Cracked heels, also known as fissures, can be a nuisance but can occasionally lead to more serious problems if left untreated. Treat them by giving your feet a little more attention, beginning with moisturizing them at least twice a day. Look for thick moisturizers (Eucerin, Cetaphil, others). Some moisturizers contain skin-softening agents, such as urea, salicylic acid or alpha hydroxy acid, which may help remove dead skin. They may cause slight stinging or irritation.

Give your heels extra attention before going to bed: Soak your feet for about 10 minutes in plain or soapy water and pat dry. Then gently rub your heels with a loofah or foot scrubber to help remove dead skin. Apply a heavier, oil-based cream or petroleum jelly (Vaseline, Aquaphor Healing Ointment, others), then slip on a pair of thin cotton socks at bedtime to help the moisturizer work.

Don't ignore dry, cracked heels, as over time you may develop deeper fissures, which increases your risk of infection. If self-care measures don't help, talk with your doctor about other treatment options.

It depends on what's causing your dry skin. For example, if you wash dishes frequently in hot water, wear gloves. Or if you often wash your hands with harsh, drying soaps, switch to a milder soap if possible and rinse well.

Begin healing your thumb tips by sealing the cracks with a liquid bandage and moisturizing your hands several times a day, especially while they are still damp from handwashing. Use a thick moisturizer, such as CeraVe, Eucerin or Cetaphil.

It may also help to treat the affected skin with a heavier, oil-based cream or petroleum jelly (Vaseline, Aquaphor Healing Ointment, others) while you're sleeping. As part of your bedtime routine, apply the moisturizer to the dry, cracked skin on your thumb tips and cover them with cotton gloves or gauze secured with tape.

This is probably a minor infection that you could try treating at home, unless the piercing is through cartilage. Cartilage is the hard tissue in the rim of your ear. Seek medical care for a cartilage piercing that is painful, itchy, red and swollen.

For minor infections in soft tissue, take these steps:

• First wash your hands with soap and water. Then prepare a saltwater solution of 1 cup (0.24 liters) water with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir until the salt dissolves.
• Leaving the piercing jewelry in place, soak a cotton ball in the solution and place it on the affected area.
• Gently pat dry the affected area with clean gauze or a tissue.
• Then apply a small amount of an over-the-counter antibiotic cream (Neosporin, bacitracin, others), as directed on the product label.
• Turn the piercing jewelry a few times to prevent it from sticking to the skin.

Do this three times a day until the infection improves. Also make sure your phones are clean and that you change your pillowcase with a clean one every two days.

If the infection doesn't improve in three days, seek medical care.

Daily bathing and moisturizing is key to treating baby (infantile) eczema (atopic dermatitis). Use a mild cleanser and warm water. After a bath of no more than 15 minutes, rinse completely, gently pat your baby dry and apply a fragrance-free cream or ointment such as petroleum jelly (Vaseline), while the skin is still damp. Moisturize at least twice a day, perhaps at diaper changes. When trying a new moisturizer, test it on a small area of the child's skin first to make sure it's well-tolerated.

Baby eczema signs and symptoms may also be eased by avoiding irritants — such as itchy fabric and hash soaps — as well as extremes in temperature. To prevent your child's scratching the rash, it may help to keep your baby's nails clipped short or to put on cotton mittens during sleep.

Have your baby examined if the condition persists or the rash is purple, crusty and weepy or has blisters. A child who has a fever and rash may also need evaluation. Talk with your doctor about using a medicated cream or ointment or trying bleach baths to ease symptoms. Use medications and bleach baths with the guidance of your pediatrician.

Most children outgrow infantile eczema by 3 to 5 years of age.

During a sexual assault or other traumatic event, the victim typically focuses on the main terrifying or traumatizing event — the central details, which can remain vivid in memory. Other less important details, called peripheral details, may not be as well retained in memory.

Here's why.

The memory process involves these stages:

• Encoding — adding and embedding information into your memory
• Storage — retaining the encoded information in your memory
• Retrieval — accessing and recalling information when needed

In sexual assault survivors, the main traumatizing event typically becomes encoded in their memory, where it's stored and then later can be recalled. Some people also experience ruminations or flashbacks about their sexual assault — involuntary recurring thoughts and images of the traumatizing situation. Other peripheral details, such as location or date, may not be as well encoded, so they're not stored in the memory and aren't able to be recalled later.

The bottom line: People who are sexually assaulted more often remember the main traumatizing encounter itself across time because the attack is embedded in their memory. But other details or specific facts about that experience may not be as well encoded in memory, so that information can be very difficult and sometimes impossible to accurately recall years later.

Yes, but the specific risks are different for men. HPV infection is very common, but it usually doesn't cause any signs or symptoms in either sex. Some types of HPV cause genital warts, however.

Often, the body's immune system eliminates the virus without treatment within about two years. But until the virus is gone, you can spread it to your sex partners.

Certain types of HPV, known as high-risk types, may cause persistent infection. These infections are the ones that can gradually turn into cancer. HPV can cause cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and the back of the mouth and upper part of the throat (oropharynx).

Men who have HIV — the virus that causes AIDS — and men who have sex with other men have a higher risk of anal, penile and throat cancers associated with persistent HPV infection. Oropharyngeal cancers have been on the rise recently, especially in men.

Men can prevent the types of HPV that cause most genital warts and anal cancer by receiving an HPV vaccine. The HPV vaccines were originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a cervical cancer vaccine for girls and young women, and they're now approved for the prevention of anal, vulvar and vaginal cancers, too.

The vaccines are recommended for males ages 9 to 26. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of Gardasil 9 for males and females ages 9 to 45. The best time to get the vaccines is before sexual activity begins. Although these vaccines are not yet approved for preventing HPV-related penile and oropharyngeal cancer, recent studies suggest that these vaccines may be effective for preventing these cancers as well.

You may also lower your risk of contracting HPV by using a condom every time you have sex, though you can still get an HPV infection in areas left exposed by the condom. So condom use isn't considered a substitute for HPV vaccination in those eligible for the vaccines.

When you're exposed to genital human papillomavirus (HPV), your immune system usually prevents the virus from doing serious harm. But sometimes, the virus survives for years. Eventually, the virus can lead to the conversion of normal cells on the surface of the cervix into cancerous cells.

At first, cells may only show signs of a viral infection. Eventually, the cells may develop precancerous changes. This is known as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, which usually goes away spontaneously, but in some cases it may progress to invasive cervical cancer.

It's not clear why some people are more likely to develop cervical cancer. Some types of HPV are simply more aggressive than are others. Cigarette smoking, being overweight, and long-term use of oral contraceptives also increase the risk of cervical cancer.

An HPV vaccine is available. It offers protection from several of the most dangerous types of HPV.

If you're sexually active, the best way to prevent HPV and other sexually transmitted infections is to remain in a mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner. Otherwise, use a condom every time you have sex. Regular cervical screening is important, too.

Huperzine (HOOP-ur-zeen) A, a dietary supplement derived from the Chinese club moss Huperzia serrata, is sparking some interest as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Huperzine A acts as a cholinesterase inhibitor — a type of medication that works by improving the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. Small early studies suggest that huperzine A might improve memory and protect nerve cells, which could slow the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's.

Some studies have found evidence that huperzine A might significantly improve cognitive performance in people with Alzheimer's disease. However, a recent systematic review found that the quality of the evidence of huperzine A's effectiveness was low.

Another systematic review found that huperzine A did have a beneficial effect on cognitive function. But, the review noted that the results should be interpreted with caution because of problems with the way the trials were conducted.

In addition, there's a lack of long-term safety data — most studies have lasted three months or less — and many participants in the trials had side effects, including nausea and vomiting. More studies are needed to determine possible benefits and long-term risks of huperzine A.

The Alzheimer's Association recommends not taking huperzine A, especially if you're taking a prescribed cholinesterase inhibitor, such as donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon) or galantamine (Razadyne). Taking both could increase your risk of serious side effects.

Consult your doctor before starting any dietary supplement, including huperzine A.

Although proper hydration is important for your overall health, it's not clear whether drinking extra water affects skin hydration in healthy people.

Skin is made up of three layers — the outer layer (epidermis), the underlying skin (dermis) and the subcutaneous tissue. If the outermost layer of the epidermis doesn't contain enough water, skin will lose elasticity and feel rough. Despite this connection, however, there's a lack of research showing that drinking extra water has any impact on skin hydration or appearance.

If you're looking to maintain hydrated skin, there are steps you can take:

• Avoid prolonged contact with hot water.
• Use a gentle cleanser.
• Avoid using deodorant soap and skin care products that contain alcohol, fragrance, retinoids or alpha hydroxy acid.
• Moisturize immediately after taking a bath or shower or washing your hands.
• Use a humidifier.
• Wear gloves when going out in cold weather.

If you're concerned about dry skin, talk to your doctor or a dermatologist.

Children growing up in rural areas, around animals and in larger families seem to develop asthma less often than do other children. According to the hygiene hypothesis, this is due to increased exposure to particular viruses, bacteria or parasites.

The hygiene hypothesis proposes that childhood exposure to germs and certain infections helps the immune system develop. This teaches the body to differentiate harmless substances from the harmful substances that trigger asthma. In theory, exposure to certain germs teaches the immune system not to overreact.

But preventing asthma isn't as simple as avoiding antibacterial soap, having a big family or spending time on the farm. For one thing, a number of microbes — such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — may cause asthma rather than prevent it. In addition, infections that might help prevent asthma can cause a number of other health problems. The type of germ isn't the only factor that plays a role, either. The severity of an infection and when the infection occurs during childhood also appear to matter.

For now, more research is needed to understand exactly how childhood germ exposure might help prevent asthma.