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Suspect a Gas Leakage at Home? - Dos and Don'ts To Avoid a Mishap
LPG cylinders are commonly used in Indian households for cooking and water heating. The gas used in the cylinder (Propane or Butane) is highly inflammable and a potential hazard when it leaks from faulty equipment. Gas regulators, hoses, seals and other components of LPG appliances can malfunction or wear out over time and cause dangerous gas leaks. Read on to know about gas leaks, how to avoid them and what to do when your equipment leaks.
What Can Cause a Gas Leakage at Home?
The major cause of a gas leak in houses is faulty equipment. Gas appliances have various components to regulate and direct the flow of gas to burners. Manufacturing defects, damage caused due to wear and tear or the component being used beyond its rated lifespan can lead to mechanical failures and leaks. The hose (the tube which conveys gas from cylinder to burner) is often the first to fail as it experiences the most wear and tear at its joints. Blockages in the burner, failed gaskets and faulty regulators can also lead to a gas leak. A leak can also occur during cooking or heating when unsupervised items such as milk or water boil over and spill on the burner causing a flame out and letting the gas escape.
Why Is a Gas Leakage Dangerous?
There are two main reasons why gas leaks are so dangerous:
Explosion Hazard:
LPG is highly flammable when mixed with air, even in a small percentage. When gas leaks inside a confined space such as a house, it’s the perfect recipe for an explosion if you have a source of ignition. When it goes off, the explosion produces tremendous heat that can burn the skin and set things on fire. Other damage comes from the ‘shock wave’ which is high-pressure hot air moving through the house, expanding outward. This pressure wave can damage the eardrums and lungs and knock people off their feet. It can propel objects into the air and blow out windows, causing secondary damage. The result is burns, broken bones and shrapnel injury with loss of life in some cases. Explosions can also lead to the collapse of walls leading to further property damage and injury.
Health Hazard:
When inhaled in high quantities, the gas can displace oxygen leading to suffocation and death by hypoxia. Some of the symptoms of gas inhalation are dizziness, euphoria, loss of coordination and hallucinations. Prolonged inhalation in the form of small leaks daily can lead to nervous system damage, seizures, depression, impaired memory, mood swings, etc. It can also damage the heart, lungs and kidneys. A secondary consequence of improper combustion of gas and poor ventilation is the formation of the highly poisonous carbon monoxide gas. Carbon monoxide poisoning is highly dangerous and fatal in many cases as it is not obvious when first inhaled. When people inhale the gas, it leads to dizziness, nausea, abdomen and chest pain, headaches, and loss of consciousness. Loss of consciousness eventually leads to suffocation and death.
How to Check a Gas Cylinder for Leakage?
Here are four ways to check if your gas cylinder is leaking:
The telltale sign of an LPG cylinder leaking is the sulphurous odour of ethyl mercaptan. It is a smelly compound mixed with LPG as the gas in the cylinder are odourless. Everybody who has used a gas stove would be familiar with the odour.
A sudden release of large amounts of gas creates a smoggy white cloud in the space around the leak. Avoid walking into this cloud as it can be hazardous.
A small rupture in the hose can usually be heard in the form of a faint hissing noise or can be felt with your hand when you run your fingers over the hose. To confirm, close the regulator valve on the cylinder and see if it stops the leak.
If you have a gas line and not a cylinder, there’s an easy trick to detect LPG gas leakage. Switch off all the appliances that run on gas. Go to the gas meter and check if it’s still running; if it is, then one of your appliances is leaking gas.
What Should You Do In Case Of a Gas Leakage?
Although you may take every precaution in the book to avoid a gas leak, you may find yourself facing a gas leak from the cylinder in your kitchen. Here are the dos and don’ts for such a situation:
Dos:
Stay calm and don't panic. Clear thought is necessary in emergencies like these so you can take all the right actions. Your cool will also stop others in the house from panicking and doing something wrong.
The first step is to evacuate everybody in the house including your pets so you can take preliminary action.
Extinguish all sources of fire in the house including incense sticks and diyas.
Shut off the regulator valve. If you hear gas leaking out after the valve has been shut, it’s a faulty regulator. Remove the regulator from the gas cylinder. The inbuilt cylinder valves close themselves as soon as the regulator is removed and stop the leak. This is the best way to stop a gas cylinder leakage.
Open the windows and doors to allow the gas to dissipate, call the emergency number and report the situation.
If you’re still in doubt, step out of the house.
In case you see flames coming out of the equipment, use a large cloth like a blanket to smother the flame and cut the oxygen supply. You can then proceed to remove the regulator out of the cylinder.
Don’ts:
Do not turn on any electrical equipment or fans to speed up gas dissipation. Switches often give off internal electrical sparks that could set off an explosion.
Do not turn off any equipment that is running either. That carries the risk of a spark as well.
If it’s dark, don’t light a match or a candle. Use your phone’s flashlight.
How to Prevent a Gas Leakage?
These are some tips on how to maintain your equipment and prevent a gas leak:
Awareness is the first step to safety. You and your family must be aware of the signs of a gas leak and the factors that contribute to it. Especially, children should be aware of how to identify a gas leak and take immediate measure to safeguard themselves.
Ensure there’s adequate ventilation in the kitchen and bathroom where you use gas burners. The equipment must be kept at a safe distance from the rest, and adequate ventilation must be provided for fresh air to flow.
Have your equipment inspected regularly by certified inspectors. Everything from regulators and hoses to burners must be inspected for wear and tear or defects. Similarly, buy equipment that is certified to ensure it's not faulty.
Replace the equipment after its certified lifespan is over. Do not use it over its specified lifespan.
Have safety equipment such as carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers installed in the house. Carbon monoxide detectors look similar to smoke detectors and go off when the concentration reaches set levels.
A gas leak is dangerous and must be taken seriously. Recognising the signs on time is important so that the right course of action can be taken to avoid a tragedy. With proper safety precautions and regular equipment checks, it’s possible to avoid a gas leak.
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Threatened Abortion - Reasons, Signs & Treatment
Nearly every pregnant mother has had the thought of miscarriage cross her mind. Which is why most mothers take utmost precaution in ensuring no harm comes to the baby in any case. However, certain situations may arise when you may find your vagina to be bleeding with some pain. Such scenarios need to be addressed immediately since they could signify a threatened abortion.
What is Threatened Abortion or Threatened Miscarriage?
In the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, nearly 1/3rd of women experience bleeding from the vagina and most of them do complete the entire term of pregnancy. However, in some mothers, the vaginal bleeding could be accompanied by abdominal cramping and pain in the region. These could indicate the possibility of a miscarriage, needing a pre-emptive abortion to protect the mother. Since it is a possibility, it is termed as a threatened abortion or a threatened miscarriage.
Symptoms of Threatened Abortion
Nearly all threatened abortions are preceded by bleeding occurring from the vagina, which majorly occurs in the initial 20 weeks of pregnancy. Other symptoms include,
Cramping in the abdominal area that accompanies the bleeding is also observed.
Pain in the lower back or the abdominal region, that could be dull but constant or even sharp spikes at times might also occur.
Certain women observe some material resembling a clot or a tissue, that they pass from their vagina.
Causes of Threatened Abortion
Some of the causes of a threatened abortion are,
Certain anomalies present in the chromosomes of the embryo have been termed to be responsible in miscarriage at extremely initial pregnancy stages.
Most women face threatened abortion due to a cervix that can’t hold the baby, fibroids of the uterus, inflamed villi, or even the presence of other diseases and conditions.
Any swelling or inflammation in the interior parts of the uterus could trigger a miscarriage as well.
Feverish chills, extreme fatigue, physical, mental, emotional stress, are all factors that could cause a threatened abortion.
Repeat mothers face higher chances of a threatened miscarriage if they have had multiple children.
Statistically, about 10% of women lose their pregnancy in extremely early stages.
Diagnosis of Threatened Miscarriage
In case of vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain, a nursing diagnosis for threatened abortion is the first step any pregnant mother should take to get clarity on the situation.
Doctors start from the source of the problem and begin with the vaginal bleeding. They try to pinpoint the origin of the bleeding as well as check to see if the amniotic sac is intact. This examination usually involves the vagina, uterus and the cervix where the entire region of the reproductive system is properly checked for any anomalies.
A threatened abortion ultrasound is the next step that is undertaken. This is to primarily understand the health of the baby and check if the heart is still beating properly and the growth is normal. In case the bleeding has been determined to emerge from the uterus, an ultrasound helps quantify it to take necessary actions. In the initial weeks of pregnancy, doctors prefer to undertake a transvaginal ultrasound using a probe inside the vagina, instead of the traditional abdomen-based ultrasound. This probe is inserted a few inches deep in the vagina and high-frequency sound waves are emitted. These are then sensed to create a vivid image of the internal foetal structure and look for anomalies.
Since hormones can also be another culprit responsible for the condition, a blood test that includes a full blood count will be undertaken. These tests measure the HCG, or the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone, as well as progesterone. Both these hormones are produced to invoke and support pregnancy and are necessary to be present in the right amount.
Treatment & Medication
Bedrest is the primary requirement to recover from a threatened abortion. Any kind of physical activities, including sexual intercourse, should be strongly avoided.
In case of the presence of conditions such as diabetes or thyroid related complications, the doctor might prescribe appropriate medication to treat them and support the pregnancy.
In certain cases, the mother’s blood group might be Rh negative while the baby’s blood group might be Rh positive. This then causes the mother’s body to start creating antibodies and combat the format of the foetus’ blood. In such cases, doctors administer Rh immunoglobulins to keep this behaviour in check.
If the tests reveal reduced levels of hormones, treatment of threatened abortion with progesterone injections might also be undertaken to bring them to the required amount.
To stop the bleeding or any uterine contractions, haemostatic drugs or even tocolytic agent based medication might be given by your doctor to help mitigate the condition.
Complications of Threatened Miscarriage
With any health-related condition, and especially with pregnancy, there are strong chances of complications occurring even after taking the right actions in a threatened miscarriage.
Since there is blood loss that takes place from the vagina, and the amount can sometimes be quite substantial, mothers could end up suffering from anaemia, which further deteriorates her health. In extreme conditions, doctors may even advise undertaking a blood transfusion in order to quickly bring the iron levels in the blood to a normal state.
Due to illnesses, an infection might make its way to the foetus or even infect the region around it, leading to possible complications.
The final condition might be such where a miscarriage does occur and the mother loses her foetus, or the foetus is not in a state to be carried to full term, and hence, requires to be aborted. This can be quite taxing for the mother physically as well as emotionally. In such cases, doctors also take high precautions in ensuring a fatal complication such as ectopic pregnancy, doesn’t take place.
Will You be Able to Work After Threatened Abortion?
Listening to your body and understanding it is the best way to know if you’re ready for work or not. In case your work is physically intensive, then it is highly advised to take some more time off and get as much rest as possible and recover properly. If your work is mostly sedentary and you feel that you are well-rested and fine, you may gradually start going to work.
Can Threatened Abortion or Miscarriage Be Prevented?
Such conditions cannot be fully prevented. However, their chances of occurring can be reduced by taking certain precautions.
Avoiding alcohol, tobacco, drugs, cigarette, completely
Reducing the intake of caffeine based drinks to the very minimal
Refraining from consuming any food items that are known to be harmful during pregnancy
Treating any infections as soon as they are diagnosed
Having a healthy and balanced diet, with supplementary vitamins and nutrients
Proper and safe exercise, along with non-exposure to harmful chemicals and environments
Long-Term Outlook
Most women deliver happy healthy babies even after experiencing the conditions of a threatened miscarriage. It primarily depends on the conditions of the cervix, uterus, and your hormone levels.
In case you do suffer from a miscarriage, you can still have a successful pregnancy after that. If you have had multiple miscarriages sequentially, then a doctor’s examination is highly advised.
Management of threatened abortion or miscarriage is not simply a medical activity. The entire process can affect a mother emotionally and cause undue anxiety and stress during the pregnancy or even for subsequent ones. Talk to people who provide you with emotional support and don’t hesitate from undertaking therapy if required.
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Clever Storage Tips for Small Apartments
Too many things in a small apartment can make it look overstuffed and unorganised. What you need are creative storage solutions for small apartments to make optimal use of the space in your house. Make your home a cozy haven for you and your family.
Finding it hard to fit everything in your available storage space in your tiny apartment? Well, this is a task but there are ways to get around it. All you need are great storage ideas that will help you sort the clutter and store everything perfectly. No more stepping on toys and your children complaining that they have nowhere to put their things.
Must-try Storage Solutions for Small Apartments
1. Shelve It
Book shelves needn't necessarily be used to show off your collection of books. You can also use them to hold an impressive collection of DVDs and CDs as well as sentimental stuff like photos and mementos.
Put up shelves in your kitchen to store pots and pans. They'll give you more counter top space to work on.
Add additional shelves to closets. You can use dividers too.
Use tiered shelves to hold soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other bathroom essentials.
A tiny apartment calls for optimisation of available space. You can add wired shelves on cabinet doors to hold more. It's a smart storage idea for apartments and detached houses alike.
2. Baskets, Baskets Everywhere
Use baskets to store toys neatly. You can place them under your children's beds or study tables.
Store cookbooks in a basket and push it into the cabinet under the kitchen countertop.
You can use wired baskets to store office supplies instead of letting them clutter your workstation.
In case you don't have space for a dressing table, use a basket to store makeup and body basics and store it in your closet or on your bedside table.
3. Go for Extra Compartments
Instead of picking an ordinary coffee table for your living room, go for one with drawers and a shelf.
Ottomans with storage space are also great. You can store old newspapers and magazines in them.
Get beds with built-in storage. Put in bed linen including blankets and bulky winter wear when summer comes around.
4. Hook up
Use them in your living room to hang letter holders and keys. You can place them in the kitchen too to hang small pots, ladles and tea cups.
Put up hooks behind bedroom doors to place jackets and scarves as well as in the bathroom to hang up loofahs and towels.
Put up a few in closets too for necklaces and bracelets.
You don't need to upend everything and redesign your home - small changes can make big waves. Simply use these storage tips to efficiently stow away your belongings in a small apartment. Present yourself and your family with an uncluttered living space and make your home look warm and welcoming to your visitors. Read more
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Common Signs of Asperger’s Syndrome
Every child exhibits different behavioral characteristics while growing up, causing us to label them as outgoing, shy or friendly. A child showing symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome is also likely to be assumed as having nothing more than a ‘different’ personality. This often makes the diagnosis of Asperger’s difficult and delayed. By being aware of the common symptoms of this disorder, parents can look out for telltale signs that point to something more than just behavioral quirks.
Asperger’s Syndrome falls under the umbrella of Autism Spectrum Disorders or ASD, due to the high level of similarity that it shares with autism and related disorders. Yet, most cases of autism are usually detected early, within the age group of 2-5, while the average age of diagnosis of Asperger’s cases is in the 6-12 age group. This is mainly because the symptoms of Asperger’s are often confused with childhood peculiarities and most parents brush them off, expecting their child to outgrow them, eventually. It’s only when they’re much older that parents realize that all is not as it should be. As with any disorder, early diagnosis makes a huge difference in its management; so it helps to be aware of the common signs of Asperger’s Syndrome, so that a specialist can be consulted at the earliest, if necessary.
Children with Asperger’s want to fit in with their peers and don’t want to be by themselves; the problem is they don’t know how to. Conventional social niceties and rules don’t come naturally to them, and making a conscious effort to do the same ends up looking awkward and clumsy. Here are some common signs of Asperger’s that are different from children who are just naturally shy.
Symptoms Related to Social Skills
Children with Asperger’s are usually unable to maintain eye contact during conversations.
Their conversations may sound like monologues, since they don’t understand the ‘to and fro’ nature of a regular conversation.
Older children don’t understand subtle references or subtext – they take things very literally.
They don’t appear to emote well and exhibit the same expression most of the time.
Just as their body language doesn’t give away what they’re feeling, they find it hard to understand another person’s body language and this makes it difficult for them to react appropriately.
Their sense of humor appears to be non-existent and they seldom understand subtle humor, sarcasm or references to pop culture.
Their speech often seems to be devoid of any emotion and robotic in nature. They lack the ability to put the appropriate inflection or tone in their voice, making it sound the same regardless of the situation.
Symptoms Related to Personality Traits
One identifying feature of Asperger’s has an extreme aversion to change of any sort, such as clothes, travel routes, kind of food, etc.
Children with Asperger’s function well within set and rigid routines. Any change in this may result in a disturbance.
Many children with Asperger’s often have certain repetitive movements, like twiddling their thumbs or flapping their hands. This kind of behavior often makes others label them as ‘eccentric’.
These children are very observant and can catch the smallest details that often go unnoticed by their peers or even adults.
They can be disturbed by too much stimulation and places like malls or weddings can affect their sense of balance.
Symptoms Related to Learning
Children with Asperger’s can display a photographic memory, but it will usually be very specific and for any random topic. For example, a child might remember all the batting statistics of a particular cricket player and not any other.
Such children aren’t really experts in the topic they seem to know so much about, since their knowledge is limited to that particular field of interest and not the entire broad subject.
These children are very good at rote learning and may excel at subjects requiring the same.
Tests show that such children often have intelligence that is rated above-average. One basic difference between children having Asperger’s and those with autism is the higher IQ in the former set, indicative of special abilities.
Children with Asperger’s can be immensely talented, especially, since they tend to focus very deeply into something they’re interested in. They are often found particularly drawn to music or mathematics.
They often have very good vocabularies and start reading earlier than their peers.
Symptoms Related to Physical Development
While kids with Asperger’s don’t have as many developmental problems as kids with autism, a reduced interaction with their surroundings is visible, right from infancy.
Kids with Asperger’s can have sleep problems such as difficulty in falling asleep, frequent waking and overall poor sleep quality.
Some children with Asperger’s reflect their social awkwardness in their physicality too, by being clumsy with themselves and with things around them.
While physical milestones are usually achieved without much delay, children with Asperger’s usually have a difficulty with balance and coordination. This makes it difficult for them to master skills like riding a bike or games requiring hand-eye coordination.
The symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome can range from mild to severe. Mild Asperger’s can be mistaken for childhood quirkiness and go undiagnosed till much later. Severe Asperger’s may make a child appear more ‘abnormal’ than he actually is. This can often affect a child’s self esteem and a difficult social life can make him withdraw further. It is important for parents to be aware of their child’s behavioral characteristics so that they can get the right help and support at the earliest possible. Read more
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Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
8 hours ago
Q. #AskTheExpert hello dr.
baby planning kar rhi kuch tips btayiye conceive ho jaye
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
7 hours ago
A. it's a natural process ok. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
6 hours ago
Q. when baby is kick? I'm 13 weeks pregnant
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant
Ayurvedic Gynaecologist
6 hours ago
A. during first pregnancy you may feel the baby movements after 24 to 25 weeks of pregnancy and till then only mild flatters may be felt but which you may not be feeling if you are doing some work
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 2 months
6 hours ago
Q. I’m in my 31 week 1 day of pregnancy. What will be my delivery date??
As I have low lying placenta with grade 1 maturity.
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
5 hours ago
A. you had to correlate is ultrasound examination. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Rashmi has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 2 months
6 hours ago
Q. My hemoglobin is 6.4 from 28 weeks of pregnancy. Now I’m 31 weeks pregnant. What should I do?
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
5 hours ago
A. Haven’t when you having some kind of iron supplement because they’re very good during the time of pregnancy if you are not having one you need to start with and whatever tabs you take you should just take it with any good juice specially pomegranate juice that’s going to help in doubling the impact of the medicine that you’re taking secondly try and include more of Iron which diet like spinach broccoli beetroot pomegranate black rice sweet potato these things are exceptionally healthy for you to consume
Rashmi has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 2 months
5 hours ago
Q. This is my cbc report
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
5 hours ago
A. No there is nothing visible on my wall so I can really really cannot help you can you please repose the question once again providing all the necessary details as once I’m certain what are you talking about what’s mentioned in the report according to that I can provide you proper help on your question
Dr Sameer awadhiya has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
3 hours ago
Q. #asktheexpert
now I'm 24 weeks. Sometimes I'm feeling pain in my thigh.
Dr Sameer awadhiya
Paediatrician
3 hours ago
A. For thegh query asked needs consultation with doctor for proper guidance so it is better that the doctor will guide you the correct way .
Onlfine consultation can also be taken and the expert will give you the proper answer .
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