Americans face many challenges and opportunities to improve and maintain health. Over nutrition and excessive daily calories and, consequently, obesity and overweight are considered a major public health concern. We now realize that prolonged emotional and physical stress can deplete the body of critical protective nutrients and impair important functions of the body.

Chronic exposure to potentially damaging chemicals in food, water, and air reduces the body’s ability to fend off infections and cancer. The benefits of even modestly increasing regular physical exercise are well established, yet we are tugged in many directions by commitments that limit the time we can spend for self-care.

Healthy lifestyle choices, including eating wisely, can lead to a more productive and personally satisfying life. By making informed choices about diet and lifestyles, we can level the environmental playing field so that we can feel better about ourselves and live more active and fulfilling lives.

Lung disease is directly related to specific risk factors such as cigarette smoking and working in occupations that carry risks for developing lung disease. Plastics, wood, metal, and textile workers, bakers, millers, farmers, poultry handlers, miners; grain elevator workers, laboratory technicians, drug manufacturers, dry cleaners, and detergent manufacturers are all exposed to airborne agents that can cause occupational asthma, lung cancer, and other respiratory disorders.

Your lungs have a limited capacity to protect themselves against many different types of irritants. No smoking and avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke are critical to protecting your
lungs. Cigarette smoke is the major cause of lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. Exposure to cigarette smoke also increases your risk of respiratory infection.

If your job exposes you to airborne irritants, be sure to wear a protective mask or, if needed, a respirator to prevent inhalation of those hazardous substances. Be familiar with the information and recommendations contained in the material safety data sheets for all of the hazardous substances you may be exposed to at work.

Keep your home well ventilated to prevent the accumulation of carbon monoxide or other harmful gases and to prevent mold and fungi from growing inside. Clean air conditioners, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and air purifiers regularly to reduce your exposure to dust, mold spores, and other irritants and allergens.

A hangover manifests itself as a combination of symptoms, including headache, dry mouth, and mild dizziness. It is still unclear exactly why overindulging in alcohol produces a hangover, but several factors come into play. Alcohol causes your body to lose water by stimulating your kidneys to excrete more water than you drink, resulting in dehydration. The more alcohol you drink, the more water passes out of your body. Alcohol also widens blood vessels, and the widening of vessels around the brain may cause pain, much as it does in a migraine headache.

Once you have a hangover, there isn’t very much you can do to make yourself feel better. You just may have to let it run its course. Be sure to drink plenty of liquids, such as water, fruit juice, or bland soda. Avoid drinking coffee because the caffeine it contains will make you even more dehydrated. Never fight a hangover by having another alcoholic drink in the morning because your body will take even longer to eliminate the alcohol circulating in your bloodstream. Use an over-the-counter pain medication such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen if you have a headache, but remember that these painkillers can irritate your stomach, and excessive doses of acetaminophen may be toxic to your liver when combined with alcohol.

The best way to handle a hangover is to avoid getting one by not drinking too much in the first place. Always have a couple of glasses of water with your drinks, and drink more water before going to bed to avoid becoming dehydrated.