Tag Archives: skin-health

Prevent and treat mosquito bites

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

prevent and treat mosquito bitesSpring is mosquito season

Mosquitoes love warm, wet weather. Spring is their favorite season!

Research has shown that mosquitoes prefer certain people over others. Blame your genes. 😕

But you won’t always be able to hide behind a tastier friend.

And even though mosquito bites are mostly a seasonal annoyance, in some parts of the country/world mosquitoes carry serious diseases like Zika virus, West Nile virus, malaria, chikungunya, yellow fever … read on

Skin cancer prevention tips

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

skin cancer prevention tipsMay is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

We’re on the cusp of summer, which is a great time to think about protecting your skin from the sun.

More than 4 million people are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer every year in the US. Damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation is responsible for the majority of cases.

The best skin cancer prevention tip? Limit your exposure to UV light, … read on

First aid for hypothermia

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

first aid for hypothermiaBaby, it’s cold outside!

Most of the headlines over the last few days have focused on the arctic “cyclone” and brutally cold temperatures affecting a big chunk of the US.

Low temperature records are being shattered. Many states are reporting wind chills of -30°F or less.

That’s not just cold—that’s life threatening.

Outside my house, in Seattle, the weather is a pretty seasonal 40°F. And rainy. Lucky us.

But anyone … read on

Home remedies for foot fungus

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

Today’s guest post about cost-effective home remedies for foot fungus comes from Sarah Jones (bio below). Thanks for sharing this information, Sarah! FN

foot fungusSymptoms and causes of foot fungus

Foot fungus (athlete’s foot or toenail fungus) is relatively common and many will experience it at least once in their lifetime. Common symptoms include:

  • Itchiness
  • Peeling
  • Burning sensation
  • Blisters or sores
  • Cracked skin on your foot, particularly between the toes
  • Yellow
… read on

Melanoma – Prevention and detection

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month!

I think one of the best discussions about the prevention and detection of melanoma is from Doctor Mike Evans in this YouTube video:

It’s only 8 minutes long, but packed full of information.

Melanoma is deadly

And the numbers are increasing. Did you know:

  • From 1970 to 2009, the incidence of melanoma increased by 800 percent among young
… read on

Choosing an antifungal cream

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

antifungal creamOne cream to treat them all

Over the weekend, I discovered I had a minor case of athlete’s foot. I’m no athlete, but note to self: wear flip-flops when taking a shower at the gym!

I couldn’t find a tube of antifungal cream in my medicine cabinet—it’s been years since anyone in my family has needed it—so I went out to buy one.

A large number of options confronted me. … read on

What is the UV Index?

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

uv indexClouds don’t protect you from the sun

On a cloudy summer day it’s easy to forget that the sun’s skin-damaging ultraviolet or UV rays aren’t blocked by the clouds. We still have to use sunscreen, wear hats and sunglasses, or stay out of the sun to protect ourselves.

Related post: Be informed—What is SPF?

UV rays not only cause sunburn, but also skin cancer and cataracts. And there … read on

Skin cancer screening guidelines

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

“Insufficient evidence”

Many years ago I had a primary care doctor who used to perform a total body skin examination (TBSE) on me every year as part of my annual exam.

Of course, those all-inclusive physicals are a thing of the past. I haven’t had a physician perform a TBSE for a long time.

I often wondered about that. A TBSE seems like a relatively easy and harmless way to … read on

Sunshine for health!

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

sunshine03Just in time for spring and summer fun in the sun, the results of a large and long-term study on the hazards of avoiding the sun were published last week in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Usually all we hear about are the bad things about too much sun exposure—skin cancer, melanoma, wrinkles, sunburns, etc.

But this study out of Sweden, which followed 30,000 women for 20 years, found:… read on

What attracts mosquitoes?

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

As a child, I remember my mother declaring that of our entire family (2 adults and 4 kids) she was the only one who was pestered by mosquitoes when we were at our summer cabin by the lake.

She felt understandably persecuted by the little blood-sucking menaces.

And she probably was right.

WebMD reports that “genetics account for a whopping 85% of our susceptibility to mosquito bites.”

New research out … read on