Cold sores are caused by Herpes Simplex Virus I (HSV-1) and although once infected the virus remains with us for the rest of our lives, it lies dormant for most of the time and many people never show any symptoms at all.

In fact it is estimated that 70 to 80 percent of the general population is infected with HSV-1, many of us picking it up in childhood through contact with infected adults. The virus is only infectious when it is at the blister or sore stage, and contact should be avoided with both the fluid and the sore until it has healed.

Typically it is transmitted through kissing and so to prevent catching the virus you shouldn’t kiss anyone with a cold sore; if you are a sufferer you should avoid kissing anyone while you have an attack. Also be careful about infecting other parts of your body, especially the eyes where infection can cause blindness.

HSV-1 usually inhabits the nerve cells and becomes active when the immune system has been weakened, typically because of a cold or flu. It also happens commonly because of prolonged periods of stress or lack of sleep and a good diet and regular exercise can help maintain your body’s defenses. The best strategy for sufferers is to try and prevent attacks. However, it is inevitable that they will reoccur at some point at which the focus changes to treating the symptoms.

Cold sore treatment options fall into two camps; the first is using anti-virus treatments to help prevent the virus from replicating to its full extent and therefore lessening the severity and duration of the attack. The other option is to follow natural cold sore remedies, which include treating the infected area with ice as soon as the tingling sensation that precedes an attack takes place.

While many people swear by various treatments, they do seem to work better on some people than on others. In this case you should try several cold sore treatment combinations before settling upon the best option for you.

There’s a whole bunch of people who claim we’re the result of intelligent design. That means every aspect of the bodies we now occupy while on this Earth was in the original plan. So, for millennia, we’ve had to put up with pain when the designer could have left out the pain receptors placed all over our bodies or installed a painkiller chemical dispensation system. We got adrenaline to increase the body’s performance. It would have been just as easy to give us something to calm down the pain. Would something as simple as an off-switch be too much to ask for?

So what’s pain for? Well, it’s a basic survival tool. Unlike a few insects that have eyes with all-round vision, we can easily be taken by surprise. As primates, we had a habit of walking through thick grasses and stepping on sharp objects or sleeping snakes. We were also prone to losing concentration at key moments and falling out of our trees. In our modern lives, we have surrounded ourselves with dangerous machinery. The price of not paying attention is injury. We’ve always been accidents waiting to happen. In this, it’s pain that gives us the first warning signals if we’re in trouble. More importantly, it tells us where the problem is and what kind of injury we’re likely to have picked up.

Now you might say this is good so far as it goes, but why can’t we switch it off when we’ve seen a doctor and got the treatment? The answer is simple. You and the doctor need to monitor the pain. If it starts to get worse, the treatment needs to change. It’s the same if the pain starts to spread. If you have switched off the pain, there’s no way you would know something different is needed. More to the point, if you switch off pain because you hurt your leg and then pick up a pan that’s too hot, do you have to wait to smell the cooking flesh? All the rest of your body needs the pain reflexes to be working, otherwise you might accidentally injure yourself and make everything worse.

So let’s be clear. There are no drugs in development that will switch off pain. Actually, no one is trying very hard to develop such a drug. Pain is too useful to want to switch it off altogether. In chronic cases where the pain in an inflamed joint is making life a misery, there’s a legitimate case to be made for a selective pill to turn off the pain receptors at a specific location. But no one has any idea how that would be done. All doctors can do is treat the joint itself and hope the pain will reduce naturally.

This is all building up to a message you don’t want to hear. We’re an overmedicated nation. More people die through the abuse of prescription drugs than of heart attacks. This habit is literally killing us. We should accept more pain in our lives and do without pills. If you find this unbearable, Tramadol is the strongest drug you should take. Equally important, don’t use Tramadol over long periods of time. This builds up tolerance, forcing a move to the opiates where the risk of dependence is more real.

In the long-distant past, the law of the land was directly administered by the rulers. They sat as judges on all major disputes and dispensed justice as they saw fit. It was not until civilization spread a little that we saw anything like today’s courts and lawyers emerged. This was a law-and-order strategy. Before courts, people used to resort to a little self-help to get what they thought they were owed. Blood feuds and riots were therefore quite common. Giving people “independent” judges to decide matters defused the violence and kept the peace. All we had to wait for was the inevitable corruption to die away. In theory, today’s judges are to recuse themselves if they know any of the parties or have a financial interest in the outcome. Yet there’s still great unhappiness with our legal system, many people blaming our law of tort for many of our economic ills. Attorneys are routinely attacked for distorting the legal system in order the maximize their profit rather than to protect the interests of their clients.

The real problem comes from the simple rule in tort that, if you cause loss or harm to another, you should pay money to that other to make good the loss. This sounds a great idea. It’s financial responsibility in action. In a shop, if you break it, it’s yours. The only problems are the delays in getting a case decided and the cost. There are too few judges to deal with all the cases efficiently. Months can therefore pass before it’s your turn again to move forward a little. Then attorneys seem to think they can charge you for breathing the same air as you. So, to cut out all the delay and reduce costs, some twenty-four brave states decided to abandon the tort system in favor of no-fault. In effect, everyone in those states is self-insured. If you’re injured in an accident or you need to repair your vehicle, your own insurance company pays out no matter who’s to blame. The only question when you submit a claim is whether the amount you ask for is a reasonable estimate of the loss. This can usually be agreed quite quickly and life goes on.

In other countries, the no-fault system has produced major savings. With the need to pay attorneys almost completely removed and staff levels in the insurance companies reduced to a minimum, everyone enjoys excellent value for money. Unfortunately, our wise law-makers decided to add in a few zingers which have conspired to keep the premium rates among the highest in the land. As a result, we’re down to only twelve no-fault states today plus Puerto Rico. It’s a case of a good idea largely sabotaged in the implementation.

However, when it comes to pricing the car insurance rates, the measures and classifications are basically the same. No matter what the legal system for resolving claims, the insurers are still estimating the number of accidents and the total amount of losses. Once they have those numbers, the total is divided among their policy holders, they add their administration costs and profit margin, and there you have the final rate. Car insurance may sound like rocket science but it a Model T rocket.

There’s a variety of ways you may cause an inflammatory process inside your body. The common causes for inflammation to occur are external infections and damage to the tissue, which are often seen together under a variety of conditions. Many inflammatory conditions such as arthritis also have a genetic factor involved, since they are known to pass down through generations. Yet, you can also increase the likelihood of experiencing inflammation by eating specific types of foods and not caring about your body the right way. And there’s also the environment, which may be a source of many inflammatory agents that can be passed through air, soil and water.

If taking a look at the specific regimen to employ there are many products that usually lead to inflammatory processes in the body. Such products include sugar, salt, saturated fats and specific oil types that can be found in a variety of processed foods. So if you want to reduce the risk of inflammation you should first eliminate all types of fast foods, soft drinks and sweets from your diet.

There are also specific foods and products that can actually reduce inflammation in a natural fashion. Of course, it’s not very likely that these foods will be as effective as medications like Prednisone but they certainly provide a healthy and natural alternatives to anti-inflammatory drugs when the condition is not so severe. Yet, moderation is the key to any benefit, as you shouldn’t overeat even those types of food that are known to decrease inflammation since it may actually make things worse.

Some of the most effective natural anti-inflammatory agents include Omega 3 acids, Bromelain, Curcumin, Gingerols and Capsacain. These substances can usually be found in such products as chili peppers, ginger, spices and turmeric.

Here’s a short list of foods that will help reduce the inflammation when you need a natural alternative to drugs like Prednisone:

1. A rich source of Quercetin, which is a natural anti-inflammatory agent, are fruits like cherries and apples.

2. If you aren’t fond of vegetables such as cabbage, kale, broccoli and cauliflower then you should definitely change your tastes because these foods contain a lot of anti-inflammatory agents that will certainly help you.

3. Onions and garlic aren’t very aesthetic if you want to keep a good breath but they will sure help you out with inflammation. Not only these products have a high concentration of Quercetin, but they are also well known for their analgesic and antibacterial properties that are used in a variety of traditional herbal remedies all over the globe.

4. Pineapples are not only tasty and a great choice for those looking for a product to burn fat with. High content of Bromelain makes pineapples a great product for addressing inflammatory processes in the body.

5. Omega 3 fatty acids are usually found in fish oil, namely derived from fish such as herring, salmon, sardines and mackerel. This type of substances is known for its general beneficial character and is used in numerous dietary supplements for improving different health aspects and preventing inflammation as well.

Ever had pneumonia? That’s generally what my lungs feel like. You know how your lungs feel the first couple of weeks when you get back to exercising? My lungs feel like that whenever I walk to fast. Ever get that cough that just won’t seem to quit? I cough so much that I don’t even notice it anymore. Upset stomach? Avoiding an upset stomach on a daily basis almost seems impossible.

Here’s the problem with CF, it’s not a lung disease. If it only affected the lungs it would be a lot easier. CF is a disease of the cells. They don’t work properly. I’ll spare you with the science talk and just put it simply. The cells in my body can’t regulate a proper balance of water and salt. It’s way deeper than that, but that will give you the gist of it. The problem with the cells not doing there job is that it throws off a good portion of the rest of the body. You name the organ, and someway somehow, it is affected by CF. I’ve had multiple surgeries on my intestines and sinuses, as well as problems with my skin, kidneys, liver, and spleen. For me though, those things aren’t the main problem.

The main problem that I have is a build up of thick and sticky mucus in my lungs. When there is a ton of mucus in there it makes it harder to breathe not only because your airways are full of junk, but because they are also irritated and swell up. Mucus is also a great place for an infection to be born and hide out. Infections are the main reason I am hospitalized. How do I know that I have something going on? My mucus becomes green, sometimes very dark green, and almost to the point of a brown (especially if I’ve been coughing up blood, which I’ll get into at a later time). I also become very tired, short of breath, and shutter at the site of food. It can all happen very fast too. Once it starts it’s really hard to stop. The key is that darn mucus. Generally speaking; No mucus, no problem.

Why did I tell you all of that? Surely not to play the victim or even worse have you feel sorry for me, but to put CF into real life. Let me be real clear: I love my life. Wouldn’t change it. I have learned to “deal” with the consequences of this disease over the last 29 years. I never question “why?” I know why. CF has shaped my life into who I am today. Has there been negatives? Of course! But way more blessings have come my way by having this disease.

One thing to remember is that CF affects thousands of different people in thousands of different ways. I can only tell you my story. I hope to write at least one personal story or thought or opinion a week so you can get to know me better.

The Brits sometimes have a quaint way of saying things but, when you understand what they mean, it make a lot of sense. They say, “Never buy a pig in a poke”. In the good old days of selling in markets, some farmers used to offer animals in a sack or poke. This was a sight-unseen sale. Buyers were supposed to trust the farmers to put healthy animals into the sack. Needless to say, only the unwise agreed to this strange offer. Moving back home, the insurance industry seems to think you should buy an insurance policy in a poke. A majority of policies are now sold through sites like this with quotes sent out automatically. If you want, you can buy the policy on the basis of the quote without ever seeing the policy. Many people only read their copy of the policy when the need for a claim arises. It came through the mail and sat in its envelope awaiting the day of need. Except, many then find their expectations dashed as it turns out may of the expected headings of damage have been excluded. This has come as very hard news to all those people who have recently suffered in Hurricanes Irene and Lee.

It should be automatic for insurers to give all those who are interested a clear sight of the policy before they buy. Indeed, there’s no reason in principle why all the standard policies and possible additional terms should not be posted online for all to see. When you go to almost all e-commerce sites, the terms of sale are posted on static pages. It’s somewhat depressing you actually have to push insurers into revealing their policies. Most will supply a copy if you ask nicely. Except, it doesn’t necessarily do you any good.

Attorneys are lovely people (at least their spouses no doubt think so) but their talent is to write in an obscure version of English no one without an advanced degree can understand. Now far be it from us to suggest insurers don’t want you to know what you’re buying, but it’s a common reaction among those who do try reading the policies. So, in Trenton, the Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono has introduced a bill that would force all insurance companies to publish a buyers’ guide written in plain English. No more complicated grammar or long words. Every insurer would be required to get approval from the Insurance Commissioner that the information is supplied in a clear and unambiguous way. The longer term hope is these documents will defuse a lot of the confusion that interferes with the claims process.

If this bill becomes law, the insurer will have to supply a copy of the explanatory material with the quote and when the time for renewal comes around. If the Senator can get this bill through into law, it should restore much of the consumer protections swept away over the last ten years. Home insurance policies do not have to be written in complicated English but, if they are, requiring the insurers to send out an explanation in plain English will help undo the damage. It would be best if similar laws could be rolled out across all states and have all home insurance policies in a single location for comparison shopping.