Category: Health

Nowadays, people mostly depend on some of the supplements for the well-being of their body systems. Sonus complete supplement is such a product that helps you to strengthen and regenerate your brain cells.

What is Sonus Complete?

This supplement is most effectively used to get rid of tinnitus and regain the strength of the brain network. It is a product manufactured from natural ingredients, providing quicker results to stabilize your mental health and physical wellness. The capsules’ right dosage is taking one every 12 hours, so you should intake two capsules per day for significant results.

Ingredients of Sonus Complete

The ingredients in the supplement are entirely natural and organic for the health effects,

1. Hibiscus: It calms the nervous system and controls blood sugar levels and pressure in the user.
2. Hawthorn Berry: They ease the panic and anxiety attacks of the person, also provide cardiovascular constrictions.
3. Olive Leaves: These leaves strengthen the brain network; it positively affects the risks of hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
4. Niacin: It helps repair the brain cells, engages liver functioning, and assures protein breakdown.
5. Garlic: This element is powerful effects on boosting your memory.
6. Vitamin B6 and B12: They are essential for nerve and body cells’ well-being, supporting different organs to function correctly in the human body.
7. Buchu Leaves: The bodily functions help to retain with this ingredient, supporting the reconstruction of synapses.
8. Green Tea: This element reduces cell damage, also has anti-oxidant properties.
9. Jupiter Berry: It has a sufficient amount of nutrient content, offers anti-inflammatory properties for the effective functioning of body systems.
10. Uva Ursi: It helps in keeping the brain healthy by detoxifying your body.
11. Vitamin C: This adds to the supplement’s total benefits by strengthening the user’s immune system.

Benefits of Sonus Complete

The beneficiary ingredients added to this dietary supplement provides many sound effects on your body,

• This product helps in eliminating tinnitus when using it at the proper dosage.
• It provides all the essential nutrients that support the regaining of synapses and strength required for your brain.
• The supplement helps the user to improve their mental health, calming their minds.
• The vitamins and ingredients present in the product are mostly detoxifiers; this helps in the smooth and perfect functioning of body systems.
• If you doubt your memory power, not up to that expected at your age, this supplement can boost your memory levels with the elements.
• You get a comfortable sleep away from the worries of the physical and mental pressures; this is the most refined product made using natural ingredients.

Things you need to take care

Even though the supplement is 100% organic, there are some side effects for which you should know before starting to use it:

• The supplement is not suitable for children as they have a high amount of nutrients, which may cause overdose for them.
• Pregnant women should avoid consuming them as it an abortive ingredient; Buchu Leaves used for the preparation.
• For some people, this supplement’s intake may cause stomach irritation; if you feel this discomfort avoid using them.

Wrapping up Thoughts

It is always good to use this supplement after getting advice from the physician if you are experiencing tinnitus. The product is available for pickup through their official website, make your life better and healthier.

The novel coronavirus pandemic is still far from over and while some stay at home orders and lockdown rules are starting to be relaxed around the world, many people are still dealing with unprecedented changes to their daily lives. For most of us, life as normal has come to a halt with offices closed down and remote working becoming the norm, being unable to meet up with friends and family, or even see partners that we don’t live with. Whether you live with family or alone and are under quarantine, massive changes to your routine such as these can have a huge impact on your mental health and wellbeing. Here are some small steps that you can take to look after your mental health while in quarantine.

Speak to Somebody:

First of all, don’t think that you have to go through this alone. If you are struggling with feelings of overwhelming anxiety about the pandemic, work, relationships, or just life in general, people are still there to help you through these times. KCC Health online counseling can be a very useful resource to take advantage of if you want to speak to a trained therapist from the comfort of your own home; you can have video counseling sessions or even get web chat counseling if you feel more comfortable typing your feelings out.

Get Enough Sleep:

For many people, with no work to go to in the morning and a lack of a structured routine to their days, it’s easy to fall into poor sleep habits. But while there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a bit longer in bed in the morning now that you’ve got the chance to, be careful not to disrupt your sleep pattern too much. You might find it useful to invest some of the free time on your hands into redecorating your bedroom and turning it into a relaxing sanctuary where you can go to destress. Treat yourself to some good books to read and make it nice and cozy with throws and move a radio or Bluetooth speaker into your bedroom so that you can fall asleep to the sound of some relaxing music if it helps.

Don’t Pressure Yourself:

Social media can do all kinds of things when it comes to putting unrealistic expectations on ourselves but remember, even though half your Instagram feed might be posts about people taking courses and starting businesses during the pandemic, that doesn’t mean that you have to do that. People deal with stressful situations differently and if you find that being productive helps you, then that’s great, but don’t feel guilty if you want to spend a day relaxing and taking care of yourself in other ways. If you normally lead a busy life and it’s all slowed down to a halt because of the pandemic, then rather than beating yourself up for not being as productive as you normally would, take this time to breathe and focus on self-care.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused unusual circumstances for us all, and you’re not alone if you feel that your mental health is affected by it. Keep these strategies in mind and most importantly, look after yourself right now.

Someone suffering from sexual performance anxiety feels nervous before, during or after sex. Sexual activity should be an enjoyable experience. However, you may fail to enjoy if you are always worried about your performance and the thought that you are not satisfying your partner. This anxiety can affect men of all ages. So what are the causes ,symptoms and treatment of sexual performance anxiety?

Causes

A pleasurable sexual encounter is a product of emotional satisfaction and excellent physical response. When you are too stressed thinking about sexual incompetency or whether you are performing well, the body cannot be excited. This usually makes you feel sexually inadequate to satisfy your partner. Sexual performance anxiety can be caused by

• Body image issues like someone’s concern about their height, weight or their penis size.
• Perceived previous failure
• Relationship issues such an existing emotional disconnect or dissatisfaction in a relationship
• Over-expecting a person’s sexual abilities
• Fear of rejection by a partner
• Fear of erectile dysfunction, delayed ejaculation, premature ejaculation and other conditions that can affect sexual satisfaction

How does it happen?

When an individual experiences these feelings, the body responds by producing powerful stress hormones like norepinephrine and adrenaline. These two hormones constrict blood flow in vessels reducing the rate of flow to vital organs like the penis. This decline in blood flow to the penis makes it difficult to get and maintain an erection making it impossible to have an enjoyable sexual experience. This leads to erectile dysfunction which makes the sexual activity harder and less satisfying. Even men without the challenges of erectile dysfunction can have trouble in attaining an erection if they get anxious or nervous before or during sex.

How anxiety affects men

The more a man worries about his ability to perform sexually, the lower the likelihood of relaxing and the less the chances of attaining a full erection. Feeling incapable of satisfying a partner causes a lot of pain and stress to a man which can compel them to abstain from sexual practice completely.

Symptoms

People are affected differently by performance anxiety because they respond differently to stress and anxiety. The various signs of performance anxiety include:

• Inability to reach orgasm
• Premature ejaculation
• Reduced interest in sex
• Trouble in having or maintaining an erection

Treatment

Sexual performance anxiety can have catastrophic effects on the social life of an individual. If you are a victim, you should not shy away from seeking help. Sharing the problem will help in getting a lasting solution. In a bid to establish the source of your problem, a doctor will perform a series of test to determine if it is linked to any medical reason. If there is a medical connection to premature ejaculation, insufficient lubrication or erectile dysfunction, the doctor can direct you to a range of drugs, male enhancement substances, and other treatments to help you in solving the problem.

Since psychological factors can also cause performance anxiety, it is advisable to visit a therapist or a counsellor. A specialist should help in detecting the root of your anxiety and the various ways to manage it.

Ways to overcome performance anxiety

Apart from visiting a doctor or a therapist, there are behavioural changes that you can adapt to improve your sexual performance.

Communication

Men develop anxiety when they are worried, too focused or overly concerned. This happens when they are trying to impress their partners. In such a scenario, the best remedy is to share with their partners about their anxiety. Open communication can help in reducing the induced stress and improve their sexual life.

Guided imagery

This is an incredible therapeutic procedure used to overcome performance anxiety. In this process, a person enters a light trance-like state where they follow through a script describing a vivid scenario. The process helps your body to overcome any physical or mental challenge happening to you by tapping into the unconscious mind. Studies indicate that men who pass through this procedure can reduce erectile dysfunction effects caused by anxiety and stress.

A performance anxiety victim does not need to visit a therapist to go through this process. You can do it at home by writing and visualizing a script that takes you through a pleasurable sex encounter with your partner. When going through this imagery guide, empathize on the parts which trigger a more enjoyable sexual sensation. The more you repeat this process, the higher the chances of improving your performance.

Explore new things

Many people believe that the order of sex should always follow a particular strategy. For example, many believe that a normal sex process should start with kissing, cuddling and then intercourse. This process can, however, be altered in circumstances where you feel stressed. To improve, your performance, you can decide to stop and concentrate on cuddling or kissing, and when you feel ready again, you can resume to intercourse.

You should also spend time to understand your partner’s body. For most women, foreplay is the most critical part for you to have a successful sexual experience. Understanding what works best for your partner will also aid in having a good sexual experience.

Break the cycle

A lot of men fall into the performance anxiety cycle. Repetitive, annoying sexual occurrence is a common experience and equates to periodic erectile dysfunction (ED). However, a lot of men who encounter unpleasant sexual experiences dwell on the experiences instead of the source. This leads them to develop anxiety in the future and more ED symptoms.

You can improve your performance if you focus on the issues causing the anxiety. A stressful job or financial constraints are examples of common causes of anxiety. Shifting your effort in such matters and focusing on how to resolve them can help you in achieving improved sexual performance.

Improve on diet and exercise

Studies show that men involved in regular exercise have enhanced sexual performance. Continuous exercise encourages high blood flow in the body. Increased blood in organs like the penis allows you to get and keep an erection for a longer duration. Also, maintaining regular workout increases heart rate, muscle activity and breathing which are all vital for delivering sexual satisfaction.

Consuming foods with low levels of cholesterol and fats improves your performance. Foods rich in fibre and vitamin C enhances your sexual functioning as well. These foods help to keep vibrant blood flow in the body and the penis specifically.

Focus on the senses

Most men with performance anxiety issues are always worried about what their partner will think of them or whether the sexual encounter will be successful. However, you should emphasize the senses during sexual activity. This helps you to focus on sensory activity and not analyzing the event.

If you focus on what you are seeing or what your hands are feeling, it can help you in eliminating the anxiety. You can also play romantic music or light scented candles to set the mood for sexual activity.

Omeprazole and Lansoprazole both belong to a group of medications known as proton pump inhibitors (PPI). They relieve acid influx by reducing the amount of acid produced in the stomach. This action promotes the healing of gastric and duodenal ulcers and other inflamed gastrointestinal tissue areas.

Both drugs are also prescribed for a number stomach acid-related conditions including Barrett’s Esophagus, GERD, Erosive Esophagitis, Duodenal Ulcer, Indigestion, Helicobacter Pylori Infection, Multiple Endocrine Adenomas, Stomach Ulcer, Systemic Mastocytosis, Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome.

The Similarities and Differences Between Omeprazole and Lansoprazole

Both drugs belong to the same class of drugs, proton pump inhibitor (PPI). They belong to the same class means the mechanism of how they work is very similar. Drugs that are referred to as PPI inhibit the proton pump cells. These cells are found in the lining in the stomach and are responsible for producing the stomach acid.

Omeprazole contains 10 or 20 mg of Omeprazole as its active ingredient, while Lansoprazole may contain 15, 30 or 60 mg of Lansoprazole as its active ingredient. They, however, contain different inactive ingredients. Both drugs are available as tablets and capsules. Furthermore, they can be found as generic and branded drugs.

Omeprazole and Lansoprazole, which is Better?

Omeprazole and Lansoprazole belong to the same class of drugs and work similarly. Their method of use and conditions they are used to treat are also very similar. Both drugs are also approved by FDA. Over the years, they have undergone several clinical tests. So which of these PPI is better?

In 2000, Department of Medicine, and Health Services Research Center, Tucson VA Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, Syracuse VA Medical Center, Syracuse, New York, and Center of Ulcer Research and Education (CURE) carried out a clinical study on both drugs.

The conclusion of the clinical study was that patients who took Omeprazole 20 mg once daily tolerated the drug and felt almost effects as those who took Lansoprazole 30 mg twice daily in symptom control of patients with GERD.

The effects of Omeprazole and Lansoprazole have also been tested on patients of erosive esophagitis. According to a 2001 paper published by Jeffery D. Kim (MD), patients treated with Lansoprazole showed better symptoms of relief throughout the treatment.

The paper noted that on the first day of treatment, the Lansoprazole group was found to be 33% heartburn free, while the Omeprazole group were 25% heartburn free. Over the next three days, the figures were 56% and 49% respectively. This means that the effects of Omeprazole appear delayed. After 8 weeks of treatment, the report stated that the differences were very small.

In Conclusion

P.S All possible dosages and drug forms may not be included here. Before either is administered (especially for long-term prescriptions), doctors would consider your:

• Age
• Compatibility or reaction to the drugs
• The condition being treated
• The severity of your condition
• Other medical conditions you have.

While Lansoprazole may seem to work better, doctors or pharmacist may sometimes prescribe Omeprazole. The main reason for this is either the patient reacts badly to the drug or has a condition that the active ingredient of Lansoprazole or Omeprazole would react with. So, before choosing either drug, please consult your physician.

There is no doubt to say that in the Marketplace the number of supplements and products are available to enhance the breasts size but check out the best one which truly best for your enhancement. It’s really difficult to guess, but for you, it’s now becoming pretty easy because here you are going to check out breast actives real reviews which you must appreciate and get ready to buy it for yourself too.

What is breast actives?

It is a natural breast enlargement product which is in the form of cream and supplement both. It works really amazing where you do not need surgery, implants or any fat pills to increase the mass. It is a natural formula that provides unique and healthy rejuvenating breast size which improves your personality, figure and confidence within a few days.

A few pros:

• Home Remedy

It is one of the perfect and most trustable home remedy for all the ladies because in this you just forget about taking surgeries or implanting breast. It is a natural breast lifting Home therapy which you need to apply on the regular basis and you will see the results definitely in terms of larger, firmer and lifted.

• Add sexy curves

After the uses of this cream, you will definitely see the sexy curves of your body shape which boost your confidence to stay more active in the social life, and the best one is it improve your husband sexual gratification with you.

Real people reviews

• I have tried so many breast enlargement products but thankfully breast actives worked and saved my confidence.
• I just wanted to thank breast activities for its superb and fast acting results that have changed my life and confidence on the bed.

Signs and Symptoms

• Sudden, continuous vomiting, especially following a flu-like upper respiratory infection or chicken pox
• Confusion, irrational behavior, convulsions, or loss of consciousness
• Irritability, sensitivity to touch, personality changes
• Listlessness, excessive sleepiness, and loss of energy and aggressiveness
• For infants, symptoms include diarrhea, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, respiratory problems, and seizures

Description

Reye’s syndrome was first diagnosed in 1963 and came to public attention during the 1970s, when frequent outbreaks accompanied the onset of flu season. Thanks to consistent public education campaigns, however, just two cases were reported between 1994 and 1997, down from an all-time high of 555 cases in 1980.

Reye’s can affect people of all ages, although it most commonly occurs in people from infancy to young adulthood. Generally appearing three to five days following the onset of a viral illness, Reye’s syndrome occurs without warning and progresses rapidly once symptoms occur. Although the disease is not contagious, it can cause serious damage to the liver and slight-to-severe brain dysfunction. Since there is no cure, early diagnosis is extremely critical. A patient should be observed carefully for symptoms for at least two to three weeks after a viral illness, such as flu or chicken pox (about one-third of cases accompany chickenpox), and a physician should be called immediately if any of the described symptoms develop.

Once physicians learned that the incidence of Reye’s syndrome increased when patients treated viral illnesses with aspirin, or medications containing aspirin, they have been more successful at keeping the number of cases under control. Although there is no conclusive proof linking aspirin usage to Reye’s, physicians now warn against the use of aspirin for viral illnesses.

Conventional Medical Treatment

If treatment begins as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms, there is a 50 to 90 percent chance of full recovery. The risks of lifelong injury increase significantly if Reye’s syndrome is misdiagnosed or if treatment does not begin immediately, since recovery is related to the degree of swelling in the brain.

Reye’s patients should be brought or transferred immediately to an intensive care unit staffed by medical personnel experienced in the treatment of the disease. To screen for Reye’s syndrome, physicians usually perform two liver function tests-SGOT (which tests for the liver enzyme serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase) and SGPT (which tests for the liver enzyme serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase). Test results are usually available within two to three hours.

Most patients recover completely from Reye’s syndrome with prompt, effective treatment, although there is the possibility of after-effects, ranging from very slight to severe motor or learning disabilities. The amount of rehabilitation needed varies widely, according to the damage. Those recovering from Reye’s syndrome should be thoroughly evaluated for problems related to memory, attention span, concentration, task completion, speech and language, fine and gross motor skills, and changes in activity levels. Parents should be aware that any of these problems also might result in learning problems in school.

Children who have been hospitalized for Reye’s syndrome also may experience emotional difficulties, such as over-dependency, sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety. If parents encounter these problems, they may want to seek professional help.

Complementary and Alternative Treatments

Nutrition and Supplementation

Supplements should be given only after the recovery process has begun. Consult your healthcare provider before taking these or any other supplements. The following recommended daily doses are for persons over 18. For children between 12 and 17, use three quarters the dose; for a child between 6 and 12, use half; for a child under 6, use one-quarter the recommended dose.

• branched-chain amino acids (as directed on label)-prevents muscle depletion
• flaxseed oil (as directed on label)-maintains and restores skin suppleness and moisture
• lecithin (1200 mg 3 times daily)-supplies choline, vital in the transmission of nerve impulses and energy production
• vitamin B complex (50 to 100 mg)-supports healing
• vitamin E (400 IU)-protects against free radical damage

(Consult your health care provider regarding the duration of treatment.)

Useful References

• https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Reyes-Syndrome-Information-Page
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/reyes-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20377255

There is no woman that does not want to have flawless, perfect skin. The skin care regiment that you have and your lifestyle habits are going to be huge. Skin is normally affected by poor nutrition, lack of sleep, stress, UV ray damage, alcohol drinking, excessive smoking and pollution. Also, many of the skin care products you buy online contain harsh chemicals that actually damage your skin. Natural skin care is a necessity. The good news is that many options are available, with the following being the most accessible.

Lemon

Lemon is a great ingredient that can be used to clear skin. Citric acid will keep skin clear as it removes dead cells while the high vitamin C content is great as it helps reduce dark spots. Cell renewal process is increased. At the same time, lemon does have bleaching properties. This improves overall skin complexion. Just apply lemon juice (freshly squeezed) on your neck and face. Leave that for ten minutes and then wash it off. This is all you have to do to reap in the benefits of lemon for skin care.

Turmeric

The reason why turmeric is great for skin care is that it is a great antiseptic and also a skin lightening agent. It will help to minimize various different facial marks, including scars. It will help deal with skin disorders of an infectious, inflammatory and allergic type and skin will end up looking healthier. Combine gram flour with turmeric powder in equal amounts. Add some milk or water. Then, apply on skin and wait for the paste to dry. Lukewarm water should be used to wash everything off. Do this one time per week and you will love the results.

Aloe Vera

There is a clear reason why you see aloe vera added to so many skin care products. It just has really good benefits for your skin. It is really strong against bacteria that causes the appearance of acne and irritated skin is soothed because of the anti-inflammatory properties of aloe vera. Even scars will heal faster when you use aloe vera. New skin cell growth is going to be stimulated as moisture is offered if you just extract gel from a leaf and apply it on the skin. It takes 30 minutes for the gel to dry. Then, just rinse it off.

Baking Soda

This is a home remedy that few people know about. We tend to use baking soda for many other things but what you need to remember is that it is really useful in rebalancing natural skin pH levels. Baking soda is also a mild antiseptic with anti-inflammatory properties. You can get rid of different problems like pimples, spots and acne while getting an exfoliation done at the same time. The skin will be cleaned from dead cells and impurities, making appearance much more attractive. All you have to do is take a spoon of baking soda. Mix it with a spoon of water (or better yet, lemon juice) and make the mixture a paste. Use this as you would any cleanser.

Research chemicals are chemicals that are used for research or experimental purpose. Now it is mostly scientists or people involved with research who but such chemical. Now one has to understand that these chemicals can be very dangerous and one should be very care while using it. Research chemicals are not used by common people and not much details are known about it, due to which the effects of them is less known.

Well but not all research chemicals are harmful but then using them in the right way is important in order to maintain safety. Due to this reason the organizations dealing with these chemical store and handle them very carefully. In order to understand their effects and uses they are being researched up. These days there are many online and offline chemical organizations that sell research chemicals. But then it is suggested that you always get a bill issued from the seller, a bill for the chemical. Now there is a huge list of rules and regulation in the selling and buying of these chemicals.

The research chemicals are used for purposes relating to pharmacological research, forensic tests, agrochemical tests, etc. they are basically used for developing useful chemical products that can be used for different purposes by the common man.

Before one could buy research chemicals only by visiting a pharmaceutical company but then now things have changed and research chemicals are also available online. Many pharmaceutical companies that are having website these days from where one may buy research chemicals. When you buy these chemicals make sure that you have the proper place and know the methods to store it. This will help you be safe and not cause any harm to you. There are many websites that give you tips on buying and storing research chemicals.

A good night’s sleep is always hard earned. You have to toil hard in order to sleep like a baby at night. On the other hand if your body is too tired, it can barely fall asleep. There are a number of people who suffer from stress related issues. The hectic pace of life and the mounting tensions leave many restless. Insomnia is a common stress related issue and its circle is vicious – stress means no sleep and no sleep means more stress. Are medicines the only solution to a restful sleep? No! Creating the right environment is just as important.

Perfect Sleep Naturally!

Medicines should always be the last resort for sleeplessness. As far as possible, one should use only natural or organic alternatives for curbing restlessness. If you experience difficultly falling asleep, you can rely on a cup of herbal tea. Drinking herbal tea before sleep can help your muscles and brain relax. Dimming the light of the room, while sleeping, also helps one relax. You can also listen to soothing and soft music, in case it helps you feel calmer. Try spa therapy if none of the listed help.

Healthier Sleep Naturally!

A restful sleep is the first milestone. The next step is towards health is to pick alternatives that can add to your well-being while you are asleep. It has been proven that natural bedding like that made out of bamboo and silk, can uproot many illnesses. Organic comforter sets have innate properties that can diminish the symptoms of chronic spine related illnesses.

A bamboo comforter set is particularly good for those people who experience an intolerable rise in body temperature while they are asleep. On the other hand, a silk comforter does not tug with the skin and hair; therefore, is the choicest for all the beauty conscious chaps and ladies who wish to turn around their age. Apart from the cosmetic benefits of silk bedding, they also offer innumerable health benefits.

Creating The Right Environment

Use a comforter as a bed mattress and sleep over it instead of sleeping under it, in summers. You can also spray light natural fragrances in the room to keep the ambience fresh. Block out any sound if it disturbs your sleep. Moreover, the pillow that you sleep on should be covered with an organic silk or bamboo fabric cover. The size of the pillow does matter. You don’t want to wake up with a stiff neck after all. If you still can’t fall asleep, try reading a book. Deep breathing also helps induce sleep. Some people also consider taking a warm water bath before sleeping. This helps calm the muscles and the tired cells of the body.

All in all, creating a naturally relaxing milieu is much better than relying on medicines in order to fall asleep. If watching television for sometime before sleeping makes you feel restful, do so. A walk post dinner also induces sleep. These are some of the things that help create the right sleep environment.

Many of us know that skin is the largest organ of the body, but did you know that in adults, its area totals up to around 20 square feet? That’s a lot of skin, and when you think of everything it’s exposed to, that also leaves a lot of room for something to go wrong! Normal skin is often rife with visible pores, bumps, bruises, and imperfections, contrary to what the photoshopped celebrity culture and advertising world perpetuate. Some of us are born with skin conditions or imperfections, and all of us will experience some type of skin abnormality in our lifetime.

Taking proper care of your skin can prevent a lot of common conditions, and when they do crop up, there’s a lot of things you can do to treat them at home. But even some of the more ordinary skin conditions require a visit to the doctor at some point. A dermatologist specializes in that sort of thing, but many issues may only require quick trip to your family physician or an urgent care center like Piedmont Express Care at Sutton Road. Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish the more serious skin conditions, so it’s a good idea to err on the safe side and visit a doctor if you aren’t sure.

Three Common Conditions That Require Medical Treatment

Eczema

Dry skin is a pretty universally regular skin condition, especially in the winter. Even extreme dry skin can be treated with heavy moisturizers. Eczema is an extreme variant of dry skin, resulting in chronically dry, patchy areas of of skin in places like the hands, neck, or legs. Patches often blister or break into open sores, which can easily get infected. Over-the-counter cortisone creams or antihistamines may help, but some forms of eczema require more aggressive treatment. Visit your doctor or an urgent care center for oral steroids or prescription-strength moisturizers. In extreme cases UV light therapy or immunosuppressants may be necessary.

Shingles

Shingles is a painful rash that develops from a dormant virus – the same virus that causes chickenpox. In many people the virus stays dormant for a lifetime, but in others stress or a weak immune system can allow it to resurface. The first stage of symptoms may include a headache or signs similar to the flu, but without a fever. As the virus progresses it causes tingling and itching, and later a band of blisters. Though the presence of shingles is sometimes mild, it can spread, become very painful, and even cause dizziness or problems with vision and thinking. Visit a doctor as soon as possible to get on an antiviral medication that will hopefully prevent the illness from getting too bad.

Impetigo

Impetigo is a contagious skin infection seen most commonly in children, though adults can contract it. It can occur in totally healthy skin, but is usually contracted when the health of the skin is already compromised by injury or some kind of illness like chickenpox or poison ivy. It is characterized by sores that can ooze and crust over, most often on the nose or mouth. Caused by bacteria, antibiotic ointment and/or pills are required to fight the infection.

Symptoms of a Serious Skin Problem

Though these are some of the most common skin issues that may require a doctor’s visit, there are a variety of common conditions that you can treat at home, including hives, skin allergies, poison ivy, athletes foot, and cold sores. However, even seemingly innocuous rashes can become harmful, so any condition that is not responding to home care may be worth contacting a doctor about. It’s always important to keep an eye on symptoms, and contact a doctor about any rash that causes secondary symptoms (headache, joint pain, fever, swollen tongue, etc.), if you have been exposed to an individual with a strep infection, if it is preventing you from sleeping, if it’s very painful, or if it seems infected.

Liz Frye is a mother of five, familiar with the plight of a parent who doesn’t want to make a trip to the doctor if it isn’t necessary. As a former teacher, she is familiar with the quick spread of illness. She is also a freelance writer and regularly contributes to Universal Woman.