Discover How to Stop Frequent Cold Sores Flare Up

Cold sores or fever blisters affect millions of people and can be very stubborn because they have the tendency to re-appear on the same location. It is a challenge for most sufferers to stop frequent cold sores flare up. It is caused by herpes simplex virus type1, an infectious virus that can be transferred through kissing and sharing personal things like eating utensils. Once infected it remains dormant in the body waiting for the right trigger to cause another outbreak.

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Fever blisters usually appear on the lips and the area around it but it may also appear on the chin, cheeks and in the nostrils. Their appearance is not only unsightly but they can be really embarrassing. The virus is infectious and if people learned you have them, they will avoid you that is why it important to know how to avoid cold sores flare up.

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How to stop frequent cold sores flare up?

If you have more than 6 outbreaks in a year, it is best to see your doctor and talk about your symptoms and discomforts. Your doctor may recommend antiviral medicines that can slow down the growth of the virus leading to fewer outbreaks or none at all.

One of the best ways to stop frequent colds sores flare up is learn your triggers and avoid them. Some people have recurrent outbreaks when under too much emotional stress so they learned to avoid or manage their stress. Others have outbreaks when exposed to sunlight and using sunscreen prevents recurring infections. Poor diet and weakened immune system are also some of the triggers of the infection so it is best to live a healthy lifestyle to boost your immune system and eat a well balanced diet for proper nutrition.

Discover How to Stop Frequent Cold Sores Flare Up

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Look At Pictures of Corns To Enhance Your Understanding

The internet provides an opportunity for all people to view pictures of corns. Even though corn growths are common, not all cases reach the doctors. Some victims are just ignorant, as they do not see these pea size lumps as alarming. A good number of them do not even know that the plugs they have on their toes and feet can develop an ulcer. Swollen calluses can as well attract germs that cause formation of pus, reddening and pain. Are your toes hurting so much that you cannot even walk properly? The condition you have today could be corns.

Almost every human being develops one of these in his or her lifespan. Some of you tend to have a share of these on the smallest toe. The hard lumps appear on the upper part, outer part or tip of the small toe. If you continue to wear tight shoes the calluses you already have might require a medical attention. For those who are seeking more understanding on this topic, the best thing is not only reading the web resources.

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It is important to look into the pictures of corns too. Some websites have pictures of real human foot that has hard or soft bumps on different sections. Soft corns are hard to identify because they look much like any other effects of fungal or bacterial infections. The lesions are surrounded by a white ring that encloses a red hard skin. This kind is always moist and it can hurt very much when the area between your toes is all sweaty.

Since bacteria survive on moist, warm and hidden areas, they can attack the lesion and cause an infection. The hard bumps do not hurt much unless they continue to be subjected to extreme friction or pressure. Have you seen a picture of a corn that is ulcerated or severally inflamed? These are available on the internet. You do not want to wait until yours get this bad because you will not handle the tremendous pain.

Calluses or the corns in their initial stages of formation do not hurt until they develop a bursa which is very rare. This is a tiny pad of protection located on all sections of your body that suffer from constant friction. When the bursae is inflamed we say that bursitis has occurred. It is much less likely for the toes that are subjected to intense pressure to develop bursitis, which is very painful. When the damage continues to the joint capsule or bones, the right medical term to use is capsulitis.

An ulcer is much more likely to grow on a squeezed toe. Are there measures you can take to prevent a sore ulcer from occurring? The first thing you can do is to change the shoes you have. Sandals are the best shoe choice for anyone who is suffering severe inflammations as seen on the pictures of corns. Trying to thin the hard lump with a brush or pumice stone is the other. If you have a malformed toe bone, your doctor may suggest a quick surgical procedure to correct it.

Look At Pictures of Corns To Enhance Your Understanding

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Effective Asian Remedies for Relief From Sore Feet

In this article, I will describe several approaches traditionally used in Asia to combat sore feet and to promote holistic maintenance of the body as a whole. While originating in the Far East, many of these methods can easily be applied in our modern western society for effective sore foot relief.

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Chinese Foot Reflexology

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According to principals of Chinese medicine, the sensory nerves of the internal organs of the body travel down a meridian that culminates at the bottom of the feet. Therefore, from the Chinese perspective, not only do sore feet indicate potential imbalances within the body, but by their very nature, the soles of the feet are highly susceptible to soreness unless they are given the care and maintenance they require.

Chinese reflexology is the application of pressure to specific areas of the soles of the feet. This application of pressure can help relieve pain and soreness, boost blood circulation, and also target potential imbalances within the body's organs.

Chinese reflexology is readily available in the west, particularly in most larger cities. Usually, a Chinese foot massage lasts for about one hour, and includes a deep foot massage that should leave your feet feeling renewed and relieved of soreness. Expect to pay about per massage, which while reasonable, may be too pricey of an option for daily or even weekly maintenance that your feet really require.

In Japan, foot reflexology is called "soku shin do" or "zoku shin do," which literally translates as "foot heart way," suggesting again that the foot is the true "heart," or center, of the body's organs. Japanese foot massage was derived from China, and like Chinese foot massage targets the pressure points of the feet which connect to the body's organs. However, the Japanese counterpart has evolved into its own unique set of techniques, including the application of shiatsu, or finger pressure, and the use of oils.

Japanese Foot Massage Tools

Japanese are highly conscious of the importance of healthy foot maintenance. In medieval Japan, commoners were forbidden to ride horses, which meant they had to travel everywhere on foot. In modern Japan as well, because cars are impractical in the crowded cities, most people still today do considerable walking every day. Not surprisingly given this history, a huge assortment of foot massage tools has evolved in Japan to combat chronic foot soreness.

The most popular Japanese foot massage tool is the takefumi foot massager. This simple device is basically a half piece of bamboo, about a foot long, that users simply lay on the floor and step on for a minute or so.

The natural arch of the takefumi provides a perfectly hard yet smooth surface for a quick, soothing foot massage that thoroughly massages the soles of the feet, providing instant relief from foot soreness while working all of the pressure points that connect to the body's organs. Although the takefumi originated in Japan's medieval period, today you can still find a takefumi in nearly every Japanese household.

Could there be a connection between the Japanese devotion to daily foot care through foot massage, and the fact that the Japanese enjoy the world's highest life expectancy?

Effective Asian Remedies for Relief From Sore Feet

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Eliminating Ergonomic Injuries is As Simple As an Ounce of Prevention

Preventable ergonomic injuries account for fully one-third of all workplace injuries and illnesses. As a result, U.S. employers pay more than billion in workers compensation claims for these injuries every year. In addition, as many as 785,000 lost work days are reported as a result of ergonomic injuries annually. These direct costs may pale in comparison to the indirect costs associated with lost employee productivity and turnover. Ergonomics is defined as; "designing the job, equipment and tools to fit the worker, and fitting the worker to the job." Of course its important to place the right person in a particular job and making sure they have the right equipment for that job. However, there are other factors to consider in reducing the exposure of your workforce to work related injuries your business experiences. Fortunately, the vast majority of ergonomic related injuries are completely preventable, saving your company significant money and lost work time. The saying; "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" by Benjamin Franklin is as appropriate now as it was in the 1700's.

The most common work related ergonomic injuries such as, carpal tunnel syndrome, back injuries and tendinitis are classified as musculoskeletal disorders (MSD's) or cumulative trauma disorders (CTD's). Regardless of the definition, these are injuries of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage and/or spinal discs. The costs associated with these conditions can be overwhelming, not only for the employer, but the employee as well. For example, carpal tunnel syndrome - characterized by pain in the wrist from pressure on a nerve, usually caused by repetitive, frequent, or unsupported wrist movements from an unnatural angle - is the leading cause of lost work time with nearly half of cases resulting in more than 31 days of work lost. For the employee, only 23% of the individuals requiring surgery can return to their previous profession. Nearly 36% of all CTS patients require unlimited medical treatment! Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work and is estimated that as many as 80% of the U.S. population will experience back pain at some point in their life.

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Fortunately, many of these cases can be prevented with the proper strategy and for a relatively small investment. Creating a prevention-conscious culture will go a long way in building strong participation in your injury prevention program. The idea behind ergonomics is to simply reduce the stressors that contribute to the musculoskeletal and repetitive use injuries. Most people recognize that setting up a workstation ergonomically is important in addition to proper lifting techniques. However, its common to still see secretaries habitually holding the phone against their ear with their shoulder creating neck problems, or assembly workers performing the same movements over and over creating imbalanced muscle patterns that set the stage for injury. Another concern is the chronic and repeated use of over-the-counter pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs to treat the symptoms of pain resulting from improper ergonomics and imbalanced function. Although this will provide temporary relief, over time this strategy will most certainly lead to a more extensive injury down the road causing further financial loss and lost productivity. The strategy of the continued use of medications for these conditions is severely limited since they only cover-up the symptoms without addressing the underlying cause of the pain and dysfunction.

In order to prevent this scenario, its necessary to create a strategy that encourages and supports employees to look for ways to diminish the stressors in their home and work environment, recognize the signs and symptoms of a problem and understand when it is appropriate to implement passive and active types of self-therapy to help relieve the underlying cause of the problem. Implementing a policy where individuals that perform phone work must utilize a headset, computer users have wrist supports, and cross-training assembly workers to rotate to different stations if possible to reduce the day-to-day repetitive motions they are exposed to.

In the early stages, several self-administered passive and active therapies can have not only a pain relief effect, but a healing effect as well. Nearly all of these injuries will respond favorably to ice therapy, massage, stretching and strengthening exercises. For example, people experiencing carpal tunnel pain will often have tight and sore muscles in the back of the forearm. These tight muscles contribute to the wrist pain by restricting the normal motion of the wrist bones and can be relieved by using light, but firm massage pressure on the affected muscles. Stretching the affected muscles is also an important self-directed therapy that will alleviate the underlying muscle tension. The underlying cause of many cases of back pain can be due to weak core strength. Performing the correct core exercises combined with stretching, massage, manipulation and ice therapy can have tremendous advantages to prevent full blown injuries to the muscles, discs and ligaments. For sure, if someone experiences severe, sharp pain they should consult with a qualified health care provider.

For business leaders that are concerned about the high costs of health care and the recent health care reform legislation, the time is now to develop a comprehensive prevention strategy for the ergonomic injuries that are draining the profitability out of your business.

Eliminating Ergonomic Injuries is As Simple As an Ounce of Prevention

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The Dangers of Schooling Your Newly Broke Horse Too Much, Too Hard, Too Fast

For most horsemen who have just taken on the endeavor of breaking a young horse, it is an exciting experience. Having said that, know that it is very easy to over indulge in the schooling process that is at hand. After your horse has accepted the fact that their new job is to allow humans to put a bridle on them and place a saddle on their backs in order to ride them, the rest of the journey involves the everyday schooling of this young individual. The rules are still the same, try to make it short and sweet. Now as your horse becomes more fit, then the lessons can go on longer. As their fitness level increases, your horse may not mind spending more time being schooled; they may even start to enjoy the time spent in pleasing you.

The error you do not want to make is to put too much pressure on this young horse. Here are some of the reasons why. First, two year old horses are still very much in the developmental stages. They have not reached their true height yet, there muscles are still developing and their bones will not start to harden until age four. These young horses have ligaments and tendons that are attached to immature bones. They can only handle so much pressure at this age. Most breeds are not considered an adult until they reach the age of five years. Because of this, if you spend too much time on your horses' back and you are asking them to perform difficult tasks; you can start a chain of physical problems. Some of them are of course, muscle soreness beyond the normal, they can start to get filling and pressure in their ankles which is telling you that the joint is not handling the work load very well. The filling in the ankle or even their knees is synovial fluid which is sent to these joints from their brain trying to heal these areas. If they keep pounding the ground with you on their backs without giving them time off, the problem will develop into other problems. Young horses' knees are what is called open, which basically means that the joint is immature and needs more time to close in order to give the horse more support. You can find out if your horses' knees are still open past the age of three by using x-rays. Another thing that cannot be in your horses' favor is OCD lesions usually related to the stifle muscle. These are gaps in the growth plates on their legs. Again, this is an immature issue.

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Keep in mind that when a horse starts to have a joint or muscle issue in one area, there soon will be another area that is going to be affected by this if you keep up the same strenuous regiment of schooling. If your horses' ankles, for instance, are starting to show signs of stress and you do not lighten the work load, then this horse is going to try and compensate and put pressure on other areas of the body trying to relieve the pain. He or she by moving differently in compensation perhaps will lean more on their hind quarters and cause their stifles to become sore or their hocks start to bother them. Or they may change the movement in their shoulders which in turn could change the way they hit the ground and their feet will start to become sore or their knees will take the blunt of the pressure. If you are seeing changes in your newly broke horse in their joints or they are moving different, then you will need to make changes and adjust to correct the problem. Some horses can start the schooling process even if it is vigorous and never have one problem. Other horses can be training fairly lightly and seem to constantly be coming up with issues. It is your job to keep a close eye on your horse daily. Before you mount your horse, look down at the knees and ankles; look at the hocks and stifles. Reach down and put your hand on the front of your horses' feet. If you feel a difference or see something, a little swelling or anything that looks different than the day before, then maybe you can change up your training plan for that day and if necessary for a few days after. Maybe just go for a trail ride and forget hacking your horse for that day and see if there is a difference the next day.

When you are teaching your horse to walk, trot or jog, canter or lope on command, to stop when asked, to pick up a lead at a half of a seconds notice, change things up and try to keep it interesting. Boredom can set in and that may at some point turn into resistance. Training horses is about being patient and being smart. Put yourself in their shoes, try to see life and schooling through their eyes and ask yourself if YOU would really enjoy the training program that you have designed for them. Be kind, be stern and beware of small things as they can turn into big things. Well-schooled horses are a great pleasure to ride and a joy to be around. Having fun is what it is all about. Don't forget about days off, they deserve it as much as we do.

The Dangers of Schooling Your Newly Broke Horse Too Much, Too Hard, Too Fast

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Do You Have A Sore Toenail?

What are you doing to treat your sore toenail? Do you know what the cause is? Here are some of the things you can do to find the causes. Could it be an ingrown toenail, and what are you doing to treat it.

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An infected foot can be anything from dry skin, reddish and peeling around the toe, athlete's foot, or a toenail fungus. Other causes like flaking skin which extend to the top and sides of your feet and cause more problems.

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Toenail issues can be caused from improperly fitting shoes by putting pressure on the toenail area, or if you are active in sports this can contribute to your toe problems as well. It is also wise for you to keep your toenails well trimmed to avoid ingrown toenails or injury.

For the athletic person it would be advisable to tape your toes. I've been taping my big toe for some time to keep me out of pain and help to avoid any toenail injury.

Other issues like dry skin on your feet could be caused by many varying factors, as simple as not drinking enough water to keep your body hydrated. Remember your body is mostly made of water, and don't deprived of its nourishment. To help you minimize the effects of dry skin you need to make sure that you use gentle hypo-allergenic products on your skin after bathing.

Athlete's foot is a type of skin fungus which involves an athlete's foot known as a dermatophyte or mold. This fungus thrives in dark, warm and moist areas, and your feet are the perfect environment for a fungal infection. Though it may affect the entire foot, it is mostly found on the side of your feet or between your toes. There is over the counter treatment for this.

Toenail fungus is another common problem that most people are unaware of, and they often mistake toenail fungus as eczema, psoriasis, and other skin problems, which they simply ignore it as if it will just go away. Fungal infections will not go away on their own they will only get worse. You will need to know what causes your infection and then treat it for it to go away.

A toe fungus can be difficult to treat, because it may reoccur, but there is medication available to help clear up nail funguses. This condition is more common in men than women, and you are more likely to have a nail fungus as you increase with age.

Here is something you can do to help with your foot issues, go ahead and soak your feet in warm water and Epson salt for around fifteen minutes; this is good for the infected or swollen areas when you have toenail pain. Some people have been known to use apple cider vinegar to help with funguses and infections, but if you continue to have problems consult with your physician or pharmacist about your symptoms.

Do You Have A Sore Toenail?

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Signs of Getting Pregnant

Pregnancy brings many changes in the body of the mother. The signs of getting pregnant are more or less but still they vary from one woman to another. There are few women who start to experience signs and symptoms of pregnancy within first few days of actual conception. However there are few women who are unable to notice these signs even few weeks after getting pregnant.

Many women feel confused as many signs of being pregnant are similar to the signs experienced by women just before the days of menstruation. The only solid sign of being pregnant is slight increase in basal body temperature; however this sign is often ignored by the pregnant women.

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The earliest signs of pregnancy are implantation bleeding. This occurs after around 6 to 12 days of conception. The implantation bleeding takes place when the fertilized egg is imbedded in the uterine wall. Few women also experience cramping along with spotting.

Another most commonly noticed sign of pregnancy is missing the periods. This is the most common and well-known pregnancy symptoms. However there are few women who bleed even after conception. This bleeding is lighter as well as shorter in length. If a sexually active woman misses her period it is better to go for a pregnancy test.

Another pregnancy symptom is vomiting and nausea. These vomiting, nausea and queasy feelings come under the umbrella term of morning sickness. It is important to note here these queasy feelings are not only confined to the morning. The morning sickness can happen at any time of the day or even night. The exact reasons behind these queasy feelings are not yet clearly known. It is generally recommended to eat smaller meals spread throughout the day; as it is helpful in reducing the intensity of morning sickness. It is also helpful to eat cornflakes or plain crackers before getting up early in the morning.

Just after two week of conception the breasts become swollen, sore and tender. The nipples become darker and larger soon after conception. When pregnancy is around 6 weeks then mom-to-be have to take frequent visits to the rest room; as the expanding uterus puts pressure on the bladder.

Drastic changes in the level of hormones are responsible for tiredness during pregnancy. These hormones also result in slowing down of bowel movement.

Some of the above symptoms results in irritable behavior and mood swings. The situation can be handled well with the help of proper diet and healthy eating habits.

Signs of Getting Pregnant

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Concordance - Compliance - or Adherence with Medical Advice

There can be a big difference between a patient's commitment to the plan while still in the Doctor's office, their immediate decisions on leaving about adherence and the full follow through to complete the course over days, weeks, or months. We can opt out at any of these stages. The poor uptake of medical advice remains a major challenge to the medical profession, but it could be argued that within many patient's health understanding there lurks a healthy scepticism related to medical advice, and that if doctors really do wish to influence their patients to do what they think is good for them, they had better be jolly certain that they are right.

We are more likely to adhere to treatment if we understand and believe the explanation. Some of us will adhere because it is a doctor who has told us to; most of us will adhere if our own understanding seems to match that of the doctor and our agenda is shared, this is what is meant by concordance. A shared understanding between patient and doctor should be the gold standard of all patient doctor encounters.

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A whole issue of the British Medical Journal was devoted to this topic, entitled from compliance to concordance, 1.10.2003.

There is a fascinating area that doctors know very little about -what lessons do we patients learn from whether we follow our advice or not?

99% of us act rationally in terms of our own health beliefs which sadly may not themselves be rational.

For example, Patient A goes to the doctor wanting penicillin for her sore throat. She gets it, gets better and has her health belief confirmed- that penicillin cures sore throats.

Patient B, does exactly the same but does not get better- what lessons has he learned? That penicillin does not cure sore throats? That it was not a 'strong' enough antibiotic and that the doctor was ineffective in choosing the right one? e.g. 'I've always had the green ones before, these red ones are useless.'

That the doctor was right all the time and it was a virus that did not respond to penicillin or that there may be something very serious that the doctor missed? That this doctor is no good and that he will try another one next time? Etc. There is another possibility with patient B -that of partial compliance. He might be one of the 1/3rd that takes a few pills here and there but not enough to get adequate blood levels (but he may still think he has followed instructions).

What about patient C? He only came for a sick note but was given tablets he did not want and did not take and he still got better.
'I don't know what they teach doctors at medical school, always giving pills for no good reason.'

Or patient D, she was given penicillin but did not take it because it had given her thrush last time, but now she feels both unwell and guilty. If she goes back to the doctor she might well lie about taking the tablets. These are just some examples of the sort of messages that we patients learn from whether we do or do not take medical advice. How many of these sorts of messages are doctors aware of? Precious few I fear.

A major problem with communication between doctor and patient are the different frames of reference. Doctors are taught scientifically; they learn thousands of new words and have models of disease imprinted in their brains. We patients are not like this. Both doctors and patients have reasons for believing and doing what they do, the trouble is these reasons are different.

Take hypertension, a doctor's disease if ever there was one: until the advent of cheap electronic machines only professionals could diagnose this condition. Doctors insist to their patients that high blood pressure produces no symptoms and can only be effectively treated by regular medication and frequent monitoring. This is the concept of the asymptomatic risk factor. Most of us can not understand this and use more obvious folk explanations to help us cope with what we perceive as an illness. The result is the adherence nightmare already alluded to.

Most of us think hyper-tension is a description, and take our medication depending on how we feel. If we are feeling headachy, a bit tense and edgy then to us it is obvious that we are hyper--tensive and need to take our tablets, but on those days we are feeling serene and relaxed then it is obviously not necessary to take the tablets. All quite logical but using a non medical frame of reference.
Whether or not we adhere to the treatment leads to the final outcome in our learning circle. As Stimpson and Webb (1975) pointed out:
"The crucial paradox ...is that in the consultation the doctor makes the treatment decisions; after the consultation, decision making lies with the patient".

Concordance - Compliance - or Adherence with Medical Advice

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Cold Sore Treatments - How to Prevent Cold Sore Outbreaks

Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus and once contracted cannot be cured. While there are many ways to treat a cold sore outbreak when it occurs, the best treatments lie in how to prevent cold sores in the first place. Herpes viruses generally react to high stress levels and weakened immune systems. So, the key is to maintain your level of stress and boost your immune system during times when you are sick to avoid an outbreak. You can do these things by maintaining a healthy lifestyle of health eating, daily exercise, no smoking or other toxins, happiness and vitamins. You also need to have a good skin care routine, as acne breakouts and bad skin and sometimes contribute to a cold sore outbreak.

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You also need to treat the outbreaks from the inside out by working with your doctor on a herpes suppressant, if it gets bad enough, or to keep from spreading the virus to others. You also need to take good care of your skin during an outbreak to avoid scarring and continuation of the outbreak or future outbreaks. This can be done by moisturizing, treating and protecting the affected areas and the areas directly around them. For a good natural remedy, petroleum jelly can be used for this very thing. When you protect your skin from the sun and other environmental factors you help it to heal quicker and prevent future outbreaks.

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Prevent cold sores with a good skin care and healthy living routine as well as using the right over the counter medications and working with your doctor to find a good virus suppressant. This is how you can prevent cold sores from happening in the future and treat them quickly to avoid permanently damaging your skin. Cold sores are embarrassing as well as painful and difficult to deal with if you don't have a prevention and treatment plan in place to react fast. Talk with those who have dealt with cold sores before to find out about other tips and tricks to use for treatment and prevention.

Cold Sore Treatments - How to Prevent Cold Sore Outbreaks

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Take Better Care of Yourself - Complications Arising From Untreated and Mismanaged Diabetes

Learn about both the short term and long term complications that can arise from the mismanagement of diabetes in order to avoid irreparable damage.

Short Term:

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Diabetic Ketoacidosis- While this is a short term complication it is also potentially fatal. Diabetic Ketoacidosis occurs when there is a rapid build-up of impurities (ketones) in the blood causing acid in the blood. The patient becomes dangerously dehydrated leading to potential coma and death. Immediate treatment by rehydration and insulin dosing to replace the electrolyte balance and flush the ketones from the blood can help the patient make a full recovery. This condition often requires admission to the hospital for proper treatment and assessment of metabolic damage to the system following recovery.

Yeast Infections- Both oral (Thrush) and vaginal yeast infections occur more frequently in patients with diabetes due to the increased levels of sugar in the saliva and urine. Thrush will present as an opaque white film on the tongue and interior of the mouth and unlike milk or dairy residue cannot be scrapped off without bleeding. The symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection are itching, burning, redness and an abnormal discharge. However, because many different vaginal infections and diseases can present in the same way, it is imperative to have a doctor correctly identify the source of the infection to ensure that you are treating it with the correct medication. Properly controlling your blood sugar and regulating your fluid levels is the best prevention for yeast infections. Prompt detection and doctor approved treatment can provide relief of the symptoms and a speedy recovery.

High Blood Pressure- Also known as hypertension, can lead to long term issues such as heart disease and stroke when left untreated. High blood pressure control through weight loss, exercise, healthy food choices and medications is an essential part of a healthy diabetic lifestyle. Although a serious concern for diabetics, high blood pressure is a treatable problem when it is detected early and the patient commits to blood pressure monitoring.

Diabetic Ulcers- This is a fancy term for open sores that occur due to diabetic neuropathy, slow wound healing and infections that are aggravated by poor circulation. There is a direct link between diabetic ulcers and a failure to properly control blood sugar levels. Treatment involves antibiotics for the infections, proper bandaging and wound care and potentially amputation of the affected limb when the wounds continue to progress despite medical care. Amputations can often be avoided through diligent attention to foot care and fastidious treatment of even the smallest cut or abrasion, regular exercising to strengthen the circulatory system and maintaining balanced levels of blood glucose levels.

Long Term:

Diabetic Nephropathy- The kidneys begin to malfunction and stop processing protein properly, allowing it to be flushed out with the urine. Unfortunately, there is no cure once kidney disease has begun, although you can only slow the progress of the deterioration. Often diagnosed by the increased levels of protein in a urine test, other symptoms of diabetic nephropathy include obvious water retention, vomiting, fatigue, itching and dry skin and recurrent hiccups. As the kidneys continue to fail, the patient will need to use dialysis to cleanse the blood of impurities while they await a transplant. Clearly prevention is the best option.

Heart Disease and Stroke- Diabetics have an increased risk of developing heart disease and/or stroke at an earlier age than the rest of the population due to a diabetic's tendency towards high blood pressure. Heart attacks and strokes are both urgent and life threatening conditions that are treatable if caught in the early stages. However, they can each have lasting debilitating ramifications so prevention through healthy lifestyle choices is the best protocol.

Diabetic Neuropathy- This is a term for the nerve damage caused by diabetes. The blood vessels that connect to the nerves are impaired creating several different reactions by the body. The affected nerves can be found in the peripheral limbs such as hands and feet or internally, affecting the major organs. With the loss of sensation comes an inability to function properly which could be dangerous for a diabetic with nerve damage affecting their digestive tract. If the nerves are damaged in such a way that they continue to fire messages to the brain without stopping, the diabetic may find themselves in continuous pain. Many diabetics experience intense foot pain due to neuropathy and find some relief through the use of compression stockings and diabetic socks. Treatment of diabetic neuropathy involves a mixture of different pain alleviating medications as well as tighter control of blood glucose levels and some physiotherapeutic treatments of electrical nerve stimulation. There isn't a cure for this complication, so properly managing your blood glucose levels and maintaining a healthy circulatory system is the best prevention.

Diabetic Retinopathy- This complication can lead to complete blindness. The retina (part of the eye) is damaged through poorly controlled levels of sugar in the blood. There are generally little to no symptoms of the development of diabetic retinopathy and it is usually caught through a regular eye exam. If caught early and treated, vision can be mostly restored.

Take Better Care of Yourself - Complications Arising From Untreated and Mismanaged Diabetes

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