| How to Relieve Itching from Chickenpox Posted: 04 Sep 2016 05:00 PM PDT Chickenpox is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. The infection spreads easily and people of all ages can get it. Red spots appear on your skin and take about one to two days to go through the stages of blistering, bursting, drying, and crusting. The trademark pox or blisters of the illness can make your skin extremely itchy. Learn how to care for your itchy skin and what medications to take so that you can soothe your skin until you recover in about a week or 10 days.[1] EditCaring For Your Skin - Resist the urge to scratch your skin. Chickenpox can be very itchy and the severity of the rash varies from person to person.[2][3][4] Your scratching starts a scratch-itch cycle that will never end. This constant scratching may result in significant scarring after your blisters have healed.[5]
- Scientists have shown that a mild amount of pain is produced when you scratch. This interferes with the itch sensation for just a moment. It only provides temporary relief because the mild pain signal from the scratching causes your brain to release serotonin, a neurotransmitter. Serotonin, which carries signals between nerve cells in your brain and spinal cord, makes you feel the itch sensation more intensely. This is the start of an unending scratch-itch cycle because you start scratching to relieve this itching.[6]
- If you or your young child cannot stop scratching, trying putting gloves, mittens, or socks on your hands. This can be especially useful during the night when you are sleeping and less able to resist the impulse to scratch.[7][8]
- Soothe your itchy skin with something cool. You can apply a cold compress or a towel-covered ice pack to the itchy areas for 20 to 30 minutes.[9]
- Wet a washcloth or small towel with cold water to make the cold compress. You can purchase an ice pack from the store or put ice cubes in a disposable, plastic freezer bag. You want to wrap the ice pack with a towel to prevent your skin from getting too cold which could cause you pain.[10]
- The cold compress and ice pack soothe the itching because the nerves that sense you have something cool/cold on your skin send signals that block the itching sensation.[11]
- Take a lukewarm bath every several hours. Take a bath every three to four hours for the first several days after the red spots and blisters form on your skin. You can take a plain bath or add baking soda, cornstarch, or oatmeal to the water.[12][13][14]
- During one of the baths, clean your skin with a gentle soap. It is not realistic to think that children, especially younger ones, will tolerate having to take such frequent baths. You can try applying frequent cold compresses instead.[15]
- Add about four tablespoons of the baking soda, cornstarch, or dry, uncooked oatmeal to your bath water. You can use colloidal oatmeal, which is finely ground and made for the purpose of putting it in bath water. The baking soda, colloidal oatmeal, and cornstarch should dissolve well in the bath water. But, you may want to fill a nylon stocking with the dry oatmeal, tie a knot at the end, and throw it in the tub so that you will not have loose oats floating around the tub or clogging your drain.[16][17]
- Studies have shown that oatmeal is a cleanser and moisturizer. It also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which makes it great for treating your itchy skin.[18]
- Pamper your itchy skin and avoid irritating things. Use a mild soap when you wash your skin and your clothing. When you dry off after your bath or shower, pat yourself dry and do not rub your itchy skin.[19][20]
- Use a soap and laundry detergent that is dye-free and fragrance-free to prevent further skin irritation.[21]
- Moisturize your skin with a fragrance-free lotion after taking your bath or shower. A lotion like Aveeno has colloidal oatmeal in it and is a good choice. You should aim to moisturize your skin once or twice every day. Do not apply perfumes, cosmetics, or any other skin products to your skin.[22]
- If you have blisters around your mouth, it may be painful to eat and drink. Pamper this area by eating foods which are cool, soft, and bland, like Popsicles, lukewarm oatmeal, or lukewarm soup. Definitely avoid food that is spicy, salty, or acidic.[23][24]
- Baby your skin with cotton or silk. Make sure you dress comfortably in soft, loose-fitting clothing. Make your bed more comfortable by using only soft bedclothes. You want to avoid any material which creates friction or feels rough when it rubs up against your itchy skin.[25][26]
- Silk and 100% cotton are soft and smooth unlike rough materials like wool or gabardine which should be avoided.[27]
- Keep your nails trimmed and clean. You want to have short nails and clean hands just in case you cannot resist the urge to scratch. Your scratching can lead to a skin infection in your open blisters because of the bacteria under your nails and on your skin.[28][29]
- You do not want to add to your discomfort by causing a skin infection. Dirt and bacteria is less likely to get under your shorter nails. Wash your hands frequently with lukewarm water and a mild soap. You will keep your skin clean with a daily bath or shower.[30]
EditUsing Medications to Relieve Itching - Use calamine lotion on your itchy areas. Calamine lotion contains mostly zinc oxide which is good for treating skin irritation and itchiness. It is safe for all ages but avoid applying the lotion around the eyes and mouth.[31][32][33]
- Shake the bottle of calamine lotion and squirt some onto a cotton ball. Use the cotton ball to spread the lotion gently over the itchy areas. Allow the lotion to dry and feel it begin to soothe your skin. Re-apply the lotion as often as you need.[34]
- Stick to calamine lotion and do not use a hydrocortisone cream on your blisters. The purpose of this medication is to lessen your immune response to the viral infection and it may lessen the itching, but the medication also could interfere with how well your blisters heal.[35]
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should not use calamine lotion or any medication without first checking with your doctor.[36]
- Take an over-the-counter antihistamine. Histamine is a protein and one of its effects is to cause skin itchiness. Antihistamines help you feel better by blocking this effect in your body.[37][38][39]
- Antihistamines block the receptors or places in the body where histamine attach. This can make your skin feel less itchy.[40]
- Examples of over-the-counter antihistamines you can get without a doctor's prescription are diphenhydramine (Benadryl), loratadine (Claritin), and cetirizine (Zyrtec). Do not take any medication or give it to your child without first talking to your healthcare provider.[41]
- Do not use lotions containing diphenhydramine (Benadryl). When this antihistamine is in its topical form, it can be absorbed erratically through your open blisters. Drug levels in your blood could become too high.[42]
- You could experience side effects like dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.[43]
- Treat your fever and pain. Your itchy skin may be hard to soothe, but you can get relief from a fever or any pain you may be having. Use acetaminophen (Tylenol) or any other over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil). Never use aspirin while you are sick with chickenpox.[44][45]
- Use the NSAIDs with caution. According to a few studies, there is a very small chance you could develop serious inflammation of the skin if you use NSAIDs while you have chickenpox.[46][47]
- Research has shown that you could develop Reye's Syndrome if you use aspirin (a salicylate compound) to treat your symptoms from a viral infection like chickenpox. This serious and life-threatening disease can affect your liver and brain. The syndrome is most likely to develop as you begin to recover from the chickenpox. You suddenly will become symptomatic and experience drowsiness, loss of energy, personality changes like irritability or combativeness and confusion as a late symptom. No one should take aspirin while she is sick with chickenpox, but young people under the age of 22 are at high risk for developing the syndrome.[48][49]
- See if your doctor can help. Antiviral medications will not cure the infection, but they may decrease the intensity of symptoms like itchy skin. If your scratching has led to a bacterial skin infection, your doctor may need to prescribe you an antibiotic.[50]
 - The bacterial skin infection around your open blisters could cause your itchy skin to get worse. Call your doctor immediately if you have a fever associated with areas of skin that are very warm, red, tender or draining pus. Taking an antibiotic can help you to feel better sooner.[51][52]
- If you are one of the people at risk for more serious disease, you must go to your doctor's office and be examined to see if she will prescribe an antiviral like acyclovir, valacyclovir, or famciclovir. People at higher risk are healthy people older than 12 years of age, infants three months or younger, people with chronic skin or lung disease, people receiving steroid therapy, people with weakened immune systems, and some groups of pregnant women.[53][54]
- If your child is older than three months and younger than 13 years, he does not have to be seen by a doctor unless he is becoming more and more symptomatic.[55]
- Call to make a doctor's appointment if you develop symptoms like a fever lasting longer than four days, a fever that rises above 102°F (38.9 °C), extreme illness, difficult waking up or confusion, demeanor changes, difficulty walking, stiff neck, frequent vomiting, difficulty breathing, or a severe cough.[56] Your doctor will decide what type of medication and/or treatment you need.
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| How to Remove a Bug from Your Ear Posted: 04 Sep 2016 09:00 AM PDT A bug in an ear can be quite scary. Bugs, such as moths, cockroaches, ladybugs, and beetles, can crawl into ears while you sleep or during outdoor activities. [1] Entomologists suspect that bugs crawl into ear canals to keep warm or keep safe. Whatever the reason, a bug in the ear is no fun. You will need to remove the insect to avoid hearing loss, ear damage, and infection. EditPreparing For Removal - Identify if you have a bug in your ear. Your ears can be sensitive for many reasons. They can be tender because of allergies or weather changes. If you have a bug in your ear, you may experience pain, swelling, blood, and crackling. You may even feel biting or stinging. [2] You may also experience hearing loss or dizziness.
- Stay calm! While a bug in the ear may be scary, it is best to stay calm in this situation. Being too active may lodge the bug further in your ear or cause it to crawl further back, or cause damage to the sensitive inner ear or eardrum.
- Avoid using tools in your ear. You do not want to jam the bug further in your ear or risk accidentally hurting yourself further. There are a lot of nerve endings in the ear. You can damage these nerves by using tools such as cotton swabs or tweezers. Do not try and pry the bug out. [3]
- Locate the bug. If the bug has crawled all the way against your eardrum, you may want to consider a trip to your doctor to remove it. Have someone shine a flashlight or a lighted magnifying glass in your ear to attempt to locate and identify the creature. This can help to diagnose the bugs location as well as the type of bug.
- Get into a comfortable position. To set up for removal, you want to get into a comfortable position. This might be sitting somewhere comfortable with your head tilted to the side so that you or a friend can easily access the ear. You might find it comfortable to lay on your side with your ear facing the ceiling.
EditRemoving the Bug - Wiggle your ears. One way to try to remove a bug in your ear is to use gravity. Tilt your ear toward the ground and attempt to wiggle your ear. Grasp the pinna (outside of the ear) and give it a wiggle. [4] If the bug is not too far into your ear canal, it may fall out on its own.
- Let the bug make its way out on its own. If the bug is still alive and is not too far inside of the ear canal, it may simply come out on its own. If you stay calm and keep objects (like fingers) away from your ears, there is a chance that the bug will find its way back out of your ear.
- Flush the ear with warm water with a dropper or a bulb syringe. Hold your head upright and stretch the ear canal by pulling the outer ear. Put a steady stream of warm water into your ear. Tilt your head to the side to drain out your ear. [5] Do not irrigate your ear if you think your ear drum has been ruptured to avoid causing additional damage.
- Use mineral oil to kill the bug. Use a drop or two of mineral, baby, or olive oil inside your ear canal to kill the insect. This can help you to avoid stinging or eardrum rupture from scratching or biting. [6]
- Go to a doctor for suction. A doctor or medical professional can use a special suction device, commonly used to remove ear wax, to attempt to remove the bug. This may be dangerous to try on your own, so make sure you visit an emergency room or urgent care clinic an allow a professional to remove the bug for you.
EditRecovering From Bug Removal - Inspect the bug for missing parts. Make sure that you have removed the entire bug from your ear. If you missed any parts, it may cause further problems such as an ear infection. Carefully inspect whatever objects you remove from your ears.
- Take it easy. Removing a live animal from your ear is a stressful procedure. Flushing or suctioning your ears may also cause slight dizziness due to stress on the middle ear. Avoid standing up too quickly and strenuous exercise for at least a day after the procedure.
- Watch for signs of infection. The bug may have caused damage in your ear before it was completely removed[7]. Signs of an ear infection include swelling, dizziness, hearing loss, fever, and pain. [8]
- Follow up with a doctor. If you are unsure if you have removed all of the insect, or you are worried about infection, make an appointment with your family physician to make sure you are completely healthy. They may refer you to a Otolaryngologist, an ear specialist, for follow up diagnostics.
- Never try to remove an insect with tweezers, bobby pins, cotton swabs or any other object. This will only lodge the insect deeper in the ear canal, making removal even more difficult. It can also damage the eardrum leading to permanent hearing loss.
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| How to Pose for Pictures Posted: 04 Sep 2016 01:00 AM PDT Do you ever find yourself not knowing how to pose for pictures? Whether you are taking the portrait or posing for it, knowing a few tricks can greatly improve your photographs. Learn how your body angle, camera position, and light can all affect your portraits. EditPosing the Face - Angle your face. It is best to avoid taking a photo of the face straight-on. This allows for no shadows, which makes the face look wider and adds the extra "ten pounds" cameras are known for.
- Angle your face slightly away from the camera, so that shadows are created along the cheekbones and the nose.
- Tilt your chin down. Having a high chin looks unnatural, but also positions the camera to look up the your nose. Try extending your chin, too. Or think about bringing your ears forward as you pose. This helps avoid a double chin and creates a line below the jaw.[1]
- Avoid severe angles. Move you head comfortably, so that your pose does not look forced.
- Focus on the eyes. The camera should literally be focused on the eyes, but the composition of the portrait should also draw the viewer to your eyes as well.
- Keep your eyes wide open, without looking scared. Avoid droopy eyelids which give a sleepy appearance.
- If you want to look to the side, avoid looking fully away from the camera. This will close the eyes more and make mostly only the whites visible. Instead, look to the side only slightly off-center. Have the nose follow the eyes.[2]
- The eyebrows are equally as important as the eyes in conveying emotion, so make sure that both are relaxed and match what they are expressing.
- Keep your eyes closed for the few seconds before the photo is taken, to help avoid blinking mid-shot.
- Choose your camera position. Because the focus of portraits is the face, the camera should be positioned in such a way as to accentuate it. Higher camera positions are most flattering, though eye-level works well for most situations.
- For the most natural photo, have the camera shooting at eye-level.
- To convey power or dominance, shoot with the camera slightly below eye-level looking up.
- Position the camera slightly from above to create a slimming effect and a stronger jaw line.[3]
- Use a natural smile. Nothing can ruin a photo faster than a fake smile. Forced emotion will make the photo look just that - forced. Ignore your possible insecurities and smile naturally.
- Always smile with your teeth. People with crooked, yellowed, or somehow imperfect teeth can have the tendency to want to try to smile with their mouths closed to cover them up. Don't do this - natural smiles always show teeth. For your portrait to look real, bare your teeth a bit, even if only through parted lips.
- When possible, have someone make you laugh. Real laughter produces some of the most beautiful photos and keeps you from having to think about your smile.
- Wet your lips before smiling, either by licking them or applying lip balm. This will prevent any unsightly cracks and will add a little more light to your face.[4]
EditPosing the Body - Angle your body. Taking a photo straight-on will add weight and make you appear disproportionate. Instead, turn at a ⅔ angle to give a slimming appearance to your body. Twist the shoulders away from the camera.[5]
- Don't slouch, make sure that your shoulders are back. Good posture will make you appear taller and thinner.
- Focus on your thinnest parts. If you have a small waist, angle the camera to show off how small it is. If your legs are your best feature, then turn in such a way as to accentuate them. Make sure not to add bulk to the midsection by keeping your arm close to your torso. Instead, place your arm in a way that gives space between your waist and arm. Your photographer should be able to direct you.[6]
- Pose in diagonal lines. This means that you position your body so that your arms, legs, and torso avoid being directly vertical.
- Get your correct footing. Don't keep both your feet straight forward, as this will stiffen the rest of your body and make you look less comfortable.
- Try angling one foot away from the other at about 90 degrees.
- Place one foot on a taller surface to create depth to the shot.
- Lean your weight on one foot. For females, shift your weight onto your back foot. This can help give you a flattering angle. For males, shift your weight onto your front foot to give you a more masculine pose.[7]
- Find a place for your hands. It may seem easiest to let your hands hang at your sides, but this can give a lifeless look to a photo. Instead, try different ways of posing your hands. Think about your arms, too. Guys who want larger arms may want to keep them closer to their bodies, while women who want thinner arms should make sure the arms are away from the body.[8]
 - Create movement with your hands as you put them into the position instead of just placing the hand. Placing the hand through movement helps create a more natural pose.[9]
- Have your hands near your pockets. Pockets act as a natural resting stop for our hands, so pose with them resting over or slightly inserted into your pockets. For males, slipping your hand inside your pocket creates a nice pose.[10]
- Put one hand on your hip. This pose is primarily used for women, but works wonder for highlighting your waist - the thinnest part of your body. It also helps avoid making your arm appear larger.[11]
- Always bend your fingers and wrists. You will rarely stand or sit without either of these things occurring naturally, so recreate them in your photos. Guys can pose like they're holding small rocks, while girls can pose with longer, elegantly curved hands.[12]
- Avoid having your hands open near your face. They are roughly the same size, and will make you seem out of proportion. If you keep your hands next to your face, close them slightly or tuck them partially in your hair.[13]
- Avoid clasping your hands. Holding your own hand doesn't seem natural unless you are in a sitting position.[14]
- Move your legs. As with all posing, avoid stiffness. Keeping your legs relaxed and bent will make a photo feel more natural. Try crossing your legs at the ankles or calves if you are female.[15] For males, try spreading your legs slightly.
- Bend one knee slightly and place it in front of the other to make your legs appear thinner.
- Avoid too wide of a stance, as this will look posed and unnatural. A wide stance can also show aggression, which is typically something to steer clear from in photos.
- Shooting the photo with the camera from below will give the illusion of very long legs, a definite plus if you happen to be on the shorter side.[16]
- Relax your shoulders. Stiff shoulders can throw off the movement of the rest of your body. Your shoulders should never be directly facing the camera, but should always be turned at an angle.
- Try shooting a photo from behind the shoulders, with your head turned back. This is an interesting new perspective and can make your body seem smaller.
- Placing your shoulders on different planes can add depth to your photo. If you can manage, drop one shoulder so it is comfortably lower than the other.[17]
- Add movement to your joints. The saying for portraits goes, "if it can bend, bend it." Bent joints are more natural looking than stiff ones. This includes your elbows, wrists, knees, hips, and ankles.[18]
EditPosing for a Self Portrait - Focus on your assets. Because you are posing alone, you don't have to worry about the way anyone else looks in your photo. Pose in such a way as to accentuate the best that you have to offer.
- Get creative. Instead of a standard portrait, take photos that are idiosyncratic. There is no need for you to take a photo that looks just like the ones all your friends take. Instead, find a pose, background, lighting, or outfit that helps you to stand out as an individual.
- Take a self portrait while doing something you love. Whether that be playing a sport, reading a book, or walking through nature, find something that people can identify as being something you enjoy.
- Dress for your photos so that you can show off your unique style.
- Feel free to use props to make your photo unique, but be careful of looking like you are acting with them.[19]
- Consider candids. Candid photos catch you while you are doing something naturally, rather than being entirely posed. Although the best candids are taken while you are unaware of the photographer, good candids can be recreated through posing.
EditPosing for Couples or Group Photos - Keep things natural. The same rules apply to couples shots as with individual. If you are posing with someone else, try to avoid stiffness and inequality between the two of you. Make sure you and anyone else in the photo is acting equally relaxed so that no one stands out with an unnatural pose.
- Don't take photos head on, make sure to angle your body.[20]
- Use different poses. Instead of having a group of people all mimicking the same pose, allow everyone to stand comfortably in their own way or pose each person differently.
- Having everyone pose differently gives the photo a natural look. It also helps avoid someone standing out as the best or worst if everyone is posing the same way.[21]
- Use different angles. The tendency for group photos is to take them all from the front and center. Instead, try taking group and couples photos from different sides and directions to place the focus on different people in the group.
- Instead of having everyone look at the camera, have people look at each other. This is a great way to pose if you are taking a couples photo. Look at each other or have one of you look at the other.[22]
- Avoid a busy background. Because a group or couples photo has more than one subject, having too much happening in the background can be distracting to the eye. Instead, use a shallow depth of field or a quiet background to place the focus on the people.
- To give the illusion of smaller body parts, push the largest parts of your body the furthest away from the camera. Things that are closer will appear larger than things further in the distance.
- Take photos with good ambient light. Too much direct light can cast harsh shadows that make you appear older than you are.
- Maintain good communication with the photographer to get the best poses. A good photographer should be able to direct you into the most flattering pose for your body type and position.
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