Spring is here and the world is coming back to life: trees, flowers, your lawn and the ever-dreaded poison ivy. We’ve all heard the saying, “Leaves of three, let them be,” yet hundreds of thousands of people each year contract a rash from poison ivy. Be careful the next time you find yourself trekking through the woods!

Is poison ivy contagious?

Well, it depends. It’s the oil found on the leaf, vines and roots of the ivy, called urushiol, that gives people the rash. Now, common sense dictates that if you have this oil on your skin and then touch your friend, you have just passed on more than a handshake. The oil can also be found on clothes and pets who have been around poison ivy. This is the only way poison ivy is contagious.

The rash itself is not contagious. Once all the oil is gone, either by bodily absorption or simply being washed away, if you were to touch your friend now, the rash will not be passed along. Even if your poison ivy develops blisters and these blisters break, the fluid will not spread the rash to others or elsewhere on your body.

Are some people immune to poison ivy?

The rash someone gets from poison ivy is an allergic reaction, not a disease or fungus. Because it’s an allergy, that means some people will have varying degrees of immunity. This immunity can change over the course of one’s life, just like how allergies to dust and pollen sometimes come and go with time.

Even if you have a high tolerance to poison ivy, you should still try to avoid it. Who knows when your immunity will change?

-Magdalena

Do you have any tips or home remedies for poison ivy? Comment and tell us about it!

Share this post!

Testicular torsion can be a source of sarcastic, mean humor amongst men – when they’re acting like boys. Testicular torsion hit news cycles in March, 2008 when Felix Pie (P-ay) – an alleged 5-tool outfield prospect for the Chicago Cubs – succumbed to the painful injury. As expected, media and bloggers went wild with the news (if you’re waiting for this post to make its own puns regarding the topic, the editor will not allow it and, trust me, it’s not advisable to cross the editor).

Though there have been some very strange injuries in baseball as well as other sports, what poor Felix Pie’s high-end doctors probably assured him was that testicular torsion isn’t as uncommon as other people might think. (How many sports fans have heard of an athlete going on the Disabled List for what is loosely described as a “Groin Injury?” You never know.)

Testicular Torsion – What Is It?

What Pie likely learned in a hurry is that testicular torsion is a condition where blood isn’t getting to a testicle. What is often the case is that the spermatic cord which supplies the testicles with blood has been twisted or even pinched.

Who Is at Risk of Testicular Torsion?

Last population stat I heard in college was that there were more females than males in the world, so initially, more than half the population is free from risk (barring abnormalities). Testicular torsion is a condition usually found in children under 18, and has also been linked to fetal monorchism. Males who are active, athletes especially are at risk of testicular torsion.

Testicular Torsion Symptoms

• A prolonged pain in the scrotum / testicle, usually to one side.
• Prolonged pain in the scrotal area. This pain is called orchalgia.

Other Possible Symptoms of Testicular Torsion
• Vomiting / nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Occasional fever
• Pains during urination
• Discoloration
• Enlargement due to swelling

Home Remedies for Testicular Torsion
Home remedies are absolutely not suggested for dealing with testicular torsion. In short, any self-correction or attempts to remedy the pain without the help of a medical doctor could result in permanent damage / monorchism – the loss of one or both testicles. Ice and pain relievers could reduce the swelling but will not release the torsion. Most every medical professional considers testicular torsion to be a medical emergency and strongly suggests that professional treatment should be sought as soon as possible. In some cases, doctors have been able to correct the problem in the office, but in most cases, the only safe, healthy course is surgery.

Testicular Torsion is one of the reasons coaches always told players to wear a cup, though in Ken Griffey Jr.’s case, even that wasn’t a guarantee.

Please take of yourself.

–Martin

Do you have any sports injuries or home remedies you would like to share? Comment and tell us!

Share this post!

I’ve seen many commercials for dry eye products that promote relief for dry eyes. My sister has chronic dry eye (or dry eye syndrome) and she has a hard time finding relief from this problem. I always wondered if there was an easier way to remedy dry eyes without becoming dependent on eye drops.

What are dry eyes?

At first, I didn’t understand why my sister’s issue with dry eyes was such a big deal. Now I know the importance. Tear film lubricates your eyes, helping you to maintain clear vision while reducing your risk of eye infection. Also, tears work to wash away foreign debris. If there aren’t enough tears being produced, your eyes may become irritated and your vision diminished. If there is an imbalance in the composition of tears, dry eye can develop and the symptoms may be very painful.

Dry Eye Symptoms

Dry eye usually affects both eyes. Signs and symptoms of dry eyes include:
• Eye pain and redness
• A gritty, scratchy, stinging or burning sensation in your eyes
• Feeling of a foreign substance in your eyes (may feel like sand)
• Increased eye irritation from smoke or wind
• Mucus (stringy) in or around your eyes
• Light sensitivity
• Eye fatigue after reading for a short time
• Difficulty wearing contact lenses
• Blurred vision—worse at the end of the day or after focusing for a long time on something close

Dry Eye causes

Simple causes of dry eyes include—contact lenses, lack of sleep and excessive reading.

An imbalance in the composition of tears
Tears are composed of water, protein, electrolytes and other substances that fight off bacteria. There are three layers of tear film—oil, water and mucus. If the one layer isn’t functioning properly, then dry eye can occur.

Diminished tear production
Over the course of the natural aging process, tear production tends to diminish. Your eyes become dry and irritated because you’re not able to produce enough tears (medically referred to as keratoconjunctivitis sicca).

Both men and women can develop dry eyes at any age. However, dry eyes are more prevalent in women, especially those who are going through or have already gone through menopause.

Problems with eyelid function
Blinking your eyelids, helps spread tears across the eye and get rid of surface irritants. If your eyelids aren’t functioning properly to spread tears, this problem may result in dry eye.

Side effects from medications
Common medicines that may cause dry eye include:
• Birth control pills
• Sleeping aides
• Antihistamines
• Diuretics
• Morphine or other opiate-derived pain medications
• Certain antidepressants
• Some acne treatments

Environmental factors
Any task that requires a lot of visual focus—playing a video game, driving, starting at a computer—can lower your blink rate and may increase your risk for dry eyes.

Climate factors—wind, sun, dry climate, hot air blowing from a vent and high altitude—can all dry out your eyes.

Home remedies for dry eyes

Try the following home remedies for alleviating the pain of dry eyes:

• Blink often and take a break from the computer or television if you’ve been staring at a screen for a long period of time.
• Add a humidifier or indoor plants to your home and or office to help add humidity into the air.
• Avoid wearing contact lenses because they dry out your eyes and prevent natural tears from moving across your eyes.
• Eat foods rich in vitamin A (sardines, salmon, eggs) at least once a day to improve tear production.
• Omega-3 fatty acids such as those in fish oil and flaxseed help keep your eyes lubricated.
• Keep your eyes shielded or move them away from hot vents or cold breezes.
• Drinking lots of water will keep your eyes as well as your entire body moisturized.
• Your eyes need to rest. Be sure to get plenty of sleep and if possible to rest your eyes or take a short nap during the day.
• Protect your eyes with sunglasses. When swimming wear goggles to keep dirt and chemicals out of your eyes. Stay away from smoke and smokers.
• Dip 2 cotton balls in rose water and place them over your eyes.
• Use a warm compress—soak a washcloth in hot water and place it over your eyes for 10 minutes, twice daily.
• Place slices of fresh cucumbers on each eyelid. Cucumbers help to relax the eyes and to stimulate moisture.

—Nolan

Do you have any home remedies? Comment and tell us about them!

Share this post!

I had this friend who always flipped out about bees even as an adult. She would scream and flail her arms wildly as she ran around like a maniac. I wasn’t a huge fan of anything that could sting me, but I figured if I left bees alone then they would leave me alone. Plus they are kinda cute…in a way. Who doesn’t love a puffy bumblebee buzzing about the garden?

Apiphobia (also known as melissophobia) is a persistant fear of bees and is prevalent in young children. This can cause avoidance and panic. The fear may stem from a bee sting, so the progression into a fear can be quite natural. However, an excessive and constant fear is considered abnormal.

It’s important to note that bees attack when bothered or squashed and in defense of their hive. Also, if you’re flinging your arms about wildly, the bee sees this as aggressive behavior and may sting you.

Interesting fact: MythBusters co-host, Adam Savage is a well-known apiphobe and his fear has been displayed in many episodes.

Symptoms of Apiphobia

• Anxiety
• Nervousness
• Restlessness
• Extreme distress—shortness of breath, heavy breathing, sweating
• Avoiding the situation—avoiding bees or avoiding the outdoors

Treatment for Apiphobia

If a bee comes near you, keep calm, take a deep breath and stay still. These tips will decrease your risk of being stung by a bee.

Try reading a book about bees. Then watch a video that shows a colony of bees and think about how their colony works. Once you’re ready, try to go outside and be around bees.

If you’re trying to help your child overcome his fear of bees, show him that you can handle being around bees.

DO NOT try to move or harm bees because you could end up with more problems (plus you should be humane to animals anyway).

–Nolan

Do you have any remedies for a phobia? Comment and tell us about it!

Share this post!

The skin is a marvelous thing. When wounded it regenerates, healing itself by creating new fibrous skin cells to fill in the void left behind. But sometimes when a wound is severe the end result is a visible scar.

What is a scar?

Scars are fibers of collagen that fill in the wound as it heals. Generally most skin scars are flat, pale and barely visible to the naked eye. Scars will initially appear red as the blood flow to the sight of injury is increased. This redness will disappear in about 3 to 12 months. However, there are some certain forms of abnormal scarring.

Different types of abnormal scars

Hypertrophic scars are raised red bumps of skin that don’t grow beyond the original boundaries of the wound. They improve in appearance within a few years.

Keloid scars on the other hand can carry on growing larger and while benign, should be brought to the attention of a doctor if they start to become itchy or painful. Both hypertrophic and keloid scars are more common in younger and darker-skinned people.

Atrophic scars are pitted areas of the skin where fat and muscle under the skin were lost. Atrophic scars are commonly associated with acne and can be classified as either ice pick (a deep, sharply angled scar) or box car (a more shallow scar with softer, flatter edges). Chickenpox and other accidents can also form atrophic cars.

Home remedies for scarring

Contrary to popular belief , rubbing vitamin E on a scar does nothing to lessen its appearance . In fact, some people even experience contact dermatitis when applying vitamin E directly to the skin. So why did people rely so long on vitamin E as a scar fix?

Vitamin E is commonly sold as an oil. Oil smoothes and softens the appearance of the skin, creating less noticeable scarring but only for a short time. Also the rubbing motion on the scar stimulates blood flow, temporarily making a scar look better.

Aloe vera on the other hand has some anti-inflammatory properties which could be beneficial to scar reduction while healing. Apply to the scar after it’s had a chance to heal for at least a week, a couple times a day.

For raised or discolored scars you can use a product like Neosporin to help flatten and change the color of a scar so it is more flesh-toned.

Simply enjoying a well balanced diet filled with essential vitamins and minerals will be exceptionally helpful when a wound you have is healing. Don’t just fill up on multivitamins. Be sure to eat foods rich in vitamins too! Your body can absorb those better.

While not a direct scar fix, drinking water keeps your skin soft and supple which reduces the appearance of scars. Try to get your required amount of water for your weight a day.

You know that saying, time heals all wounds? With scars, sometimes all you need is time . The hard part is a lot of scars need up to 12 to 24 months to finally stabilize. Even then, your skin will not look the way it did before. This is where a healthy diet comes in. The better you take care of yourself, the better your skin will heal.

Surgical scar removal

There are surgical alternative for scar removal which include procedures such as dermabrasion, ablative laser surgery, non-ablative laser surgery, chemical peels, saline injections, punch grafts and many, many more. Take note however, surgery will not fix your scars 100% and could even cause different kinds of scarring if not performed correctly.

It’s depressing to think about but it’s also realistic: your skin will never look the way it did before you had the scar. Believe me, I’ve tried many different things to make my scars just “go away” but it seems the best thing any of us have to heal naturally is time. Just treat yourself and your skin right while you wait.

Veggies really aren’t all that bad.

–Magdalena

Do you have a scar remedy to share? Comment and tell us about it!

Share this post!