HeartSaving Solutions Offers Free CPR Course for Parents

The economic meltdown has taken its toll; family budgets are being slashed as belts tighten. But Seattle-based CPR training firm HeartSaving Solutions (http://www.onlinebabycpr.com) believes all parents should have the right to learn how to save their children’s lives in the event of an emergency. To that end, the company has made its online infant and child CPR course completely free of charge.

Available to parents, grandparents, older siblings and anyone else who would like to learn infant and child CPR from the comfort of their own homes, Online Baby CPR used to cost $13.95 per person. HeartSaving Solutions founder Keith Weaver, however, decided to provide the infant and child CPR training for free when he realized that in spite of its importance, many parents just can’t afford to take any CPR course right now.

“I’m a dad myself. I know parents have limited time and, these days, even more limited money. But at the same time, we at HeartSaving Solutions are alarmed that thousands of babies and children die each year as a result of choking, suffocation and drowning — three situations in which CPR can literally be a lifesaver,” Weaver explained. “So Online Baby CPR is dedicated to giving parents and parents-to-be a way to learn those vital skills at home, at their pace, for free. In this one area, we’re able to remove the barrier the recession had presented to parents.”

The Online Baby CPR course is designed for parents and is a complete CPR training class. Proceeding through the course on their own time, participants will learn child and infant CPR, choking and drowning prevention, automated external defibrillator (AED) use, and how to help a child or baby who is already choking. There is no software required and nothing to download. Although parents will thoroughly learn the basics of CPR, the free course does not offer a CPR certification, making it for personal use only.

Those wondering whether they can really learn CPR online needn’t worry. Online Baby CPR uses industry best practices to teach the lifesaving concepts of CPR through video, images, audio, text and quizzes; students can ask questions at the OnlineBabyCPR.com forums, where certified CPR trainers are on hand to provide answers.

“We hope parents, grandparents and primary caregivers will take this free, convenient opportunity to learn how to save their children’s lives through CPR,” Weaver said. “With Online Baby CPR, it’s easier than ever before to make your home a safer place.”

About HeartSaving Solutions

HeartSaving Solutions is a certified CPR, AED and First Aid training provider. The company provides outstanding on-site training to businesses and has been chosen by one of the largest AED manufacturers to provide training to many of its customers in the Northwest. To learn more about HeartSaving Solutions, visit the company at http://www.heartsaving.net; more information about the Online Baby CPR course is available at http://www.onlinebabycpr.com.

No More Dry Eyes -- Tips to Get the Grit Out

Dry eyes can be a nuisance. But when severe cases are not treated, the condition becomes more than an irritation. The surface of the eye is susceptible to infection and scarring. The January issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers the causes of dry eyes and treatment options.

Healthy eyes are continuously covered by layers of fluids. The outermost layer includes fatty acids that smooth the tear surface and slow evaporation of the thicker, middle layer, which is mostly water. Mucus makes up the innermost layer, which allows tears to be evenly spread over the eye surface. Dry eyes happen when any of these three components is out of balance.

For example, dry eyes occur when tear glands don’t produce enough fluids or when problems with blinking hamper tear distribution. Also, several commonly used medications, including diuretics, pain relievers, sleep medications and antidepressants, can cause dry eyes.

Most people with dry eyes don’t develop long-term complications, but they can happen. Treatments are designed to both increase comfort and reduce the possibility of complications. The best treatment depends on what is causing dry eyes.

If the irritant is lack of tears, using nonprescription artificial tears is the mainstay treatment. Generally, it’s best to avoid drops such as Clear Eyes and Visine, which reduce redness but may aggravate dry eyes. Some products have a thicker consistency, and their effects last longer, but they can blur vision. Others such as Refresh Dry Eye Therapy use an oil-based component to help prevent evaporation. Another option, Optive, lubricates the eye surface and keeps the eye healthy.

For severe dry eyes, a physician may recommend tear conservation methods such as blocking tear drainage with tiny silicone plugs or cauterizing the tissues of the tear drainage area so scarring closes the tear ducts.

Other options are prescription cyclosporine (Restasis) drops and corticosteroid drops or contact lenses that cover the white of the eye to help retain moisture. For impaired blinking, surgery may be needed.

At home, using eyedrops before eyes become irritated is helpful. Protecting eyes from blowing air, for example with wraparound sunglasses, can reduce eye irritation. So can avoiding smoke and not rubbing the eyes. A humidifier can help when the air inside the home is dry.

Mood Disorders, Migraines Might Be Connected

Migraine headaches can precede the onset of mental disorders, according to a growing body of knowledge that includes a new study in the January-February 2009 issue of General Hospital Psychiatry.

“Together, migraine and mental disorders cause more impairment than alone,” said lead study author Gregory Ratcliffe. “Patients who have one condition should be assessed for the other so they can be treated holistically. Although it is important to know that both are present, treating one will have an effect on the other.”

Ratcliffe is with the department of psychiatry at the University of Manitoba in Canada. He and his colleagues analyzed data on 4,181 participants in the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey. Migraines were diagnosed by a physician and trained interviewers evaluated participants for mental disorders.

Researchers found that 11 percent of participants had migraines. Participants had a variety of disorders: major depression, general anxiety disorder, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, panic attacks, panic disorder, substance abuse disorders, agoraphobia and simple phobia.

The authors considered two theories that might explain the relationship between migraine and mental disorders. The first theory is that a common factor influences both conditions, such as low activity of enzymes that deactivate certain chemical messages sent to the brain. They also considered a causal relationship: This study and others found that anxiety often precedes migraine, which often precedes depression.

Frederick Taylor, M.D., director of the Park Nicollet Headache Clinic in St. Louis Park, Minn., said that migraine co-morbidities — depression, anxiety and other disorders — affect 83 percent of migraineurs and explain 65 percent of their inability to function in life, more than the pain itself.

According to MAGNUM, a national migraine awareness group, 30 million Americans suffer from migraines and another 8 million are genetically susceptible. Those who suffer from the most disabling type of migraine, intractable migraine, can find it a struggle to function in the workplace.


General Hospital Psychiatry is a peer-reviewed research journal published bimonthly by Elsevier Science. For information about the journal, contact Wayne Katon, M.D., at (206) 543-7177.

Ratcliffe GE, et al. The relationship between migraine and mental disorders in a population-based sample. General Hosp Psychiatry, 31(1), 2009.