Category: Prepare Your Health

Breathe Easy, Part 2: How to Properly Use a Respirator in an Emergency

Close-up photo of a man putting on a respirator.

In the course of preparing for an emergency you might decide to buy a pack of respirators from your local hardware store, thinking that they are ready to use out of the box. However, before you can rely on one of these devices to protect you, there are some important selection and use criteria to Read More >

June 17, 2019 by Jaclyn Krah Cichowicz, MA, Health Communications Specialist, NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL); Christopher Coffey, Ph.D., Associate Director for Science, NPPTL; and Jonathan Szalajda, MS, Deputy Director, NPPTL5 Comments

Flu, General, natural disasters, preparedness, prevention, response

carbon monoxide, emergency preparedness, Environmental Health, filtering facepiece respirator, N95, NIOSH, personal health, Prepare Your Health, respirator, smoke

Breathe Easy, Part 1: How to Pick the Right Respirator for Your Emergency Kit

Three kinds of filtering facepiece respirators

There are many things to consider in the process of preparing your health and safety for a public health emergency. Memories of emergencies, like last summer’s wildfires and the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, remind us of the threat they can pose to respiratory health, and of the equal importance of an item that gets left Read More >

June 10, 2019 by Jaclyn Krah Cichowicz, MA, Health Communications Specialist, NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL); Christopher Coffey, Ph.D., Associate Director for Science, NPPTL; and Jonathan Szalajda, MS, Deputy Director, NPPTL4 Comments

Flu, General, natural disasters, preparedness, response

elastomeric half facepiece respirator, emergency preparedness, Environmental Health, filtering facepiece respirator, mold, N95, NIOSH, personal health, personal health preparedness, Prepare Your Health, smoke

Managing Asthma: Have a Plan

Little boy using a chamber to administer asthma medication

May is National Asthma Awareness Month. Asthma is a serious, but common lung condition that affects 1 in 13 people, including adults and children. CDC’s National Asthma Control Program works to help Americans with asthma achieve better health and improved quality of life. Learn more. Now 17 months old, Zachary was 10 months when he Read More >

May 28, 2019 by Holly Gay2 Comments

General, natural disasters, preparedness

Asthma, Asthma Action Planning, Asthma Awareness Month, Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR), National Asthma Control Program, personal health, Prepare Your Health, public health, Public Heath Matters

3 Reasons Why Handwashing Should Matter to You

Unseen woman washing her hands with soap in a sink.

Most of us are familiar with the parental-like voice in the back of our minds that helps guide our decision-making—asking us questions like, “Have you called your grandmother lately?” For many that voice serves as a gentle, yet constant reminder to wash our hands. Handwashing with soap and water is one of the most important Read More >

October 15, 2018 by David M. Berendes, PhD, MSPH, Epidemiologist15 Comments

Disease Outbreak, Flu, General, natural disasters, preparedness, prevention, response

disaster, disease prevention, emergency preparedness, Environmental Health, flood, floodwater, flu, Global Handwashing Day, handwashing, Hurricane, influenza, outbreak, pandemic, personal health, Personal Preparedness, Prepare Your Health, public health, school, Waterborne