Your mom probably said “Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” when you were getting ready for bed as a child.  Other than that, you probably haven’t thought much about bed bugs.  You may have not even realized that there really is such a thing as a bed bug.  There definitely is , and they are ornery pests that are difficult to get rid of.

The bed bug (Cimex lectalarius) is a member of the family Cimididae.  Insects from the family Cimididae are blood suckers that feed on birds and/or mammals.  The bed bug is the only member of this insect family that has adapted to living exclusively with humans.

Following World War II, the bed bug was predominantly eradicated from the U.S., existing in only small pockets across the the country.  However, in the last decade it has made an amazing resurgence.  This is largely because are so so easily spread.  Bed bugs can be accidentally carried on luggage, furniture, and other items, so problems with bed bugs tend to be most severe in motels, apartments, and other locations with high volumes of human traffic.

Bed bugs typically feed in the middle of the night while people are sleeping and the bites are painless.  They normally feed for less than ten minutes before the insect is satisfied and returns to hiding to digest the meal.  It is common for a line of bites to appear where a number of bed bugs have fed along the edge of a bed sheet or a piece of clothing lying next to the skin.

Even though the bite is not felt right away, it is common for people to react to the proteins of the bed bug saliva introduced during biting.  Usually, a reddish welt can develop, causing swelling and itching.  There may be little response directly following the bite with maximum irritation noticed after a week, then gradually decreasing.  Recurring exposure to bed bug bites can produce more intense reactions and itching.  However, these reactions vary greatly between people; some react strongly while others show little response.  Despite any symptoms that develop, there is nothing unusual about bed bug bites that can be used for positive identification.  The recognized presence of bed bugs is necessary to determine if a “reddish” bite might be from bed bugs.

Luckily, thorough testing has established that bed bugs are not capable of transmitting human pathogens like mosquitoes are.

Female bed bugs cement their small, oval eggs in groupings of two to five eggs.  Usual spots for egg laying include the folds of a mattress, in the joints of a bed frame, and behind molding.  During an adult female’s several month life span, she may produce more than 200 eggs.

Eggs hatch after six to ten days, subject to the temperature, and the newly hatched nymphs will begin to seek out food immediately, if it is available.  As with the adults, feeding occurs at night.  The insects use heat and carbon dioxide to locate their host.  For the bed bug nymph to develop, a blood meal is required prior to each molt.  Blood meals are also necessary for a female to produce each batch of eggs.

Under ideal conditions, bed bugs can mature to full size in around one and a half months, with an average adult life span of about nine months.  Cooler temperatures slow development and general bed bug activity begins to decrease with temperatures lower than 60°F.  However, bed bugs are fairly resistant to starvation and adults have been known to survive up to a year without feeding.  Nymphs can endure starvation for around three months.  When food is available, bed bugs can continue to develop and reproduce year round, producing three or four generations annually.

Bed bug treatment in the home frequently involves a profound degree of prep work.  This includes heat treating and bagging up of items in the infested area – items that can’t be treated with chemicals.

Bedding can be easily disinfested by laundering that includes a dryer cycle.  The high temperatures involved in drying are essential to successfully kill bed bugs, with exposure to temperatures of 120°F or greater for a few minutes typically being sufficient to kill all life stages.  Washing, cool drying and dry cleaning may not kill all life stages.

When stripping beds during a bed bug infestation, remove the bedding carefully so as not to dislodge eggs or drop eggs onto the floor where they are likely to  be missed by other treatments.  Bagging of bedding as it is moved to be laundered can prevent the accidental spread of bed bugs.  Wash all bedding and affected materials promptly, do not store in laundry area.

Disposal may be necessary for infested mattresses, box springs, couches and other furniture.  If this is done, proper disposal needs to be ensured.  Leaving such items on the street for disposal may cause them to be scavenged, which will spread the infestation to new locations.  It is also important to use great care when removing these  items so the bed bugs will not be knocked loose, causing other areas of the home to become infested.

Eradication of bed bugs in a home involves the use of powerful insecticides applied to all places where bed bugs are present.  These treatments have to directly contact the insects during application to be effective.  Bed bugs that come in contact with a treated surface but were not directly contacted with the insecticide during application may not be killed.  Also, currently available insecticides do not effectively kill bed bugs in egg stages.

Specialized equipment has been developed that can force high temperature, dry steam heat into areas where bed bugs are present.  This method of killing bed bugs is especially useful for the treatment of bed frames, mattresses and box springs where insecticide uses are limited.  This equipment is only available through professional pest control operations and requires experience for effective use.  In other words, if this is the method you want used in your home, contact a professional.

The field of plastic surgery has gown significantly over the last fifteen to twenty years and continues to grow as more people are seeking ways to achieve their ideal body image.  As a potential patient, how are you supposed to know what plastic surgeon to choose and what qualities are important?  As one would guess, it is considerably easier to get good results with a single good surgery than it is to be forced to undergo multiple procedures to fix the results of a botched plastic surgery.  And although liking your surgeon can help to some degree in choosing a plastic surgeon, there is more information to consider.

Following a few simple steps can likely help you to  avoid less trained surgeons and ensure that your procedure and recovery will go as well as possible:

• Check that your surgeon is well trained and certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  There are a number of “cosmetic surgeons” that claim to be certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.  However, the Board of Cosmetic Surgery is not officially recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties, and is therefore not an actual board.  Also, many of these surgeons are not plastic surgeons even though they claim to be able to perform plastic surgery.  The bottom line is you need to do a little research.
• Ask questions.  Ask specifics about what your surgeon was actually trained in.  Once again, there are many “cosmetic surgeons” that claim to have adequate experience in the field of plastic surgery.  Ask specific questions about their training, like what they trained in, where they trained, and the number of procedures in this area that they have carried out.
• Advise your plastic surgeon of any medications that you are currently taking, and provide your complete medical history.  This information is crucial prior to undergoing an procedure (no matter how minor).  The more information your surgeon has before the procedure, the better he or she will be able to foresee any potential risks.
• Check that the surgical facility is officially recognized and that there are licensed, skilled staff that will administer and monitor you before, during, and after your procedure.
• Lastly, make sure that you are comfortable with the surgeon and the staff.  Surgery can be frightening, so the more you know and the more comfortable you feel before,  the better you will feel after.

While good credentials cannot guarantee a positive outcome, they are an important step in the right direction.  To verify whether your plastic surgeon is board certified, contact the American Board of Plastic Surgery or visit their website at www.abpsurg.org.

A good plastic surgeon will talk with you, at length, about your goals and expectations prior to moving forward.  You can think of plastic surgery like a journey.  They begin a step forward and continue to a chosen end point.  Like a journey, you should know where you are going before you start.  Good outcomes are no accident and the careful choice of your plastic surgeon can make all the difference.

People can get scars from surgery, acne, or abrasions.  Unfortunately, most of these scars are unavoidable.  However. if you have a plan to fight the scars, you can usually lessen the severity of them.  Following these steps can help to greatly reduce the appearance of scars:

1. Talk with your physician about the best way to care for any wound and how likely the wound is to scar.  Knowing the best way to care for the wound will help it to heal better and faster, causing less scarring.

2. Allow your skin to breathe.  Skin will heal better if it can be exposed to the air, rather than covered in ointment or a bandage.  Once the wound has stopped bleeding, remove the bandages and let your skin breathe.

3. Cleanse the wound with an antibacterial soap to ensure that the wound stays as clean as possible and free of infection.

4. Apply a small amount of aloe vera to the affected area at least once per day as the wound is healing.  This will ensure that the damaged skin stays moisturized and healthy.

5. Once the wound has healed and there is a blemish left, rub vitamin E on the scar every night.  Vitamin E will help to soften the scar tissue and reduce inflammation, helping to flatten out the damaged skin.

6. Apply a light moisturizer containing sunscreen to the area in the morning.  Because scar tissue is made up of damaged skin, it is fragile and susceptible to sun damage.

7. After the skin has completely healed in the area of the wound, gently exfoliate the area.  Exfoliating helps to remove dead, discolored skin cells and allows the new healthy skin cells to show.

8. For a thick, raised scar, try putting silicone sheets on the scar.  The silicone encourages hydration of the skin, and softens the tissue, allowing the scar to fade faster.  For best results, it is necessary to wear a silicone sheet on the blemish for 12 to 24 hours per day for 12 weeks.  Improvement in appearance may appear in as few as 4 weeks, and reach optimal results in 12 weeks.

If you follow these steps, it is likely that you will be able to dramatically reduce the amount of discoloration and inflammation in your scars, allowing their appearance to blend in to the color and texture of your healthy skin.

Symptoms of the onset of hypothermia include feeling cold (especially in the hands and feet), shivering, the slurring of speech, and a loss of coordination and balance.  Follow these steps to clearly identify that what a person is suffering from is hypothermia, and what you need to do to treat it:

1. It is important to recognize that when serious hypothermia sets in, the shivering will stop.  The reason for this is that the person’s body has reached a point beyond which shivering can warm them.  This means that the person can’t get warm without assistance.

2. Pay attention to signs that the victim is behaving irrationally or angrily, is no longer able to stand, becomes very sleepy or appears to be dead.

3. To treat mild hypothermia, you need to find shelter and get the person changed into dry clothing.

4. If possible, get the person into a warm sleeping bag and give them hot and sweet drinks.  Stay away from tea and coffee, as they contain caffeine which can increase dehydration.

5. Fill hot water bottles, wrap them in clothing, so they will not burn the victim, and put them in the sleeping bag with the person.  This will help to raise the person’s core body temperature more quickly.

6. In cases of serious hypothermia, begin rescue breathing (one breath every five seconds, counting one-one thousand, two-one thousand, and so on between breaths).  Once the victim is again breathing, seek shelter and  follow steps 3 through 5 as outlined above.  Warming a person who has experienced severe hypothermia may take 24 hours or longer, so be prepared to wait to see a significant change in the person’s behavior.

7. Zip together two or more sleeping bags, and have warm, dry rescuers climb into the sleeping bag with the victim.  The body temperatures of the rescuers will also help to bring the core body temperature of the victim up more quickly.

8. Evacuate the victim by helicopter if possible, and have him or her transported to the nearest hospital for professional emergency medical attention.

You have done it, you saved your friend or family member’s life from the devastating effects of severe cold and hypothermia.

Deep vein thrombosis, also known as DVT, is a condition in which a blood clot, or thrombus, forms in one or more of the deep veins of the body, most frequently in the legs.  Deep vein thrombosis can cause pain in the legs, but it’s not uncommon to develop one or more clots without any symptoms.

Deep vein thrombosis can develop if you sit in one position for a long period of time, like when traveling by car or plane, or if you have a medical condition that affects the way your blood clots.

Deep vein thrombosis is a very serious medical condition because of the risk that the blood clot that developed in your vein could break free of the vein and be carried to your lungs.  When a blood clot travels to and becomes lodged in your lungs, this is known as a pulmonary embolism.  However, deep vein thromboses can disappear by themselves.

Symptoms of DVT:

In roughly half of all diagnosed cases, deep vein thrombosis occurs without any recognizable symptoms.  However, when signs and symptoms of a blood clot do occur, they can include the following:

• Redness and heat or a “hot spot” in the affected area
• Inflammation in the affected leg, including swelling and pitting edema in the foot and ankle
• Pain in the leg; this may also include pain in the foot and ankle.  The pain frequently starts in the calf and can feel like cramping of the muscles
• If a blood clot forms in the neck or an arm, there can be pain and swelling in those locations

When to seek medical attention:

If you develop symptoms of deep vein thrombosis, contact your doctor right away for guidance.

If you develop symptoms of a pulmonary embolism–a complication of DVT that can be life-threatening– you need to seek emergency medical attention.

The following are the symptoms of a pulmonary embolism:

• Severe chest pain that becomes worse when you cough or take a deep breath
• Coughing up blood
• Sudden unexplained onset of shortness of breath
• A sense of nervousness or anxiety
• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded, or fainting

Risk factors for developing deep vein thrombosis:

There are many factors that can dramatically increase your risk of developing deep vein thrombosis, here are a few:

• Inherited blood-clotting disorder.  Some people inherit a disorder that causes their blood to clot more easily than other people.  This inherited disorder is unlikely to cause problems unless  it is combined with one or more additional risk factors.
• Prolonged bed rest, like during a hospital stay or paralysis. When your legs remain still for prolonged amounts of time, your calf muscles do not contract to aid in the circulation of blood from the lower legs, this can lead to the formation of blood clots.
• Surgery or injury. Surgery or injury to your veins can slow the flow of blood, increasing the risk of forming blood clots.  Also general anesthetics used in surgery can cause your veins to dilate, which can increase the risk of blood pooling in the veins and then clotting.
• Pregnancy. Pregnancy increases the pressure in the veins of the pelvis and legs.  Women with an inherited clotting disorder are particularly at risk.  The risk of blood clots from pregnancy can continue for as long as six weeks after delivering your baby.
• Smoking.  Smoking affects circulation and blood clotting, which can increase your risk of forming blood clots.
• Sitting  for lengthy amounts of time, like when flying or driving. When your legs remain relatively stationary for long periods of time, your calf muscles don’t contract, which typically aids in the circulation of blood.  Although sitting for long lengths of time is a risk factor, the chance of developing DVT while driving or flying is relatively slim.
• Birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. Oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy can both increase your blood’s ability to clot.

Diagnosis of DVT:

In order to diagnose deep vein thrombosis, your doctor will ask you a series of questions about your symptoms.  He or she will also conduct a physical exam to look for any areas of swelling, discoloration of the skin, or tenderness.  If your doctor thinks that it is possible that you may have a blood clot, you may be requested to undergo further testing.  Some of the tests used to clearly determine the presence of absence of a blood clot include:

• An ultrasound of the affected body part, be it leg, arm, or neck.
• CT or MRI scan of the affected body part.
• Blood test for an increased level of a clot-dissolving substance called D dimer
• Venography which involves injecting a dye into a large vein in the foot or ankle, so that X-rays can be taken of the veins.

Treatments:

The purpose of treatment for deep vein thrombosis is to stop the blood clot from getting any larger, prevent the clot from breaking loose and causing a pulmonary embolism, and to prevent the deep vein thrombosis from reoccurring.  Your doctor will advise you on the appropriate treatment steps for you to take based on your complete medical history.

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to get in shape and/or to lose weight.  Here are some ways to begin a workout process that you can stick to regardless of your fitness level:

1.  Set a fitness goal. The most important part of this process is to allow yourself enough time to reach your goal.  You can’t realistically plan to lose 100 pounds in two months, that would just set yourself up for failure.  Feeling like you have failed is the main reason that people give up on their fitness goals.  Make sure to set some smaller goals along the way, so you can feel a sense of accomplishment as you conquer some of the smaller goals on a regular basis.  Some examples of small goals could include doing 20 push ups, or riding the elliptical machine for five more minutes.

2.  Devise a workout plan. You should try to plan for at least three 40-minute workouts per week at scheduled times.  If you are not physically able to work out for 40-minutes, do not allow yourself to get discouraged, simply workout for as long as you are able.  The more you exercise the stronger you will become, and your endurance will build.  It is also good to vary your workouts, like playing softball with friends one day, and going hiking in the mountains another.  Variation in workout routines will help to keep you interested and excited about getting exercise, as well as making it fun.

3.  Do a reality check. It is extremely important to be honest with yourself about your fitness level.  The process of getting in shape is a personal journey the requires realistic self-perspective; many people who are wanting to lose weight and get into shape are overly ambitious and set goals or workout plans that are well beyond their fitness level, and when they fail, they give up.  It is far more important to take it slow, maintain your focus on improving your health, and paying attention to the progress you make, instead of dwelling on the fact that you did not accomplish your goal the very first day.

4.  Find a workout buddy. You are more likely to actually keep your scheduled workout session if you know a friend is waiting for you.  Seek out a partner who enjoys the same type of exercises that you do and who has a encouraging “You can do it” attitude.  Your joint workout could be taking a Pilates class or going for a 2-mile walk first thing in the morning.  The most important thing is to get your blood pumping and your body moving.

5.  Eat right. You will get more from your workouts if you are using the best foods to fuel your body.  Of course, the healthier you are eating, the more likely you are to lose weight.  You should incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean proteins into your diet.  Drinking plenty of water is also key to keeping your body energized and well-hydrated.  On the days that you do not work out, you should consume  a minimum of six glasses of water, and more on the days that you do workout.

The most important thing to remember is not to feel defeated, you need to continue exercising even if you are not able to accomplish as much as you hoped right away.  You will eventually get there; you’ll start to feel healthier, and have a sense of pride in your commitment to your health.

Stretch marks are an unfortunate and often unavoidable effect of rapid weight gain, loss,  or pregnancy for some people.  Many people feel very self conscious about their stretch marks, and wish to reduce their appearance or eliminate them if at all possible.  If you follow these steps, you will be able to reduce your stretch marks:

1. Gently brush your skin in the shower with a skin brush or loofah to increase circulation to the location of your stretch marks.

2. Once you get out of the shower and have toweled off, rub vitamin E oil into your stretch marks.

3. Follow this by rubbing cocoa butter into the stretch marks.  This can be done after a shower and before going to bed to help increase the elasticity of the stretched skin.

4. Consult with your general physician or dermatologist about using tretinoin cream on stretch marks.  Tretinoin cream is only available by prescription.

5. Eat foods that are rich in vitamins A, E, and C, or take vitamins to supplement your diet.  Women who are pregnant should avoid taking any more than 25,000 IU of vitamin A.  It is recommended to discuss any changes in diet or supplements with a health care professional.

6. Add foods that are rich in zinc to your diet (foods like oysters, wheat germ, roast beef, pumpkin or squash seeds, cocoa powder and chocolate, and peanuts).  Zinc supplements are also a viable option.  Zinc is good for the skin.  Silica is also good for the skin, as it aids in the production of collagen, which are the supporting fibers in the skin.  Foods that are rich in silica include cereals, especially oats and rice, cucumbers, asparagus, onions, lettuce cabbage, potatoes, sunflower seeds, and strawberries.

7. You should also eat foods that contain essential fatty acids, which aid in the building of cell walls.  Essential fatty acids, like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, can be found in vegetables, vegetable oils, fish oils.

Following these steps over a period of several months should help to reduce your stretch marks, as well as improve the overall look, health, and feel of your skin.

Tooth grinding (also known as bruxism) is frequently linked to stress or an unconscious attempt to smooth out an uneven bite.  Grinding causes excessive wear on teeth and can even cause teeth to break. Tooth grinding is one of the leading causes of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ disorders or TMD).  The temporomandibular joint is the joint that attaches the lower jaw (the mandible) to the temporal bone of the skull.  The grinding of the teeth exerts a great deal of pressure on the TMJ joint and can cause pain in the face, temples, neck and shoulders; a limited ability to open the mouth very wide; jaws that get “stuck” in either the open or closed position; difficulty chewing.

Here are the steps to take in order to stop grinding your teeth while you are sleeping:

1. Schedule an appointment with your dentist, who will make a custom-fit mouthpiece for you to wear when you go to bed.  The mouthpiece will hault any further damage to your teeth, as well as reduce your tendency to grind.

2. Request that your dentist file down any “high spots” in your teeth that interfere with a comfortably aligned bite.  This will reduce your desire to grind caused by discomfort in the way your teeth fit together.

3. Press a warm, damp cloth on your face in the area of the jaw joints for at least 10 minutes prior to going to bed.  This will aid in claming the muscles of the jaw and relaxing you, in general.

4. Make an effort to relax and unwind from the stress and tensions of the day by stretching, meditating, taking a hot bath, or any other activity that makes you feel relaxed.

5. Reduce you consumption of caffeine and alcohol, as these have been linked to an increase in  bruxism.

6. Learn to manage your stress more effectively.  This can be done by learning relaxation techniques and taking stress-management classes.

Protecting your teeth from bruxism is important not only for the health of your teeth and mouth, it is important for prtecting your ability to talk and eat without discomfort.  If you wake with headaches, jaw pain, ear pain, or you teeth appear ground down or misaligned, promptly schedule an appointment with your dentist.  Protecting your teeth early will ensure that you are able to keep them as long as possible.

At the end of a long day, everyone enjoys soaking in a warm bath that is filled with bubbles and soothing fragrances.  Somehow, all of the challenges of the day seem to just melt away.  You can make these bath treats for yourself, or make large batches of these homemade bath products and give them away as homemade holiday or birthday gifts.  Here’s how you can create some of these decadent bath treats for yourself:

Relaxing Chamomile and Lavender Bubble Bath:

• 8 cups distilled water

• 8 ounces castile soap, grated (can be found on the internet or in health food stores)

• 3/4 cup liquid glycerine soap ( can be purchased from craft stores, health food stores, or on line)

• 1 teaspoon chamomile essential oil

• 1 teaspoon lavender essential oil

Combine all of the ingredients and pour into a beautiful glass or plastic bottle with a lid.  Attractive bottles can be purchased at most local craft stores for reasonable prices.

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The next recipe is for a beautiful smelling body scrub that will make your skin soft and radiant.  This scrub can be used to exfoliate your entire body, making your skin look and feel years younger.

Exfoliating Vanilla Sugar Body Scrub

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Combine all of the ingredients, and stir until thoroughly incorporated.  Pour the finished body scrub into clean, dry jars for storage.  Fancy jars can be purchased for a reasonable price at most local craft stores.

These two recipes for decadent bath treats can be put into attractive containers and given as custom homemade gifts to your friends who like to relax occasionally in a warm bath.  These are slightly unique gift ideas that can easily be adjusted to suit the likes of your friends.  For example, the vanilla sugar body scrub could easily be changed to almond sugar body scrub, by replacing the vanilla extract with almond extract.  The chamomile lavender bubble bath could also be modified by changing the chamomile and lavender essential oils for peppermint, rose, or any other fragrance that your friend likes.

These recipes are also a great way to pamper yourself after a long day or a stressful week.  They do not have to be used exclusively as gifts for other people, they can also be gifts that you give to yourself.

People spend hundreds of dollars per year on perfumes and colognes, but what if you could create your own custom scent?  You do not have to be a celebrity to have your own customized fragrance, you can make it at home.  Perfume is not nearly as difficult to make as you probably think.  Handmade fragrances also make creative and unique gifts for friends and family.

To create your own customized fragrance, just follow these simple steps:

1. Select essential oils to create the fragrance that you like.  You will need several different essential oils to be your perfume’s top, middle, and high notes.  You will also need a fourth essential oil to act as a binder for the other three oils.  The base note fragrance is the strongest and the most long-lasting, whereas the top note fragrance is the lightest and the first to dissipate.  When you are choosing the essential oils for your custom fragrance, you can use as many or as few as you like, but the use of three separate layers of fragrance combined with a binder is the typically accepted formulation for creating a perfume.

2. Place 8 drops of the base-note essential oil, then 8 drops of the middle-note essential oil, and lastly, 8 drops of the top-note essential oil into 2.5 fl oz. (or 75ml) of vodka.  Basically, your fragrance should  match the following ratios:  70-80 percent pure grain alcohol  (vodka is generally the best choice), 15-30 percent essential oils, and 5 percent distilled water.

3. Add several drops of the binding essential oil to the perfume mixture, if your essential oil selection does not already include a binding fragrance.

4. Allow the mixture to set for at least 24 hours.  The longer the fragrance is allowed to set, the stronger the fragrance will become.  Allow the perfume to set for as long as is necessary to produce the ideal combined fragrance of the essential oils.

5. Once the mixture achieves the desired combined fragrance, add 2 tablespoons of distilled water to the alcohol and essential oil mixture.  Mix well.

6. Add several drops of glycerine as a fixative to increase the staying power of the fragrance.  Mix well.

7. Before the mixture is able to separate, pour the perfume into a pretty perfume bottle through a coffee filter.  The coffee filter will act as a strainer to remove any particles left behind from the oils and extraction process.

There you have it, easy as pie, you have made your very own unique fragrance.  You can use the same essential oils to make fragrances for your friends, or you can create unique fragrance just for them by changing the essential oils you use.  This is not only a great way to customize your own scent, it is a fun and creative idea for gifts to your friends and family.