Painful and ugly……are the best words to describe cold sores.
They typically show up on the lips, too, which makes them so difficult to hide.
Cold sores are caused by a virus, the herpes simplex 1 virus or HSV-1. (Herpes simplex 2 or HSV-2 is what’s known as genital herpes.)
If you’ve ever had a herpes cold sore, don’t feel embarrassed. HSV-1 is extremely common; more than 70% of … read on
Protect your lipsDid you ever stop to wonder how the skin of our lips differs from the skin on the rest of the face?
The skin over our lips is very thin and highly vascular, hence their typical “vermilion” or red color. Our lips also have more nerve endings, making them very tactile and sensitive.
These anatomical differences make our lips attractive and nice for kissing, but they also … read on
What do topical pain relievers do?A few weeks ago I posted about how to save money on oral over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
Then I decided to look into topical pain relievers. This post provides an overview of what’s available, and how to choose the right one and save money.
I was totally surprised at the scope of products available online and at the drugstore! … read on
The best tip? Take your time and ask lots of questionsI’ve been exchanging emails this week with a friend who is in the market for a new dentist.
Like me, she expects good value for her money. She doesn’t want to feel like a cash cow and have unnecessary x-rays, procedures of questionable benefit, or expensive cosmetic dentistry.
She wants a dental office that’s clean and well managed, and … read on
The allure of whiter teethI’ve never whitened my teeth, and usually I’m happy with that. But sometimes I get the niggling idea that I would look younger and more sparkling if only my teeth were whiter. My life would be so much better!
Not true, of course, but we all have those unhelpful thoughts now and then, don’t we?
Having your teeth whitened professionally, by a dentist, is the … read on
Bad advice to whiten your teethI have a lot of fun on Pinterest and have been collecting different “pins” of home remedies for all sorts of minor afflictions. Some are commonly used, such as aloe for sunburn, but others can be pretty far out there, such as human breast milk to treat pink eye.
One by one, I research these remedies, and I am creating a “board” on … read on
One of the great things about living in Seattle is that because we are home to so many biotech companies, I often hear about innovative devices before they’re on the market.
I like to see (sometimes) where health technology is taking us.
I just saw a news report on a new dental imaging x-ray that actually isn’t an x-ray because it doesn’t use radiation. Instead it uses ultrasound, and it’s … read on
So I finally got around to finding a new dentist.
As I mentioned in a previous post, my dentist of 20 years retired and, because I don’t have dental insurance, I was faced with the daunting task of researching local dentists to find one that 1) offered basic dental care and didn’t push teeth whitening, gum scaling or Botox; and 2) was willing to offer me a cash discount … read on
Recently, the US Public Health Service issued new recommendations to slightly lower the amount of fluoride that’s put in our community drinking water.
That’s because we have access to other sources of fluoride, mostly toothpaste and mouth rinses, so we don’t need as much in the water supply.
Related posts:
Since the early 1960s our tap water has been … read on
Bienvenido!Health tourism—traveling to another country for more affordable health care—has been an interest of mine for some time. I haven’t done it (yet), but many others have.
Last week I read an article in The Atlantic about the trend for Americans living near the Mexican border to seek dental care in Mexico. The story highlights one dentist, Dr. Jessica Nitardy, who lives in El Paso, TX, and commutes … read on