by Fern Shaw | May 3, 2013 | Health and Hydration, Water Boilers
What is the difference between sunburn, sunstroke and heat exhaustion?
In a previous blog, I rather optimistically spoke about Spring being on the horizon, the grass rising … so now I may as well stretch that optimism further (boiiiinnnggg-ing) by casting my foresight towards the prospect of Summer and the Summer ‘oliday.
Summer breaks can be the make or … break between one maintaining one’s sanity in the workplace instead of plotting the demise of an annoying colleague around the water cooler, but before you pack in either your Borat costume or your dental floss bikini as the only necessity that you’ll need on the beach at Olu Deniz, have a squizz through this blog and understand that sun, sea and holiday could very easily end up being sun, burning to a crisp and coming home in an air ambulance.
Sunburn is caused by overexposure to UV rays, characterized by sore, red skin that can become itchy and even blister, if it’s severe enough. It can also be accompanied by fatigue and mild dizziness. Remember – even if you call your burn a tan, the fact of the matter is, tanning your skin only happens as a result of your skin being damaged.
Heat exhaustion is the result of exposure to very hot weather and signs can include fatigue, dizziness, headache, rapid pulse and breathing and muscle cramps. It can also lead to sunstroke – which can be fatal.
Sunstroke or heatstroke is caused by long-term exposure to very high temperatures, or dehydration. It can also come about if the body’s internal mechanism for regulating temperature is inadequate.
When does heat exhaustion become sunstroke?
Symptoms of sunstroke include:
- Not sweating (a sign your body is no longer capable of regulating your internal temperature).
- Skin that feels hot and flushed
- Fever
- Confusion
- Loss of consciousness
Why does this happen? Exposure to extreme temperatures can shut down your body’s capacity to keep you cool through sweating. This could lead to major organ failure, shock and unconsciousness.
Dehydration can exacerbate sunstroke.
We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: water is your friend. Drink at least eight glasses a day and even more in hot weather and when you’re exercising.
Now, obviously, as you head off to soak up the sun, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to pack in work’s water cooler – a) the work drones left behind may have a slight issue with this, b) the boss may lay theft charges against you and c) it’s rather unlikely that the airline will accept the water cooler as additional baggage no matter how you dress it up as a ‘can’t-leave-home-without-it’ item. So, in order to keep your cool (both temperature and vibe wise) this Summer, say it one more time with me:
Water is your friend. Drink at least eight glasses a day and even more in hot weather and when you’re exercising.
Happy ‘olidays.
by Fern Shaw | Apr 11, 2013 | Health and Hydration, Water Coolers
… Rain (blizzards, snow, and sub-zero temperatures) or Shine (weak lemony coloured sun that wouldn’t tan a meringue) you begin to notice that your staff is a tad dispirited, if not outrightly unproductive. No spring in their step, no whistle in their walk.
So, at great cost, you institute an Independent Board of Enquiry to establish the cause of this general malaise that’s affecting everyone from Mrs Tibbins, usually the whizz bang accountant, through to Mr Oogle, usually the zoomiest bike messenger ever (but sadly not for the past few months.)
While all of this is in motion, the meeker than the proverbial mouse IT person, Tad, squeaks up.
‘We’ve no water in the water coolers’, says Tad, ‘so everybody’s most likely dehydrated’.
‘What?’ splutters HOD Mrs Furthingstoke, ‘what does that have to do with everyone not performing at their peak? Pure poppycock, I’m sure!’
‘Incorrect’, corrects Tad, ‘not drinking water regularly is one of the leading causes of many illnesses and especially fatigue’.
As it turns out, Tad was proven correct. The Board of Enquiry was dismissed, the water coolers were kept replenished, productivity soared and absenteeism dropped rapidly.
Take it from Tad, dehydration can happen sooner than one thinks. Some early warning signs are:
- Light-headedness, dizziness;
- Tiredness, irritability, headache;
- Dry mouth, throat and eyes;
- Sunken features (particularly the eyes), flushed skin and skin that is loose and lacks elasticity;
- Heat intolerance;
- There may be a burning sensation in the stomach, urine output will be reduced and may appear darker than usual.
So, in the interests of having a healthy, happy, productive work environment, take the simplest route – ensure that there is always fresh, clean drinking water from source, available at the press of a button, in the workplace.
by Fern Shaw | Apr 9, 2013 | Health and Hydration
We still think water is better. Find out why we think so here.
When you start to drink more water, you’ll find that you drink fewer fizzy drinks and fewer high-calorie drinks. There are a few major benefits to this:
- Swapping water for fizzy drinks helps to decrease your daily caloric intake
- Drinking more water helps you to feel full throughout the day so you snack less
- Drinking water trains your taste buds to enjoy the subtle tastes of whole foods that are less processed and lower in calories
- Drinking sufficient water will have a pretty noticeable and remarkably fast effect (for the better) on your physical well-being
- Drinking water instead of reaching for the fizz will fatten your brain cells and not your body’s fat cells
- Fizzy drinks can act as a diuretic whereas water does not dehydrate you – in, the fact it achieves the complete opposite
- Drinking water, while you may not initially register it, is incredibly refreshing, whereas drinking fizzy drinks is falsely refreshing
And while you might drink water to lose weight, you’ll find that it’s good for your purse as well. Have you ever thought about the annual cost of your fizzy drink habit? For many people, it is substantial. A single diet fizzy drink during the day may not seem expensive, but over the course of a year, it adds up to hundreds of pounds.
This week, I’ll catch you at the water cooler where I’ll be lurking in an observational mode for research I’m doing on changing seasonal water habits and if there’s any truth to them. See you there!
by Fern Shaw | Apr 8, 2013 | Charity, Water Coolers
The Elephant Pump – how does it work?
What is it?
The Elephant Pump is a manual activated water pump based on a 2000 year-old Chinese design that the CEO of The Africa Trust, Ian Thorpe, adapted, to make it stronger and more durable.
This award winning Pump brings a cost effective, reliable and sustainable solution to one of Africa’s biggest problems.
What does it do?
It is made and maintained using materials that are locally available in remote rural sub-Saharan African communities, which means that once the Pump has been built, local resources can be drawn upon for repairs and replacement parts.
It draws water up from a well at a high volume – approximately 1 litre per second. That means 60 litres per minute.
How does it work?
As the handle is turned, water is drawn up from a well of up to 30 meters in depth via a central pipe by washers attached to a rope. As the pump mechanism is fully enclosed to exclude sources of contamination, it yields a quality and quantity of water which exceeds WHO guidelines. The surplus water is used for livestock and irrigation of crops.
What are the benefits of the Pump?
The Elephant Pump has already contributed to bringing over 2 million people in rural Africa, a safe water source, at a price significantly less in comparison to comparable hand pumps.
- The ancient methods of constructing the Pump ensure the materials can be locally sourced and built, further promoting employment within the local community.
- Reliability – At any one time around 95% of existing Elephant Pumps are in operation which is 40% above the average for Africa.
- Ease of Use – The Elephant Pump is safe and suitable for operation by children and the elderly.
- High Volume – The Pump can provide 500 people with 20 litres per person, per day for domestic use.
- The money saved from installing an Elephant Pump provides enough money to build an additional pump providing a further 500 people with water.
Where does AquAid fit in?
At AquAid, we continually strive to supply water coolers that are best suited to our customers’ requirements thereby ensuring that our customers keep hydrated. At the same time, our water coolers also help provide safe drinking water to thousands of people every year by donating to sustainable charities; the Elephant Pumps in particular, being built as a direct result of monies donated to The Africa Trust.
How do you fit in?
For each purchase of an AquAid water cooler, a portion of that revenue is donated to Christian Aid and The Africa Trust.
We also have on-going paperless campaigns where selected customers are offered the opportunity to have an Elephant Pump with their name on it, built in a rural community, thereby ensuring a safe water supply to others less fortunate.
So when you use our services you are also benefiting many others in the developing world and helping to save lives.
by Fern Shaw | Mar 5, 2013 | Water Coolers
I’m sure that we’ve all heard the expression, ‘Don’t drink the water, fish live in it’ and all the rather awful imagery conjured up from that thought. If that isn’t enough to put you off drinking tap water for a good while, try these water inhabitants on for size:
Ashrays
Ashrays, or Water Lovers, are from Scottish mythology and are believed to be completely translucent water creatures that are often mistaken for sea ghosts. They can be both male and female and can be found only under water. Being completely nocturnal, one would never come across such creatures during the day. When captured and exposed to sunlight Ashrays supposedly melt and only a puddle of water remains.
Bäckahästen
Bäckahästen means brook horse; this was the name of a mythological horse in Scandinavian folklore. She would appear near rivers in foggy weather, and whoever decided to ride on her back was unable to get off again. The horse would than jump into the river, drowning the rider. Celtic folklore describes shape-shifting horses called kelpies, and it is thought Bäckahästen may be a kelpie.
Blue men of the Minch
These supernatural sea creatures were said to live in underwater caves in the Minch, a straight between Lewis, Long Island and the Shiant Islands near Scotland. The Blue Men looked like humans with blue skins. They were infamous for swimming alongside passing ships, and attempting to wreck them by conjuring storms and by luring sailors into the water. If a captain wanted to save his ship he had to finish their rhymes and solve their riddles and always make sure he got the last word.
Bunyip
Bunyip literally means devil, or spirit. It is a mythological creature from Aboriginal Australia that was said to lurk in swamps, creeks, riverbeds and waterholes. Aborigines thought they could hear their cries at night. They believed Bunyip took humans as a food source when their stock was disturbed, preferably women and they tended to blame the Bunyip for disease spread in the river area. Bunyip supposedly had flippers, a horse-like tail and walrus-like tusks.
Here, at AquAid, we can’t promise you unlikely tales of creatures in your water cooler, but we do guarantee that the water we supply will be fresh spring water bottled and sealed at one of our three sources in the U.K.
Even more marvellous is that for each purchase you make, a percentage of the revenue generated goes to sustainable clean drinking water projects in Africa and other Third World countries.
