what is a winter flare-up & how does one prevent it?
970669
winter flare up applies to eczema and asthma which flare up during cold climates they can be prevented by taking preventive meassures and proper medications
292540
Try ice (cryotherapy).  If you do not have an icepack designed for this purpose, use a large bag of frozen vegetables (peas or corn).  Place the 'icepack' in a thin pillowcase  and apply it directly to the area of neck pain for 20 minutes.  Allow one hour of time between applications to allow return of blood flow and to prevent frostbite.  Repeat as needed.\n\nWhether ice helps or not, you need to see a Chiropractor to find out the cause of your chronic neck problems.\n\nBest wishes and good luck!
435031
Rheumatologist is specialized in bone and joint diseases, he will ask for your symptoms, maybe check blood tests.. Do your symptoms get worse when it is cold?\nAre you asking about fibromyalgia? Yes i think rheumatologist is the right choice then. Good luck :) Would you consider seeing someone who knows about acupuncture/acupressure? They can tell you about pressure points.
215822
It depends on what type and how bad it is.  See a Rhumy as soon as possible!!  The longer you wait the worse it gets and the harder it is to slow down the disease.  Trust me, I waited and now I'm in extreme pain and cannot get the flare up under control (and I'm only in my early 30's).  While you are waiting for the meds to kick in, try getting a lot of rest (doesn't necessarily mean you have to sleep), non-impact exercise (water workouts are wonderful), and don't ignore your body.  Good luck!!
618026
What has always helped me are those disposable heat packs you can buy in most drug stores.  They are more easily found in the winter, but ask for them anyway - they may be able to order them for you.  You open the plastic pack, shake it, and it warms up nicely and stays warm for 8 hours.  Just tuck it in your underwear (no one can tell its there - they are VERY thin!), and it REALLY HELPS!!!  Wishing you the best honey, I suffered for MANY years with those god-awful cramps!
828841
Yes hot!  My friend and I were talking about this today. Cold sucks, it makes me hurt in the head and joints. I don't even want to get up in the mornings when it is cold!  Hot rules! And yes! Winter sucks big time!
970067
Long, hot showers or baths can cause overall itching especially this time of year. They dry out the skin. It is called winter itch.\n\n1. Try taking a quick shower with warm water.\n2. Put lotion on body as soon as you get out even before skin\n   is completely dry.
453251
A few years back I battled with this myself.  It seemed to be 2 fold.  The doctor told me it was Dermatitis as well.  He suggested I use a very heavy moisturizer called Eucerine, and to put it on all the time, especially before bed.  To also make sure that when I washed dishes, or shampooed clients hair at work, or used any other cleaning agents etc. to be sure and wear gloves.  It did help but it didn't go away entirely, and at times when I was doing everything I should be doing it would flare up bad again.  I found that stress was another part of it.  As I started taking a B-Complex vitamin and continued doing what the doc told me, it did clear up.  Hope this helps.
271334
Keep a journal of when and where you experience these symptoms.  That will help enormously.  \n\nThere's always the chance that you are being exposed to an allergen that you weren't tested for.  Seeing that the medications aren't helping either... this theory probably is off-base.\n\nI'm leaning to the following differential diagnoses:\n1.  Dry environment:  Low humidity can cause these symptoms in some people.\n\n2.  Chemical reaction:  Maybe you are being exposed to some chemical.  Floor wax does it to me.\n\n3.  Changes in the barometric pressure:  Some people experience these symptoms with sudden drops in barometric pressure.  Do they occur right before a rain/snowstorm? or on overcast days?\n\nMy guess is the barometric pressure.  Do you suffer headaches/sinus pressure with these symptoms as well?\n\nWARNING:  many people are suggesting natural healers/homeopaths/alternative medicine.  Word to the wise:  most of these things are total quackery.  There is little (if ANY) evidence to support their practice. \n\nKeep the journal and good luck!
751916
Cold sores are just that... a cold sore...  it is a form of std but dont worry about it. Everyone gets them. There are several types of Stds.  Dont get yourself worked up over it. Next time you go to the doctor mention it to him maybe he can tell you what is making yours flare up at certain times or like you said could be allergies.  All kinds of things can cause them even bad diets, with no veggies. the cold, allergies, if you keep getting them often you should go to the doctor to see what is causing them. When you feel one starting up put ice on it, and take vitamins E and C.
902252
Allergic to the cold???  Well there are quite a few options.  There is a lot of gear out there at the moment that helps ease the cold.  There are thermals, formally known as Long Johns.  Thermals are made out of Polypropylene.  They're not very bulky, you can wear them under clothing and they also come in cool designs if you want to show them off.  They are used a lot in cold places and/or used when camping. They are very useful.  If that doesn't sound good, there are so many options out there, you just need to look.  Try a camping place, they have a lot of clothing designed to keep you warm.  The other option is to go and buy a jacket and a heater.  Down(duck feathers) is also very good at keeping you warm.  Try buying a down blanket. So warm
458156
It depends on what you are allergic to. Sometimes my allergies are worse in the winter because I am allergic to dust mites. I am also allergice to some pollens but not as badly allergic to them...so therefore my allergies in the winter tend to be worse.\nYou have some sort of allergy to something that is outside in the spring...whether its pollen,grasses etc. Whatever it is it is bugging you.\nGo to the doctor
377823
You can go to a doc.  and have it either frozen off or burned off.  In either case, that will hurt like hell at first, be uncomforatable for awhile, then feel better later.
776358
It's the body's reaction to the cold air. Does it go away after a few hours? Like say 8-12? If it does, then it isn't a sign of sickness.\nThe chill of the air will make your throat raw and tender. Try running with a face mask, like the docs use, or put a scarf over your nose and mouth. This will allow the air to warm up a little before you breathe it in and should prevent or lessen the irritation.\nI don't understand how people can run, let alone in the cold air, but I've seen lots and lots of joggers and runners do this in the winter.
781554
As the other person said, Raynaud's\n\nThere are two types. One is an indication of an underlying disorder and the other isn't.\n\nYour body overreacts to the cold by shutting off circulation to your limbs. Of course the best thing to do is avoid problem areas from getting cold in the first place. If they do get cold you may have to resort to warm water to get the blood flowing again.\n\nI had a family member who suffered from this condition and would occasionally get terribly cold feet at night. For most people, this problem was solved by throwing another blanket on and the feet would warm up again because the  body no longer needed to conserve heat for the vital organs. But for my kin with Raynaud's this wasn't the case. The feet would remain cold and the only way to warm them was to go stand in a bathtub of warm water and move around in it a bit, then immediatly dry the feet and put slippers on until he got back to bed.\n\nSee what you learn by listening to your relatives' borning stories?
427345
Depends on the severity, and whether or not you need medication for it.  In most cases, no, its a PDQ, though.  Can't have a flare up in the middle of the field with nothing available to treat it with.
834696
Others have explained the procedure for allergy tests, but there are other things you can do to work out whether you have allergies. \n\nOne, keep a diary.  Note the weather as well as what you eat.  Also note your symptoms.  Once a week, look back at your diary and see if a pattern is emerging.\n\nSecond, buy yourself some antihistamine tablets next time you get your cold symptoms.  Make sure they are straight antihistamine, not combined with decongestant or any other medicine.  If the antihistamine clears your nose on its own, there's a very good chance that the cause is an allergy - because that's all antihistamine does, is suppress your allergic reaction.  So if you're not having a reaction, it shouldn't do anything!