Protecting Your Health from the Environment


A clean environment is necessary for the health and well-being of humans.

It should be quite obvious to national public health decision makers that public health is directly related to the environment in which we live.  The interaction between humans and their environment is a constant exchange.  Cancer, Asthma, Heart Disease, Obesity, and Auto Immune Disorders, are just a few of the diseases that have strickened our society, that are linked in one way or another to the stresses and factors of the environment. The effects of the environment on human health has become absolutely stunning.  

These some of  the environmental factors that contribute to the health of humans:
  • Air Quality
  • Agricultural Risks
  • Animal Wastes
  • Chemical Exposure
  • Climate change
  • Economic Stressors
  • Ecological Disturbances
  • Extreme Temperatures
  • Fertilizers
  • Occupational Hazards
  • Noise
  • Pollution
  • Radiation
  • Transportation
Recent studies show that countries who have the lowest incomes suffer even more tremendously when it comes to their health and environmental factors. In fact, new data from the WHO (World Health Organization) shows that 13 million deaths worldwide could be prevented just by making the environment healthier.  In countries such as Angola, Mali and Afghanistan more than a third of diseases could be prevented by adjustments in the environment. Unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene are among some of the factors that could be adjusted with some effort.

Some of the most common household products such as microwave popcorn bags, fast food wrappers, stain free carpets and windshield wiper fluid all contain toxic chemicals called perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs), which are directly linked to cancer.  PFCAa are becoming increasingly present in our air, household dust and soil.  Even scientists are baffled as to why heavy concentrations of  PFCAs are being found in seals and polar bears, and to add insult to injury, the amounts are doubling every five years.  This means that the oceans must be responsible helping to spread the PFCA’s to far away locations.

With all the information about the dangers lurking within our environment, You are probably wondering how you can help protect yourself from the many health risk.

Here are a 8 quick tips you can implement simply and quickly to reduce some the risks.

  1. Use Natural sunscreens to protect you skin from the sun’s exposure.

  1. Minimize Dry Cleaning your clothes or allow you clothes to air out after dry cleaning without the plastic.  There are also dry cleaners who use non-toxic solutions or you can always hand wash, air dry and iron yourself, the old fashion way!

  1. Buy organic fruits and vegetables as much as possible.

  1. Minimize your expose to Electromagnetic field radiation such as cell phones and wireless Internet by keeping your computer on sleep when not in usage and making sure that you’re using headsets or texting as an alternative when using your cell phone.

  1. When making a car purchase consider purchasing a low emission vehicle to reduce the amount of carcinogens it the environment.

  1. Take reusable bags with you when shopping.

  1. Dispose of Batteries properly. Cadmium which is an agent found in many types of batteries is linked to breast cancer so instead of throwing them in the trash, look for special battery recycling disposal areas.

  1. DON’T SMOKE!
At the end of the day, we should all be genuinely concerned about protecting ourselves from the risk factors that we are exposed to within the environment. The more exposure we have to these factors the higher our risk of acquiring health issues. However, we should be proactively concerned with the overall condition of the environment as a whole first, because ultimately and in the big scheme of things it affects us all!

Thanks for Reading.

Many Blessings,
Angel Ahhh

"What is the good of having a nice house without a decent planet to put it on?"
~Henry David Thoreau

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