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DIY Tests for Adrenal Fatigue

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Adrenal Fatigue DIY tests you can do at home

 

“One small clue can change the way you think about your surroundings quite dramatically.” ~The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs
When last we met, I unloaded a truckload full of clues pertaining to health history, stress history, and the physical health clues to be found within the story and advancing progress of adrenal fatigue. Being aware of your very personal surroundings (your body and history), and caring for your body based upon that history has everything to do with health outcomes. Using the clues you piece together, along with formulating a plan to “correct course” will have a dramatic impact over time. There are four DIY tests for monitoring your adrenal health. Independently, each test is a puzzle piece.
 
4 simple and free tests (combined with the clues mentioned previously) will paint a decent picture of your adrenal health.
 
1. Check eyes for iris contraction: This particular DIY is a study of the 👁pupil’s muscular strength in response to light stimulation, and is an excellent indicator of adrenal gland struggles. Our eyes respond to stress too, by dilating pupils (Hence the term, “deer in the headlights.”).They do this as a means of increasing visual observations of the perceived threat. Remember, “the lion” that may be chasing you could be a looming deadline, a toxic relationship, a chronic health issue, etc. Compared to a real lion chasing you, these common examples may seem benign, but the body and mind cannot discern the difference between a ferocious mammal or a pile of unpaid bills. As stress increases and adrenaline is released, peripheral vision shrinks, which reduces the field of vision to a laser focus on the immediate threat at hand. When the body is in this state, the eyes👁 are focused on the immediate threat, not the other environmental details, and a sort of tunnel vision develops….. Under a single looming threat (aka, “the lion”🦁), the physical effects should wear off as soon as the threat has moved on. If that threat continues to stalk you, small doses of adrenaline continue to release. When the muscles within the iris are exercised in this manner beyond capacity, they grow weary, and want to rest. If you have low adrenal function, the pupil will not hold the contraction(get smaller) easily.
The iris contraction test was originally discovered by Dr. C.F. Arroyo in 1924 as a means to help identify adrenal insufficiency. 🤓Here’s what you’ll do:
Sit in a dark room with a mirror, a flashlight, and a clock that measures in seconds. Sometimes this test is more easily done with a companion. Shine the flashlight across an eye (from the side of the face), and watch what happens to the pupil. Under healthy circumstances, the pupil should contract (get smaller) immediately. In adrenal insufficiency, the pupil will not be able to hold the contraction and will dilate (get larger) again despite the light shining across (not into!) it. How long is your eye able to maintain the smaller contracted pupil size in this test?
  • 20+ seconds : healthy!
  • 11-19 seconds: early clue of adrenal struggles
  • 5-10 seconds: adrenal insufficiency
  • 0-4 seconds: adrenal exhaustion
Note that this test is also a good one to use monthly to measure success during adrenal recovery, and that certain neurological and ophthalmological dysfunctions, medications (ex: stimulants, opioids, some OTC medicated nasal sprays, nicotine, certain eye drops and some chemotherapy agents) , and age parameters (the very young and elderly) may affect the reliability of this test.
 
2. The DIY Postural Blood Pressure Test: For this test, you’ll need an “at home” blood pressure cuff.
  1. Lay down for about 10 minutes, and then take the blood pressure while in that position.
  2. Then, take blood pressure immediately after standing up (from the original laying down position).
  3. Blood pressure should rise 10-20 mm/Hg when coming from a laying to standing position. If it instead drops by 10 mm/Hg or more, and there is not other cause (ex: dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, an injury, or certain medications including blood pressure medications, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, opioids, anti-psychotics),adrenal insufficiency is a strong possibility
  • Increase by 6-10 mm/Hg : adrenal status healthy
  • No change: adrenal status is fair
  • Drops 1-10 mm/Hg: adrenal status is poor
  • Drops by more than 10 mm/Hg: adrenals are exhausted.                                                                                                                                                                                         Note that an overall low blood pressure does not indicate adrenal problems, and also that an overall high blood pressure does not mean an absence of adrenal issues.
3.  The DIY Sergent’s White Line Test: French physician Dr. Emile Sergent first described this test in 1917.🤓 French physician Dr. Emile Sergent first described this test in 1917.🤓 You’ll need your belly and a ballpoint pen.
  1. Stroke your abdomen with the capped end of a ballpoint pen (or something equivalent). Make the strokes one over the other on the same 6 inch line.
  2. Note the reaction of the skin. What color does the skin turn when you quit stroking that area?
  3. In a normal reaction, the mark should be white, but then redden within seconds. If you have diminished arterial tension (a factor in compromised adrenal glands), that color line will stay white for a minute or two and may actually widen.
4.  DIY Body Temperature Test : Dr Bruce Rind MD is another beacon of light within the Western Medicine world. The body temperature🌡 test I am describing is one of his contributions to identifying adrenal distress. Recall that endocrine disorders often have a masquerade party amongst themselves (and other disorders!), making it hard to differentiate who the real party pooper is in your personal health situation. Dr. Rind recommends the following test as a means of identifying hypothyroidism, adrenal dysfunction (or a combination of the two).
  1. Take your temperature by placing an old fashioned thermometer under your arm at a 45 degree angle.
  2. After 10 minutes, record the temperature.
  3. Do this three times a day at 3 hrs after waking, and then 3 hours later, and again 3 hours after that (if you’ve eaten or exercised right beforehand, wait 20 minutes to take your temperature).
  4. Average these three daily readings and record the result.
  5. Do this for 5 days (making sure that during that time you are healthy and not ovulating)
  • If the difference between your daily average temperature reading is no more than 0.2 degrees: no indication of adrenal or thyroid dysfunction.
  • If fluctuating, but the overall average is 98.6, adrenal support is recommended.
  • If fluctuating but overall low, it may indicate both an adrenal and thyroid issue.
  • If there is very little to no fluctuation, but temperature remains low, focus on the thyroid.
So interesting, right? I love how the body speaks📣 to us in very intentional ways. If your body is giving you clues🔎 that your adrenal glands and/or thyroid is in need of serious TLC, it may be a good time to call in a trusted health professional to help you navigate this part of your journey. There are also some advanced labs that can be run to further put the pieces of the puzzle together. Sadly, the majority of standardized health insurance companies do not cover these VIP tests. That said, nothing is more important than your health, and ignoring health clues and foregoing tests because they are a ”too expensive” out of pocket expense will become an exercise of frustration and detriment. I really recommend having a “rainy health day” 💰fund established simply to pay for supplements, oils, alternative health care options, and lab work that traditional insurance won’t cover. You’ll be glad you did!
 
xoxo~ liz
 
Becoming Your Own Health Detective Volume I ( https://goodmedicine.info/my-book/ )
 
PS: Did you hear Dr. Jim Bob Haggerton‘s call last night on adrenal fatigue? It was fabulous and loaded with information! As soon as it’s available, I’ll drop a link to it in the comments section here.
 
#sharingiscaring
#adrenalfatigueisreal
#theapplicationofknowledgeispower
#goodmedicine
#BYOHD
#becomingyourownhealthdetective
#ThanksYL

Health Clues from Low Body Temperature – part 2

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In the mid-1800’s, a German physician by the name of Carl Wunderlich measured the temperature🌡 of about twenty five thousand people and found that the average body temperature was 98.6 degrees F (37 degrees C).
 
Each one of us is a product of our internal, external, and emotional environment. Our personal histories (including generationally) have a way of defining us. Roughly twenty years after Dr. Wunderlich established 98.6F🌡 as the human baseline body temperature, the Second Industrial Revolution began. Railroads, new technologies including electricity, telegraph, telephones, “Big Oil”, and later, Big Pharma each had a tremendous impact on our ancestors. As decades passed, the environmental toxin load continued to increase. The Third Industrial Revolution began in the 1960’s and brought us electronics, processed foods, telecommunications, digital technology, biotechnology, nuclear energy, automobiles, more stress and more Big Pharma. The current effects of all of these revolutionary products may have made life (arguably) easier but made us sicker in the process. We are currently the sickest generation in modern history. In 2017, a study of thirty five thousand people found that the average body temperature🌡 is now 97.9 F.
 
Perhaps we shouldn’t be as worried about global warming as we should be worried about human cooling.🙄🧐🤨🤔
 
Chronic low core body temperature🌡 can create a false sense of wellness, also making it hard to mount a defense in the form of a fever if needed. A fever is an active corrective process in the body. To quote Dr. Jernigan, “ Blood that is overcooled from a cool core temperature is too thick to efficiently carry oxygen and the vital lung capacity is reduced leading to shallow breathing. This means that the oxygen to carbon dioxide exchange rate in the lungs is minimal. Now, combine the [slow] degenerative effects of the oxygen deprivation and the cold temperature and the fact that all of this and the overgrowth of microbes [review last week’s post] promote an acidic environment and you have greatly accelerated cellular degeneration and the [eventual] onset of disease.”
 

🌡Tracking Body Temperature🌡

 
Tracking body temperature is super easy with a basic thermometer.
Measure temperature upon morning wake up before getting out of bed (ideally between 6-8am). This will be your core body temperature that is not influenced by food, drink, or activity. Take your temperature again at night sometime between 8-10pm after you’ve been sitting or resting for about 30 minutes.
 
Track the difference between the morning and evening temperatures. There should be a difference of at least 0.9degrees F.
 
Ultimately, you are looking at two things (clues):
 
1️⃣Is body temperature daily average close to 98.6?
2️⃣Does the body allow its temperature to fluctuate from cool in the morning to warmer in the evening?

Temperature Too Cool?

If your body temperature trends towards “coolness”, try incorporating some of these suggestions into your daily life:
 
🔎Have you had lab work to rule out a physiological issue? Labs you may want to request include a full thyroid panel (TSH, T3, T4, Reverse T3, TPOab), saliva cortisol, DHEA, and hormones, CBC/CMP
 
🔎Identify any medications that might be affecting body temperature. Common culprits include beta blockers (blood pressure meds), antidepressants, sedatives, and other mood altering medications. Often, lifestyle changes, holistic (mind,body, spirit) care, and natural alternatives may reduce or eliminate the need for all of these. It requires ownership of one’s own body to do the work to identify and mediate the reason for the need. Hard stuff? Yes. Never doubt for a second that you are not worthy of doing the work to make it happen.
 

🔎What might mind, body, and spirit care look like? To each person it will look a little different because of our individual uniqueness.

 
👉Jump start metabolism. A sluggish metabolism may simply need movement and exercise. Hot/cold therapy is another way to stimulate metabolism. I wrote about cryotherapy in the topic devoted to dopamine deficiency. Do you see the connection?
👉Prayer and meditation relieve stress. Both activities also activate certain parts to the brain that control attention and autonomic functions such as blood pressure and metabolism. This is not an “Amen, Dig in.” type of prayer, rather developing a deep rooted connection with God in quiet and solitude. The studies on this are fascinating.
👉Music influences physiological variables such as blood pressure, heart rate, immune and endocrine function….. and body temperature. Body temperature tends to rise when listening to music, particularly when listening to classical or specific frequency based music. Look for a company called Wholetones (founded by Michael Tyrrell) for more information on healing music.
👉Infrared saunas and biomats. While they have multiple health benefits, for the sake of this particular discussion, they work to help the body “heat up”. Think of them as “training wheels” for 98.6.
👉Outdoor time on the regular. Bonus points for pairing this with exercise!
👉Dry brushing for improved lymphatic flow. A healthy lymphatic system is crucial in the toxin elimination process. If you are not already adding a drop or two of Young Living’s Lemon Vitality essential oil into your water (use a glass, ceramic, or stainless steel cup) start now for daily gentle lymphatic system support.
👉Removing toxins from daily life. I cannot stress this enough. Our bodies are dropping in temperature because of daily cumulative exposure to toxins. We can detox all day every day…. But if we continue to add in toxins as fast as we detox, there is no end in sight. Medications (tho occasionally needed) are a toxin by definition. Knowing this is one of the biggest reasons I’m such a strong advocate for finding a healthier way whenever possible. Additionally, a healthy body temperature starts with a toxin free home. Have you ditched the chemicals yet? Young Living’s Thieves Household cleaner and Thieves Kitchen and Bath Scrub fulfill all cleaning needs, and support healthy immune function in the process. Crank up your diffuser and ditch the fragrance plug in’s. There are a million crazy good smelling possibilities as you make your own signature diffuser blends. My favorite right now is Young Living’s Believe essential oil blend and Lushious Lemon (oh my!). Soaps, skincare, cosmetics, perfumes….. All of these generally are loaded with toxins and Young living has safe, toxin free alternatives. We simply cannot afford NOT to use them.
👉Chiropractic care. Chiropractic manipulation supports nervous system function and regular chiro care may ultimately help a thyroid, adrenal or other underlying physiological dysfunction.
👉Learning to release emotions and attitudes that don’t serve your body. Unhappy, uninspired, dissatisfied, dull, and passive living (ie: life happens to you, you don’t make life happen) are all associated with lower body temperatures. Live life fully and engaged. Nobody can steal that from you. It is a personal choice regardless of circumstance.
👉Raindrop. Have you received one yet? If not, find someone who can give you one. Better yet, get the Raindrop Technique Collection and begin learning with a buddy. There are comprehensive instructions included in the kit.
👉Detoxification of the body is not a “once and done” process. It’s a lifestyle. Make sure your gut is moving proficiently. Probiotic Life 9 (MightyPro for the kiddos), ICP Daily, and digestive enzymes (such as Essentialzymes-4, Detoxzyme, Essentialzyme, Allerzyme, or Mightyzyme kids chewables) may be integral tools for optimal gut health support for the motility or toxin challenged individual.
👉Support the adrenal glands as needed. Endogize capsules or Endoflex essential oil blend are two highly supportive tools.
👉“Hot oils” have their place too in supporting a healthy body’s temperature. Consider applying these oils to the bottoms of your feet daily as a supportive measure: Thieves, Mountain Savory, Nutmeg, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme (notice how many of those are in the Raindrop protocol!)
 
Consider this. Raising core body temperature by 2 degrees positively influences immune system activity by up to 40%. This is why having a low grade fever when you are fighting off something isn’t a bad thing and it isn’t a good idea to suppress a low fever.🤓
I’ll leave you with this. Make 98.6 F great again, and improve your overall health! 🙌 🌡
If you have lived with a low body temperature for years, be aware that your body will need retraining, and that doesn’t happen overnight. This kind of clue scene takes awhile to clean up. It may take a year or longer of daily care before the body is able to begin correcting the impact of chronic low temperature. Patience and baby steps, but I promise it will be worth it!
 
xoxo~ liz
 

Immunity Help?

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Just out of curiosity, how many of you would have raised your hand to be a literal guinea pig for a “groundbreaking” COVID vaccine trial? 

Ummmmm no. Me neither.

And yet…… apparently, 15 human guinea pigs between the ages of 18 and 55 did just that.

Moderna’s ‘rona vaccine, the class favorite of Dr. Fauci (interestingly, financed by Bill Gates), had a press release this week regarding its first clinical trial on 15 healthy adults.

Three of the 15 volunteers developed Grade 3 systemic events (20% of the study subjects) when injected with the 250mcg dose.

What is a Grade 3 Systemic event? 
* Per the FDA this would be defined as a health event “preventing daily activity and requiring medical intervention”.

I dug a little deeper #becauseImacuriouscat……

Grade 3 is considered a “severe reaction” that includes one or more of the following:

💉 Requires a narcotic pain reliever or prevents daily activity
Significant discomfort at rest
💉 Redness and swelling greater than 10cm ( that’s a 4inch wheal/welt)
💉 Fever between 102.1 – 104
💉 Tachycardia (fast heart beat) greater than 130beats per min (bpm)
💉 Hypertension (systolic- top number when reading blood pressure) greater than155
💉 Hypertension (diastolic – bottom number) greater than 100
💉 Hypotension (systolic- blood pressure too low this time) less than 80
💉 Respiratory Rate – greater than 25 breaths per min
💉 Nausea/ vomiting which prevents daily activity or requires outpatient IV hydration
💉 Diarrhea – 6 or more watery stools a day or requiring outpatient IV hydration
💉 Headache – significant enough to require a narcotic or prevent daily activity
💉 Fatigue – significant enough to prevent daily activity
Myalgia – significant enough to prevent daily activity.
💉 Illness- prevents daily activity and requires medical intervention 
There is also a panel of labwork that falls within this category. I’ll include it here: 

fda required labwork for trial participation

Because it is a trial, there are no long term studies as to the long term effects of the vaccine either on a human or their offspring.  #ashotinthedark

20% of the subjects had a Grade 3 reaction. And those were healthy adults age 18-55….. wonder what that would look like in say…… 300 million people?

I personally have some questions….. 🙋‍♀️

* Will they be testing on children, the elderly, and the unhealthy before moving to release the vaccine to the public? After all…. (they bypassed the studies on primates and ferrets with Dr. Fauci’s blessings, so it is plausible that they will not be doing studies on children, the elderly, and the unhealthy prior to releasing the vaccine)

* How do they explain that, to date, there is no vaccine for the common cold, SARS, MERS, or Bird Flu although there has been plenty of time to find one #andtheyvebeenlooking, and yet they have been able to formulate one for CV-19 in less than 6 months?

* Prior attempts at developing COVID vaccines have been troublesome as an animal who has been vaccinated with a COVID vaccine then sickens and dies when exposed to the wild virus. 🤔 What would make this one different?

👉👉👉On February 4th, 2020 Dr. Fauci granted liability immunity to vaccine companies hoping to sell their COVID vaccine to “we the people” of the USA.

Liability immunity….. What does that mean?  It means that if things go wrong with the COVID vaccine…. real wrong… real, REAL wrong 💀 …..the vaccine company would not be sued or held responsible. #hmmmmmmmm

Please, I ask you…. Is there any other industry out there that holds no culpability for a product that they provide?

Would you get on an airplane made by a company who was not legally bound to get you safely from point A ✈️ to point B ✈️ ?

Food for thought certainly.

xoxo~ liz

#sharingiscaring
#dottingIsandcrossingTsisimportant
#safetyfirst
#whynotfocusonbeinghealthyinstead
#thebestdefenseisastrongImmunesystem 
#thanksYL

Chicken Pox – part 1

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Does it feel like the polarization of any topic these days is the predominate way the world views things? 🙋‍♀️

We’re labeled either far left or far right, conservative or liberal, it seems that black or white in our ways of thinking is all that’s being aired……. The gray areas that require critical thinking skills…. gray matter – if you will…. are remarkably in short supply. 

*Viruses (plural) are pandemic… not just this particular one at hand. What in the world ?!?! 

Well….pandemic, by definition, means a prevalence over a whole country or the world…. ever-lovin-where.

*They (viruses) are part of the world that we live in, and “they” outnumber our cells by perhaps 20 to 1….. or more. (the jury’s still out on exactly how many “they” are!)

Don’t panic friends…… many (if not most) come in peace and are not detrimental to human health. In fact, some of them actually protect us from bigger dangers later down the road.

How many of you had chickenpox? 🙋‍♀️ #metoo

If you are my age (50’s -ish) you’ll likely remember the chickenpox parties that were popular back in the day. I dug around a little and found this little 5 minute gem from back in the early 80’s… regarding the perils of chickenpox. 

https://youtu.be/ZNEMPU4txc0 
(Full House Season 1 Episode 15).

Chickenpox ( aka varicella-zoster) was once part of nearly everyone’s childhood experience and almost a rite of passage. Nearly every child under the age of 15 contracted this virus and experienced a generally mild illness, with full recovery in 5-10 days, and gained natural immunity for life. I “might” have a scar or two where I scratched a little too hard,… but I’ve had so many boo boo’s since then they are not distinguishable from life’s everyday battles out here on the farm. #ascarisatattowithastory

Long term side effects? …… I cannot recall any of my childhood friends having any long term repercussions, and I grew up in a town where we pretty much knew everyone (or knew of them).

*Twenty years ago, the CDC estimated that chickenpox was responsible for an average of 90 deaths per year, with 28% of those deaths in persons with preexisting conditions.

That’s 90 deaths / 282.2 million (the population in the year 2000) = a chance of 0.00003% of dying from chickenpox.

For point of reference, the odds of:

⚡️Getting struck by lightning in a lifetime is 1 in 3000 (according to National Geographic )

 Being diagnosed with a brain tumor is 1 in 164. (with 14.9% of those being gliomas)

💔 Having coronary heart disease (the most common type of heart disease) is 1 in 18.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I would like to do all the responsible things that I can do to avoid and improve my chances of none of the above three happening to this girl.

Remember that convo we were having about chickenpox ( I hope you watched that absurdly eye rolling 5 minute sitcom clip I posted above). Yes, I know…. that’s 5 minutes of your life you’ll never get back…. but it did bring back personal memories for me of the mild illness I experienced accompanied by the intense need to scratch! 

Well….. chickenpox is one of those viruses whose bark is worse than its bite 99.99997% of the time. In fact, as it turns out…. the bite (or blister in this case) is actually beneficial! 🙌

*A study published back in 2007 (in a Journal excitingly called Atherosclerosis) concluded that the chickenpox virus (and interestingly, other common childhood contagious diseases too) not only have PROTECTIVE effects against acute coronary events later in life, but also that the risk of coronary heart disease “decreased significantly with each infection resulting from the common childhood diseases.” WOW.

Here’s a link to the quick abstract of that study 👇 :

atherosclerosis – journal article

* Another study in 2016 titled “The History of chickenpox in glioma risk” published in a journal called Cancer Medicine found that……… 

“ …. a positive history of chickenpox was associated with a 21% lower glioma risk, adjusting for age and sex. The protective effect of chickenpox was stronger for high‐grade glioma, particularly among those under age 40.”

Link to study 👇: 

ncbi.nim.nih.gov article

I think I’ll wear my piddly pox scars with a badge of pride knowing that I’ve got a little extra protection under my skin.

We should always strive for a healthy, top notch immune system, but perhaps God and mama nature knew what they were doing when it came to equipping us in #alltheways.

But, but,but, …. Doesn’t the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine keep us from getting shingles later on in life? 

You’d think so. 

To be continued. Stay tuned for Part II! 

xoxo~ liz

#knowbetterdobetter
#sharingiscaring
#alltheThieves
#ThanksYL

Masks

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Well, today’s foray into an interesting tidbit of medical history got sidelined by The Great Mask Debate 😷. I’ve been in SMH mode since I first heard various heads of “Important Organizations and World Leadership” speak with great concern about the virulence of the virus at hand, and the ensuing discussions of all manner of masks. Wait 30 minutes and information (and opinions) will change.

Keeping up is like trying to catch a greased pig 🐷 quickly.

Impossible.😉

One thing that has stayed the same tho, is this topic of masks. And interestingly, “they” seem to be promoting masks even more vociferously the further we get into Mask Mania 2020.

Regardless of whether you are pro mask or anti mask, the following information should be helpful. …… because ACCURATE information certainly seems to be in short supply.

The following points to ponder upon are not my opinion. They are facts:

😷1. Let’s start first with the assumption that ANY mask or face covering is better than no mask at all.

This is patently not true, and I find it vexing that people with some semblance of authority would even suggest this. Nonetheless… I shall be referring to both the WHO’s (World Health Organization) and the CDC’s (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) own literature as I explore this topic.

Cloth made masks or scarves may keep dog hair, pollen, or bugs from flying into your mouth and nose, but they will do nary a thing to keep said virus (or bacteria)  out of your personal ecosystem.

In addition… REUSE of a used cloth mask with its poor filtration may actually contribute to infection…. ESPECIALLY if you are already harboring lungs that have been compromised. (think COPD, asthma, emphysema, etc)

Here is a study if you’d like confirmation of the above information:

government article

😷 2. Secondly, according to the WHO website, “using a mask incorrectly may hamper its effectiveness in reducing the risk of transmission”.

The WHO website also clearly states this:

Community Setting/ Individual WITHOUT respiratory symptoms should heed the following “a medical mask is NOT required, as no evidence is available on its usefulness to protect non-sick persons. “

Whereas…. “Individuals WITH respiratory symptoms should: – wear a medical mask and seek medical care if experiencing fever, cough and difficulty breathing, as soon as possible or in accordance with to local protocols”

Seems pretty black and white to me (according to the WHO website…. not me). 
Sick= wear mask 😷
Not Sick= don’t wear mask 

#OfficialwordaccordingtoWHO
… but don’t believe me, please, do read for yourself.

who on masks

😷 3. What about other masks? Glad you asked! There IS a difference between mask types AND there’s actually a hot market for them right now in case you hadn’t noticed.

✅ N95 Masks are considered the industry standard in blocking particles. They block particles over 0.03 microns. Said virus has been found to be as small as .02 microns, and according to this website, the N95 mask will work for about 95% of the virus particles PROVIDED the mask size fits the face properly, facial hair has been removed, and other considerations have been taken.

Please don’t rely on me for this information…. Here is the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation’s (APSF) information:

apsf.org

Not all masks are N95. Surgical masks, as a rule, are not, unless indicated as such. If they are not labeled as N95, the ability to shield oneself from the virus has gone down considerably.

Because N95 masks are a hot commodity, so are (unfortunately) scam artists who make fake ones. Be wary from who and where you buy N95 masks.

Here is information on how to identify a true approved N95 mask: https://www.cdc.gov/…/npptl/usernotices/counterfeitResp.html

cdc article

Additionally, according to the CDC website, “Used respirators (N95 masks) are considered contaminated and ideally should be discarded after each patient encounter. A user should never touch the contaminated front of the respirator with his or her bare hands. Hands should always be washed after donning and doffing the respirator. “

cdc on used respirators

😷 4. Wearing a used and contaminated face mask (paper or cloth) for long periods of time on a daily basis actually INCREASES the risk of infection TO THE WEARER. Additionally, the longer the same mask has been worn around others, the more concentrated the infectious load becomes.

Add in high warm moisture content, and lower oxygen intake (A mask wearer actually does breathe in less oxygen and more carbon dioxide than a maskless person, especially if worn for extended periods of time), the stress of wearing a mask for extended periods of time (not to mention the said pathogen load now living in your mask)….. and well….. all of these are lovely amenities if you are looking to acquire a truly happy colony of ill mannered bacteria (or virus) to call your very own.

(Even the CDC website has this to say about reusing masks that have not been properly decontaminated: “Used respirators are considered contaminated and ideally should be discarded after each patient encounter.” Please refer again to the CDC website linked above)

Something about all of this seems counterintuitive to what’s going on in real life……. or is it just me?

😷 5. Finally…. What about disposing of your used masks? Please discard them properly…. Do not leave them in your buggy, or the parking lot of the shopping establishment. That is just wrong. Used masks, as you have just learned, have a buildup of potentially infectious particulates that could include viruses or other pathogens, and if left around willy-nilly could actually give somebody something…. Which is what we are ALL trying not to do.

Really…. wouldn’t it just be easier to work on supporting your immune system? Not just now, but always?

Stay well. Be kind. Operate in truth. 😘

xoxo~ liz

#AlltheThievesplease
#knowbetterdobetter
#sharingiscaring
#truthtrumpsfear
#walkinginthelight
#ThanksYL

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