HCE Blog

What’s tiny, hard to see, and leaves you in excruciating pain? Splinters! The infamous splinter, second only to a paper cut when it comes to small size and big pain, will begin to haunt our households now that school is back in session. As arts and crafts begin again and falls on wood chip filled playgrounds pick up, you need a quick and easy way to remove a splinter! The best way to deal wi...

While outdoor activities are fun, it's important to keep in mind there are various types of disease-carrying insects out just waiting for something (or someone) to pass by them to latch onto. One of these insects is, of course, the tick. Not every tick causes the same type of rash, as not all of them carry the same diseases. Here are the different types of rashes that can be caused by tick bite...

Motion sickness is something many of us have experienced. From cars, to planes, to boats, we have all either fallen victim to or have witnessed someone else suffer from motion sickness. Though we aren’t sure the cause is always the same — conflicting sensory signals going to the brain — there may be a way to help fight off motion sickness. According to a study in the journal, Lancet, that too...

“Where there’s tea, there’s hope…and fresh breath.” Okay, so this isn’t EXACTLY how the Arthur Wing Pinero quote goes, but it’s true! Tea can freshen your breath. In 2003, a group of scientists from the University of Illinois in Chicago presented their findings to the American Society of Microbiology about how the compounds in tea can stop the bacterial growth that causes halitosis. Just one...

Say goodbye to a limited range of motion and tight muscles! It’s time to stretch and get focused! How many times have you been at your desk and start daydreaming or thinking about EVERYTHING else you had to do or needed to do that day? How if you leave work at exactly 4:50 pm, you can miss after-work traffic, pick up dinner, drop it off and make it in time to your 5:30 hair appointment, when y...

As the end of summer approaches and football season begins, many of us will be spending a lot of time outside. Last-minute family reunions, Labor Day barbecues, and evening football practice will have us and our loved ones out and about. Sadly, as we catch the sun before it’s gone, there are a few pesky bugs following us around chasing us back inside. The main one being the infamous mosquito. ...

It’s Wednesday. Your head is throbbing as if it has a pulse, and you’re burnt out from dealing with everything that is “back to school.” Between work, meet the teacher, and shopping for school supplies “you” have been last on your “to-do list.” Due to the back to school rush, your eating and sleeping schedules have been terrible, and the tension headache you have is reminding you of it with ea...

Some of us have the misfortune of dealing with smelly feet. The odor is caused when your feet sweat and the bacteria on them begin to eat away at it. Gross, right? The fungus that causes athlete’s foot can also cause smelly feet. You could spend your money on expensive creams and medications, or you could try out this simple— and surprisingly efficient— hack!   You may have never thought abou...

You know better than to take a bite out of a piece of produce bought straight from the store! Produce is often covered in dirt, chemicals, or wax. A simple rinse under the water faucet isn’t good enough to wash away these potentially harmful substances. You definitely don’t want to scrub them down with soap and a sponge, either. So, what do you do? Did you know you can make a natural scrub to ...

Backpack Safety Everyone has to carry a backpack, but you want to make sure that the backpack that your child may be using is big enough to carry all of their school supplies, and is easy (and healthy) to carry around almost all day. Be sure to purchase a lightweight, durable backpack. The shoulder straps should be wide and padded to prevent discomfort. The part that rests against the back...