Keeping ourselves and our kids healthy is a priority for most of us. Many things affect our health. Sometimes, it may help to have a list of some of the important health challenges:

1. Ask Your Doctor About Legionnaires Disease

Legionnaires disease has not been in the headlines as much as in 1976, but it is still a medical challenge. Legionnaires disease is a form of severe pneumonia caused by a bacterium called Legionella. Most people get Legionnaires when they breathe in the bacteria from soil or water. If someone in your family is elderly, immune-compromised, or a smoker, they are at greater risk for contracting this disease.

Symptoms of Legionnaire’s Disease include fever, chills, or muscle aches. Because Legionella can live in water, business owners and landlords must have a Legionella test done on water in their buildings. It is the responsibility of managers to have the water tested regularly. There are Legionella test kits available, and they are easy to use.

To keep you and your kids healthy, they should see a doctor if anyone has symptoms. Legionnaire’s Disease symptoms include a fever over 102 degrees, a cough, shortness of breath, and chills. The doctor will test their blood, sputum, and urine, plus take a chest x-ray. Legionnaire’s disease is treated with antibiotics; if it is severe enough, the person may be placed on oxygen and need to be hospitalized.

2. Handle Biomedical Waste Safely

Biomedical waste includes materials and trash containing blood or other body fluids. If someone in your home has a condition that requires them to use needles, they will present a risk for infection to anyone who touches them. If you have a family member who is receiving nursing care at home, they will also produce biomedical waste.

Your diabetic family members may be able to care for themselves, but insulin needles must be disposed of safely. When you, or a home care nurse, take care of another family member, their bandages, catheter tubing, or wound care supplies must also be disposed of safely. To keep you and your kids healthy, it’s essential that you learn about safe disposal methods.

Home care professionals recommend placing used needles into an empty coffee can or another puncture-proof container. Other wastes – like bandages, used tissues, and catheter tubing, should be placed in a plastic bag. When that plastic bag is full, tie it tightly and put it inside another bag. If your family member has a home care nurse, they can advise you where to dispose of medical waste; if not, contact your local Board of Health for information.

3. Determine Whether Your Child Needs Braces

Braces for crooked teeth are a familiar situation, but you may not know which children need braces. Braces may be prescribed for children as young as 7 – 8. Although crooked teeth and the need for braces can seem more prevalent with teenagers, when a younger child receives braces, it can help them avoid problems in their later years. Adults may learn they also need braces for untreated alignment issues.

Dentists specializing in childrens orthodontics are dedicated to correcting problems with tooth or jaw alignment problems. If the adult teeth have not yet emerged by age seven, or your child hasn’t lost their baby teeth by that age, they may be candidates for braces. If their teeth emerge in a crooked position or ce your child has been frequently biting the inside of their cheeks, bring them to an orthodontist.

At an orthodontist visit, the hygienist will take dental X-rays, and the dentist will examine your child’s teeth, jaw, and mouth. The dentist will then mold the child’s teeth, and then use that mold to decide if your child needs braces. Whether your child gets braces or not, remember that one of the things keeping you and your kids healthy will be good dental hygiene. Encourage your whole family to brush and floss daily and to cut down on sugary sweets.

4 Secure Needed Treatment for Addiction

To keep you and your kids healthy, you need to accept that unwanted challenges may require a different type of healthcare. If you begin to suspect you are an addict – or that your child is addicted, find a counselor trained in addiction issues. Talking to a counselor or doctor will be the first step to recovery when any family member is addicted.

Be alert for signs your child has an addiction, like significant changes in their behavior. Your child may become very secretive. You may begin finding money or valuable items – like jewelry – missing. Your doctor may refer the person with an addiction to an addiction treatment facility.

Before entering a treatment facility, a person must undergo detox treatment under a doctor’s supervision. At the treatment facility, they will receive counseling to help them learn to live without using drugs or alcohol. The family members of people who complete addiction will work together with a counselor, as the addicted person learns to live substance-free.

5. Install Air Conditioning in Your Home

The temperature of your home has a significant influence on the health of you and your family. Some people may think air conditioning is a luxury, but it has advantages beyond the comfort of cool air. Because of the cool air, mosquitos or insects will avoid your cooled body. The cool air will also make it easier for you to work, concentrate, and sleep.

If you’ve never had an air conditioner system installed, shop around before choosing which contractor will install your system. Check online for reviews or ask your friends and neighbors who they might recommend for air conditioning installation. You’ll want to work with a company that hires well-trained staff. You can select the best air conditioner unit for your family by looking at prices, installation, and equipment.

To provide you and your kids with the best air conditioning unit, you must choose the unit that is the most efficient for the best possible price. When you look at the possible choices, look for a symbol known as the Energy Star. This symbol shows that it has been certified as a safe and efficient unit.

6. Use Ketamine Treatment for Pain Control

If you or one of your family members have chronic pain, ask your doctor whether ketamine treatment might work for you. When it’s in the body, ketamine will activate the body’s opioid receptors – the same receptors that recognize pain medication. When those receptors are activated, painful sensations are decreased.

Ketamine therapy is often used for neuropathic pain, experienced as shooting or burning pain. Since using ketamine for pain is relatively new, you may wonder if it’s safe and effective. However, since many doctors are now recommending ketamine therapy, it will be to your benefit to consider every viable alternative.

Ketamine is administered by intravenous therapy at a clinic that specializes in that treatment. Participants have reported feeling as though they are in a dreamlike state as if they are floating. They further state that when they wake up, they feel rested and have decreased pain. Although you’ll be conscious and able to walk after the session, you cannot drive yourself home.

7. Support Your Body with Custom Braces

If you or your child has a condition requiring a brace to function correctly, your doctor may prescribe custom braces, also called orthotics. These braces can be used for many parts of the body, to support a body part after surgery or as the result of an injury or congenital condition. They can be prescribed by a rehab doctor or after an occupational therapist evaluation.

Some of the most common uses for custom braces include arch problems of the feet. However, orthotics are also used to correct problems with the spine, arms, and head. Orthotics have proven helpful to patients after a stroke or a spinal cord injury. After working with an occupational therapist to learn how to use them, orthotics can enable you or your family member to resume many previous activities.

If you are prescribed an orthotic, they may seem uncomfortable at first. However, for you and your kids, living a healthy life means achieving your maximal level of mobility. It would be best to get used to the temporary discomfort and allow the orthotic to help you.

8. See an Orthopedic Doctor for Hip Problems

Your hip joint is an extremely important part of your body. It helps to support the top part of your body and attaches your torso to your legs. If you or a family member have hip pain that is worsening and is beginning to affect your mobility, it may be time to see your doctor. Although a primary doctor can order a hip x-ray or prescribe pain medications, treatments that involve bones or joints can best be helped by orthopedic doctors.

Some large orthopedic offices will have doctors who specialize in one specific body part. Therefore, when you call the office, ask for an appointment with one of their hip doctors. Orthopedic doctors may give you oral medication or injections, but you may also have to have surgery – such as a hip replacement – to completely solve your hip problem.

Keeping you and your kids healthy includes being observant of the way your children walk. If they are limping or their gait is uneven, they should be examined by a pediatric orthopedist. Some children are born with hip dysplasia – unequal movement of the hips. When this occurs, the doctor will use a soft brace that keeps the legs bent and will correct the problem.

9. Invest In Your Appearance with Body Sculpting

If you’re unhappy with your physical appearance due to being overweight, you may want to consider body sculpting. This treatment is appropriate for people who have less than 25% body fat – but have been unable to lose those pounds by conventional methods. Although this may seem like vanity, losing weight will increase your energy and improve your appearance.

During body sculpting, the areas of fat are either frozen or burned with lasers. The sessions result in a tighter skin appearance and better skin tone. Users report a quick recovery and the ability to return to normal activities after a session.

Don’t discount the value of feeling good about the way you look. If you like your appearance, that positive outlook can spill over into all the parts of your life – including your relationship with your family. For you and your kids, a healthy life includes good mental health. Allowing yourself to experience this treatment can renew your joy and will go a long way toward making your family life better for everyone.

10. Visit Acne Dermatologists

Although many people consider acne the bane of teenage years, acne can occur at almost any age. Acne occurs when skin pores become blocked by oils in the skin. Most people have a few acne breakouts, especially in their teenage years. However, if the acne persists despite using over-the-counter treatments for three months, it may be time to make an appointment with one of the acne dermatologists in your area.

If you or your child has acne that becomes inflamed or infected, see a doctor immediately. You may need an antibiotic or a steroidal cream for your face. Some medications increase the risk of acne, such as birth control pills. If you are on birth control pills and have developed acne, you should contact the doctor who prescribed your birth control pills.

If your teenager has acne and is upset about its effect on their appearance, you should support them by making an appointment with a dermatologist. This is the same rationale as the boost to mental health with body sculpting. An improved self-image after their acne is gone will facilitate the same improvement in their ability to socialize with the family.

Taking care of your health and family can sometimes be challenging, but it’s worth it. Part of showing your love for your family is preparing healthy food and encouraging them to adopt healthy habits. When you explore some of the options on this list to provide a healthy example, you’ll be helping everyone in your family to a healthier life.