SNAKES SEASON! BEWARE, IT IS SNAKE SEASON!

DUE TO THE HEATWAVE AND HIGH TEMPERATURES CURRENTLY IN NIGERIA, SNAKES, ESPECIALLY COBRAS, SEEK REFUGE IN COOLER PLACES LIKE INSIDE HOMES.

SAFETY TIPS

1. Avoid leaving windows open for too long. Cobras and Mambas can reach heights that are very high.

2. Avoid leaving your front doors open for fresh air in the evenings. These reptiles are absolutely STEALTHY (too quiet). You won't hear or see them go inside your house.

3 Before sitting under the tree that has that cooling shade, check the branches that there are no snakes lurking in the branches.

4. Check your bed and surrounding before you go to bed, cobras are notorious for hiding under the sheets.

5. Avoid the age old trend of liking to chill outside of the house, with mattresses and wrappers in the evening. Most reptiles are nocturnal (hunt at night and more effective)

6. Not only snakes might bite you, but also the age old human enemy; the centipede (Mosithaphala), which is fast and very venomous.

7. Clear bushes round your house. They attract rats and mice which are the favourite snacks of the most dangerous snake’s favorite meal.

8. Buy snake repellent powder and pour it round your yard. You will definitely decrease the chances of a snake ever visiting your home by 90%.

Beware of confronting snakes that get into your homes. Some snakes can be killed easily, others like the black mamba are very cocky. If threatened, they will chase you at an alarming speed and give multiple bites while still on the chase; and bitten victims may not live to see the next forty minutes. So, just be very careful when trying to kill those snakes.

Stay well and be safe. It's snake season. It's very hot and they are highly active and get agitated and angry very fast.

Keep sharing as you may be saving lives.

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*Shared as received.* Please read to the end. Up your family safety and Situational awareness to Stay safe, healthy and Alive.

*DOCTOR HELP ME. MY DAUGHTER JUST DRANK A BOTTLE OF SHAVING CREAM: ANOTHER LESSON FROM INSIDE MY CONSULTING ROOM.*

*NOTE: THIS IS A MUST READ FOR EVERY PARENT BUT ESPECIALLY MOTHERS*

I just finished observing my siesta in the afternoon. I woke up and started preparing to go to the hospital for my afternoon call when Mrs Victoria call came in. She sounded very distressed. "Doctor help me. My daughter just drank a whole bottle of shaving cream" seriously sobbing on phone. I asked her to calm down so that we could make progress as every minute counted. I asked her "did you see her drinking it or you just saw the bottle in her hands" "As i came to the bathroom I met her drinking it" she answered in more distress. "Okay can you ascertain how long she has drank it and how much she drank" I asked quickly. She replied crying more loudly "Doctor I dont real know but her father just bought the bottle yesterday newly and right now it is empty with just little on the floor. Doctor help me. What do I do". "how old is she?" I asked " 3 years old doctorrrrrr" she was crying uncontrollably. " Right now what did you observe it is unusual about her?" I quickly asked. She replied distressfully "Doctor i think she is feeling a little drowsy I dont know. Doctorrr I am finished. Doctor can I put hand in her throat to make her vomit the shaving cream" she asked in fear.  I promptly answered "do not try it please" " my mother in law is suggesting we give her red oil and some herbal mixture she brought from the village" I answered "no". "So doctor what can we do right now?"she asked crying."okay Mrs Victoria do you have milk at home? Please give her a little amount and rush her to the hospital now.i will be on my way to the hospital to meet you right away. Please also come with the container of the shaving cream.". trying to calm her down all would be well. 

Shortly I arrived hospital,Mrs Victoria also arrived, carrying the child running inside emergency room crying seriously. I collected the child from her,attended to her and admitted her. I also collected the container of the shaving cream from her and check the content to guide on the antidote to give. We did all the necessary treatment and made the child poopooed out the shaving cream and observed the child for 48 hours before we finally discharged them.

Smile returned to the face of Mrs Victoria again after two days on admission.The child was fine now. So as I was about to discharge them,I asked Mrs Victoria more about the incident especially where all the adults in the house were when the child was in the bathroom alone drinking shaving power. She answered shamefully and regretfully that all of them were watching a reality show in the sitting room. Then she went further to blame the child for being too active too. "Doctor this child is too stubborn. She doesn't stay in one place" she said. "None of my other children are like this girl doctor " after listening attentively to all the defence of Mrs Victoria,then I invited her inside my consulting room to counsel her as follows:

I asked her first to tell me everything she knew about safeguarding children at home to prevent them from accidentally poisoning themselves. She told me the little she knew. Then I went ahead to educate her as below:

Always follow instructions for usage of any medical or cosmetic products. There are always warnings on all household products and medicines. Take them seriously 

Keep cosmetics, medications, and other healthcare products out of reach of children in child-proof containers. It's always best to lock them up. Never underestimate your child's ability to climb.

 

Store potential poisons in their original containers.Do not transfer them to food containers like milk jugs, coffee cans, or soda bottles.

Keep food and potential poisons separate; store them in different cabinets. Children can mistake the identity of products that look alike to them.

Return all products and medications to storage immediately after you finish using them.

 Keep your children in sight all the times or make sure a careful adult is with them at all times to make sure they are not somewhere in the house drinking poison. When the house is quiet and you cannot see them please quickly look for them,they may be somewhere in the house drinking or eating poisonous thing.

Safely discard -- into a sealed, outdoor trash can -- all household products and medications that are are expired.

Be especially at alert at grandma's house. Older people medication bottles are not childproof.Grandmas are also more likely to leave their medications out in the open.

Keep indoor plants out of reach; some may be poisonous and children may eat them 

Keep them away from areas that have been sprayed recently with pesticides or insecticides 

Lastly call your family doctor immediately you discover your children have accidentally drank or eaten any household product or medications they should not drink or eat.

I asked her if there were any questions. She said no.

She was very happy with the above counselling as they were discharged home. She promised to abide by all the tips to safeguard the children at home. I asked the mother to bring her back one week after to see how she was doing.

 As she left my consulting room and they both left the hospital,many lessons started running through my angry mind. Let me share the lessons with you below:

1. How can you have small children at home and all of you the adults at home were busy watching reality show and forgot about them. This is unforgivable. 

2. How could you blame a 3 years old child for eating or drinking whatever his or her hands found on the floor or blaming him or her for being too active.This too was unacceptable. 

3. Then as a father how could you leave your shaving cream carelessly on the floor of bathroom having children roaming the house. This too was a big mistake to be avoided at all cost at all times because lives of some precious little beings are at stake at all times.

4. Lastly, every family should have a family doctor that is committed to their families that they can call anytime in case of emergencies like chidren home accidental  poisoning to know the first aid to give before bringing the child to the hospital.

Thank you.

( You can equally add other lessons you have personally learnt from the story)

Share this true life story  with your family and friends.

Expect another intriguing write up from me soon.

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