The John Tesh Blog

Be Prepared For An Inflight Medical Emergency

Dealing with a medical crisis is bad enough wherever you are.  However, if you become ill on an airplane at 36,000 feet, it’s the worse place to be.

Medaire, a company that offers medical advice to flight crews, received over 17,000 inflight emergency calls in 2007. These 911 calls also affect fellow passengers. In 2007 649 planes were diverted to different destinations for medical reasons.

To make matters worse, according to the Aerospace Medical Association airlines aren’t required to report their medical problems inflight . . . too much bad publicity.

Two questions can be asked when it comes to emergencies in the skies:  what medical preparation can a passenger expect of a carrier, and what can a passenger do to avoid an inflight medical crisis?

Medical Requirements For Airlines
In February 2008 an American Airlines passenger, Carine Desir, died while flying from Haiti to NY.  Passengers claim she cried for help, claiming she couldn’t breath. CNN reports that according to the passenger’s family, neither an oxygen canister nor a working defibrillator was on board. Nurse Carine Desir died due to a shortage of equipment and an inoperable medical device.

What kinds of medical kits are we to expect on a major airline? First, a basic first aid kit for use by the flight crew must be on board. The FAA requires flight attendants to have some medical training and emergency instruction on how to use the first aid contents.

Also on board should be a medical kit containing items to be used by a medical professional: blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, plastic airways to deliver oxygen to help with breathing and other medical devices.

Most importantly, the FAA requires there be a supply of oxygen and an AED device (Automatic External Defibrillator) aboard every flight. USA Today claims federal rules allow nonworking AEDs to make a few flights before being replaced.  Should passengers know before takeoff that there is non-working AED on their flight?

To advise the cabin crew, most airlines have 24 hour access to a doctor or a medical service like MedAire on the ground. 

From MedAire we discover passengers with diabetes, seizure disorders and heart and respiratory ailments account for 23% of in-flight deaths and 29% of airline diversions.

Medical Preparedness For Travelers

•if you feel ill while flying, buzz the flight attendant immediately.

•make sure a doctor is paged over the airplane’s intercom.  Chances are a doctor or a nurse on board can provide medical assistance.

•One flight attendant, S.R. recommends travelers with severe medical issues write the names of meds and their blood type on their arm and leg. Though you may carry health cards and alert bracelets, there’s always the chance these items are not on your person.

•Wash your hands after touching handles and latches in the passenger cabin.  Flight attendant S.R. recounts a passenger with contagious conjunctivitis who was allowed to board a plane regardless that her infection could spread to others.

•If you feel sick or have history of bad health, get checked
out by your physician before you fly. If he recommends that you do not fly, don’t.

•If you have a medical condition that requires medication, please takes your meds with you.

•Stay hydrated.  Carry water with you on the plane.

•Walk around the plane to avoid developing deep-vein thrombosis caused by immobility and lack of water.

John   
Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

You can learn even more about health issues in my new book  Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth.  You can buy this new product at your local bookstores or order it online from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

How To Report An Emergency to 911

When facing a crisis, it can be highly stressful to make a 911 call. However, if you know what to expect beforehand, you’ll handle things a lot better when you dial the emergency number.

Here are five important matters you need to address when speaking to a 911 operator.

Prepare Ahead of Time For a 911 Emergency
It’s a good idea to keep a cell phone nearby when you’re at home.  For instance, in case of a swimming accident in your pool, you’ll save precious seconds by not having to run into the house to use the phone. Using a cell phone allows you to stay close to the person in need to answer any questions the operator may ask.   

Be sure you have a legible address on your mailbox or posted on the front of your house. Don’t depend on emergency teams to find your house if the address numbers painted on the front curb have faded away.

Be ready to answer these six questions when calling 911.   

•What is the emergency?
•What happened?
•Where are you?
•Who needs help?
•Who is with you?
•Are you safe where you are?

Give the 911 Operator Essential Information Only.  The operator needs to determine what kind of service you’ll need.  Don’t spend time giving a detailed story of how the emergency took place unless the operator asks.

Be specific. Inform the operator, “I need an ambulance.  My mother is having trouble breathing . . . or my child just swallowed some household cleanser,” or “I see smoke coming off the roof of the house next door.”

These statements allow the operator to know exactly what kind of help you need. If any background information about the emergency is necessary, the operator will probe deeper.

Know The Limitations of Calling 911 From A Cell Phone. A call from a cell phone sends signals through the air.  The signals are picked up by the nearest tower, but that does not tell the dispatcher where to find you.

For cell phone users, you need to help the dispatcher know where you are. Inform the operator of the city you’re calling from, your cell phone number including area code, your name and what type of emergency you’re dealing with.

Act Quickly in Calling 911 When Your Neighbors Need Help. Suppose you’re in your house, and you hear loud noises and screaming from the house next door.  Your neighbors may need emergency help.

Give the emergency operator the address or the approximate address of where the crisis is occurring.  Normally, you don’t have to give your name and address.

Suppose you don’t know your neighbor’s address.  You might need to offer your address and tell the dispatcher the emergency is happening in the green house across the street from yours.

Don’t Hang Up With 911 Too Soon. The rule of thumb is to stay on line with the 911 operator until they tell you, it’s okay to disconnect. Even though you may be in pain, scared for your life or in a state of heightened emergency, there are good reasons why you cannot hang up.

Your initial call may not connect you to the emergency service where you want to be.   You may need to be networked with a specific police department; so stay on the line until you get to the right place.

In case you’re helping an accident victim or someone who’s lost consciousness, the paramedics may need to help you get started performing CPR until they arrive.

The way to be your best in an emergency situation is to be prepared ahead of time.

John 
Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

For more information to better prepare you for emergencies, you can get Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth at your local bookstore or online at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.

Buying The Right Car For Your Teen

Take a deep breath . . . now think about this:  your teenager will be driving this year or next.

Before you put your teen behind the wheel, you may want to ask, “Does my child need their own car?”  I’ve been told plenty of teens do great without their own Jetta.  They walk . . . take buses . . . ride a skateboard or their bikes.

The radio hosts of NPR’s CarTalk polled 5,000 listeners on whether or not a 16-year-old should have his own car. Sixty-seven percent of those listeners responded with a resounding “no.”

Now for the tough stuff . . . AAA claims teenagers have an alarmingly high crash rate – four times higher than that of adults.   CarJunky.com reports a young adult driver is killed in a car crash every 15 minutes.

With that in mind, here are four rules any parent can use when choosing your teen’s first set of wheels:

Rule #1: The newer the car, the more safety features in the car.  According to AAA’s Westways magazine, most parents think giving your teen the family’s 10-year old clunker is the way to go. However, if SAFETY is your major concern, the family’s throwaway car might not make safety sense. 

Consumer Reports magazine states, “The later the model year, the more safety features there are on it . . . try to find a good mid-priced, mid-sized car, ABS brakes, dual-frontal air bags."

Here are some resources for families who must purchase a previously-owned vehicle:  To understand the pros and cons of buying a used car, check out The Consumer Guide Used Car Rating Guide. You can also find safety information about a previously owned car using the following resources: U.S. Department of Transportation, the Insurance Information Institute, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Whatever you buy, be sure the car at the very least comes equipped with working air bags and anti-lock brakes.   

Rule #2: The bigger the car, the better the passengers do in accidents.  You may think a smaller car is easier to handle for the new driver. However, people in smaller cars have injury rates almost 70% higher than those in larger sedans. About Personal Finance suggests bigger cars have a greater ability to absorb higher impact collisions.

In an April 2007 report on driver death rates from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, their list of 16 car models with the highest death rates includes 11 small cars! 

What about SUVs?  According to Edmonds.com these “lite trucks” have a low death rate.  However, they can be difficult to handle in a road emergency.  Haven’t you wondered why SUVs are required to carry a label on the visor warning that “abrupt maneuvers” should be avoided?

Rule #3: The faster the car, the faster your kids will drive. Actually, high-horsepowered cars promote speeding and more risk-taking. Why put the temptation before your teen by making all those extra rpms available to his adolescent whims?

Rule #4:  The better the sound system, the more distraction for your teenager. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, adjusting the radio or scanning for channels is the number one behind-the-wheel distraction among young drivers.  Now we have more distractions with iPods and iPhones with their small screens that need the driver’s attention to locate the music. As much as I love these gadgets, they need to be removed from your teen’s audio arsenal when driving.

John   
Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

You can learn even more about parenting in my new book Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth.  You can buy this new product at your local bookstores or order it online from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Put The Right Junk In Your Trunk

Not every one belongs to AAA, has a cell phone or drives a car equipped with OnStar.  In case of a mechanical breakdown, help is not always a phone call away!

Other than hailing a passing motorist or spending the night cramped in the backseat of your Toyota, here are other ways to prepare for a mechanical emergency.

Know what’s already stored in your trunk.
Most cars come equipped with a basic emergency kit: a car jack, lug wrench and spare tire.

However, you still need to learn how use a jack, be  strong enough to remove the lug nuts and have a fully inflated spare tire.  If in doubt, get a pro to help.

Keep the necessary survival items.
According to BePrepared.com, the essential items you need when stranded in a mechanical 911 are water, food and warmth.

You may be able to make it without food for a few days, but your body will dehydrate without water. Water is also good for washing wounds, sanitation and for an overheating vehicle.

Since food spoils in extreme hot or cold temperatures, Calorie Food Bars are the best thing to store in your car. These bars leave you feeling full and provide you the necessary energy.

What if you’re marooned in the winter cold?  According to BePrepared.com, to stay warm you may need 6 to 20 hour warm packs or emergency blankets. Place the warm packs in your gloves, shoes and pockets. Emergency blankets are made of a reflective material can reproduce up to 80% of your  body heat.

Create Your Own Emergency Car Kit.
Here’s a tool kit you can put together containing items prescribed in the March/April issue of Westways Magazine:  pliers, an adjustable wrench, a utility knife, Phillips and flat-head screwdrivers, work gloves, a quart of engine oil, antifreeze, a weatherproof flashlight, a Swiss Army knife, wire cutters, bottle opener, an ice scraper, duct tape to make a temporary patch on a leaky water hose and a dry fire extinguisher.

Familiarize yourself with these items before you run into a mechanical emergency. 

Have a supply of flares or triangles.
The downside of using flares is that they only burn for a short time and can create a fire hazard where there’s a spillage of fuel. 

Reflective triangles last forever and are easy to see by oncoming cars especially at night.  Be sure you purchase the ones with sides at least 17 inches long and reflective strips that are two inches wide.

Always keep a flashlight with fully charged batteries in your emergency car kit. 

Keep jumper cables stashed in the trunk.   
Don’t skimp on jumper cables. The longer the cables, the less you need to position the cars together. 

If you don’t know how to do a jump-start properly, you can do serious damage to your car’s electronics and yourself.

Take care of yourself as well. A cell phone is a must. Store a list of emergency contacts (ICE) in your cell phone. 

Packed away in your trunk, you should also carry a first-aid kit containing bandages and dressings, instant ice and heat compresses, scissors, waterproof tape, pain relieving medicine such as Tylenol or Advil, antiseptic wipes, wound ointment and a set of instructions on basic first aid.

Invest in an up-to-date Thomas Guide to help you navigate when you’re totally lost. 

Having a roadside emergency kit for mechanical breakdowns and unusual weather conditions can make the difference between getting back on the road or being stuck.

John   
Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

My new book Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth is now available in your local bookstores or you can order it online from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Leaving Kids In Cars Alone

Leaving your kids alone in the car is a bad idea.

In some states it’s more than a poor choice but a criminal action. One California state senator is proposing a law to make it illegal for a parent to leave a child six or younger in a car for more than one minute. 

Of course, enforcement of these laws is based on the chance of an officer being present when a violation occurs.

This is not true in the recent case of Treffly Coyen.  This 36 year-old suburban Chicago mother drove to a Wal-Mart so her children could deposit the coins they collected in the Salvation Army bucket.

With her two-year-old Phoebe asleep in the backseat, Coyne parked her car in a loading zone in front of the store. The mother set the alarm, locked the car and walked with her older children to the bell ringer.

A few minutes later when Treffly returned to her vehicle, a community service officer charged her with child endangerment.   

How long does a child need to be out of a parent’s sight to constitute child endangerment?

Opponents to Coyne’s arrest argue the car never was out of the mother’s sight, so the child was not literally unattended. 

Regardless, statistics show thousands of children are injured and dozens die every year after being left unattended near or inside vehicles. In 2007 35 deaths of small children took place after over-stressed parents forgot their child was in the backseat of a hot vehicle. Since 1998 there have been 323 of these unnecessary tragedies.

Leaving children in the car alone is a hot topic. So here are some helpful answers to provide a cool perspective:

•NEVER leave your children alone in the car.  As parents we’ve all faced the temptation of leaving our kid in the car while we dash into the store for a carton of milk or to return a video rental.  You rationalize, “What can go wrong?  It’s for only a minute.” 

•It only takes a split second for a tragedy to take place. According to Consumer Reports cars heat up quickly. Even if it is only 70 degrees outside, a car can quickly heat to more than 120 degrees.

If you leave the car running, you're gambling your child won’t climb into the front seat and shift the car into “drive”.  Your kid can lock you out of the car and start playing with the dash buttons while you watch helplessly. A child could pull down the armrest in the back seat and crawl into the trunk.  Your young daughter may play with the power windows and get her head caught with the window crushed up against her wind pipe.  Even more dangerous, your child can let himself out of the car to go looking for you.

•Don’t use the weather or a sleeping child as an excuse to leave your kid alone in the car. Sure, the weather outside might be freezing cold or sweltering hot or your child is in a deep sleep.  Your errand will only take a minute or two. Even though you can rationalize your actions, you cannot undo the consequences if something tragic takes place.

•Contact the police if you notice a child left alone in a car. If the child seems to be in distress or unconscious, call 911 and ask the dispatcher to provide you instructions as to how to release the endangered child from the car and how to care for the child until the paramedics arrive.

Remember this . . . Never leave your child alone in a car, not even for a minute.

JOHN TESH
Email John:   johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Don't forget. My new hardcover book Intelligence For Your Life: Powerful Lessons for Personal Growth is now on sale. You can purchase a copy on line by visiting Barnes & Noble.

What To Do When Identity Theft Happens To You

Not a day goes by that I don’t hear about someone I know getting sideswiped by identity theft.  This problem is not going away and identity thieves are growing smarter.

Think how your life has changed since the intrusion of identity theft: 

•You’re suspicious when your credit card is swiped at a business.

•Your important papers are shredded to keep personal information from dumpster diving thieves.

•Phone calls from solicitors put us on the defensive as we wonder if we’re about to be scammed.   

We’ve got good reason to be concerned.  According to the Federal Trade Commission, 27.3 million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the last five years. 

Assume you’ve done everything you can to prevent identity theft but you’re seeing charges on your credit card you’ve no idea about.

What do you do once you suspect ID theft has taken place?

First, contact your credit card issuers. Close existing accounts and obtain replacement cards with new account numbers.  Ask for verification that the disputed account has been closed and all fraudulent charges have been removed.  Besides the phone calls you make to the credit card companies, put your requests in writing. Use the Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft Affidavit (PDF), a form that helps simplify the identity theft process.

Some companies allow you to attach a special PIN or password on any new accounts you open.  This way if the thief has stolen your mother’s maiden name, your social security number or your birth date, you can use another identifying mark to protect yourself.

Another important step, according to the Federal Trade Commission is to place a “Fraud Alert” on your credit reports. The “Fraud Alert” informs creditors to follow a certain procedure before they open any new accounts in your name.

Suppose someone confiscates all your personal information, and decided to open a few new credit card accounts using your data. The alert would signal the creditor not to open a new account or make any changes unless you’re called at a phone number you specify.

Here are three numbers you can call to place a fraud alert on your account: 

Equifax:  1-800-525-6285
Experian:  1-888-397-3742
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289

Another step you can’t pass up is to contact Call For Action at 1-866-434-6854, an Identity Theft hotline where you can speak to a trained counselor about your situation.  The personnel at Call For Action will walk you step-by-step through the process of getting your identity back under your control.

File a police report. Creditors may ask you for proof of the Identity Theft.  File a report with law enforcement officials so you can have proof when asked.

Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission.  The FTC needs as much information as possible to help in their investigations of Identity Theft.  You can call them at 1-877-438-4338 or go on line to ftc.gov/idtheft.

One other area where ID theft occurs is with telemarketing fraud.  According to the National Fraud Information Center, American consumers lose an estimated $4.9 billion each year through telemarketing fraud, and the FBI estimates there are 14,000 illegal telephone sales in the U.S. each day.

When you speak to a telemarketer, NEVER give your credit card numbers, bank account numbers, social security numbers or other personal information. You should only give them information after you’ve established you’re speaking to a legitimate company. 

If you think you’re speaking to a fraudulent company about to take you on a ride, here’s what you do:  hang up the phone. You do not need to stay on the phone engaged in unwanted conversation with a stranger who might be stiffing you.   

John   
Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Don’t forget. My new hardcover book Intelligence For Your Life: Powerful Lessons for Personal Growth will be released March 11th. You can pre-order my book before March 11th at half price and you'll receive a free concert DVD by just clicking here.

A Wakeup Call For Drowsy Drivers

Do you ever find yourself dozing off while driving down a busy highway?  Well, here’s your morning wake up call:  Don’t!

According to WebMD, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates at least 100,000 crashes, 71,000 injuries and 1,500 deaths each year in this country that are the result of a driver falling asleep at the wheel.

To make matters worse, about half of U.S. adults admit to driving while drowsy and 17% have actually napped at the wheel.

A few months ago a drowsy Denver woman was ticketed for driving down I-25 for more than 30 miles while she was nodding off! 

Drowsy driving occurs even in the friendly skies.  The Federal Aviation Administration opened up a recent investigation to determine if two Go! Airline pilots were snoozing in the cockpit during a flight from Honolulu to Hilo. Hilo air traffic controllers complained they were unable to contact the pilots for 25 minutes after the plane overshot the airport by 15 miles! 

How are drowsy drivers hazardous to you? Driving without enough sleep is hazardous to everyone’s health. Why?  Drowsy drivers have slower reaction times, impaired judgment and vision, and pay less attention to important signs, road changes and actions of other drivers. 

Who are the most likely drowsy driver candidates? The ones most likely to be drowsy drivers are young people, especially males between the ages of 18 to 25.  Young men in this category tend to not get enough sleep. Too much partying . . . Dude! 

In addition, shift workers, college students (especially during finals week), individuals with untreated sleep disorders like sleep apnea and narcolepsy, and commercial drivers are also candidates.

What’s the proper amount of sleep you need to keep you awake on the road? Pat Britz, education and research manager at the National Sleep Foundation in Washington, D.C. says,  "If you are going to drive, make sure you get eight hours of sleep the night before or take a nap on the day you depart.”

Studies have shown only one-third of Americans get their recommended eight hours of sleep each night.

How can you detect the warning signs of sleepiness?  Here are several can’t miss signs: difficulty focusing or keeping your eyes open; trouble keeping your head up; yawning repeatedly; wandering, disconnected thoughts or day dreaming; feeling restless or irritable; drifting from your lane; tailgating and missing traffic signs or exits.

How do you prevent yourself from falling into the trap of drowsy driving? 
•On long trips drivers should schedule stops or rest every two hours and alternate drivers.

•Avoid alcohol or sedating medicines while driving. If you’re taking antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications and certain antihistamines, be aware these are drugs that can make you unfit for driving.

•Two cups of coffee can increase your short-term alertness. However, you can never make up for eight hours of sleep with two cups of hot steaming java.

•Open the windows or blast the A/C for a cold slap in the face.

•Try listening to the radio or some CDs.  You never know when your son’s heavy metal rock CDs might come in handy.

•Stop to eat or drink. 

•Talk or sing to yourself.

•Splash water in your face. 

•Depending on how desperate you are, slap or pinch yourself. 

•The best way to fight drowsiness is to pull over to a safe parking spot and take a 20-minute nap.

Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep at the wheel.

John 

Email John: johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Don’t forget. My new hardcover book Intelligence For Your Life: Powerful Lessons for Personal Growth will be released March 11th.  You can pre-order my book before March 11th at half price and you'll receive a free concert DVD by just clicking here.

How is Your Personal Homeland Security?

Lock your doors! A new wave of home invasions has taken us by surprise.

One USA Today article quotes law-enforcement and security experts who say home invasions are becoming an alarming trend in the U.S.

According to the most recent FBI data, residential robberies, which include home invasions, rose nearly 13% in 2006 from 2002, even as violent crime overall decreased 0.4%. Last year, 64,000 residential robberies were reported.”

Why?

Since stores, banks and offices are better equipped with video surveillance, alarms and guards, robbers are going for the softer targets. Our homes!

A Wall Street Journal article further explains, “In home-invasion robberies . . . thieves hope to confront the occupants, often intending to force victims to open a safe or divulge bank-card PIN numbers. . . . “

In addition, home invasions are “extremely painful” crimes, says a research director at the National Crime Prevention Council. “Your sanctuary, your home is being violated at the same time you’re being violated personally.”

Now you’re wondering, “What can I do to safeguard myself against a home invasion?” From one Insurance blog we discover several steps to help you prevent a home invasion.

•Regardless of where you live, play down your public profile. You raise your chances of being cyberstalked when you blurt out too much detailed personal information about yourself on the internet.

•Whether you live in an apartment or a home, do not accept unscheduled deliveries. To prevent surprise deliveries, have your packages sent to a post office or your work office.

•keep your cool about your money and possessions when you’re out in public. If you like to boast about your finances, how many cars you own or what kind of jewelry your wife has, you’re setting yourself up as a mark.

•be eyes and ears to anyone who might be following you home. Make safe, but unexpected turns on your way home and see if the car behind you is in hot pursuit. If so . . . head to the nearest police station.

•keep your window shades closed at night. Open windows with a well lit home or apartment provides a would-be criminal enough information to assess his chances of a successful home invasion.

•keep track of the background of anyone who has access to your home such as caretakers, gardeners and workers. Know who you allow into your house.

•never make it obvious you’re the only one at home. The fewer occupants at home, the easier the robber’s job becomes. Keep extra lights on. Use a TV or radio to create the illusion of several individuals at home.

If I ended up scaring you, you missed my point. Security for our families is in our hands and is manageable. To do nothing and cower when you hear of a home invasion in the neighborhood makes us defenseless victims.

Be a “take charge person” when it comes to your loved ones and the precious sanctuary you call “home.”

Stay safe,

John

Email: johnsblog@teshmedia.com