hey, look, just a quick heads-up... if you're planning on quoting more than one person, please just use the multiquote tool. seriously. and whatever you do, don't go messing with the brackets at the start or end of the quote, and definitely don't try typing inside them... it just makes everything a total mess 🙄
Look, since you're hanging out on Health & Wellness, can we please dial back the sarcasm? I'd really rather this doesn't turn into a massive flame war...
@placidtinker9 - depends on what you’ve got stashed in your medicine cabinet, maybe some antibiotic powder or a cream. Neosporin powder, for instance—you can just grab a little 5g tube over the counter at CVS, it's cheap, lasts forever, and honestly, it's one of those things you definitely want on hand for stuff like this.
you sure there isn't anything left in the cut? looks to me like you might have a foreign object stuck in there or something.
if it doesn't settle down, or if the redness starts spreading, the pain ramps up, the finger feels hot to the touch, or it starts swelling... get to a doctor. You're gonna need a round of antibiotics.
Anonymous said:A friend of mine has asthma—what should I do if they have an attack???
First thing is you gotta help them grab their inhaler, sit down with them, and just stay calm to help settle them down; wait out those few minutes until the bronchial spasm passes. (Seriously, staying chill is huge).
Depending on how close you guys are (🙂), make sure they’re actually keeping up with their meds and dodging the stuff they know triggers them—you know, smoky rooms, overdoing it physically, getting worked up, strong scents, pollen, dust, all that junk...
@granitegardener4 - seriously, props to you for getting in to see a specialist so fast. honestly, it makes total sense that you're stressing out—I think anyone would be freaking out right about now. having a little bit of anxiety is actually kind of useful since it pushes you to take those necessary steps, but just... don't let the fear totally hijack your brain before you get an actual diagnosis. don't give it that kind of power. statistically speaking, the odds of it being something nasty are way lower than it just being something benign.
I honestly don't get how you even managed to start, let alone keep going—because honestly, even just being around secondhand smoke gives me enough of a suffocating feeling that I can't even wrap my head around how someone with even more severe Asthma could possibly smoke and actually stay alive.
And that whole thing about breathing smoke easier than air because it’s "thicker"? Yeah, you're definitely just imagining that. The reality is that nicotine constricts your capillaries and tanks your blood circulation, which isn't exactly a recipe for better breathing... if you look at it from the perspective of actually getting oxygen from the air and flushing carbon dioxide out of your system.
Anyway, congrats on quitting, whatever the reason was—I know breaking any kind of addiction is a massive uphill battle. Hang in there
Charles Cook4... just sitting here thinking about everything... life, health, the whole mess... honestly, sometimes it feels like we're all just trying to solve a puzzle where the pieces keep changing shape mid-game. Anyway... just me rambling... turns out I have things to say... lots of them... kaže: So, I'm 26 now... been dealing with this whole Asthma thing since I was just a little kid, like 5 years old... turns out it's a lifelong roommate... Back during puberty, it was just absolutely brutal... now? Not so much...
Charles Cook4... just sitting here thinking about how much everything changes... one day you feel fine, then boom, everything hits at once... honestly, life's a trip... kaže: So, about smoking... I actually quit a little over a month ago. Gotta admit though, lately it feels like I’m struggling to catch my breath way more often... 😕 I mean, obviously smoking is bad news, especially when you're dealing with Asthma, but I can't help thinking all that toxic crap was just thicker than the air itself, basically clogging up all my airways...
I mean, I was just sitting here thinking... how does it even happen? Like, seriously, how is it possible for someone dealing with extreme Asthma to even think about picking up a cigarette? It makes zero sense...
Wait, so what are you actually thinking here? You really believe all that toxic crap is somehow thicker than air and just floating around dilating people's airways? Are you kidding me right now?...
granitegardener4 said:Hey everyone 🙂. I’m looking for some advice here. For about two months now, I’ve been dealing with this weakness in my legs—it isn’t exactly pain, but they just feel shaky. I went in for a full blood panel, and everything came back normal, including my rheumatoid factor and other standard tests. However, for the last three days, I’ve noticed I can't really walk in a straight line anymore; I keep veering off to the right. I’m not experiencing any headaches or back pain, but my gait is unstable and I constantly feel like I’m about to lose my balance and fall.
I'm not exactly sure how the medical system works over in Canada, but if you were dealing with this here in the States, you'd be heading straight to the ER for an emergency admission.
I mean, what can I even say to you? If you’re dealing with some kind of heart stuff, you really need to get it checked out and sorted immediately—and for the love of God, quit smoking... though honestly, it feels like you already know that part.
wiredraven82 said:Shield issues? Honestly, I’ve never had any trouble there, man... but thanks, if this keeps up I’ll probably head to the doctor and lay it all out... And also, why isn't the Shield or those related glitches more common in women? Like, personally, I don't even deal with swallowing issues like some people who have those types of disorders.
You really ought to get checked out—just so you can rule out whatever random scares are currently spinning around in your head.
Then again, it could just be a mild panic attack—and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this like you're being a coward or anything, it's just a totally natural biological reflex where your body reacts to something it perceives as a threat, whether that's actually dangerous or not.
Your adrenaline spikes, your peripheral blood vessels constrict so you get those chills and a racing heart, and then you're hit with that cold sweat. You might feel dizzy too, or see spots because of the blood pressure shift. It's the whole fight-or-flight thing, basically just a stress response. It doesn't necessarily mean it's going to spiral into a full-blown disorder or illness, but it's better to know what's actually happening than to just sit there guessing and stressing out.
Look, it’s true—half the time when I’m being sarcastic or cracking jokes, people totally miss the point; but I wasn't kidding this time, I was being dead serious.
I see it all the time just looking around (and honestly, if I look back at my younger days in 🙂 before we even had reliable power and the snow was basically waist-deep... wait, actually, that was just this past winter. whatever...) it’s obvious that kids these days have zero clue about the damage they're doing to their own bodies with all that junk. They’ll probably freak out more over someone putting diesel in a gas engine—or whatever technical crap they care about—than they will ever think about what their liver actually does for them, or how much longer they need it to function. Or their lungs, if you're a smoker.
I'm not judging you for it, though. It’s just such a standard phase of growing up and actually maturing (there are outliers, sure, but being a total hypochondriac is way less fun to deal with). It’s just as common for people to hit their 40s, survive their first heart attack, and then suddenly start questioning every single thing they do. Suddenly they're lecturing everyone on organic LCHF diets, farm-to-table everything, veganism, magnetic fields, yoga... all that nonsense. It's not weird, and it's definitely not worth getting worked up about.
lonewolf43 said:I’m just a college student, so I end up drinking maybe two or three times a week—usually on Thursdays and Saturdays—and honestly, I tend to get pretty hammered 🙄 .But seriously, is hitting it that hard two or three times a week really that much of a problem?
Speaking on behalf of your liver and your brain? Yeah, it’s terrible. But honestly, I doubt it'll matter much to you 🤣 at your age... everyone thinks they're invincible, like they've got some cheat code for immortality and nothing can touch them—so why would you be any different? 🤷
Personally, I break out in these red patches all over my face whenever I drink rosé, and I actually love rosé (doesn't matter if it's a fancy bottle or just cheap stuff from the grocery store). Since it also starts stinging and itching like crazy, I usually just stop drinking it altogether—not that it's my go-to way to have fun, thank God, so giving it up wasn't a huge deal.
But anyway, you framed your question around this redness around your lips. Whether you can fix it or how long it'll last... we guess we'll just have to wait and see 🙂
Maybe you're just allergic to your girlfriend's lipstick. If that's the case, you don't have to give up women entirely, or even kissing—just tell her to switch brands. 👍
Alcohol, wine, or even those flavored spirits can really make those symptoms flare up; but I wasn't kidding about testing out your silverware—that’s an easy enough thing to try just to see if it's actually the culprit 🙂
Maybe try sticking strictly to plastic or wooden utensils—like forks and knives 🙂—for a couple of weeks. It’s possible you’re just super sensitive to nickel.
But honestly, that’s just one out of a hundred different possibilities. What about everything else you eat? Have you ever actually tried an elimination diet to see which specific foods or drinks trigger a reaction? There are tons of threads on this forum dedicated to allergies and atopic dermatitis... plenty of useful stuff in there if you look.
And please, stop slathering Betamethasone + Beclomethasone all over your face, or any other corticosteroid for that matter. Especially not on thin skin, in your creases, or anywhere that gets hit by the sun daily. You're just gonna wreck your skin barrier—it definitely won't help in the long run.
@Susan Parker2 - it all really boils down to when you can actually get in for the testing. if they don't have an opening for you for a few months, then maybe grab some antihistamines now—just check with your primary care doctor first, obviously—and see if it actually does anything for you. but if you can snag an appointment in just a couple of weeks? yeah, skip the meds, because you don't want them messing with your results
Basically, these are just meds meant to dial down the allergic reaction. If you're dealing with an acute hives flare-up like this, your regular family doctor can prescribe them. They're all pretty much in the same ballpark, but because of those tiny little differences, you really gotta find the specific one that actually works for *your* body. For instance, Claritin isn't even on that list, but honestly? It’s the only thing that ever touches my symptoms...
As for covering it up with makeup, you've got a bit of a situation there. When the inflammation is this intense, your skin starts acting totally erratic and hypersensitive—I mean, even plain water might sting at this point. So, trying to slather concealer over it is probably a bad move... it'll likely just drive you crazy how much it irritates everything.
Dry, cold compresses can help a bit, but that's just a quick fix, really. You've gotta figure out what's actually triggering this so you can treat the root cause instead of just chasing symptoms.
Susan Parker2 said:I used Oranozol until I ran completely out—so, for about a month, applying it twice a day.
According to my dermatologist, some people are just more prone to this than others. On top of that, certain things tend to flare up the redness, like spicy food, stress, alcohol, and so on...
Yeah, that bolded stuff? It basically makes any dermatitis way worse because it just dilates your capillaries... definitely skip it. What else should I watch out for...? 🤷.
Look, at the end of the day, some people are just built different when it comes to getting sick... some folks catch every single bug that flies through the air while others seem practically bulletproof. It’s just how it goes. Honestly, complaining about it doesn't really change the hand you were dealt...
To me, what I'm seeing in this photo looks like allergic hives, but honestly, the quality is kind of blurry... It's hard to tell for sure. You should definitely get a prick test done and ask for an IgE blood panel (RIST and RAST) just to be safe...
In the meantime, you really gotta start paying attention to what’s going on right before those flare-ups hit... it’s all about the triggers. I'm talking about essential oils hiding in perfumes, or maybe someone just used some Clorox to scrub the bathroom, or even certain foods... could be nickel in your silverware, some jewelry, or even that leather jacket you love. It honestly could be anything at all... Doing a little digging for yourself wouldn't hurt, either. Have you ever messed around with antihistamines? Honestly, it might be worth giving them a shot...
It’s been ages since I last did any testing; I had a childhood allergy to penicillin, but nothing since then.
I haven't really tracked whether food triggers anything or not. As for skincare, I occasionally use Neutrogena, but I don't notice any reaction to it. Before I started using this French cream, I remember using Oranogel as part of a treatment plan my dermatologist prescribed. If anything, that might have been the most helpful thing I've tried, though it didn't provide any definitive results.
If I had to guess, the redness definitely flares up more during the summer. For instance, if I go a few days without applying moisturizer, my skin starts peeling. It feels tight and incredibly dry, which then leads to a stinging sensation.
I'm 22. My blood pressure is fine, though it runs a little low sometimes. I'm rarely seriously ill and don't take any regular medication.
The redness always hits the exact same spot (I can send a photo if needed). Occasionally, a tiny dot about half the size of a period will appear that's much redder and looks slightly swollen, which causes a bit of a sting. I wouldn't call it simple blood flow; I can't see any visible capillaries at all.
Those old tests don't mean much now. You should probably just ask your primary care doctor for a referral for an allergy skin prick test. If we're talking atopic dermatitis—you know, that crazy immune response that isn't even triggered by direct contact with the allergen or irritant—then oral antihistamines and topical immunomodulators work wonders (check out this thread, it's pretty short: But, uh, heads up... you can't use those if there's actually a fungal infection involved.
Susan Parker2 said:Best,
It’s been ages since I last did any testing; I had a childhood allergy to penicillin, but nothing since then.
I haven't really tracked whether food triggers anything or not. As for skincare, I occasionally use Neutrogena, but I don't notice any reaction to it. Before I started using this French cream, I remember using Oranogel as part of a treatment plan my dermatologist prescribed. If anything, that might have been the most helpful thing I've tried, though it didn't provide any definitive results.
If I had to guess, the redness definitely flares up more during the summer. For instance, if I go a few days without applying moisturizer, my skin starts peeling. It feels tight and incredibly dry, which then leads to a stinging sensation.
I'm 22. My blood pressure is fine, though it runs a little low sometimes. I'm rarely seriously ill and don't take any regular medication.
The redness always hits the exact same spot (I can send a photo if needed). Occasionally, a tiny dot about half the size of a period will appear that's much redder and looks slightly swollen, which causes a bit of a sting. I wouldn't call it simple blood flow; I can't see any visible capillaries at all.
Ketoconazole is an antifungal, and you seriously have to stick with it for a long time and be super consistent for it to actually work. I'm not sure what you mean by "helped"... like, did it help for a couple of days or a couple of years? If it's a fungal issue, you absolutely cannot quit halfway through the treatment (a photo would definitely help clarify things here).
With all these different ways to treat it, figuring out what's actually causing the redness is the most important part first.
so, based on what you've been through, what actually triggers it for you? have you ever gone for those allergy panels? maybe an IgE blood test?
like, does your skin freak out over certain chemicals—you know, cosmetics, laundry detergent fumes in the house, whatever—or is it more about stress, or the Sun, or specific foods (which ones?), or even just shifts in the weather?
and how old are you, roughly? how’s your health generally... things like BMI, blood pressure? any meds you're currently on?
does the redness come with itching and some surface swelling, or is it just intense flushing? can you actually see capillaries with the naked eye? does it always pop up in the same spots on your face or body? is there a seasonal thing going on with it?