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Preparedness
Being prepared is the best way to reduce the effects of a natural disaster or other emergency. There are a number of Web sites that can provide invaluable information about planning and readiness:
Personal Preparedness for Older Adults & Their Caregivers (CDC)
Keeping Food and Water Safe after a Natural Disaster or Power Outage (CDC)
Surviving an Earthquake (CDC)
Pet Information
Helping Pets (FEMA)
Often the most vulnerable time during a natural disaster comes after the event has occurred. To protect yourself and your loved ones, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you begin with a plan to recover that takes into account each of the following disease prevention activities:
Traumatic events are marked by a sense of horror, helplessness, serious injury, or the threat of serious injury or death. Traumatic events affect survivors, rescue workers, and the friends and relatives of victims who have been involved. They may also have an impact on people who have seen the event either firsthand or on television.
A person's response varies, but you may see different emotional, physical, and behavioral ways of coping. To learn about the signs and symptoms and how you can help, you may want to visit the following sites:
Coping:
Tips:
Mental Health Resources:
Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood, organic, and man-made matter burn. The biggest health threat from smoke comes from fine particles. These microscopic particles can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems. Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, headaches, stinging eyes or a runny nose.
If you have heart or lung disease, smoke might make your symptoms worse. People with heart disease might experience:
People with lung disease may not be able to breathe as deeply or as vigorously as usual, and they may experience symptoms such as:
Children also are more susceptible to smoke for several reasons: their respiratory systems are still developing; they breathe more air (and air pollution) per pound of body weight than adults; and they're more likely to be active outdoors.
When smoke levels are high enough, even healthy people may experience some of these symptoms. Common health effects, such as minor irritation, may not require a visit to your doctor. But, you should seek medical attention immediately if you experience more serious symptoms like those listed above.
Learn More:
Reducing your exposure to smoke in the air will help prevent health effects. You can reduce your exposure to smoke by staying indoors where you are safe, and, if possible, keeping windows closed. Run your air conditioner, if you have one. The fresh-air intake on air conditioners should be closed to prevent outdoor air from entering your home. Be sure your filters are changed regularly.
Avoid using anything that burns, such as wood fireplaces, gas logs, gas stoves and candles, when smoke levels outside are high. Do not vacuum or stir up dust in your house. And do not smoke.
Ordinary dust masks, designed to filter out large particles, will not help protect you against smoke as they allow the more dangerous smaller particles to pass through to your lungs. For more information about effective masks, see the Respirator Fact Sheet provided by CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Regularly check the Air Quality Index (AQI) for your area. You can find out about the AQI for your area at: http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local
Learn More:
Isolation and quarantine are public health practices used to stop or limit the spread of disease.
Isolation is used to separate ill persons who have a communicable disease from those who are healthy. Isolation restricts the movement of ill persons to help stop the spread of certain diseases. For example, hospitals use isolation for patients with infectious tuberculosis.
Quarantine is used to separate and restrict the movement of well persons who may have been exposed to a communicable disease to see if they become ill. These people may have been exposed to a disease and do not know it, or they may have the disease but do not show symptoms. Quarantine can also help limit the spread of communicable disease.
Isolation and quarantine are used to protect the public by preventing exposure to infected persons or to persons who may be infected.
By Executive Order of the President, federal isolation and quarantine are authorized for these communicable diseases:
The Federal government derives its authority for isolation and quarantine from the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Under section 361 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S. Code § 264), the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services is authorized to take measures to prevent the entry and spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries into the United States and between states.
Under 42 Code of Federal Regulations parts 70 and 71, CDC is authorized to detain, medically examine, and release persons arriving into the
When alerted about an ill passenger or crew member by the pilot of a plane or captain of a ship, CDC may detain passengers and crew as necessary to investigate whether the cause of the illness on board is a communicable disease.
If a quarantinable disease is suspected or identified, the CDC may issue a Federal isolation or quarantine order. Public health authorities at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels may sometimes seek help from police or other law enforcement officers to enforce a public health order.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Coast Guard officers are authorized to help enforce federal quarantine orders. Breaking a federal quarantine order is punishable by fines and imprisonment. Federal law allows the conditional release of persons from quarantine if they comply with medical monitoring and surveillance.
Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS): a fact sheet for the public (CDC)
Learn about radiation sickness and its symptoms.
Radiation and pregnancy: a fact sheet for the public (CDC)
Understand the possible health effects to your fetus from exposure to radiation.
Radiation emergencies information (CDC)
Find information to help people protect themselves during and after a radiological event.
Radiation Emergencies: Protecting yourself and your family (CDC)
Read about actions people can take to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their pets if a radiation emergency occurs.
Consumers have an important role in reducing radiation risks from medical X-rays. FDA recommends these steps:
Ask your health care professional how an X-ray will help. How will it help find out what's wrong or determine your treatment? Ask if there are other procedures that might be lower risk but still allow a good assessment or treatment for your medical situation.
Tell the X-ray technologist in advance if you are, or might be, pregnant.
Ask if a protective shield can be used. If you or your children are getting an X-ray, ask whether a lead apron or other shield should be used.
Ask your dentist if he/she uses the faster (E or F) speed film for X-rays. It costs about the same as the conventional D speed film and offers similar benefits with a lower radiation dose. Using digital imaging detectors instead of film further reduces radiation dose.
Know your X-ray history. "Just as you may keep a list of your medications with you when visiting the doctor, keep a list of your imaging records, including dental X-rays," says Ohlhaber. When an X-ray is taken, fill out the card with the date and type of exam, referring physician, and facility and address where the images are kept. Show the card to your health care professionals to avoid unnecessary duplication of X-rays of the same body part. Keep a record card for everyone in your family.