
Ask HN: How to live long in a country with low life expectancy - smithmayowa
How does a 25 year old dude who currently lives in a country with low live expectancy (52(M) 56(F)) ensure he lives long, and while death is certain and inevitable as there is a time allotted for every man to die according to the scriptures, but still what are the tips and style of living such an individual should abide by to improve his chances of living longer?
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schoen
Emigrate

Find the top causes of mortality in your area and then try to improve your
risk factors for those

Get all of the available recommended vaccinations for diseases that are
endemic in your area, including boosters on the recommended schedules; if it's
available, always get a seasonal flu shot every year; also try to get
vaccinated for pneumonia (reducing your risk of serious complications from
other respiratory illnesses); get other people who live in the same household
with you to get vaccinated too

If you need complex non-emergency medical care, seek it in a different country
with a more advanced medical system

Try to mitigate exposure to major causes of mortality and morbidity (air
pollution, contaminated water, contaminated food, violence); try to ensure
that you personally live in a building with adequate ventilation, water
supply, sanitation, and physical security; if your water quality is
questionable, consider filtering and/or treating tap water somehow before
using it for bathing or dishwashing (not just drinking)

Don't eat raw or undercooked food of any type that has a history of
contamination in your area; don't wash food with water of uncertain quality

If you have any influence with any level of government, try to get them to
improve sanitation (sewage, street cleaning, trash collection), air quality,
water quality, and food safety inspection procedures in your area

Take exposure precautions when there is an epidemic or outbreak of contagious
disease (like right now with COVID-19, but also during future outbreaks of
other pathogens) -- hand sanitizer, hand washing, wearing a mask, reducing
your physical contact with others, avoiding crowded areas

Find screenings for diseases that increase your risk of death (diabetes, high
blood pressure, heart and lung diseases, cancers) and repeat the screenings
periodically; consider getting simple devices that would let you monitor
indicators for some of these at home (e.g. a blood pressure monitor)

Try to maintain and improve your fitness, nutrition, and mental health

Maintain a good social support system (family, friends, religious communities)

~~~
smithmayowa
Thanks a lot for taking your time to write this down for me. Will definitely
try my best to follow them.

~~~
schoen
Sure thing!

I forgot a couple more related to accidents...

Always wear your seat belt in a car

Always wear a helmet (and other protective clothing as needed) when riding a
motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle

Always wear proper protective equipment for work and hobbies, for example
gloves and eye protection if using power tools or chemicals

If you live in a dense city with a lot of traffic accidents, consider trying
to move to a smaller city, unless that would harm your ability to keep up
other healthy habits

Make sure your home and work buildings have working smoke detectors and
emergency fire exits; if they're available in your country, also carbon
monoxide (CO) detectors, which can prevent poisoning from certain
malfunctioning heating equipment

If you use electrical appliances in your bathroom or kitchen, make sure that
either the appliances or the wall sockets have GFCI devices, a kind of
electrical safety equipment that is mandatory in many countries and that
prevents electrocution from some kinds of short circuits due to the presence
of water; if you use an electric water heater for your shower, have it
inspected for safety by an expert electrician

If your city regularly has seriously bad air quality (like from car traffic,
industrial pollution, or wildfires), install an air purifier inside your house
(you can most likely make one cheaply from a fan and HEPA filter, if
necessary)

