FitSugar

Dog Days of Summer: Keep Pets Out of the Trash!

PetSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:45:31 PDT

Keep the trash safe from your nosy pets! In addition to the obvious dangers of cleaning product poisons or choking hazards, the bacteria and molds found in rotting foods can seriously endanger your furry friends . . . they can't distinguish between spoiled and fresh yums!

The millions of bacteria found in your old take-out or spoiled meat can lead to food poisoning and inflammation or bloating of the intestinal tract and abdomen (bacterial enteritis). What's more other foods like cheese, nuts, and pasta are ripe environments for a variety of molds that can produce the scary-sounding tremorgenic mycotoxins, substances that cause symptoms similar to snail bait or strychnine poisoning. If your pup has ingested these metabolites, look out for muscle tremors, spasms, seizures, and elevated temperature – it can require overnight hospital care so bring a pet to a vet if you suspect it!

Even if your trash is safely contained, learn one more risky spot pets can find these threats when you

read more. The fungi, molds, and bacteria that grow in garbage and compost can also be found in weathering fruit on the ground – so if you've got a fruit-baring tree nearby, don't let your pets eat the fallen fruit! Source

Prevent Swimmer's Ear

FitSugar — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 17:15:00 PDT

Your ears are pretty remarkable. Their unique design helps to tip water out of your ear canal, so you can usually bathe, shower, swim, and even walk in the rain with no problems. The ear canal is also acidic which prevents against bacterial and fungal infections.

However, if your ear is exposed to excess moisture (like if you're swimming a lot), the water can stay trapped in your ear canal. This skin can then get soggy and break down, diluting the acidity and allowing bacteria or fungi to penetrate through the skin, causing an infection called swimmer's ear.

The weird thing is that you don't have to swim to get swimmer's ear. Anything that causes a break in the skin of your ear canal will cause this infection - that's why cleaning your ear with a cotton swab is NOT recommended - if you damage the skin, you could risk getting swimmer's ear.

What are the symptoms? PAIN! The ear may also feel itchy or full. The outer ear may turn red or get swollen, and the lymph nodes around the ear may become enlarged and tender. There may be discharge - clear at first, but then turn cloudy, yellowish, and pus-like. Hearing, understandably, is affected as well.

Fun stuff, huh? So what do you do if you have swimmer's ear? To find out,

read more If your infection is severe, your doctor will prescribe drops that contain antibiotics for 7-10 days to fight the infection, and steroids to reduce swelling. Oral meds like ibuprofen or aspirin may also be suggested to help reduce the pain. Fit's Tips: To prevent this painful infection during the summer, as soon as you're done swimming, shake your head to one side and then the other to get excess water out of your ear. OTC drops that contain a dilute solution of acetic acid or alcohol can also help dry up your ear canal. If you or your child is prone to swimmer's ear, wearing ear plugs may also be a good option. Source

Test Your Knowledge: Athlete's Foot and Pools

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 11:00:00 PDT

Athlete's foot is no fun. Initially it causes the skin on your feet to peel, blister or turn red. Over time, the infection can cause the tissue on your feet to breakdown, soften, become soggy, itch, and have a foul odor. Gross, I know.

Source

You want to do all you can to prevent getting athlete's foot, so let's test your knowledge.

In Season: Morels

Susannah Chen — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:56:08 PDT

Spring produce may bring to mind images of asparagus and artichokes, but there are plenty of lesser known vernal veggies that are just as amazing as their popular counterparts. Take morel mushrooms. Come Spring, these fungi appear at the edges of forested areas, marked by conical caps and beautifully shirred crevices. A nutty aroma and meaty texture mean they're likely the most prized mushrooms in the Western world, overshadowed only by truffles. But beware: these fragile fruits, which grow in the wild, are difficult to find, expensive to obtain, and highly perishable. How to work around these challenges, when you read more.

Athlete's Foot Begone: Tips on Treatment and Prevention

FitSugar — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:01:11 PDT

If you work out often, you might have experienced the itching and burning sensation caused by athlete's foot. A fungus-caused infection that can show up in between toes or heels of the feet, athlete's foot is very common and reoccurring, especially if you sweat a lot and wear closed-toed shoes often. Here are eight things you can do to prevent and treat an itchy case of athlete's foot.

Athlete's foot is contagious, so avoid sharing or borrowing socks, shoes, or stockings.
Always wear flip-flops while walking around the locker room, pool, or when showering at the gym.
Wash your feet every day with an antibacterial soap, and be sure to dry your toes thoroughly. Excess moisture between your toes can cause athlete's foot.
Change into clean socks every day, and alternate the shoes you wear throughout the week so they have time to dry out completely before you wear them again.

Stinky Strands: How to Get Rid of Smelly Summer Hair

Jaime Richards — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:05:31 PDT

Much as it stinks to say it, sometimes hair can smell not-so-fresh. "The more oily your hair, the more prone it is to picking up environmental pollutants, such as smoke, cooking odors, and other strong scents, that will make it smell," Glenn Lyons of the Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic explained to the Daily Mail. And while the cause of smelly hair can be attributed to many factors - from actually having dirty hair to fungus infections to changes in hormone levels - there are a few ways you can get your hair smelling sweet this Summer. Find out various ways you can take the stench out of your strands when you read more.

A Simple Solution For Swimmer's Ear

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:00:00 PDT

It seems that even simple Summer fun comes with risks, and if you're cooling off in the pool this season, you're at risk for swimmer's ear. When your ear is exposed to excess moisture, whether from swimming or bathing, water can become trapped in your ear canal.

The delicate skin inside your ear can then become soggy and begin to break down. When this happens, water dilutes the acidity of the ear canal, allowing bacteria or fungi to penetrate the skin, causing a painful infection. And according to otolaryngologist Dr. Barbara Schultz, it can happen to anyone. Fortunately, swimmer's ear is easy to prevent.

Learn how to make your own preventive ear drops when you

read more. The infection that causes pain, tenderness, ringing, and itchiness in your ear is often treated with antibiotics, but you can take an inexpensive preventive measure. Schultz recommends putting drops in your ears at the end of your day in the water to restore the healthy pH balance of your ear canal. There are over-the-counter ear drops, costing around $3, or you can make your own simple solution. Mix equal parts white vinegar with rubbing alcohol to use as drops. Don't be tempted to stick a Q-tip in your ear to remove the water, as that can irritate and puncture the skin lining your ear canal and set the stage for an infection.