One of the most important tips to remember in desert landscaping is that these plants do not require a lot of water. Water is a precious commodity in the desert and if you water the plants too much they are going to end up dying. You actually have to be very careful then with how often you are watering because you do not want to kill the plants. Different desert plants are native to certain landscapes so choose the ones that are going to strive in your location.

There is also another benefit to using desert landscaping plants and that is that they do not require such expensive fertilizers and other products as other plants you are probably used to growing. This is a benefit to you because it is another reason you save time and money when using desert landscaping. Desert soil is not nutrient rich so there is no worry of having to spend a ton of money on fertilizers and nutrients to have your plants strive. Make sure you are efficient when using desert plants in landscaping.

Desert plants are really easy to care for and if you group plants together you can better keep track of which plants need what. Have one set of plants that is more nutrient rich together. Then group another set of plants together that need the most water. This is also going to help you keep better track of what each type of plant needs and how to properly care for it.

This way you have the advice of a professional and can get some other ideas. There are landscaping companies all over the place you can find. Even if you do your research and think you have it covered, they can bring in ideas you may not have thought of before. You can shoot ideas back and forth and come up with the most effective and beautiful design.

The medication comes in both liquid form and as pads. Some doctors recommend pads; others prefer the liquid or gel. Many dermatologists prefer a stronger plaster. The plaster contains 40% of the acid while the liquid or gel is 17 to 20%. In either case, you need to follow a specific regiment of treatment. It becomes a repetitive pattern you need to follow if the treatment is to be successful.

Take a shower or enjoy a bath

Pat your skin gently with a towel. Do not roughly towel dry. If your skin is damp, it will more easily absorb the acid.

Take the liquid dropper or pad and apply it.

Cover the liquid if you are not using a pad or plaster. Some people choose to use the liquid then cover it with the pad.

If you use a plaster, leave it on for 5 to 6 days.

If you use the pad, the liquid or the combination, remove the covering before you bathe. This should be approximately 24 hours after the application.

When you expose the wart, before bathing or after removing the plaster, take a pumice stone or an unused emery board. File off the dead upper level material of the wart.

Once you have done this, take a shower or bath and repeat the treatment nightly for 2 weeks.

Treatment with salicylic acid is a prolonged affair. It may take several weeks before the warts are gone. There is also a slight risk of infection. If nothing else, you may suffer from a reddening of the adjacent skin. If this occurs, stop treatment. To try to prevent this, cover the region directly around the wart with either petroleum jelly or a zinc oxide paste.

Some restrictions apply to using salicylic acid. If you are diabetic do not use this medication. If you have circulatory problems, avoid its usage. Also be careful never to apply the acid treatment if your skin is inflamed, over sensitive or has poor circulation.

How to Remove Warts – Cryosurgery

Simply put, cryosurgery or cryotherapy is freezing. Your doctors may decide the only effective way to remove your wart is through this process. It involves using a chemical agent to freeze the wart. The preferred chemical is nitrogen. This product is kept at a temperature of -195.6 degrees Centigrade.

The doctor applies the nitrogen in 1 of 2 ways. He or she may use a cotton-tipped applicator. The other possibility is a cryospray unit. In either instance, the nitrogen must touch the skin for between 5 and 30 seconds. You do not require anesthesia. The freezing touch of nitrogen will numb your skin. Nevertheless, the process will be a little uncomfortable. Freezing the mole is followed by a burning sensation as the area thaws out.

With cryosurgery, you will require more than one treatment. Ideally, you will need to see the doctor for freezing for a total of 2 to 4 times. This will take place over a period of anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks. You can increase the time period and number of therapies if you have Plantar Warts.

The placement of Plantar Warts on the thick soles of the foot increases the number of layers requiring freezing and removal. Nevertheless, liquid nitrogen is one of the most effective ways of treating Plantar Warts. Cryosurgery is also recommended for the removal of Filiform Warts, Flat Warts and Common Warts.

In most cases, the process of cryosurgery follows a certain pattern. Your wart should react accordingly. After 2 weeks of cryosurgery your wart will have altered its appearance. It will become white. This is the result of the process. The nitrogen will have created a blister between the specific wart and the epidermal layer of the skin. The doctor can then scrape off this pale layer to expose more of the wart. This allows the doctor to then freeze the lower layers and even the root. After continuing his treatments, you should see an improvement. The warts should disappear or, rather, fall or flake off under the doctor’s scraper.

The process of healing after cryosurgery is rapid. While you are recovering, you can still indulge in such normal activities as bathing, showering and even swimming.

Do not attempt cryosurgery if your skin reacts badly to cold. Be aware that cryosurgery may have certain side effects. These include hypopigmentation. This is an excessive coloring of the skin. It becomes darker than usual. Another possibility is visible skin scarring.

How to Remove Warts -Electrodessication or Electrosurgery

Electrodessication or electrosurgery is a form of burning. It is also sometimes called Electro-cauterization. A doctor burns the wart with an electric probe. The method is simple. The doctor or dermatologist uses a high-frequency electric current. It destroys the tissue through its heat. Warts suggested for this method of removal include Plantar Warts, Common Warts. If the wart exceeds a certain size, it is better to use another method.

Unlike cryosurgery, electrodessication requires the implementation of a local anaesthetic. After securing the area, the doctor applies the current for from 1 to 2 seconds. The current flows to, into and through the wart. This destroys the tissue. The process will last between 2 to 3 weeks. This is comparable to that of cryotherapy.

The method of electrodessication is not recommended for younger children. Older children and adults are better candidates. Possible problems include scarring. Even expert doctors may leave a minor mark on your skin. With electrodessication, there is also a chance of infection developing. Furthermore, like many surgical procedures, you can resume such activities as swimming or indulge in bathing and showers until the wound heals.

Electrodessication is frequently combined with another method of removal. This is called scraping or cutting. In surgical terms it is curretage. When both are employed, the term applied is EDC. Electrodessication is popular for a simple reason. The failure rate of this method of treatment is small.

How to Remove Warts – Surgical Curretage

The word “curretage” refers to the means of removal. The surgeon utilizes a curet or sharp, cutting instrument for removing the wart. When removing warts, surgical curretage is rarely used on its own. It is frequently combined with electrosurgery. Together the 2 methods cut out or remove the tissue. They then both destroy the tissue and cauterize the wound. When you use both surgical curretage and electrodessication, it is called EDC.

How to Remove Warts – Painting

One way your dermatologist may have of handling a wart problem is through painting. This method involves the application of a specific chemical to the wart. Cantharadin is a common choice to use for this process. It is safe and may actually remove the wart after a single application. There are, however, other chemicals your dermatologist may prefer to apply. These include such keatolytic acids as salicylic acid and resins such as podophyllium.

Painting does not immediately cause pain. The doctor applies the substance to the wart with precision and care. He then covers it with a protective bandage. This is true for both cantharadin and Salycylic acid. They are usually both applied then covered over. The bandage, pad or plaster must remain in place. If this is Cantharadin, it remains over the wart for around 24 hours. If the dermatologist uses podophyllium, he will leave the resin on for 6 hours. In the case of a salicylic acid plaster, it remains for 5 to 6 days. This allows the chemical to go to work unhindered. It also helps protect against possible infection.

The substance works in a simple fashion. It produces a blister under the wart. This may take anywhere between 3 to 8 hours. At this point, you may experience some form of discomfort or pain. With the blister, the chemical creates dead tissue. This part of the wart is then clipped away.

The painting method by cantharadin may result in immediate success. In general, however, you may need a re-application 2 or 3 times. The period using a keatolytic agent is much longer. Even under the direction of a dermatologist, wart removal through salicylic acid may take weeks or months.

Painting is often used to remove many foot warts including Plantar Warts. It is not generally used commonly for wart removal. In fact, it is utilized usually only after cryotherapy and other common methods fail to remove the wart. The exception is if the dermatologist employs salicylic acid.

In some instances, the doctor may prefer to combine various chemicals. If, for example, your dermatologist opts for chemical painting, he or she may also use several substances in combination. Often, he or she may employ salicylic acid. In such an instance, the same procedures are followed. There is one variation. The bandage is removed after only 2 hours. In the case of podophyllium, the combination may include aloes and isopropyl alcohol IP.

Painting can be painful. While there are not scars, it may be itchy or hurt. The skin is tender for several days after the procedure. Moreover, painting using cantharadin has definite limitations of applicability. If you suffer from different forms of circulatory problems, diabetes or peripheral arterial disease, you cannot use painting to remove your warts. If your wart is inflamed, you cannot employ podophyllium. These restrictions do not apply to painting with salicylic acid.

How to Remove Warts – Laser Treatment

Lasers are an expensive way to remove Common and Plantar Warts. The approach utilizes one of 2 laser types. These are the pulse dye laser and the carbon dioxide laser. Both are painful. Both require the use of anaesthetic.

Of the two options, the pulse dye laser is less destructive in implementation. It is also less likely to cause scarring. The carbon dioxide laser vaporizes and destroys both skin and tissue. This increases the chance of scarring and further skin damage. Nevertheless, the CO2 laser is very effective in removing recurrent warts of different varieties including Common, Periungual and Plantar warts.

The emissions required for wart removal may vary/ they could be 585, 595 or 532 nma. There are open wounds to fill in. You will require treatment every 3 to 4 weeks. This will eventually remove all the tissue of your wart.

How to Remove Warts – Infrared Coagulator

A less expensive alternative to laser treatment is an infrared coagulator. This light source is applied in a similar fashion. Like lasers, however, infrared light sources can cause scarring. The treatment is also painful.

How to Remove Warts – Injections

Injections are another way of treating warts. There are several types your dermatologist may employ. The most common is a bleomycin injection. This is actually an antibiotic taken from a soil fungus. It is used in cancer treatments, particularly for Kaposi’s Sarcoma. Doctors only use this for warts that have failed to respond to any other treatment.

A patient is given a diluted form of the drug. It is only available by prescription. Do not use if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. If you have warts on any of the digits of your hands or feet, you can also not use this method. The side-effects in many cases are very painful.

Injecting bleomycin is painful of itself. The side-effects may also be excruciating. They include localized swelling, bleeding scabs, and possible anaemia. The drug may suppress your production of bone marrow. If you do use it on your fingers or toes, digital necrosis or nail loss may occur. Nevertheless, bleomycin treatments have a high cure rate for Common and Plantar Warts.

How to Remove Warts – Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is another extreme way to treat persistent warts. Its implementation is based on using various substances to decrease the individual’s sensitivity to the cause of the problem. A dermatologist will provide, through injections or other methods, an increasing dosage of the substance.

This is a trigger system. A purified extract of the wart virus is injected into the skin. This continues weekly for 30 weeks. Afterwards, you may receive the shot every 2 weeks. This is reduced to once a month eventually. In some cases, a patient may continue immunotherapy for 3 to 4 years.

Immunotherapy used to eliminate warts uses one of 2 approaches. Interferon is injected into the blood stream. This boosts the immune system’s response. It increases its ability to reject warts. Another method is the injection of an antigen. This stimulates the immune reaction. As a result, the system actively engages in fighting off warts.

The problem with immunotherapy is correct dosage and possible reactions. There is a high risk of the patient suffering an allergic reaction. This is one reason why you can only receive such a treatment under a doctor’s care. The length of time may also be a disadvantage for some individuals. They may need a quick fix.

How to Remove Warts - Other Warts Removal Methods

There are other doctor-administered treatments available. Some are currently considered experimental. Among these is the use of fluoracil. This drug inhibits the synthesis of DNA. Dinitochlorabenze (DNCB) also falls into this category. It is used cautiously for one major reason. DNCB is a mutagen. It may create more problems than it solves.

Another new arrival on the scene of wart removal has only been tested for Periungual Warts. This is Photodynamic Therapy. This method involves treating the viral infection with a photosensitizer. The physician then irradiates the area with Versa Light. The method has proven effective but is still in the experimental stages.

Important Links:

Home Remedies for Warts

Natural Warts Removal

It is only when you impart the right values to your child about school, about teachers and about himself, that learning will start taking place. Every child can learn and wants to learn. Teach your child strategies for doing his work, be it studies or otherwise. I will be discussing these strategies throughout the book.

From a very young age, create an environment that stimulates learning by encouraging children to ask questions about their environment and their world. Parents who talk a lot to their children lay the foundations for a wide vocabulary, communication skills and intelligence.

Making mistakes is an integral part of the learning process. Children learn much more when they try, and fail. Some children have no problem admitting they’ve made a mistake, and can analyze the reasons for their failure: ‘I didn’t work hard enough’; or, ‘My answers were too short’.

Intellectual apathy is a fast growing malaise in our society. Motivation in learning decreases rapidly if children have no curiosity or desire to know more. This is paradoxical, because, given our present computer technology, in no other age has learning been so fast, rapid and efficient. Yet, our children seem to lack the tools for learning. They also lack a love of learning for learning’s sake.

Research evidence shows a strong relationship between the self-concept a student has and his academic achievement. When we believe in them, have realistic expectations from them and help them to set appropriate goals, their self, concept improves tremendously. They feel positive about themselves and learning automatically follows.

Schools are minefields of knowledge. Parents can help their children positively in acquiring as much knowledge as they can. Students can be classified into three categories – high, achievers, averages and below average. Most of the parents want their children to be in the first two categories.

High, achievers are characterized by self, confidence, self, acceptance and a positive self, concept. Successful students have a relatively high opinion of themselves and are optimistic about their future performance. On the other hand, under, achievers are found to perceive themselves as less able to fulfill the required tasks, less eager to learn, less confident and less ambitious. Under- achievers generally see themselves as less adequate and less accepted by others.

My experience with students shows beyond doubt that once they have acquired an idea about themselves, it has a lasting influence on their future performance. Students who experience repeated success in school are likely to develop positive feelings about’ their abilities, while those who encounter failure tend to develop negative views of themselves.

Teachers all over the world have observed that children who are popular with their peers and teachers have certain common characteristics. We, as parents can spot these qualities and help our children in nurturing them. By doing so, we indirectly help them to achieve better grades in their subjects. Such children are self-confident and are good at organizing games and extra-curricular activities. They are good listeners’ and have a good sense of humor and can laugh at themselves. They are able’ to shrug off disappointments and setbacks and move on with their work.

You can help your child’s learning process by becoming supportive parents. Develop open communication with your child and find something to talk about everyday. Do not be overtly critical of him and teach him to manage his conflicts with other children.

Dr. A.Prakash

And believe it or not, you can also reduce the appearance of scars with a $4 bottle of oil.

I reveal it all within the Acne Free Solution guide, including a simple recipe for instantly minimizing acne, even during intense flare ups.

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Walking at the rate of 2 to 3 kilometres per hour, while it eases stress and reduces mental fatigue, doesn’t really provide enough aerobic exercise to put you on your way to fitness.

You have to stride rather than stroll – hips reaching forward to pull you ahead, arms bent and swinging vigorously to work the upper body muscles.

Whether you walk for fitness or for fun, the following tips may be of help.

* Check with your own doctor, especially if you are over 40, before commencing an exercise programme.

* Wear good shoes and socks. There are expensive running shoes on the market, but a comfortable pair of tennis shoes is satisfactory. Reasonably thick socks can prevent blisters and callosities, offering extra cushioning and absorbing the moisture of perspiration. 

* Take things easy. Walking a kilometre in 10 minutes may ‘be a good pace to start with, especiaily if you have not been exercising since you left school. After a few sessions, gradually increase your distance and your speed.

 * A daily walk is not essential. Every other day, or three days per week, is enough. And walking for about half an hour each time is sufficient – although if you have the time and the inclination, there is certainly no harm in doing more.

 * Before starting, do some gentle warm up exercises to loosen muscles and ligaments, and prevent soreness. Roll your head horn side to side to stretch your neck. Rotate your arms. Reach and stretch with your arms, legs and back.

 * Once on the track (or road) walk tall- keep your chin up, shoulders back, chest forward and tummy in. Breathe deeply and rhythmically. Swing your arms – you will feel the benefits in your upper body, and appreciate the extra push of the arm action.

 * As you near the end of your exercise period, slow your pace and start relaxing. After you stop, you should cool down’ by doing the same ‘warm up’ exercises you did while starting.

This will loosen tensed muscles, prevent soreness, and help the heart to gradually return to its resting rate.

It was Hippocrates who, over two thousand years ago in ancient Greece, observed “walking is man’s best exercise”.

So, this evening, why don’t you do yourself some good – and take yourself out for a walk.

Approximately 50% of all breast lumps including cancer are first noticed by the woman herself. Most breast problems are not due to cancer, but if ignored and left untreated, may cause trouble. Yearly breast screening programmes among asymptomatic women help to detect cancer in the early stage.

However, women are encouraged to self examine their breasts every month. The early detection and treatment of cancer may promise a cure. Sometimes, it may make the woman more conscious (anxious) of cancer from which she may not be suffering.

But women belonging to the “high risk” category should self examine their breasts as a routine without being too conscious. It may help them to detect cancer early and plan its management and thus avoid its adverse effects.

Normal Feel Of The Breasts

The normal breasts feel differently in each individual. The shape of the breast depends on the constitution (build) of the patient, strength of the supporting ligaments and heredity. The skin of the breast is smooth but wrinkles may appear with advancing age. Normally, a few veins are coursing over the breasts. The left breast is at a lower level than the right.

Once a woman becomes familiar with the normal feel of her breasts with the first few self examinations, it becomes easier to notice any change. Breasts are soft, not painful and least lumpy, about 4-5 days after the end of the periods. Ribs, in thin built women with small breasts may be felt. Many women who have not yet reached menopause have rather lumpy breasts, especially before their periods and sometimes throughout the whole month. As age advances, they loose their fat, the glandular tissue undergoes atrophy and the breasts become loose in texture. It is easier to feel a lump in such a breast.

At What Age To Start Breast Self Examination

From around the mid thirties and for the rest of one’s life one should do a regular self examination of the breasts. Breast cancer is rare under the age of 30.

Best Time To Do Breast Self Examination

After the periods are over and when the breasts are softest and without any pain, a self examination of the breasts advised. When the periods are stopped, either due to menopause or in the event of a hysterectomy, it is advised on the first day of each calender month.

Self Examination Of The Breasts

Choose a time and place where you can examine your breasts undisturbed and in complete privacy.

Sit or stand infront of a mirror with good light. Remove clothes and relax with arms on the sides.

Now carefully inspect and compare both your breasts in the mirror. Look for the breast shape, its outline (contour) and size. Notice any dimpling or prominent veins over the skin, any change in the nipples or the areola. Notice any recent retraction, inver­sion or pulling to one side of the nipple. Gently squeeze each nipple and note the nature and site of any discharge.

Now look for any change as above with both the arms raised above your head and then with your hands placed lightly on the top of your head.

Now place your hands firmly over your hip. When hands are pressed against the hip, the muscles beneath the breasts become tight.

Look again as above and compare for any change with the hands relaxed and when pressed against the hip. Note especially any puckering of the skin.

Each breast is now examined by the hand (palpation):

Palpation Of The Left Breast

Lie flat on your bed with a pillow under your head. Put a folded towel under the left shoulder with the left arm kept by the side. The breast is to be examined by the right hand. Palpate with the flat of your hand (not dipping with the finger tips) and feel each part of the breast starting with the upper, inner and outer quadrant. The examination is carried out gently and systematically with small circular motions while pressing gently against the firm chest wall. You may need to make several circles. The palpation should start from the nipple outwards. In case a lump is discovered note its location, size, margins and adherence to the skin or the underlying muscles.

Palpate the armpit (axilla) with the flat of your fingers. The armpit is like an inverted cone, therefore, palpate its deep upper part and all around with your arm by your side. Feel for any nodes; when the nodes are fixed to each other they form a lump.

Now raise your left arm above your head with your elbow bent and repeat the examination. This helps examine the outer part of the breast and the armpit. Nodes above the clavicle (supraclavicular) are also examined.

The examination of the right breast is carried out with the left hand in a similar manner, with a folded towel kept under the right shoulder and the right arm kept by your side. Large pendulous breasts, as in obese women, are examined while leaning forwards arms outstretched, resting on a chair.

The breasts are examined in this hanging position. In case there is any change in shape, size, skin surface any nodularity or a lump in the breast. or any discharge from the nipple, a doctor should be consulted.

 Rapid industrialisation and unplanned urbanisation have now led more women to work outside home. There are late marriages, therefore, late childbirth. Infrequent breast-feeding and shorter duration of lactation are mainly due to the stress of daily life.

Breast-feeding needs to be encouraged and late pregnancy avoided. Unfortunately most women (60%) are present in stage III and IV of the disease, when cure is impossible. These women would have escaped the dreadful course of cancer, the cost of treatment and death if the cancer was detected early. As many as 21 % of women who develop breast cancer, die within the first year of diagnosis.

The detection of breast cancer in its initial stages when small and before it has had the chance to spread, and its treatment with available options can achieve cure. This aim can be achieved by screening women with identifiable risk factors. Women are motivated to self examine their breasts (breast self examination BSE) and a periodic physical examination can be carried out by the family doctor or a health visitor, in high risk women. The acceptance of this simple and inexpensive screening method, however, may not be easy, since most women are either illiterate or live under constant stress of daily life.

Mammography for screening of asymptomatic women is a useful test. It can be done every 1-2 years, especially among high risk women. It greatly helps in discovering early lesions, especially among women over 50. Abnormalities detected on screening are impalpable and can be subjected to image guided fine needle aspiration cytology for diagnosis.

Indeed, there is anxiety amongst women when invited for breast screening, but once motivated, after a few visits when no abnormality is discovered; they become more keen and regular.

If you work or play in fields and gardens, bees, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets buzz around loaded with nuisance, pain, and sometimes danger.

Bites and stings, for the most part, are only an annoyance and rarely cause more than slight, temporary discomfort. The reac­tions to insect stings are caused by either allergic mechanisms or sensitivity to certain chemicals, toxins, or enzymes in the venom. Occasionally, these reactions can be fatal in sensitive individuals. Insect sting allergy has been recognized since antiquity.

The honeybee and yellow jacket are responsible for most stings. Although they may similar appearances, these two insects have very different habits. The honeybee is a social insect that uses a stinger to inject venom into its victim.

A yellow jacket is a wasp that can both bite and sting. The honeybee usually does not sting unless disturbed, but when sufficiently provoked to attack, it leaves its barbed stinger and attached venom sac in the skin of its victim.

The simple, normal sting, the one you are most likely to encounter, causes varying degrees of pain at the site of the sting lasting for a few minutes. Redness, swelling, and itching of the area follow. If no complications arise, all traces of the sting will usually disappear within a few hours.

In the exaggerated type of local reaction, there is more itching and swelling. The symptoms may last longer, and there may be a great deal of discomfort.

The treatment for most insect bites and stings is the same. In the case of a bee sting, however, you must remove the barbed stinger and attached venom sac as quickly as possible, as the walls of the sac contract and continue to inject venom.

Never try to pull the stinger out or squeeze the area in which the stinger is embedded. This will break the venom sac, releasing more of the toxic or allergic substances and aggravating your symptoms. Instead, gently scrape the area with a knife blade or fingernail until the stinger and sac have been dislodged.

After you remove the stinger and venom sac, follow these steps to treat the simple insect sting:

* Wash the area with soap and water.

* Use ice packs or cold compresses for 30 to 45 minutes to reduce the inflammation and swelling.

* Apply a paste made up of one teaspoonful of unseasoned meat tenderizer and water. This often results in prompt, lasting relief.

* Treat any hives and itching by applying phenolated ca­lamine lotion every 3 or 4 hours.

* If severe swelling, itching, and pain persist, call your doctor. You may need an antihistamine or cortisone-like drug to counteract the bee venom.

* If you are stung on your foot or leg, elevate it and keep it at rest.

Insects are somewhat discriminating, so follow these steps to make yourself less of a target for bites and stings.

* Always wear shoes outside. Bare feet are the most vulnera­ble areas for insect attacks. (Bees love clover and yellow jackets live in the ground.)

* Avoid scented soaps, perfumes, colognes, hair sprays, and other scented products. These odors attract insects.

* Wear light-colored, smooth fabrics. Bright, flowery prints and dark, rough clothing attract insects as well.

* Avoid bright jewelry and other metal objects. Again, insects find these very alluring.

* If you come into contact with a stinging insect, avoid sudden and dramatic motions. Move away very slowly and do not flap, wave, or swat.     

* Avoid touching insect nests.

* Keep house screens in good repair.

* Keep garbage cans covered at all times.

* Be especially alert after rain; pollen is scarce and insects become more easily excited.

A word on Insect Repellents:

Insect repellents are not insecticides. They do not kill mosquitos, ticks, chiggers, fleas, or the many varieties of biting flies. They just discourage them from biting you. And they do not work against stinging insects like bees, wasps, or ants.

To prevent against mosquito and fly bites, use insect repellents on exposed parts of your body and on your clothing. Do not use repellents on broken skin and be particularly careful when apply­ing them on children. Pregnant women should not use them at any time. And since the active ingredient is flammable, do not apply them near fires.       .

Treating Bites & Stings

For a few, localized insect bites, where there is redness, swelling, and itching, the best immediate treatment is applying ice. An ice cube, held on the bite areas for 5 to 10 minutes, will usually give prompt relief of the pain, itching, and swelling.

Another good “home remedy” is the application of a paste made up of one teaspoonful of unseasoned meat tenderizer and a few drops of water. Applying this to the bite or sting may provide immediate relief.

Structure of Herpes Virus

Genital herpes, or cold sores of the genital area, is considered a venereal disease because it is usually transmitted by sexual contact. Affecting more than 500,000 Americans each year, genital herpes is reportedly the most prevalent venereal disease among young Americans today, its incidence being greater than both gonorrhea and syphilis.

The threat of genital herpes has become so widespread that many young, unmarried Americans have altered their sexual behavior to prevent contracting the disease. People are becoming more cautious about casual” sex and thinking twice about the “one-night stand.”

Like cold sores on the mouth and lips, genital herpes is transmitted by a virus. This virus is usually transmitted by direct sexual contact (genital to genital or mouth to genital) with a person who has an active herpes infection. There is even the risk of contracting the herpes virus from a towel or drinking cup or tester lipstick used by a person with open lesions. Given the opportunity, this virus can infect any portion of the body surface of a susceptible person. What is particularly disturbing are the unpredictable recurrences of these genital infections in the same person, at the same site, with a frequency that can be distressing, embarrassing and, at times, disabling. Fortunately, however, the herpes virus infections have a tendency to become milder with each recurrence.

How do you know if you have genital herpes? The average incubation period, that is, from the time of contact to when you first notice the symptoms, is roughly a week. Any number of signs and symptoms may precede or accompany a herpes infection of the genital region. These can include itching, mild burning and prickling sensations, pain during urination and sexual intercourse, fever, headache, and swollen lymph glands in the groin area.

Small groups of blisters commonly appear at the infected site, usually around the vagina or on the penis. These blisters break down in a few days leaving painful, shallow ulcers that, when not complicated by any other infection; heal in about a week to ten days.

For some people, a genital herpes infection is a painful, swollen inflammation. For others, the infection is relatively mild and transient, with few or no symptoms. People who are completely asymptomatic, and there are many, may act as reservoirs, or “carriers,” for the disease, unknowingly affecting their sex partners. And so the question often posed by a spouse or a friend, “Who gave you (me) this herpes infection?” cannot be answered with any certainty.

If you develop a herpes infection a week after sex relations, you have not necessarily contracted herpes from your sex partner. The friction of intercourse may very well have activated a dormant herpes virus in your body.

And while the primary infection (meaning the first time one is afflicted with the condition) is acquired by direct sexual contact (genital to genital or mouth to genital), recurrences of genital herpes infections generally represent reactivation of a latent, hidden virus, rather than reinfection.

What causes these reactivations, these recurrences, and what are some of the triggering mechanisms? No one really knows.

After an active herpes episode, the virus retreats to and remains quietly hidden in a nerve root, thus making treatment difficult or impossible. After weeks, months, or even years, the virus, stirred up by any number of mechanisms, travels down the nerve path and reappears on the skin, starting up a new batch of small blisters with all the symptoms of the earlier herpes infection. Some of the reactivating mechanisms that have been implicated in provoking recurrences include mechanical injury, masturbation, sexual intercourse, fever, gastrointestinal upsets, sunburn, fatigue, overexertion, sleeplessness, poor nutrition, menstruation, psychic stress, and even sauna baths!

What is particularly disturbing about genital herpes is its serious consequences. Extensive herpes of the genital organs can cause excruciating pain during urination and sexual intercourse.

The consequences for pregnant women are especially grim. Genital herpes is three times more common in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women and results in a higher incidence of miscarriages and premature births.

Newborns who are infected during birth are unable to combat the virus with their immature immune systems. Thus, if an, active genital herpes is present at the time of delivery; it can cause a devastating or fatal infection in the newborn as the infant passes through the birth canal. Therefore, most doctors recommend a Caesarean section for women who have an active herpes infection just before delivery.

In addition, women with genital herpes infections run a five times greater risk of cancer of the cervix. And for both women and men, there is a much higher incidence of other venereal infections, such as gonorrhea and syphilis.

There is a new test that takes just four hours to detect herpes simplex virus infections. This will help women avoid unnecessary Caesarean sections and it will help patients with herpes infections of the eye get prompt, often sight-saving, treatment.

While effective treatment for herpes is poor at best, you should consult your physician to try to prevent complications that could lead to severe secondary bacterial infection and spread of the disease.

Treatment of the active infection consists mainly of relieving the Genital Herpes symptoms:

* Reduce the inflammation and swelling with warm baths or continuous compresses using cool, whole milk.

* Relieve the pain and itching with aspirin, antihistamines, and appropriate topical medications prescribed by your physician.

* Control any secondary bacterial and yeast infection, again with medications prescribed by your doctor.

* Since urine can cause excruciating pain and stinging of vulvar lesions in women, protect those delicate areas with zinc oxide paste.

As far as specific treatments for herpes, there are as many different kinds as there are doctors. Everything works-and nothing works.

Past and present treatments have included applying cortisonelike antibiotic creams and ointments, ice cubes, ether, nail polish remover, liquid nitrogen, cortisone-type sprays, and a dozen different other topical (surface) medications. None of these treatments has yet withstood the test of time, but many doctors will still swear by their particular method.

One theory suggests that oral contraceptives help to prevent recurrences. Women taking the birth control pills report fewer recurrences than women who do not. There is also some evidence that the chemicals in most contraceptive foams have an antiviral effect on the genital herpes virus.

The only proven treatment for genital herpes, and the only one that Food and Drug Administration has cleared, is acyclovir, a prescription capsule that goes under the trade name of Zovirax. Acyclovir, the first antiviral agent to be effective against genital herpes, is not a cure, and there is no proof that it prevents the spread of genital herpes. But it does relieve the symptoms, it reduces the shedding of the virus, and it shortens the duration of an attack. If taken for at least six months, three capsules a day may reduce the frequency and the severity of recurrent episodes of genital herpes.

Also sold as an ointment, acyclovir will usually alleviate the symptoms of burning and itching and help speed up the healing process for an initial episode of genital herpes.

Unfortunately, we cannot eradicate the virus by simply treating the local infection. For those of you who have genital herpes, I leave you with this sobering thought: you have it for life. And every time it recurs, it can potentially infect other people.

Here are a few suggestions, however, to prevent spread of the Genital Herpes:

* Practice good genital hygiene. That means “soap and water.”

* Wear loose, soft, cotton clothing and avoid rubbing and chafing.

* If you’re uncircumcised and have recurrent genital herpes, I recommend circumcision.

* When you have oral or genital lesions, don’t have sex. . Use a barrier method of contraception (condoms, spermicidal jellies, contraceptive foams, and diaphragm) if you are unsure whether you or your partner are actively infected.

The cure for these herpes infections will ultimately come when someone discovers an antiviral antibiotic that will destroy the virus in its dormant lair, the nerve root. And, if we are able to produce a safe vaccine such as those given to children in a single dose, herpes, like polio, smallpox, influenza, typhoid, and diphtheria, will forever be eradicated.