INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Cuticles are the thin layer of skin near the bottom of the nail, where it connects to the finger. Cuticles often get dry, resulting in peeling and flaking. In order to keep cuticles healthy, apply a thick moisturizer to your cuticles. Ointments and creams are best over typical lighter lotions. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends petroleum jelly for cuticle care. Ointments get messy, so try applying them to your cuticles before bed. It can get cumbersome to have sticky ointment on your fingertips during the day. Nails usually get brittle due to repeated exposure to wet environments. If you're doing activities that get your hands wet frequently, like swimming or dishwashing, your nails may become brittle. You can apply lotion to brittle nails to help strengthen them. For the best effect, go for lotions with alpha-hydroxy acids or lanolin. You can check a lotion's ingredient list for these substances, which are known to help rebuild nail strength. You should also try wearing gloves if you're doing something like washing dishes. This can help keep your nails dry, preventing them from becoming brittle. White, yellow, or green nails are often the result of a fungal infection. In fact, 50% of nail discolorations are due to infections caused by common fungi found in air, dirt, and soil. If your nails become discolored, make an appointment with a dermatologist for evaluation. He or she can recommend ointments, supplements, or creams to treat the issue. Iron deficiencies can sometimes be the cause of brittle nails. If your nails remain brittle after using lotion, talk to your doctor about iron supplements. A simple blood test can help detect an iron deficiency, and your doctor can prescribe the appropriate dose of an iron supplement. Biotin is a natural supplement. Some research indicates biotin may help with nail health. If you want to keep your nails strong, ask your doctor about introducing a biotin supplement into your diet.

SUMMARY: Use thick moisturizers for cuticle care. Try lotions containing alpha-hydroxy acids or lanolin for brittle nails. See a dermatologist for discolored nails. Ask your doctor about iron supplements. Try biotin.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: A woman's body changes a lot during pregnancy, particularly in her abdomen. As the baby grows, the abdomen needs to expand to accommodate. This can sometimes be difficult to differentiate from belly fat in the same area, but a pregnancy has some subtle distinguishing characteristics. Weight gain in the belly area that looks like a well-defined bump, but little to no weight gain in other areas of the body is most likely caused by pregnancy. If you happen to accidentally bump into her, keep in mind that a pregnant belly is also much firmer than belly fat. Enlarged, growing breasts are a common physical change because breast tissue is very sensitive to hormonal changes. If you don't know this person, this might not be helpful since you don't have a pre-pregnancy breast size to compare her current size to; however, some pregnant women in the later stages of pregnancy have disproportionately large breasts to the rest of their body because they swell with milk production. Swollen ankles are also very common in pregnant women, especially around the fifth month. This is because the body retains more water and produces more blood and body fluid when a person is pregnant. She may also be wearing extra comfortable, supportive shoes or flip-flops to help with the pain associated with walking and standing with swollen feet and ankles. As her body begins to change and grow, many pregnant women also begin experiencing changes to their mobility. Keep an eye out for these common signs: A waddling walk and other changes in gait are common as the growing belly and swelling feet cause the woman's balance to be thrown off a bit. Many pregnant women tend to hold their belly or keep a hand on their bump as they move around. This is both for balance and because of the bond that is growing between the mother and child. In addition to changes in mobility, many pregnant women also experience shortness of breath in their second and third trimesters. This is caused by the growing fetus needing more and more oxygen and also by the expanding uterus putting more pressure on the lungs and diaphragm. Feeling winded with minimal exertion is very common, and in combination with other signs of pregnancy can be conclusive.

SUMMARY: Look at the shape of her abdomen. Take note of her breasts. Look at her feet and ankles. Notice how she is moving around. Listen for any shortness of breath.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Some people try natural antimicrobial remedies before seeing a doctor. This can actually be very dangerous, as you cannot tell if the child is actually suffering from a perforated eardrum, a tumor in the ear canal, a cut in the skin in the ear, or something else more severe than a simple ear infection. Applying a home remedy may aggravate these conditions and/or may mask a doctors ability to detect them when she looks inside the ear. if the child has a perforated eardrum, doing this could also seriously risk causing deafness in that ear. Both garlic and coconut oils have antiviral and antibacterial properties and have long been used for treatment of infections at home. Garlic oil can be made at home from several cloves of garlic and coconut oil should be virgin and cold pressed to have the best results. Make your own garlic oil at home by crushing a couple cloves of fresh garlic and soaking it in olive oil on very low heat for 30 minutes. Coconut oil is widely available at grocery stores and health food stores. To use, place two or three drops of the oil of your choice in the affected ear and lay down for 10 minutes on the other side of your head up so that the oil doesn't drip out. Never put oil in an ear in which you believe the eardrum may have ruptured. The oil may damage the inside of the ear if it goes through the eardrum. Xylitol is a natural sweetener or sugar substitute. There are studies that show that Xylitol may keep the number of ear infections you get to a minimum because it fights against bacteria that can grow in your ear and cause infections. Chew two pieces of gum containing Xylitol five times a day. However, chew this gum with caution. The Xylitol can kill the bacteria responsible for the development of ear infections, but frequent chewing can also increase the potential for temporomandibular joint syndrome and lead to the erosion of your teeth due to artificial flavors and preservatives. Another natural antimicrobial remedy is apple cider vinegar. There is some anecdotal evidencethough no firm scientific supportthat vinegar may be effective in helping relieve ear infections. Dilute the vinegar, using one part vinegar to one part water, then fill the ear canal with the solution, plugging it with a cotton ball or washcloth or lying on the opposite side. After five minutes, drain the ear by turning over, with the affected side facing down. You could also apply three to four straight drops of apple cider vinegar into the affected ear with a syringe and then lie on the opposite side for a few minutes to let it settle. Although the most recent research shows that dairy products probably do not increase mucus production, there are case studies in which people report that it does. If mucus production increases it can block the eustachian tubes and increase the risk of bacterial growth.

SUMMARY: See your doctor before attempting any of these remedies. Use garlic oil or coconut oil at home. Chew Xylitol gum. Use apple cider vinegar. Eliminate dairy products from your diet.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: and proofread. If you have a spell-check feature, use it. Some programs, such as Microsoft Word, also include a grammar check that you should use. Proofread your letter yourself. Do not rely on the spelling and grammar checks to catch mistakes. Consider asking a friend, or even two, to proofread your letter as well. If no one is available to help, another good strategy is to spend some time away from your final draft (a few hours or even a whole day) so that you can return to it with a fresh perspective.

SUMMARY:
Spell-check Read your letter aloud to hear how it reads.