YOUR CAR
Excessive heat is your car engine's sworn enemy. Even a slight rise in the running temperature of your motor—generally caused by an improperly maintained cooling system—will increase engine wear, knocking years off its life. The problem? You won't know something's wrong until you're 50 kilometers from the next rest stop on the highway. To help your engine keep its cool, flush the radiator and change your antifreeze every other year.
YOUR HEARING
Your chronically sore back may be responsible for your poor hearing. There's evidence that taking too many anti-inflammatory drugs can cause hearing loss, especially for those with existing problems.
"Some of the drugs that can cause hearing loss or tinnitus are the most common headache medications, such as ibuprofen and aspirin," says Thomas J. Balkany, MD, director of the University of Miami Ear Institute and professor of otolaryngology. Take acetaminophen instead, but eat something with it so it won't bother your stomach.
YOUR PARENTS
Give their home a run-through, making sure it has proper lighting and is clutter-free, and that all rugs are secured to the floor. Why? Because one out of three people over the age of 65 suffers a serious fall every year. That's bad not only because it can cause a broken hip, but also because it can lead to a long hospital stay, during which Ma and Pa can be exposed to lots of nasty infections that can actually kill them. Be a good son—tack down the throw rugs.
YOUR LUNGS
Take up the harmonica. Therapists use it for people with lung disease and breathing problems. The gentle inhaling and exhaling required to make music works the chest muscles and may help keep air passageways clear of debris. Wear sunglasses and nod your head when playing.
APPLIANCES
Here's how to make these household workhorses last:
Washer Toss clothes in only up to the top row of holes in the washer tub—any higher and it'll put too much strain on the machine. If you see a white buildup in the tub, install a water-softening system.
Dryer Inspect and clean the ductwork that leads from your dryer to the outside of your house each year by taking it apart in sections and vacuuming out lint and dust. Debris makes it harder for your dryer to circulate air.
Refrigerator This is counterintuitive, but your fridge has to work harder when all you have in it is a half-empty bottle of Gatorade and a package of ring bologna. To help it out, add a couple of jugs of water. Or more beer.
YOUR TIRES
Putting Armor All Protectant or another rubber conditioner on your tires after washing your car does more than make them look shiny and new; it makes them last longer. How? By limiting the damaging effects of ozone, which dries out and breaks down rubber. Since ozone is more prevalent where there are more cars—and exhaust—the bigger the city you live in, the more you need to apply a conditioner. Suggestion: Give your radials a good rubdown every time you wash your car.
YOUR SHOULDER
There's a reason you don't see many fastball pitchers or star quarterbacks over the age of 40. The rotator cuff, the small band of muscles in your shoulder that allows you to rotate your shoulder to throw, is easily injured. While a young, healthy cuff is highly resistant to tears and degeneration, age and disuse turn it brittle. Worse, if you tear just one muscle fiber there, it can act like a pulled thread in a sweater, leading to damage in the rest of the cuff. Our advice: Strengthen your rotator cuff so you can play catch with your grandkids. Here's a good exercise to do just that: Lie facedown on a bed. Put your left arm out at shoulder level with your elbow bent to 90 degrees and your lower arm dangling over the side of the bed. Keep your elbow bent and slowly raise your left hand to shoulder level. Lower the hand slowly. Repeat until your arm is tired. Then switch arms.
FRESH BREATH
Anchovies and garlic are notorious bad-breath villains, but there's a far more insidious condition responsible for your fetid breath: dry mouth. Saliva normally acts like a cleansing rain, washing away the food particles that bacteria feed upon—the source of much of the smell—while also dissolving odorous sulfur compounds. Snoring all night, talking too much, dehydration, dieting, drinking alcohol, and smoking all conspire to dry out your yap. Solution: Stay hydrated by drinking water. And chew sugarless gum to stimulate your salivary glands.
» Guy Wisdom archive
Men's Health Philippines - October 2005 Issue
|
YOUR GAS GRILL
Twice a year, boil your lava rocks in a large container of water with a tablespoon of low-sudsing dishwashing detergent. This will remove the grease that can cause flames to leap too high, ruining your T-bone and your grill.
Let the rocks bubble for 25 minutes, rinse, then dry completely before using. To keep the grilling surface in good shape, scrape it with a stiff-bristled brush while it’s still warm after every use. No brush? Crumpled aluminum foil will work just as well.
|
