Summer is the best friend of poison ivy, oak, and sumac. When the weather is hot outside, people spend more time in the great outdoors, which means more people accidentally running face first into some poisonous shrubs, leaves, and vines. If that sounds like you, instead of su ...more
Poison ivy, poison oak, and the lesser known skin irritator, poison sumac, can all cause a conundrum in the search of itch relief: to scratch or not to scratch. Fortunately, there are a number of home remedies one can try to help alleviate the itch(ing), with many like coffee, ...more
With warm weather comes bugs, and with bugs come bites, and with bites come itches. From ticks and spiders to mosquitoes and bees, insect bites come in sundry shapes and sizes, but they all commonly pull an itchy, red reaction out of our bodies. Once a bite fires up our immun ...more
DO NOT eat a berry if you cannot identify it. I decided not to include the obvious blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, but this guide will assist you in identifying which wild berries are, in fact, poisonous. The best way to stay safe when looking for berries is keepin ...more
The other day I was doing the math on roughly how many eggs I eat each year. I estimated about 500. That's a lot of eggs. And, subsequently, that's a lot of eggshells to throw in the trash. I felt weird realizing that I trash about 500 eggshells a year. And it wasn't the envi ...more
A young child becomes very thirsty very often and seems tired all the time. A visit to the pediatrician determines she has type 1 diabetes. The onset of type 1 diabetes may seem sudden, and it can be, but the disease may actually have been triggered by common childhood viruses ...more
Any patient with pain in the abdominal area will require you to perform an abdominal examination, and this video lesson outlines in great detail, how to perform a general abdomen exam. This is great for any medical student or up-and-coming doctor — even nursing students could ...more
Eczema, which affects about 35 million adults living in the United States, is a chronic allergic condition in which the skin develops extremely itchy, scaly rashes and most commonly occurs on the face, scalp, inside of elbows, knees, ankles and hands. Thankfully, with some li ...more
What is gluten, why do some people think it is pure culinary evil, and why are there more and more products devoted to being free of this mysterious substance? Here's what one person thinks: What Is Gluten Really? Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including lesser-known spe ...more
Responding to the emergence of Zika in the US, researchers investigated what type of repellent works best to reduce your odds of a mosquito bite from Aedes aegypti, the mosquito species that spreads the Zika virus. Scientists from the Department of Biology at New Mexico State ...more
You're lost. You're cold, thirsty— you're hungry. What if you're not much of a hunter? Maybe you're a gatherer. So, then you'll eat plants. But what if you eat something poisonous? What if you're allergic to it? Okay, so not many people will find themselves in a situati ...more
This video offers three tips for improving your bowling and throwing more strikes. The first step to becoming a great bowler is to pick the right ball weight. Bowling balls are normally between 6-16 pounds. A way to measure whether a ball is too heavy is to hold it in front of ...more
Break out the office supplies and kitchen utensils, because improving your morning makeup routine is about to get a lot easier. Some of the things you have lying around the house can provide the perfect solution for some of the most common beauty problems. We've collected 10 o ...more
There are a number of diaper rashes that your baby can face. Sometimes a rash can be a great risk and hard to treat. You may need to take your baby to a doctor if you have tried treating their rash with different types of ointments/creams/medication and the rash has not gotten ...more
Ouch! Is your baby's bottom red and sore? Say goodbye to diaper rash with these tried-and-true remedies. You Will Need: * Diapers * Diaper-rash cream * Unscented baby wipes * Unscented, alcohol-free soap * Washcloths * A squirt bottle (optional) * Cotton balls (optional) * War ...more
Diapering. It's one of those things which you can't avoid. This video shows you a few useful techniques for changing the diapers for your new baby, including how to avoid things like diaper rash - or how to treat diaper rash if your child develops it.
In Indianapolis, two-year-old Kenley Ratliff has passed away from what is suspected to be Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a tick-borne illness. The young girl fell ill with a fever, and just a week later, passed away. Now her family and doctors are looking into the cause ...more
Learn how to massage your dog. Man’s best friend gets stressed, too! A massage can benefit your dog’s health as well as their mood. You Will Need * A rug or your lap Step 1. Position your dog Have your dog lie down on a rug. Very small dogs can sit in your lap. Massage yo ...more
URUSHIOL 61 points (11 points without the bingo) Definition: a toxic liquid [n] It may look like a funny word, especially since it's derived from a word meaning "lacquer" in Japan, but most of you are probably familiar with urushiol. Maybe not by name, but by its bothersome ...more
Hello there, people. Today, I am going to show you how to extract the essence from a useful plant, using either alcohol or olive oil. This is how you take a plant and turn it into a useful (and preservable) medicine. For those of you who know nothing about herbal medicine, let ...more
The next time you brew yourself a nice cup of hot tea, don't throw the tea bag away. Old tea bags can be used in many ways ranging from household cleanup to DIY beauty and even gardening. Other than the classic method of placing tea bags on tired eyes to reduce puffiness, tea ...more
What can't coconut oil do? This edible oil, extracted from the copra or meat of a coconut, has done what most other food, beauty, and health trends have not: demonstrated real lasting power. Indeed, the "superfood" continues to make headlines, with its many uses the subject of ...more
In the race to outsmart "untreatable" antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, one of the three new treatments on the track is about to enter Phase 3 clinical trials. Hopefully, it'll be widely accessible sooner rather than later, for the 78 million people who are diagnosed with gonorr ...more
No matter how fresh, sharp, or clean a razor is, it can still create an itchy, inflamed trail of razor burn bumps. When razor burn appears, it's unpleasant, and can even affect your next shave. Reducing the redness and irritation can be a tricky process, requiring special pro ...more
What do Leo Tolstoy (writer), Beethoven (composer), Paul Gaugin (artist), and Adolf Hitler (politician) have in common? They are all considered to have suffered from the sexually transmitted disease syphilis. With the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and se ...more
Chris Barnes (8 PBA titles) and Sean Rash rap on rev rates, sweet spots, skid flips and more. This bowling lesson demonstrates ball layouts. Pick up some bowling tips and tricks to improve your game, whether you are a beginner or a competitive bowler in a bowling league. Lea ...more
Take a close look at the image above. These bugs spread a deadly parasite that infects thousands of people each year. They also live in the US, and it's important to know where they are and whether you need to worry that they're carrying a dangerous infection. Triatoma bugs a ...more
Primarily caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, Lyme disease is the most common tickborne disease in the US. By all predictions, 2017 is expected to be a banner tick year in several regions. If you have children, it is important to know what to expect. Ticks can bite a ...more
Because it sources a majority of its vital data from actual drivers on the road, Waze is easily one of the best navigation apps to use if you prioritize safety. Benefits such as crowd-sourced traffic data, police trap locations, and road work avoidance, when combined, help you ...more
Are you feeling flu-like symptoms that involve fever, headache, muscle pains, vomiting, and a skin rash? Take a glass cup and press the glass surface against your skin. If the rash doesn't fade under pressure like a normal skin rash, then you are suffering from meningitis and ...more
Who would have suspected that vodka had so many practical uses? Vodka can alleviate the sting of a jellyfish, treat poison ivy rash, and help relieve toothaches. For using vodka around the house, soak a clean rag and use it to get rid of bathroom mold, clean your kitchen and b ...more
If you know that ticks spread Lyme disease, you may already know you might also catch a bunch of other infections from them. One of the lesser-known diseases spread by ticks is infection with the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilium, called anaplasmosis. The disease is danger ...more
When just floating peacefully in the water with their brood mates, the Culex mosquito larvae in the image above does not look very frightening. But in their adult form, they are the prime vector for spreading West Nile virus — a sometimes mild, sometimes fatal disease. Part o ...more
The possibility of severe tickborne illness is increasing as an aggressive tick from the American southeast moves up the Atlantic Coast. The primary carrier of Lyme disease is the well-known blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. Found throughout the northeastern and upper Midw ...more
Have the sniffles? Yes. Does your head hurt? Yes. Coughing? Yes. Could you have influenza? Yes. How do you know the difference? With these symptoms, you could also have a cold. In the US right now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that flu season is ...more
Super Mario Brothers! No, wait... Super Meat Boy! Yep, that's right. Meat. As in "cube" steak. As in a square piece of beef with eyes and a shitty grin, who just happens to be in love with a band-aid. I have no idea why. And no matter how shocked you are to see your dinner on ...more
While Lyme disease can be disabling, the wrong treatment for the infection can be fatal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that the bacteria that causes Lyme disease infects about 30,000 people each year. Transmitted by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes ...more
A new study has found that up to half of people who think they have a penicillin "allergy" can still receive the drug, and other antibiotics with similar structures, without any negative reactions to the meds. Why? Because they're not really allergic, doctors say. In truly pe ...more
Transmitted by ticks, Lyme disease is a serious infection that is probably headed your way. A recent study confirms the pathogen that causes Lyme disease is now established in nine national parks in the East, including Acadia and Shenandoah National Parks. Ticks are arachnids ...more
It's sometimes possible to recognize when you've recently contracted HIV from signs and symptoms such as fever, rash, or swollen lymph nodes. This video will teach you how to recognize signs and symptoms of primary HIV infection that are experienced by between 40 and 90% of in ...more
A sometimes serious disease spread by fleas is making inroads in Texas, quietly doubling case numbers since 2008, and beginning to encroach on larger metropolitan areas. While considered a nuisance on cats and dogs, fleas have spread disease around the world, including plague ...more
People who have heart disease get shingles more often than others, and the reason has eluded scientists since they first discovered the link. A new study has found a connection, and it lies in a defective white cell with a sweet tooth. Shingles is a reactivation of the same v ...more
Findings from a mouse study suggest that the Zika virus infection may have serious reproductive consequences for men. Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that often produces no symptoms in men or women. Those who do have symptoms usually experience a minor rash, low-grade fever, p ...more
Poison Ivy and Poison Oak are a problem throughout the United States. The resin on the leaves is what bothers us, causing acute dermatitis (a bad rash). If you happen to come in contact with it, quickly wash with hot soapy water, that should at least reduce the amount of irrit ...more
In this video, we learn how to treat poison ivy. This is for when you are at home and cannot see a doctor right away. First, if you notice that you are itchy and see small bumps, apply soap on the area and let it dry on the skin. This will dry the area if you treat it early en ...more
Tick bites should be treated immediately, the concern being transmission of Lyme disease. If you've received a tick bite, what you should do is to remove the tick promptly and carefully. Use tweezers to grasp the body of the tick near its head and pull out very gently to remov ...more
Every one knows what ivy is, but most think of it as the poisonous ivy that gives a horrible itchy rash, but poison ivy isn't the only kind out there. There's beautiful ivy that can make your home more elegant than ever. Growing the prolific ivy plant will convince you that yo ...more
The beauty of southern Europe won't protect it from invasions of disease-carrying ticks and mosquitoes—in fact, the Mediterranean climate and landscape may be part of the reason the bloodsuckers are expanding there, bringing unique and terrifying diseases in their wake. Arthr ...more
Streptococcus and staphylococcus bacteria produce toxins that can cause toxic shock syndrome. Originally associated with infections related to tampon use, today more than half of the infections are due to other types of infection. Skin infections, burns, and surgical sites ca ...more
For regions that experienced a boom in mouse populations last year, scientists say 2017 could see a surge in cases of Lyme disease. Caused by bacteria transmitted through the bite of an infected tick, Lyme disease causes serious neurological symptoms if left untreated. While ...more
Every year, 100-200 people in the US contract leptospirosis, but usually 50% of the cases occur in Hawaii where outdoor adventurers are exposed to Leptospira bacteria found in freshwater ponds, waterfalls, streams, and mud. That's why it's so alarming that two people in the Br ...more
Blowing dust and fungal spores are creating a public health problem that could be just a slice of what's to come with climate change. Spurring regional expansion of ticks, and mosquitoes, warming temperatures are also rising ocean temperatures that stir up atmospheric turbule ...more
Chris Barnes (8 PBA titles) and Chris Paul (NBA Rookie of the year 2006) on spareshooting; also features Sean Rash. This bowling lesson demonstrates spare shooting. Pick up some bowling tips and tricks to improve your game, whether you are a beginner or a competitive bowler i ...more
For the first time, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved medication to treat children with a serious infection called Chagas disease, which stealthily infects and damages the hearts of millions of victims a year. Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Tryp ...more
The presence of certain bacteria can indicate whether the vaginal tract is healthy or not. It could also impact the likelihood of acquiring certain sexually transmitted diseases, like HIV, a new study suggests. Lactobacillus is the type of bacteria found most commonly and mos ...more
The Note7 fireworks bonanza was unprecedented in scope. A recent report suggests that Samsung could lose upwards of $20 billion in lost profit due to this fiasco. Update: See the end of this article for Samsung's findings on what happened. Speculation abounds as we wait for ...more
A new case of the still-mysterious Bourbon virus was confirmed in Missouri, likely originating within the state, local authorities said in a June 30 press release. The virus, which researchers think is spread by ticks, was unknown until 2014, and both knowledge and treatment ...more
Using mathematical modeling, researchers suggest weather and warming created the "perfect storm" that drove the Zika outbreak in 2016. Carried by mosquitoes, Zika is a Flavivirus first identified in Uganda in 1947 by scientists conducting research on yellow fever. Zika forest ...more
Dengue fever is a danger to anyone living or visiting tropical or subtropical regions. It can be hard to detect the infection in its earliest and most treatable phase, especially in children. Luckily, new research highlights better techniques for triaging the disease in infect ...more
In late June, the biggest measles outbreak to strike Minnesota since 1990 seemed to be winding down. Today, public health officials announced a new confirmed measles case in the area. Since the outbreak started in April of this year, public health officials estimate more than ...more