To continue the Summer Ailments series, next is the all too common bites and stings.You can be bitten by a variety of insects including midges, mosquitoes, horseflies, fleas, lice and ants and some people react worse to bites and stings than others.
The site of the bite may appear red and swell or be itchy. This reaction is an allergic response to a chemical injected into the skin by the insect when it bites and cause a great deal of misery.
Stings from wasps, bees and jellyfish can also be very painful and cause a red itchy rash. Plants such as nettles can also irritate the skin, leaving a red mottled rash. Although the redness and swelling usually clear quickly, again, some people are very sensitive to stings and can develop a severe allergic reaction. This can cause swelling of the face, difficulty in breathing and dizziness, and it is vital to get medical help immediately.
Treatment
If a bee or a wasp stings you, the sting is often left behind. This should be removed immediately by scraping the skin with the blade of a knife or a fingernail. Do not squeeze the skin because this will only push more of the sting under your skin.
If a bee or a wasp stings you, the sting is often left behind. This should be removed immediately by scraping the skin with the blade of a knife or a fingernail. Do not squeeze the skin because this will only push more of the sting under your skin.
Bites and stings should be kept clean, and an antiseptic cream applied to stop an infection developing. And, however tempting, insect bites should not be scratched as this may increase the risk of infection.
A wide range of sprays, creams and lotions can be used to ease a bite or sting. These contain ingredients such as hydrocortisone to clear up the redness and lidocaine or benzocaine to ease the pain. Painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin can also be used to reduce the pain. A cold compress can be applied to bee and wasp stings and is very soothing. If you are bitten on the ankles or lower legs and experience swelling, raise your legs on a stool or coffee table.
CAUTION: If you have a very severe reaction - difficulty in breathing, dizziness, vomiting or swelling of the face - seek medical help immediately.
Prevention: What can you do to prevent bites?
- Use insect repellent to protect yourself from insect bites, especially when sitting outside on summer evenings
- If you know you are particularly susceptible and/or sensitive to insect bites, cover your arms and legs when outside
- Avoid eating sweet, sticky food, or drinking sugary drinks when outside in the summer as these attract insects.
Before we write about "When a cut requires stitches:, here's a small list on the type of wounds you may/may not encounter.
Types of Wounds
Wounds that cause a break in the skin are called open wounds. These are the types of wounds that may require stitches. Closed wounds do not have a break in the skin and are identified by swelling and bruises.There are several types of open wounds:
- Lacerations. This is what we are thinking of when we say "cuts." Lacerations are simple breaks in the skin.
- Incisions. Surgical wounds, which are usually made by a scalpel. These are similar to lacerations, but have very smooth edges.
- Punctures. It's hard to tell a puncture from a laceration if the item that made the wound is big enough. Lacerations tear through the skin, while punctures go in and come back out. If the item that made the puncture is still imbedded, it's called an impaled object.
- Avulsions. These are torn sections of skin, either a flap open on three sides or torn away completely.
- Abrasions. These are scratches. The difference between an abrasion and an avulsion is the depth. Abrasions leave the skin mostly intact, while avulsions remove the skin entirely.
Did You Know? Food Poisoning is a Common Summer Ailment. This is because, some foods are not properly cleaned or taken care of and sit in the summer heat before being consumed.
Food poisoning is a common, usually mild, but sometimes deadly illness. Typical symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal
- Cramping
- Diarrhea
These symptoms occur suddenly (within 48 hours) after consuming a contaminated food or drink. Depending on the contaminant, fever and chills, bloody stools, dehydration, and nervous system damage may follow. These symptoms may affect one person or a group of people who ate the same thing (called an outbreak).
Did You Also Know? 1 in 6 people become sick from eating contaminated food. In 2001, the CDC estimated that food poisoning causes about 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and up to 3,000 deaths each year.
Salmonella remained the top cause of foodborne illness last year. The second most common cause of illness was Campylobacter (a bacterium that causes acute diarrhea), which increased 14%. Campylobacter lives on live chickens and can taint meat during slaughter; it can also be found in raw, unpasteurized milk. Chicken and ground beef top a list of "risky meat."
Exams and Tests
Your health care provider will examine you for signs of food poisoning, such as pain in the stomach and signs your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should.
Tests may be done on your stools or the food you have eaten to find out what type of germ is causing your symptoms. However, tests may not always find the cause of the diarrhea.
In more serious cases, your health care provider may order a sigmoidoscopy. A thin, hollow tube with a light on the end is placed in the anus to look for the source of bleeding or infection.
Treatment
You will usually get better in a couple of days. The goal is to make you feel better and make sure your body has the proper amount of fluids.
Getting enough fluids and learning what to eat will help keep you or your child comfortable. You may need to:
- Manage the diarrhea
- Control nausea and vomiting
- Get plenty of rest
Sunburn
What are the signs? The skin is red and there’s pain in the area of the burn.
When your skin is exposed to the sun for a period of time, eventually it burns, turning red and irritated.
Under the skin, things get a little more complicated. The sun gives off three wavelengths of ultraviolet light:
- UVA
- UVB
- UVC
Under the surface, ultraviolet light can alter your DNA, prematurely aging your skin. Over time, DNA damage can contribute to skin cancers.
How soon a sunburn begins depends on:
- Your skin type
- The sun's intensity
- How long you're exposed to the sun
If a sunburn is severe seek medical advice. If you have caught too much sun, below is a natural remedy to treat it:
- The first priority is to cool the affected area. Standing under a cool shower for 10 minutes will provide pain relief and prevent the sunburn getting any worse.
- Dab cooled chamomile tea gently on affected areas.
- Apply the gel from the inside leaves of the aloe vera plant for a cooling and regenerative effect.
- Lavender oil can be applied directly to the skin (only a drop or two is needed) to provide healing from sunburn.
- Make sure you drink two liters of purified water daily - more if it is hotter than usual or if you are recovering from sunburn or sunstroke.
- Homeopathics are extremely useful for sunburn and can be found in most pharmacies. The number one remedy for sunburn is arnica, which can be taken both internally and applied externally to the burn for additional support.
- Limit further exposure to the sun. The skin requires time to heal and regenerate. Use a sunscreen daily.
This Season will be the harshest season when it comes to allergies. Those who have never had it are now suffering from it, and those who have already had it are now getting it worse. Symptoms can be an itchy throat, watery eyes, and then some. Below are a few tips to look fresh and flawless no matter how bad allergy season may be.
Deflate Puffy Eyes
Allergies can often cause water retention, which results in puffy eyes. To combat the bags and fluid buildup, try to pat the area with your ring finger for about a minute per eye to stimulate circulation and tone down puffiness in the morning. You can also help control puffiness by sleeping in a slightly elevated position, avoiding salt and alcohol, doing regular cardio to sweat out excess water, and/or placing tea bags or cucumbers on the orbital bone of the eye.
Send Allergens Down the Drain
Irritating allergens like pollen can settle on your hair and skin, causing your symptoms to flare. Showering before bed will rinse the irritants away and prevent them from coating your pillow.
If you wash your hair daily, switch to a gentle shampoo, that's free of parabens, sulfates, gluten, and other additives that can irritate or dry out your scalp when shampooing frequently.
Hydrate Dry Eyes
Many people pop antihistamines to relieve sneezing and itchiness, but it can block the muscarinic receptors that keep eyes moist. Preservative-free drops can help. If you wear contacts, consider switching to disposable lenses; it can help keep eyes comfortable. Since you toss them; and the allergens accumulate, every night.
Brighten Up Dark Circles
If your allergies are keeping you up at night (as it is with many), your skin can become dull and pale; this can be especially noticeable in the transparent skin under the eyes. Vitamins D and K are known to heal blood vessels and improve under-eye darkness; caffeine increases circulation to brighten the under-eye area.
Relieve Your Red Nose
Constant nose blowing can turn skin red, raw, and flaky. You can target the area with a treatment, that contains humectants, essential oils, and peptides to control flaking and sensitivity.
With Medicine always changing and growing with the times, you may see some Medical Staff titles that are new to you. The following list and descriptions are some of the most common encountered in medical practices today.
2. Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) After acquiring an undergraduate degree, a DO completes four years of basic medical education and two to six years of residency in a specialty area. They also must pass a state license exam. DOs practice a "whole person" approach to medicine, verses treating specific symptoms or illnesses. They also receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system and osteopathic manipulative treatment.
3. Physician Assistant (PA-C)This is a certified mid-level medical provider practices medicine under the supervision of a licensed doctor (an MD) or osteopathic physician (a DO.) They must have at least a bachelor's degree, but many PA's are trained at the Master's level. They must complete a PA training program that is accredited by the national commission of Physician Assistants, pass a board certification exam every 6 years, and are licensed by the State in which they practice.Their scope of practice and specialty is defined by the practice in which they work. Different states may have limitations on their privileges
. 4. Advanced Practice Nurse (APNC) is an umbrella term appropriate for a licensed registered nurse prepared at the graduate degree level as either a Clinical Specialist, Nurse Anesthetist, Nurse-Midwife, or Nurse Practitioner. Advanced Practice Nurses are professionals with specialized knowledge and skills that are applied within a broad range of patient populations in a variety of practice settings. All Advanced Practice Nurses should hold a graduate degree in nursing and be certified. They may specialize and can practice in varied settings. They are licensed by the state in which they practice.
Feel comfortable being treated by professionals with extensive training and experience at the New York Doctors Urgent Care Facilities.
Milk is the first food babies eat and considered one of the healthiest foods for you. So imagine feeling sick just because you ate cereal for breakfast or from having an ice cream treat. That's what it can be like to have lactose intolerance.
Lactose is the major sugar in milk and other dairy products. People with lactose intolerance can't digest lactose well. Lactose intolerance is not curable, but there are many ways to reduce symptoms and feel better.
Each person tolerates a certain amount of lactose, which affects how quickly he or she has symptoms and how severe they are. Some people may be sensitive to small amounts of lactose-containing foods, while others can eat larger amounts before they notice symptoms.
About 75% of all people around the globe have some degree of lactase deficiency. African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Native Americans have lactase deficits more than other races.
Lactose intolerance is easy to manage. People with the condition usually find that they can tolerate a certain amount of lactose-containing foods without having symptoms. Some people use trial and error to figure out how much and what foods they can tolerate. Lactase enzyme supplements can also help you get the nutritional benefits of dairy, especially calcium and vitamin D, and avoid symptoms of lactose intolerance. In addition, nondairy beverages, such as soy, almond, and rice milk, are often fortified with the bone-building nutrients calcium and vitamin D.
Remember:
Lactose is the major sugar in milk and other dairy products. People with lactose intolerance can't digest lactose well. Lactose intolerance is not curable, but there are many ways to reduce symptoms and feel better.
What Are the Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance?
At least 30 minutes after eating a dairy product, but before two hours have passed, people with lactose intolerance have one or more of these symptoms. Symptoms can be mild or severe.
At least 30 minutes after eating a dairy product, but before two hours have passed, people with lactose intolerance have one or more of these symptoms. Symptoms can be mild or severe.
- Bloating
- Cramps
- Diarrhea
- Painful gas
- Nausea
Each person tolerates a certain amount of lactose, which affects how quickly he or she has symptoms and how severe they are. Some people may be sensitive to small amounts of lactose-containing foods, while others can eat larger amounts before they notice symptoms.
Which Foods Have Lactose?
Products such as milk and ice cream are some of the most common foods high in lactose. It's also in foods with dry milk solids, milk byproducts, nonfat dry milk powder, or whey, including:
In addition to food, lactose is in some prescription medicines, including birth control pills, and in some over-the-counter medicines, such as certain tablets to ease stomach acid or gas.
Products such as milk and ice cream are some of the most common foods high in lactose. It's also in foods with dry milk solids, milk byproducts, nonfat dry milk powder, or whey, including:
- Breads and baked goods
- Candy
- Cereals
- Salad dressings
In addition to food, lactose is in some prescription medicines, including birth control pills, and in some over-the-counter medicines, such as certain tablets to ease stomach acid or gas.
What Causes Lactose Intolerance?
People with lactose intolerance can't digest lactose, the major sugar found mostly in milk and other dairy products. The problem is they don't make enough of the enzyme that digests lactose -- lactase -- which the small intestine makes. So when they eat foods or take medicines with lactose, they have symptoms.
For many people, lactose intolerance develops naturally with age because the small intestine starts to make less lactase. Reduced amounts of lactase may also be from an injured small intestine or certain digestive diseases, such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease.
People with lactose intolerance can't digest lactose, the major sugar found mostly in milk and other dairy products. The problem is they don't make enough of the enzyme that digests lactose -- lactase -- which the small intestine makes. So when they eat foods or take medicines with lactose, they have symptoms.
For many people, lactose intolerance develops naturally with age because the small intestine starts to make less lactase. Reduced amounts of lactase may also be from an injured small intestine or certain digestive diseases, such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease.
About 75% of all people around the globe have some degree of lactase deficiency. African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Native Americans have lactase deficits more than other races.
Lactose intolerance is easy to manage. People with the condition usually find that they can tolerate a certain amount of lactose-containing foods without having symptoms. Some people use trial and error to figure out how much and what foods they can tolerate. Lactase enzyme supplements can also help you get the nutritional benefits of dairy, especially calcium and vitamin D, and avoid symptoms of lactose intolerance. In addition, nondairy beverages, such as soy, almond, and rice milk, are often fortified with the bone-building nutrients calcium and vitamin D.
Remember:
- Incorporating small amounts of milk or dairy products with meals may help because it's easier to digest lactose eaten with other foods.
- Certain dairy products are easier for people with lactose intolerance to digest, such as cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese.
- Using lactose-free milk, cheese, and other dairy products in recipes will likely make the meal more pleasant.
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