Asbestos Dangers in Britains Buildings

Those who work in UK law, local government or the construction industry have heard of the word "Asbestos" for many years. But up until as recently as twenty years ago, most of the population of the UK did not know about the dangers and the diseases caused by asbestos. This danger from asbestos is highlighted by the fact that almost every government from around the world has regulations and laws in place against the use of asbestos in building materials.

Asbestos is a Greek word which means "inextinguishable". Asbestos is also known as "magical mineral" due to the fact that it has such a natural composition that it is considered ideal for usage in anything from tiles to rooftops to road signs. It has even be used in making the socks we wear. Up until 1980 army, navy, railway, construction, in short every possible industry used asbestos. But once its harmful effects were discovered in 1980 the usage of asbestos based materials and products was banned worldwide.

Recent statistics show that almost every building built before 1980 is most likely to be made of asbestos related products. According to the TUC, all public buildings and schools built between 1960 and 1980 most probably have asbestos in walls, boilers, and even hot pipes. Properties built since the mid-1980's are unlikely to contain asbestos in the fabric of the building and properties built since 1990 are extremely unlikely to contain asbestos anywhere in the building.

Asbestos has previously been used in UK buildings for fireproofing, insulation, reinforcement and condensation protection. The Advisory Committee on Asbestos has released a report which states that the UK is most affected by the use of white asbestos by the name of Chrysotile. The Chrysotile imported by the UK in 1976 was utilized 40% by cement building products, 22% by reinforced and filler cements and 12% by floors and tiles.

Asbestos based items and products are no longer approved by the UK government or any other government in the world since research has highlighted its harmful effects on human health. These products are known to emit asbestos fibres which are the cause of many diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer and other diseases. These fibres are so small that they are invisible to the human eye, with some fibres being up to seven hundred times smaller than a human hair. When these asbestos fibres are released from the building material or product and become airborne into the air we breathe, they often stay suspended there for hours or even days.

When asbestos fibres are originally inhaled, they may become trapped in the lungs. Over time, the body tries to dissolve theses fibres. Unfortunately due to the nature of asbestos, the body does little to damage the fibre, but instead damages the surrounding tissue. Eventually, this damage may become so severe that the lungs cannot function.

How To Enhance Male Fertility - A Few More Tips

How to enhance male fertility has now become a major issue in the public. This issue of male fertility affects nearly 30% to 40% of couples, who have difficulty in conceiving a baby. A male fertility test usually reveals low sperm count or unhealthy sperm. Impotency and premature ejaculation are other reasons of concern affecting society. Both partners have to go for fertility test, if a woman fails to conceive even after repeated attempts. These tests are taken only after the doctor is convinced that enough time has elapsed, usually a year.

Reasons For Infertility In Males

There are many reasons for low sperm count in the males. Some of the most common ones are given below -

# Varicocles - A condition in which dilated scrotal veins, weaken sperm development by blocking drainage of blood. This condition can be corrected medically.

# Sperm disability – Due to low production, abnormal production or no production in the male body.

# Premature or retrograde ejaculation – It is caused by the malfunctioning of the muscles and failure of the nervous system. This could be the result of too much medication after an accident, weakness in the body due to operation or any other disease.

# Blocking of the sperm passage

# Hormone levels being low

# Other genetic defects

# Side effects of Cancer

# Too much exposure to heat, as in boilers, hot beds, mines etc.

# Too much drug or alcohol abuse

# Too much smoking

There is no reason to be disheartened, as most of the cases mentioned above can either be treated or avoided, and the affected person can become a healthy person once again. Injections like Intracytoplasmic sperm injection and vitro fertilization have helped many couples to conceive and give birth to healthy babies. You can also read books on how to enhance male fertility.

Here are some Tips To Increase Sperm Count.

Healthy Living

Firstly, eat healthy food, rich in vitamins and minerals. Second, exercise regularly, to keep fit and healthy. Remain tension free and apply your mind to one thing at a time. Practice meditation.

Foods That Increase Sperm Count

A regular intake of fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables increases antioxidants, which are responsible for increase in sperm. An apple a day keeps doctor away and increases the sperm count as well. Do not undermine the role of diet in influencing your sperm count. You can also take the help of vitamin tablets if you are unable to keep a regular intake of fruits and vegetables. Male fertility increases if you include vitamin c and e in your diet along with zinc and selenium. Now you know how to enhance male fertility.

Time Tested Herbs And Oils

Many herbs and oils are also used to enhance male fertility. Chinese herb ginseng, saw palmetto, astral Gus and macaw are medicines to increase sperm count. Many oils like sunflower oil, certain fish oils, even pumpkin seeds and flax seed oil find favor with some to increase low sperm count. Besides the above-mentioned herbs and oils, certain tablets like Viagra and many others claim to reduce male infertility. However, it is always better to consult your physician before using any of the above-mentioned drugs, herbs or oils.

Remember that this stage of pre pregnancy is very delicate and requires perfect pregnancy planning. Do some regular exercise, walk as much as you can, drink lot of water, and stay clear of smoking and drinking and wear loose-fitting clothes. Listen to music to remain tension free, and do not overstrain yourself watching too much TV. Spend some time reading light books and magazines and gather as much information as you can on how to deliver a healthy baby and how to enhance male fertility.

Drive More with Less

Avoid Aggressive Driving

Speeding, rapid accelerating and braking waste a lot of petrol. What is the use of picking up speed to travel a little bit faster and then later having to brake in order to slow down again, perhaps to negotiate a turn, or to avoid a slow-moving vehicle in front?

It does not make sense! And yet many of us are guilty of this habit of impatience. A good practice will be to follow the speed of the general traffic and drive at that speed. If the traffic is slow moving, just follow and move slowly. Similarly, if the traffic is fast, travel faster. But always follow the vehicle in front at a good distant away. In this way, even when it slows down or brakes, you still do not have to brake yet, until you have moved really close.

When you brake, you are resisting the energy already moving the vehicle. A lot of energy is harnessed to just move a stationary vehicle. Once the vehicle has moved, less energy is needed to maintain its speed. But when you slow down, it again uses more energy to bring it up to speed. The less you brake, the more the energy you save.

Aggressive driving can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds to about 5 percent around town.

Observe the Speed Limit

Research has shown that fuel economy decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Although each vehicle will have its own optimal fuel economical speed or range of speeds, its gas mileage usually comes down when the speed reaches above 60 mph.

Remove Excess Weight

It stands to reason that heavier vehicles will consume more petrol or gas. While the vehicle structure and body may be heavy, do not make it heavier by storing unnecessary items, especially heavy ones. The extra weight will affect smaller vehicles than larger ones.

Avoid Excessive Idling Time

When the vehicle is idling, it is not moving. This means that you get zero miles while you are burning the fuel. This is not good practice economically. All the fuel goes to waste.

Use Cruise Control and High Gears

By using cruise control, you can maintain constant speeds that will save energy. This is similar to the above tip about avoiding aggressive driving of speeding up, accelerating and braking. Use cruise control on the highway.

Using high gears means you do not have to rev up the engines for the same vehicle speed. The engine runs comparatively slower for the same vehicle speed compared to using low gears. This saves petrol while reducing engine wear.

Ways to Avoid Injuries for Triathlon Beginners

Beginning to train for a triathlon can be as hard as it sounds. Well, it means changing your usual everyday routine and adding some time on the track, on your bike, at the gym, and in the water. But those are not the only things you must consider. You should also think of the possible risks that might happen before during and after your training.

You must remember this: injuries do exist but can be prevented. And the most common are caused by over-training, wrong set of gears, and improper practices. Here are 5 ways to prevent injuries from taking away your triathlon dream:

Stretching – Before you begin your training, you must do some stretching. This would release the tension of your tightened tendon and muscles. There are some studies conducted that people who do not stretch before and after stretching are more prone to injuries. Some also argue about the necessity of stretching but taking outmost precaution would certainly lead you from disregarding this argument.

Training duration – You simply cannot go from 0 to 5k in an instant. You must take it gradually. Over-training often causes injuries. Make sure you take one step at a take and not take on giant leap towards your goal. Keep your training plan realistic. In this way, give your body the time to adapt to the training.

Rest – After training for several hours on one day, your body needs to rest. Again, a good rest would give your body the time to adapt to the training. This would prevent from over stressing your muscles and tendons that can result to injuries.

Footwear – There is a particular shoe for running and cycling. And this should be taken seriously. The most punished part of your body during training and the actual triathlon itself are your feet so make sure that you have the proper footwear for your run and for your bike. Also remember that friction blister is common to those who wear old shoes, shoes with inadequate soles, and improper shoe fitting.

Gears – If you have the history of ankle injury, keeping your ankle protected with braces would be a good idea. Tendonitis, a common effect of over training could be avoided if you wear proper ankle braces. A nice swimwear would give you better movement on water. And since you also have your swimwear on during the entire race, a good and well-fitted one is a must have.

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