Brown recluse spider. In this third post on spiders (previous ones on the tarantula and black widow spider here), we’ll talk about the brown recluse spider. Like the black widow spider, the brown recluse spider also has a unique marking on its body. It’s a tan spider with a violin-shaped marking on its [...]
With a bold bright red hourglass on its belly against a shiny black background, the black widow spider is all business. Thus, when the black widow spider attacks… well, you better hope it doesn’t!
As a quick aside, how did the black widow spider get its name? The female black widow spider was reported to [...]
People often come into the clinic worried about spider bites. While the majority of these concerns turn out not to be spider bites, it does raise the question of what sorts of medical conditions spiders can cause. In the United States, tarantulas (shown on the left) are one type of spider that may be found [...]
In a continuation on the theme of ultraviolet (UV) light, we answer the question of how UV light causes tanning or darkening of our skin. The answer is that there are multiple methods by which tanning occurs.
Depending on your baseline skin type, you may have noticed that after being out [...]
What is ultraviolet (UV) light? Ultraviolet light is made of up light waves of a certain wavelength. What does that mean? Well, I think back to grade school where we learned about different wavelengths of light. Certain wavelengths would form certain colors of light. e.g. in a rainbow, each color reflects a [...]
Athlete’s foot is a common skin complaint and is also commonly known as “foot fungus” and ringworm of the foot (although it’s not caused by a worm!) It is more formally known as tinea pedis. The name “Athlete’s Foot,” however, gives us a sense of conditions that predispose to getting this condition. In athlete’s foot, [...]
Growing up, my mom had told me the story of a kid whose parents practiced cupping on him. Turns out that bruises which were left behind from the cuping and these bruises were noticed at school. The parents were called in to investigate potential child abuse!
So what is this practice of cupping? (Does it [...]
Years ago, a relative of mine introduced me to the practice known as ear candling. I didn’t have it tried on myself, but she was keen on trying it on an elder relative.
First, the idea of putting a lit candle anywhere near the face let alone inside the ear seems a little scary to [...]
So do you know which syndrome goes with the findings of conjunctivitis (inflammation of the eyes), urethritis (inflammation of the urethra), and arthritis (inflammation of the joints)? An additional clue is the photo on the left of keratoderma blenorrhagicum, the fancy name for these red- brown plaques, bumps and pus bumps that can occur on [...]
An exciting talk from this year’s American Academy of Dermatology Meeting (AAD 2013) in Miami was the annual Marion B. Sulzberger Memorial Award and Lectureship given by Dr. Hensin Tsao. Dr. Tsao talked about “Melanoma and Its Metaphors,” drawing parallels between the machinery behind melanoma to the machinery behind cars. While problems can arise with [...]
