Conditions + Treatments

Learning how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on near-drowning victims can mean the difference between life and death. According to the National Institutes of Health, 6,000 to 8,000 people drown in the United States each year.

The process of weaning a child after breastfeeding can be emotionally and physically difficult. After weaning their babies, many women find they experience pain and other issues with their breasts. Here are some common side effects of weaning as well as insight into how serious the issues are and when a trip to the doctor is warranted.

Feline scabies (notoedric mange) is a skin condition caused by small insects called mites. Mites burrow into the skin of the cat and lay eggs, which then hatch and produce larvae. The larva grow into nymphs, which then mate and lay eggs. The process then repeats itself.

Athlete’s foot can be painful and uncomfortable, so quick cures are key. The condition, caused by a fungus, grows in damp places and is highly contagious. Since your body will naturally fight the fungus, vitamins can be used to boost your immune system to cure athlete’s foot.

Athlete’s foot and toenail fungus can be embarrassing. These conditions often leave toes and nails discolored, blistered and inflamed. Sometimes an offensive odor accompanies these symptoms. Fungal infections like these occur when the foot remains moist, damp and warm for extensive periods of time. Showers, bathrooms and swimming pools provide excellent environments for fungal growth. The fungus can easily transfer to your feet and cause an infection. However, many materials readily found around the home can effectively treat foot fungus quickly and inexpensively.

Scars on the legs are a result of the body’s natural wound-healing process. They begin with inflammation, move into the formation of new tissue and end with the modification of certain factors in the skin. Collagen is the main protein involved in the development of the connective tissue. When there is too much or too little collagen, the healing process is disrupted and scarring occurs. Removing old scar tissue from the legs used to be virtually impossible, but new medical technology can help to dramatically improve the appearance of the old scars.

Many massage chairs and hand-held massagers come with infrared heat sources. The purpose of these are to provide heat and increase the circulation in the area being massaged, such as the back and neck. A study published in Pain Research and Management in 2006 concluded that patients experienced a significant reduction in back pain through infrared therapies without any adverse side effects. Consult your doctor about the benefits of using infrared therapies to alleviate back pain.

Your tendons do the job of attaching your muscles to your bones. Without them, movement would be impossible. When you injure a tendon, it becomes inflamed and painful. Any movement involving the tendon becomes difficult or painful. Tendinitis is the most common form of tendon injury. It’s not surprising that tendinitis tends to occur around the hardest-working tendons in the body–those at the ankles, knees, wrists, elbows and shoulders. Ice and rest can help your tendons to heal from injury. Infrared therapy may also help to treat tendinitis.

Nerve damage — known as neuropathy — is a side effect of diabetes that may cause a patient to develop foot sores or ulcers. If these problems are not treated promptly, infections may occur and the foot or toes could end up being amputated. Proper care of the feet and specialized shoes may prevent problems or slow the progression of existing ones.

Skin irritation and itchiness can occur for many reasons. The commercial-bought skin care products that many people use may actually hinder, not help, with skin problems. All the chemicals and added ingredients in many store bought products can actually cause more harm than good. Natural itch relief products may be your best bet when you have an itch to take care of.