Causes of Pink Eye

It’s called pink eye. The medical term is conjunctivitis, and when conjunctivitis occurs, it basically causes red or pink eyes. There is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. Antibiotics can be used and it is the topical antibiotic applied directly to the eye that is the most effective at treating pink eye. Pink eye is caused by a virus and it can sometimes be confused with allergy symptoms.

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Can Duct Tape Remove Warts?

It is one of those old wives tales that has been sticking around, so to speak, for years. Does duct tape help remove warts? Well, here’s the idea. People who have warts are often looking for ways to get rid of them, and warts are notorious for popping up and disappearing out of the blue. One of the most popular options is applying silver duct tape over the wart. The theory is, over time, the sticky adhesive helps remove them. Researchers at the University of Minnesota studied the phenomenon and found the tape did not appear to help.

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Infections Occur More Commonly During Winter Due to Close Contact

The principal reason for the increase in the number of infections in winter weather is the fact that people tend to remain indoors in cold weather and, thus, are in very close contact with one another.  Proximity allows the spread of many viruses that cause respiratory infections.  In addition, influenza is even more common in winter because the virus first attacks the Far East in their summer and then spreads westward and reaches the U.S. by winter.  Although it is preferable that one should stay warm, there is little hard evidence to suggest that not wearing a hat or exposure of wet hair to inclement weather increases the risk of infection or, more specifically, pneumonia.  The truth is, the flu and the common cold are both caused by viruses.  People get sick more often in the winter because they're exposed to each other more.

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Can You Catch a Cold from Being in the Cold?

The temperature has dropped and it’s been down there for a while, so the big question is, does temperature change cause you to catch a cold? Most likely your mother told you it can, but medical studies say there is no effect. Basically, colds are caused by viruses, and the spread of viruses, particularly, the rhino virus. There is one theory that cold weather can suppress your immune system and make you more susceptible to problems, but this is under heavy study. In cold months, when the air is very dry to start with, people turn on their heating systems. That dry air can cause allergic symptoms to be made worse.

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Myths Aside, What Really Causes Warts?

So, what causes warts? Well, believe it or not, warts are the result of a virus. It’s a viral infection and they can come and go relatively spontaneously. Many people will tell you that they had warts and then they just disappeared as quickly as they came. The thing about warts that needs to be mentioned, of course, is that they actually can spread throughout the body because the virus actually can be spread. What you want to do is talk to your doctor about treatment. There are treatments available that can speed up that process of getting rid of them.

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Bacterial vs. Viral Throat Infections

Throat infections occur quite a bit and they do occur commonly.  When we look at someone with a throat infection, we try to find out if there some underlying etiology to be concerned about; for instance, strep is a bacteria which can cause a throat infection.  If it's a virus as a cause, physicians don't get nearly quite concerned because we know that with gargling and with watching the temperature you can make a big difference.  It's when people actually are in a situation where they have serious throat infections with bacterial origins that can be a concern. 

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Is It a Virus or an Allergy?

How can you tell a virus versus an allergy? Well, it really isn’t that hard. What you need to do is take the time and look at the symptoms. Is it something that’s occurring during an allergy season? Is it something that’s occurring for a longer period of time and not going away? Is there an infection that needs to be dealt with? All of these things have to be looked into. Doctors often have to ask questions and get what we call a history. Try to find out what’s going on, because it isn’t always crystal clear what the problem is. Again, it’s something that we look at, and we figure out, but it does take time.

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