How to Cure Insect Stings

Ever been stung by a bee or wasp or mosquitoes? You've probably noticed that it's very annoying.

Method 1 of 3: Bees and Wasps

1. 1
   Determine whether you were stung by a bee or a wasp. This will be very difficult if you did not see the insect when it stung you. If you were stung by a bee, however, it is likely that it will have left its stinger in you. Be sure to remove it with a credit card or fingernail rather than simply pulling it out. That being said, it's more important to get the stinger out quickly than it is to use this method, so if pulling it out is the best you can do, that's okay ^[1]
   • If a bee stung you, apply ammonia to the sting to neutralize the toxins.
     
   • If a wasp stung you, apply vinegar to the sting to neutralize the toxins.
     
2. 
   2
   Examine the severity of the reaction. If the victim has been stung multiple times, soak the affected area in a tub of cool water. Add a tablespoon of baking soda for every quart of water ^[2]. If the victim is allergic and has a reaction, call for emergency help. Encourage the victim to use an Epinephrine auto-injector if they have one. Be sure to keep the affected area immobile and lower than the heart if possible to reduce the circulation of the venom ^[3]
3. 
   3
   Ice the sting. Icing the affected area will help ease the itching and bring down the swelling. Be sure to place a cloth between your skin and the ice to avoid freezing your skin.
4. 
   4
   Try a penny. A very effective way to neutralize the effects of a Bee or Wasp sting is to tape a copper penny directly on top of the sting. For some unknown reason, the chemical reaction of your skin to copper nullifies the poison. The next day you will be hard pressed to see a trace of the sting site.
5. 
   5
   Try calamine lotion. Alternatively, you can make a paste of baking soda and water.
6. 
   6
   Take medications. Consider taking an antihistamine like Benadryl or Claritin to ease itching or ibuprofen such as Motrin to ease pain.
7. 
   7
   Get a tetanus booster shot if you haven't in the last 10 years. To be safe, you should get a booster shot within a few days of being stung if you haven't had one in the last 10 years.
8. 
   8
   Keep a close watch on the sting. Even if you do not have an immediate allergic reaction, it is possible to develop mild symptoms of allergies (i.e body rashes and itching). If this is the case, go to the doctor—you'll probably be treated with an antihistamine ^[4]

Method 2 of 3: Ticks

1. 
   1
   Remove the tick as fast as possible. Do so by using tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the head as you can. Pull straight up with a steady, slow motion.
   • Never use your bare hands to remove the tick. Be sure to wash your hands and tweezers when you are done to avoid the spread of disease.
   • Avoid crushing the body of the tick or you risk spilling its stomach contents into the bite. ^[5].
2. 
   2
   Examine the bite for any remaining parts of the ticks. If you think the head is still in the wound, make an appointment with your doctor to get it out.
3. 
   3
   Wash the area well. Use soap and water to wash the bite as well as you can.
4. 
   4
   Mark the date. If you begin to develop flu-like symptoms any time between three days and two months after the bite, call your doctor. Remember—Lyme disease may take up to two months to show symptoms.
5. 
   5
   Apply ice. Applying ice for 15-20 minutes once an hour will help ease the itching. You can also keep a cool, wet washcloth on hand to soothe itching. ^[6]
6. 
   6
   Take Ibuprofen and Antihistamines as needed to soothe itching and pain.

Method 3 of 3: Spiders

1. 
   1
   Try and identify the type of spider that bit you. This will be difficult if you did not see the actual spider, but there are two very venomous spiders that will produce unique reactions in humans: Black widows and Brown recluses.
   • Black widow bites. These bites do not initially feel like anything more than a pinprick. The first thing you notice will likely be swelling and faint red marks. However, more serious symptoms will begin within a few hours. These include intense pain, stiffness, chills, fever, nausea and vomiting, and severe abdominal pain. ^[7].
     
   • Brown recluse bites. These bites will begin with a mild stinging and redness in the area of the bite. Within about eight hours, you will feel intense pain the affected area. A fluid-filled blister will develop and will eventually turn into a deep, growing ulcer. You may also experience a mild fever, rash, nausea, and listlessness. ^[8].
     
2. 
   2
   Clean the bite. Wash the bite and surrounding skin with soap and water.
3. 
   3
   Determine if your bite is serious. If you have not been bitten by one of the spiders listed above, your bite should heal in a couple weeks maximum. Use cool compresses, ibuprofen, and antihistamines to relieve discomfort. If the bite is on an extremity, elevate it when possible. If you have been bitten by one of the above spiders, continue reading.
4. 
   4
   Slow the spread of venom. Tie a bandage and elevate your limb to slow the spread of the venom. Do not tie the bandage so tight that it cuts off your circulation.
5. 5
   Use a cold compress. Relieve your discomfort by applying a cold, wet cloth or a paper towel wrapped around ice to the affected area.
6. 6
   Get immediate medical attention. You will need to get doctor's care for both bites listed above, and it is imperative that you do so as soon as possible.

Tips

• Try putting liquid detergent onto your mosquito bites it relieves it and makes it smaller.
• Buy the cheapest vodka you can find. Soak the bite in cheap vodka for about 1 hour. Tape a vodka-soaked-cotton ball to the skin site. This really works.
• When I use a vodka that is drinkable, it does not work. I learned this from a local farmer.
• If a number of these insects have attacked you at once, and the parts stung are much swollen, lose some blood, and take a dose of salts.

Warnings

• It is not recommended to apply the ammonia to wasp stings and vice versa.
• If you begin to feel the following: tightness in the chest, swelling anywhere on the face, difficulty breathing, welts (hives) anywhere on your body and nausea you are having an allergic reaction! You will need to get to an ER immediately. Allergic reactions can be minor to severe. So any abnormal reactions (besides occasional itch, minor swelling at sting site or pain) should be reported to a doctor right away.
• If the person has an allergy to wasp or bee stings, do not apply this treatment to them. Call for an ambulance to take them to the hospital.

 Source: www.wikihow.com

How to Open a Child Care Business

A childcare business is a great way to earn a living if you enjoy working with children. There are two options for running a childcare business. If you want to care for a large amount of children, your best option is to start a center-based business. Those with children of their own, or who want to work from home, may want to consider a home-based, or family, childcare center. Read further to learn how to open a childcare business.

Method 1 of 2: Center-Based Childcare Business

1. 
   1
   Attend a licensing orientation to learn the rules and regulations of running a center-based childcare center in your community. Every community has different regulations that must be followed or you risk losing your license. This should be done before choosing a location for setting up your center, as there may be rules pertaining to distance from liquor stores, bars or clubs. You can learn about licensing orientations by contacting your local municipal center.
2. 
   2
   Determine how many children you are going to care for and the age groups you will service. This will determine how many square feet your center needs to be, both indoors and outdoors, as well as how much staff you will need to hire. The information on square footage and staff-child ratio will be provided to you at the licensing orientation.
3. 
   3
   Choose the building you will use to run your center based childcare. Take into consideration the childcare need in the area you are planning to run your business. To find this information, research the census information for the neighborhood you are considering and look at the age groups and financial information. When selecting the building, verify that the plumbing, food preparation areas, ventilation, lighting and emergency exits meet the licensing requirements for your city and state. It is recommended to have the building inspected for building, sanitation, zoning and fire codes before signing a lease or purchase agreement.
4. 
   4
   Fulfill your licensing requirements. These may include a health physical, immunizations, tuberculosis testing, background check, fingerprinting, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid certification, and preventative health and safety class.
5. 
   5
   Prepare your center for inspection. Preparation may consist of installing cabinet locks, setting up changing tables if you are servicing infants and/or toddlers, putting up smoke detectors and inserting electrical outlet covers. You may also need to post an emergency evacuation plan and material safety data sheets (MSDS). If your center passes inspection, you will obtain your child care license. If you do not pass the first time, you will be given an opportunity to correct the errors and arrange to be inspected again.
6. 
   6
   Hire people to staff your childcare center. Be careful when selecting your staff, as they will be working in close contact with the children. It is advisable to conduct complete background investigations and ensure the staff is up to date on their immunizations.

Method 2 of 2: Home-Based Childcare Business

1. 
   1
   Schedule a family childcare orientation with your local licensing department.This is where you will learn how to open a childcare business out of your home while meeting the requirements of your city and state. You will also be given an application packet that you must complete in order to obtain your background check.
2. 
   2
   Read the lease if you rent a home or live in an apartment. Some companies or individuals have a clause in their lease regarding home-based childcare centers in order to protect their property.
3. 
   3
   Complete your immunizations and other required tests to get your license.This may include a health physical and/or tuberculosis test. Caring for children requires a lot of bending, moving and lifting, so you must be in good physical health.
4. 
   4
   Childproof your home. These measures include locking cabinets, moving poisons and sharp objects out of reach, covering sharp corners and inserting electrical outlet covers. Verify that the outdoor play area is safe for children by checking for uncovered wells, poisonous or sharp plants such as cacti, and that access to the road is blocked.
5. 
   5
   Arrange for your home inspection. If you pass the home inspection the first time and have completed your application packet and background investigation, you will be granted your license. If you did not pass, you can arrange for another inspection after completing the errors.

Source: www.wikihow.com

How to Lose Weight Over a Month

Looking for a good way to outline your diet? Here’s a general timeline of how you can start.

Method 1 of 4: Week One: Jump-Starting Weight Loss

1. 
   1
   Set a goal. Remember, dramatic weight loss is risky and often ineffective; the faster you lose weight, the easier you can gain it back. Only real lifestyle changes can give you effective results. “Fad diets”, such as diet pills or liquid cleanses may help you lose water weight, but most work by essentially starving you. The body adapts to this sudden lack of food by slowing down metabolism so much that, once you start eating again, it still processes food slowly and stores most of the food you eat, resulting in immediate weight gain.
   • A healthy rate is generally considered 1-2.5lb a week (3500-8750 calories). Rates faster than this can be achieved healthily if you are severely obese, but is generally uncommon and unhealthy.
   • So what does this mean? Generally, you can lose up to 10 pounds in a month. This means that you can slim down enough to go down approximately one size in pants or suits, but it is not enough to substantially change your entire body shape.
2. 
   2
   Take your measurements. Taking measurements is the most effective way to track your progress because weight can fluctuate dramatically and doesn’t tell you where exactly you are shedding inches. Take measurements around your shoulders, bust, waist, hips, thighs and measure them about once each week.
3. 
   3
   Dieting is all about making changes and having the endurance to maintain these changes. Obviously, to change your body, you have to adjust your diet and exercise regimen. Of course, there are many methods to this, but all of them generally recommend: less carbs, more protein, less salt, more water, more fruits and vegetables, and more exercise. Do your research and talk to your doctor; depending on your current state of body weight, exercise regimen, and diet, different things may be more effective.
   • 1lb of fat is 3500 calories. So, to lose a pound of fat, you need to eat 3500 calories less than you use. Unfortunately, there is no way around this. The best way to cut calories is to eat nutrient-rich, low-calorie foods such as fruits and vegetables that will fill you up and leave you satisfied.
   • Just keeping yourself starved is not effective and highly unlikely to be successful. Hunger is not simply a state of mind; food is a need, and the body produces hormones and other signals to make sure you eat. It has even been found that hungry people are more likely to fixate on food and ignore many other needs. If you’re hungry, you can’t just forget about eating food.
   • Don’t overestimate yourself. If you know you love pastas and grains, it’ll be difficult to suddenly adapt to a low-carb diet. Figure out which foods are indispensable, and keep them around but in smaller quantities.
4. 
   4
   Keep track of what times you tend to eat a lot. If you’re a midnight snacker, try to avert your cravings into low-calorie foods. Most calories you ingest right before sleep tend to go straight to fat because less energy is burned during sleep. So, try to avoid late snacking as much as possible.
5. 
   5
   Cut out unhealthy foods. It's fine to indulge once in awhile, but to lose a significant amount of weight in a month you need to eliminate unhealthy items from your day-to-day diet. Here are some common culprits to avoid:
   • Soda pop
   • Chips
   • Candy
   • White pasta, rice, bread
   • Foods high in processed sugar, cane sugar, or high fructose corn syrup
   • Energy drinks and sugary/creamy coffees
   • General rule of thumb: the more something has been processed, the more you should avoid it. The human body was not evolved to be accustomed to chemical additives or Xtra Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
6. 
   6
   People are easily discouraged, especially when it comes to food. For example, you might get a sudden craving to eat a bowlful of pasta, but are unlikely to go out in search of it if there is no pasta in the house. Keep unhealthy foods out of your house, you'll simply be less likely to eat them. This of this as a detox for your pantry.
   • Donate non-perishable food items to a local shelter or food bank, and throw out perishables.
   • Perhaps you live with others who are not dieting. This is where you really have to set your boundaries. Establish 'off-limit' zones, like drawers or specific areas of the refrigerator you are not allowed to access, and have your roommates store their unhealthy foods there.
7. 
   7
   Try using classical conditioning! Reward yourself with little gifts when you go a few days without breaking any of your rules, and punish yourself when you break one. For example, force yourself to give up one dollar every time you break a rule. This will give you a strong incentive to eat healthily. Maybe you could donate it to a food bank.
   • Starving yourself is not a good punishment. You are only harming your body by ignoring the signals that it is sending you.
8. 
   8
   Go grocery shopping, and pick up healthier items such as:
   • Vegetables. Stock up on an assortment of veggies to make sure that your diet isn’t totally boring; even the biggest spinach enthusiast doesn’t want to eat spinach all day, every day. Make sure you eat at least one serving of leafy greens each day. If you must use dressings, try to use oil-free or olive oil based dressings instead of the creamier ones.
   • Fruit: High-fiber foods like apples, pears, oranges and bananas.
   • Lean protein, like 95% lean red meats or skinless poultry. Eat in moderation animals that walk on two legs (chickens, turkey), and try to cut down on animals that walk on four (beef, pork). Other great sources of protein include nuts, soy, tofu, and egg whites.
   • Low-fat dairy. If you would really like to make some bigger changes, try some dairy substitutes such as soymilk or rice milk.
   • High fiber carbs. Your body does need carbs to function, but the form that you eat them in is up to you. Generally, the most high fiber and healthiest carbs are the ones least processed, i.e. brown rice rather than white rice, whole grain flour rather than white flour. Try experimenting with different types of grains such as couscous, quinoa, buckwheat, chia seeds, and hemp (if you can find it). Also, swap out the grains you normally eat with healthier ones: multigrain bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta.
9. 
   9
   Don’t expect yourself to suddenly adhere to all these new rules. Again, changing your diet is a complete lifestyle change, and is something that you and your body need to adjust to.

Method 2 of 4: Week Two: Integrating Exercise

1. 
   1
   If you want to lose weight, you have to exercise. It’s the best way to burn the fat already on your body. Exercise doesn’t have to be painful and mundane, and can be approached in any number of ways.
   • You have to make time for exercise. Get creative! Go for a walk before work, or maybe go to the gym right after work. Bike to work, and even start scheduling more physical activities over the weekend. Instead of going to the movies with a friend, go hiking; the views can be incredible and the strain is much less distracting if you have company.
   • Make exercise dates with others. If you make a commitment to someone else, you’re much less likely to break it.
2. 
   2
   Do cardio. Cardiovascular exercise is named so because it does just that: it gets your heart pumping. This increases your metabolism and overall exercises your entire body much more effectively than specific weight training such as lifting weights, which build muscle but don’t get your whole body moving.
3. 
   3
   Try to find an activity you enjoy. Working out is a lot less painful if you can feel like you're having fun in the midst of all the bodily suffering.
   • Running and hiking are popular options because they get right to the point.
   • Swimming is a great way to start out because you can get good aerobic and cardiovascular exercise while putting little strain on your muscles. Therefore, it is very often recommended to those who are severely overweight, are aging, or have little exercise experience to start out with.
   • Intramural sports! If you go to a school that has opportunities to casually go out and non-competitively play sports, take advantage of them. Even if you don’t go to school, find a casual adult team. Many times, these are filled with just as much of laughter as exercise.
   • Dance/zumba! Many local gyms offer dance/exercise combinations, and can be fantastically fun, especially if you enjoy pumping music and dancing.
   • Yoga/pilates. Again, Many local gyms offer these as well. Focused on building strength and stamina, these can be challenging at first but grow to be incredibly relaxing.
   • Exercise tapes. Many fat-burner tapes work by including short bursts of intensive cardiovascular activity between lengths of other aerobic exercises. Therefore, these get your heart pumping, but still keep you moving for a good amount of time. Popular exercise tapes of this sort include P90X and Insanity.
   • Mix up your machines and methods. If you’re at the gym, don’t just run for hours—then, you’re only exercising the same muscles at the same pace. Try the machines that exercise different parts of your body. For example, run, then use an elliptical, and then use a rowing machine, all for 30 minutes each. The more you mix it up and move your body in different ways, the more effective your workout will be.
4. 
   4
   Working out isn’t fun at first. This is practically a fact. Until you get your muscles accustomed to vigorous activity, it’s going to be rough. However, there are ways to power through.
   • Start slow and short, and build up endurance. Start out by running a mile a day, then two, and build it up. Don’t try to start at ten if you haven’t gone running in years.
5. 
   5
   Just because you’re exercising now doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want! Try to maintain the same diet you kept the week before, with maybe just a little more to keep up your energy. If you must reward yourself with a dessert, try a yogurt and fruit parfait, or some delicious fruits. Also, many dieters get through the exercise by truly enjoying the endorphin rush that comes afterward. It’s your body’s way of thanking you!
   • If you can, try working out on a treadmill or machine that logs the calories you've burned. It will show you exactly how hard it is to work off 300 calories.

Method 3 of 4: Week Three: Pushing Past the Plateau

1. 
   1
   Keep pushing yourself on fitness. If you can work out without feeling winded, you're not working hard enough. Increase the intensity of your workout so you can keep shedding pounds. For example, increase the ramp and speed on your treadmill, or add greater resistance on your rowing machine.
   • Ways to ramp up — hot (bikram) yoga instead of regular yoga, distance running vs sprinting, more intensive zumba classes. If your heart isn’t pumping hard, it’s not cardio, and fat isn’t burning as well as it could.
   • Results won’t be immediate. However, enjoy the benefits that do come immediately after exercise. You can bask in the endorphin rush, and you’ll probably find that you sleep much better and wake up more refreshed after your body has been working so hard.
2. 
   2
   Start taking measurements again. Compare against the measurements you took during Week One, and you'll start to see the beginnings of progress. Keep track of your results, and let the small victories keep you going.
3. 
   3
   Keep eating well. If you're getting bored with your diet, look up new recipes and variations online. See your limitations as a challenge: how delicious can I make this kale/skinless chicken/couscous within my means? Experiment with spices, herbs, and new recipes—you may be surprised as how much flavor you can get without salt and unhealthy fats.
4. 
   4
   Drink water! Not only can water keep you feeling full, it can help clean out your system and is by far the healthiest way to hydrate.
   • Carry around a water bottle. You may see that with the reminder of a full water bottle, you’ll find yourself drinking much more water simply because it is there. Right now, there are so many different water bottles out there: plastic, aluminum, vacuum, glass, ones with filters, ones that are printed, etc. etc.
   • Glass ones are pretty and rarely ever make your water taste funky. Unfortunately, they are heavy and fragile.
   • Aluminum ones may make your water taste a little funny, but are light and often have good insulation.
   • Vacuum ones are good if you plan on carrying hot drinks inside it as well, as they serve as insulating carafes.
   • Filtered bottles are great when you just want to fill your bottle with tap water and go. If you already have filtered water at home, this may not be an issue.
   • There are ways to jazz up your water without adding lots of calories. Try adding citrus slices (lemon, lime, orange), 0-calorie drink mixes like Crystal Light, making decaf or herbal teas, or adding things like chia seeds, which expand in water and have a fun jelly texture.

Method 4 of 4: Week Four: Evaluating Progress

1. 
   1
   Get through the home stretch. You've committed to a month, so try to keep your morale up until you cross the finish line. You spent the last week figuring out fun ways to experiment with food and exercise. Continue this! The more fun you have, the less laborious it will seem.
2. 
   2
   Try hosting a healthy dinner for your friends and display your new recipes.They’ll likely be impressed with how tasty your low-calorie food is.
   • Reward yourself after a month; you’ve kept a promise, and lost some weight. Maybe buy yourself that new top you’ve been drooling over, or take a quick beach/day trip with a friend. You deserve this.
3. 
   3
   Take your final measurements. You’ll likely see some amazing improvements.
4. 
   4
   Decide if you want to keep going. Who knows, maybe you had a great time. Maybe your weight loss was beyond worth it. If you still want to lose some weight, continue the same regimen of exercise, diet control, and fun that you’ve kept up.
• If you've lost all the weight you wanted to shed, congratulations! Now you want to keep it off. Unfortunately, if you fall right back into your old routine, you’re likely to gain it all back. Decide which aspects of this diet that you want to keep and incorporate into your life, and keep those promises as you pursue a healthier lifestyle. Maybe you loved the taste of healthy proteins, or want to keep going to yoga class. In any case, it’s a good idea to maintain at least some of these changes.
• If you want to lose more, and this diet plan worked well for you, keep going! Try new things, experiment with foods and exercise, and share your experiences with others. Joining weight-loss clubs or even just doing all of this with a friend is a great way to keep losing weight.

Tips

• There are some diseases and disorders, such as diabetes, that make weight-loss difficult. It is always a good idea to get these conditions under control before you start dieting, and to have your progress closely monitored by a physician to make sure everything is being done safely and healthily.
• Everyone is different, and specific weight-loss plans will vary widely depending on your body type. Make sure you talk to a doctor before starting anything too ambitious.

Warnings

• Before you start any exercise/dieting plan, you should talk to your doctor first.

Source: www.wikihow.com