if you will, and basically a lot of misinformation that can cause feelings of fear and impending doom.

This is very commonly seen when it comes to our health. You will know yourself if you’ve ever had something perfectly innocent like a bad cough or cold and suddenly a Google search has you dead and buried before you’ve even opened the first link it produces.

The rise in things like health anxiety is directly linked to the amount of people now being able to access so much information without limits online, but the danger is that they’re attempting to self-diagnose themselves and this is a very dangerous practice.

Now, of course, this isn’t to say that you won’t find genuine medical literature online, but the fact of the matter is, if you’re genuinely concerned about symptoms such as a cough being something more serious, then it’s time to speak to a doctor and get a proper diagnosis. Even if it turns out to be something, then they will talk you through things like Lung Cancer Treatment if that’s what you need.

Googling your symptoms from questionable online sources is not going to lead anywhere good, and in this post, we’re going to share with you some of the real dangers of diagnosing yourself online.

It will make your anxiety soar:

If you’re already someone who suffers with anxiety – specifically health anxiety, then trying to look up symptoms online os going to make this completely unbearable for you, so it’s really not advisable.

It causes stress:

Anxiety is going to stress you out far more than you already are – add to that the ongoing worry from what you’ve just read and it will be a miracle if you can sleep or function normally.

You can miss a real health condition:

Diagnosing yourself online doesn’t always give the worst case scenario – sometimes it can tell you it’s nothing when it’s actually something that you should see your doctor about, but if you follow online advice then this could lead to a much bigger problem if you don’t actually go to the doctor.