Someone who has a sulfa allergy can react to some medications that contain sulfa.

Sulfonamide antibiotics that can cause a reaction

Antibiotics containing chemicals called sulfonamides can trigger a reaction if you have a sulfa allergy. These antibiotics include combination drugs:

• Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (Septra, Bactrim)
• Erythromycin-sulfisoxazole

Other medications that may cause a reaction

Other types of sulfa medications may trigger a reaction in some people who have a sulfonamide antibiotic allergy:

• Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), used to treat Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Dapsone, used to treat leprosy, dermatitis and certain types of pneumonia

Keep in mind that if you have a reaction to a sulfonamide antibiotic, you may still be able to take other sulfonamide medications without having a reaction.

Sulfonamide medications that may be OK

• Certain diabetes medications — glyburide (Glynase, Diabeta) and glimepiride (Amaryl), for example
• Some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as celecoxib (Celebrex)
• The migraine medication sumatriptan (Imitrex)
• Certain "water pills" (diuretics), such as furosemide (Lasix) and hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide)

An allergy to sulfonamide medications is different from having an adverse reaction to wine or food that contains sulfites. Having a reaction to sulfites in something you eat or drink doesn't mean you'll be allergic to sulfonamide medication.

If you have HIV/AIDS, you may have an increased sensitivity to sulfonamide medications. Always tell your doctor about your sensitivities to medication.

There are no diagnostic tests for sulfa allergy. However, sulfa desensitization might be an option, especially if medication containing sulfamethoxazole is needed.

Sun rash and sun allergy are terms often used to describe a number of conditions in which an itchy red rash occurs on skin that's been exposed to sunlight. A common form of sun rash is polymorphic light eruption, also known as sun poisoning.

Some people have a hereditary type of sun rash, while others develop signs and symptoms only when triggered by another factor — such as certain types of medications or skin exposure to certain plants, such as limes or wild parsnip.

People who have severe sun sensitivity may need to take preventive measures, such as:

• Limiting exposure. Avoid spending time in the sun, especially when the sun's rays are most intense — between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Some people may react to sunlight shining through glass, in which case it may help to use window films in your car and home.
• Using sunscreen. Use a high-SPF sunscreen that specifically blocks both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays. Apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.
• Covering up. Wear a broad-brimmed hat and cover your arms and legs with clothing that's tightly woven or specifically designed to protect from the sun.
• Avoiding triggers. Avoid touching wild parsnip, lime juice and other triggers while in the sun.

Consult a doctor for sunburn treatment if:

• The sunburn is severe — with blisters — and covers a large portion of your body
• The sunburn is accompanied by a high fever, headache, severe pain, dehydration, confusion, nausea or chills
• You've developed a skin infection, indicated by swelling, pus or red streaks leading from the blister
• Your sunburn doesn't respond to at-home care

Your doctor might suggest a corticosteroid cream for your sunburn, or a short course of prednisone for severe cases involving large areas of your body. Antibiotics are most often not required unless you develop an infection.

The term "sundowning" refers to a state of confusion occurring in the late afternoon and spanning into the night. Sundowning can cause a variety of behaviors, such as confusion, anxiety, aggression or ignoring directions. Sundowning can also lead to pacing or wandering.

Sundowning isn't a disease, but a group of symptoms that occur at a specific time of the day that may affect people with dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. The exact cause of this behavior is unknown.

Factors that may aggravate late-day confusion include:

• Fatigue
• Low lighting
• Increased shadows
• Disruption of the body's "internal clock"
• Difficulty separating reality from dreams
• Presence of an infection such as urinary tract infection

Tips for reducing sundowning:

• Try to maintain a predictable routine for bedtime, waking, meals and activities.
• Plan for activities and exposure to light during the day to encourage nighttime sleepiness.
• Limit daytime napping.
• Limit caffeine and sugar to morning hours.
• Keep a night light on to reduce agitation that occurs when surroundings are dark or unfamiliar.
• In the evening, try to reduce background noise and stimulating activities, including TV viewing, which can sometimes be upsetting.
• In a strange or unfamiliar setting, bring familiar items — such as photographs — to create a more relaxed, familiar setting.
• Play familiar gentle music in the evening or relaxing sounds of nature, such as the sound of waves.
• Talk with your loved one's doctor if you suspect that an underlying condition, such as a urinary tract infection or sleep apnea, might be worsening sundowning behavior, especially if sundowning develops quickly.

Some research suggests that a low dose of melatonin — a naturally occurring hormone that induces sleepiness — alone or in combination with exposure to bright light during the day may help ease sundowning.

When sundowning occurs in a care facility, it may be related to the flurry of activity during staff shift changes or the lack of structured activities in the late afternoon and evening. Staff arriving and leaving may cue some people with Alzheimer's to want to go home or to check on their children — or other behaviors that were appropriate in the late afternoon in their past. It may help to occupy their time with another activity during that period.

Treatment-resistant head lice aren't a new problem. Dubbed "super lice," these lice are simply head lice that are becoming more resistant to the active ingredients in many common head lice treatments.

Unless resistance has been seen in the community, medications containing 1 percent permethrin or pyrethrins should be the first choice of treatment for active lice infestations. It's important to understand that although some over-the-counter (OTC) treatments may no longer be as effective as they once were, these first line treatments still work the majority of the time when used correctly.

Common reasons head lice treatments may not work include:

• Not using the treatment correctly. Reapplying the treatment too soon, too late or not at all may result in continuous infestation. Follow treatment instructions carefully.
• Misdiagnosis. What appears to be a lice infestation may actually be dandruff, scabs or clothing fibers. An itchy scalp may be a sign or symptom of dry skin or another skin condition.
• Reinfestation. Although you or your child may have been treated correctly, you or your child may become infested again from another infested person.

If the correct use of an OTC treatment has failed and you're still finding lice and their eggs, your health care provider may prescribe a stronger treatment regimen, as this may be a sign of treatment-resistant head lice.

A number of home or natural remedies are used to treat head lice infestations, but there is little to no clinical evidence of their effectiveness.

For parents looking at alternative treatment methods, one option is a machine that uses one application of hot air in an attempt to kill head lice and their eggs through dehydration. The machine requires special training and is currently available only at professional lice treatment centers. A regular hair dryer should not be used to accomplish this result as it's too hot and could burn the scalp. The machine uses air that is cooler than most hair dryers and at a much higher flow rate to kill the lice by drying them out.

Research hasn't shown superslow strength training to be superior to other forms of strength training. Still, superslow strength training is a reasonable tool if you want to vary your strength training routine.

Superslow strength training is a strength training technique in which you lift and lower a weight more slowly than usual. For example, you may take about 10 seconds to lift the weight and another 10 seconds to lower the weight. The goal of superslow strength training is to limit momentum. This forces your muscles to work harder through their entire range of motion when you lift the weight.

Superslow strength training may help prevent boredom in your strength training routine. And you can challenge your muscles in a new and different way.

If you try superslow strength training, start with a familiar strength training exercise and a weight that tires your muscles after 12 to 15 repetitions. This weight might be less than you usually use. As with any type of strength training, remember the importance of good form and proper technique.

Although chewing gum is designed to be chewed and not swallowed, it generally isn't harmful if swallowed. Folklore suggests that swallowed gum sits in your stomach for seven years before it can be digested. But this isn't true. If you swallow gum, it's true that your body can't digest it. But the gum doesn't stay in your stomach. It moves relatively intact through your digestive system and is excreted in your stool.

On very rare occasions, large amounts of swallowed gum combined with constipation have blocked intestines in children. It's for this reason that frequent swallowing of chewing gum should be discouraged, especially in children.

Tailbone pain — pain that occurs in or around the bony structure at the bottom of the spine (coccyx) — can be caused by trauma to the coccyx during a fall, prolonged sitting on a hard or narrow surface, degenerative joint changes, or vaginal childbirth.

Tailbone pain can feel dull and achy but typically becomes sharp during certain activities, such as sitting, rising from a seated to a standing position or prolonged standing. Defecation and sex also might become painful. For women, tailbone pain can make menstruation uncomfortable as well.

Tailbone pain, also called coccydynia or coccygodynia, usually goes away on its own within a few weeks or months. To lessen tailbone pain in the meantime, it might help to:

• Lean forward while sitting down
• Sit on a doughnut-shaped pillow or wedge (V-shaped) cushion
• Apply heat or ice to the affected area
• Take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or aspirin

If your tailbone pain doesn't improve (chronic coccydynia), consult your doctor. He or she might do a rectal exam to rule out any other conditions. Your doctor might recommend using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to find out if you have a fracture, degenerative changes or, in rare cases, a tumor.

Possible treatments for chronic tailbone pain might include:

• Physical therapy. A physical therapist might show you how to do pelvic floor relaxation techniques, such as breathing deeply and completely relaxing your pelvic floor — as you would while urinating or defecating.
• Manipulation. Massaging the muscles attached to the tailbone might help ease pain. Manipulation is typically done through the rectum.
• Medication. An injection of a local anesthetic into the tailbone can relieve pain for a few weeks. Certain antidepressants or anti-epileptic medications might relieve tailbone pain as well.
• Surgery. During a procedure known as a coccygectomy, the coccyx is surgically removed. This option is typically only recommended when all other treatments fail.

Tanning beds don't offer a safe alternative to natural sunlight.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation damages your skin, whether the radiation comes from tanning beds or natural sunlight. Exposure increases the risk of skin cancer, premature skin aging and eye damage. Experts found a 75 percent increase in melanoma among those who first used tanning beds in their teens or 20s. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer.

If you'd like the golden glow of a tan without exposure to damaging UV radiation, consider using a sunless tanning product. Avoid tanning beds, and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen whenever you're outdoors.

There's little evidence to support the idea that a base tan protects you against sunburn. A few sessions of indoor tanning will not prevent you from burning in the sun. A base tan is no substitute for good sun protection. Plus, the risks of long-term tanning outweigh the unproven benefits of a base tan.

Tanning under the sun or a sunlamp may give modest protection to those who are able to tan well. But the protection it gives does not come close to that derived from the use of a sunscreen. The larger issue is that any change in skin color from tanning is a sign of damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Repeated exposure to UV radiation — whether from the sun or a tanning bed — increases your risk of premature skin aging and skin cancer.

Use these methods to prevent sunburn and other skin conditions:

• Avoid sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The sun's rays are strongest during these hours.
• Cover up. While outside, wear tightly woven clothing that covers your arms and legs. Consider wearing clothing specially designed to provide sun protection. A broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses with a high UV protection rating also will help.

• Use sunscreen frequently and liberally. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.

  Apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going outside. And reapply it every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.

  Some people have medical conditions that may require a few short exposures to UV light before summer or a sunny vacation, to prevent flare-ups. Talk with your doctor before doing this.