AVOIDING GRILL AND FIRE PITFALLS

Warmer weather means time to grill and chill by the fire pit, but before you light your grill up, it may be time for a grill checkup.

Tom Waters, MD, an emergency department physician with Cleveland Clinic said it’s a good idea to make sure your grill is working properly.

“When you’re going to light your grill for the first time, whether it’s propane or even charcoal, obviously you want to be careful,” he said.

“If you aren’t able to light a gas grill after the first two attempts, you need to turn it off, let it air out and then inspect why it might not be working before you continue to try and light it to avoid any flare ups or big explosions of gas.”

Dr. Waters suggests checking your grill for gas leaks before you light it up.

He also recommends having a fire extinguisher handy. You’ll also want to avoid wearing long-sleeved shirts while grilling so your clothes don’t catch fire.

• A pair of heat-resistant gloves is a good idea as well.

If using lighter fluid, be sure to move it farther away from the lit grill. If you suffer a minor burn while grilling, it can be treated with cooling or antibiotic ointments. However, if the burn is larger than the palm of your hand, you should seek medical help.

When it comes to fire pits or bonfires, make sure there is enough space between the flames and your home.

“You must watch what you’re burning and where the wind is blowing,” warned Dr. Waters. “If there are a lot of embers and they’re blowing towards a structure, whether it’s your house, your neighbor’s house, your kids’ playhouse, or a garden shed, you need to monitor that because, sometimes, those hot em- bers could result in a fire somewhere else.”

Finally, Dr. Waters cautions never leave a fire unattended and be sure to put out the flames and/or hot coals when you’re ready to go in.

Source: Clevelandclinic.org ccnewsservice@ccf.org

Narcolepsy is a neurological sleep disorder characterized by irregular patterns in rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep, and significant disruptions of the normal sleep/wake cycle. A person on a typical sleep cycle will gradually go through the stages of sleep and ultimately enter REM sleep after about 90 minutes. However, people suffering from narcolepsy will enter REM sleep almost immediately and even do so periodically during waking hours. But the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke notes that people with narcolepsy do not spend significantly more time asleep than normal sleepers. The NINDS also notes that narcolepsy does not discriminate based on gender, affecting males and females equally throughout the world, and that narcolepsy often begins in childhood or adolescence even though it can begin in adulthood as well.

If left undiagnosed or untreated, narcolepsy can interfere with psychological, social, and cognitive function and development and can inhibit academic, work, and social activities.

Narcolepsy is a lifelong problem, but it does not usually worsen as the person ages.