Painful skin: Shingles don't just tingle

Doctor of Oriental Medicine

If you've ever had shingles, you can't forget the pain. Shingles is a reactivation of the chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster) that has been dormant in the body and tends to gravitate to the nerve endings. When it flares along these nerve roots, the pain is inexpressible. While there are medications available to help the pain, many people find they are resistant to them (they don't work for them). Fortunately, there are several natural options for controlling the pain and reducing the duration of the lesions.

Pay raises for city workers hot topic here, cold there

COEUR d’ALENE — City Council members have heard a little feedback, some grumbles, and a few questions regarding the city’s proposal to give its employees raises next fiscal year, while asking for a raise in property taxes.

Create a service culture

When I went into business many years ago, I told people I owned an envelope company. I had business cards printed that identified me as an "envelope salesman." I described myself as an entrepreneur.

Chronic pain in pets, Part 1: Causes, symptoms and prevention

Pet talk

Hold your horses! Idioms are the cat’s meow

Animals fuel idioms like nobody's business.

SYMPOSIUM: Reject partisan ideas?

I read with amusement the title and topics for the local Democratic Party, I use that term kindly, symposium coming up in Post Falls.

Cd'A CHAMBER: Our members are our mission; we listened!

At the Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber, we work hard to drive impact for our chamber members and for our community. We recently conducted a member survey asking for input to help select upcoming topics for our 2023 Upbeat Breakfasts. Research has shown that inviting members and/or employees to participate in shaping the direction of an organization not only has a positive impact on how they feel about the institution, it also has a direct impact on improving the level of participation.

Fish and Game seeks final public input on 2025-30 Fisheries Management Plan

Deadline to comment is Aug. 26

The document below is big, so it’s best to focus your attention on topics, waterbodies, or fish species that most interest you. Review the Table of Contents to see the major subjects.

Getting to the root of grub problems

You water, fertilize and give your lawn all the TLC it needs, yet come late-summer you still find unsightly brown patches scattered across the turf. If the turf in these spots can easily be pulled away from the ground, you most likely have a grub problem.

Acne and laser therapy

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne is the most common skin condition in the United States. Occasional breakouts and chronic acne plague tens of millions of Americans of all ages every year. About 85% of teens experience some type of acne, but even many adults deal with at least occasional breakouts too. About half of teens and young adults suffering from acne will have severe enough symptoms to seek out professional help.

UI Extension forest health program set for Friday

Animals, plants, insects, and diseases can sometimes impede reforestation, wildlife habitat, or other forest stewardship goals. Current Topics in Forest Health is an annual program that updates forest owners, foresters, and others on methods to improve forest health.

DAR seeks entries for annual essay contest

The Lt. George Farragut Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution invites students in 5-12 grade to participate in one of its annual essay contests.

A taste of Ireland

Reader recipes make fine St. Patrick's Day fare

Code words for sugar

Sugar has become so much a part of our diets that we are unaware of all the places that it lurks. Because sugar has so many different names, we don't really realize how much we consume. Generally, when we think of sugar, we think of the overt sugars - candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, sodas, etc. The other sugars - those in coffee, snack foods, even yogurt - are mostly ignored.

Truly cultured

Recently, a new trend in eating is gaining popularity — that of consuming cultured foods. Also known as fermented, lacto-fermented, soured and pickled, these foods have many benefits. We consume cultured foods on a regular basis: yogurt, cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, buttermilk, vinegar, beer, wine, sourdough bread, and sauerkraut are all cultured foods. Fish sauce, soy sauce, pickles and most condiments were historically cultured, but are more commercially prepared and are no longer the same. Some have existed for literally thousands of years.

ADVERTISING: Advertorial — Blood sugar challenges: A natural approach

We are privileged to have food in abundance from everywhere in the world. Our choices are innumerable, especially when it comes to sweet foods. Donuts, candy, ice cream, cake, cookies, sweetened yogurt, soda pop, energy drinks — the list goes on. Then if you add the carbs — chips, breads, pastas, cereals, etc., it’s no wonder that we are challenged by blood sugar issues that are out of control.

STUDENT: Counselors a blessing

Regarding the Sunday article by Devin Weeks, the child felt comfortable talking to an adult about a difficult situation — not one that comes up every day.

Bad wine gadgets and other questions

The market for wine gadgets good and bad sometimes appears to overwhelm the market for really good wine. This is an unfortunate trend. I have always felt that finding a good bottle of wine is far easier and more important than finding a gadget that will somehow magically take a bad wine and make it taste better.

Offering spoiled food no way to spoil your pet

People may choose to eat foods past their expiration date, as long as the food looks and smells good, but that doesn’t mean this practice is safe for pet food. Ensuring pet food is suitable to eat is the first step to preventing your dog or cat from becoming ill.

The skinny on weight loss

A treatment for cellulite