If you're concerned that your finger may be sprained, try to use it as you typically would for the next day or 2. If you notice that the finger doesn't function normally, doesn't bend, can't hold weight, or is too painful to use, it's most likely sprained. For example, if you find yourself unable to pick up a gallon of milk using your hand with an injured finger, you're probably experiencing a sprain. When a finger is sprained, its muscles are often effected. Watch your finger as you go about your daily routine, and take note of any painful or uncomfortable cramps. Cramps may cause your finger to bend itself into a twisted position. Sprains are also commonly accompanied by muscle spasms. So, if you notice that your finger is twitching or bending on its own, it's probably sprained. Any finger injury will be painful, but the degree of pain you feel will indicate how seriously the finger is sprained. If the finger still hurts 48 hours after the incident, it's most likely sprained, since pain from a lesser injury should go away within 48 hours. If the pain is sharp and severe, you've either seriously sprained or broken your finger. If your sprained finger was impacted head-on, it may be compressed and have potential joint damage in addition to a potential sprain. This condition is known as a "mallet finger." So, if you try to straighten your finger and the tip stays bent at an angle, it will need to be professionally splinted. Unless it's accompanied by a sprain, mallet finger is often painless.

Summary: Try to use the finger normally after the injury. Pay attention to cramping or spasms in your finger muscles. Note how much pain you feel in the sprained finger. Straighten your finger and see if the tip stays bent.

Proteins in dust mite feces cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. You can react from inhaling them or from contact with your skin. Symptoms may also manifest as watery eyes, asthma, and sneezing. Symptoms in infants can show up as infantile eczema. Children will frequently rub their noses upwards if they're reacting to dust mites. Other visible symptoms include frequent awakening, postnasal drip, blue-colored skin under the eyes, an itchy nose, roof of mouth, or throat. You can get these tests done at an allergy specialist, but you need a referral from your primary care doctor to see an allergist. When you get a skin prick or scratch test, the nurse will poke or scratch your skin with a tiny needle containing a small sample of an allergen. If you are allergic to dust mites, a small, itchy wheal will appear on the test site. A wheal is a red bump that resembles a mosquito bite or hive. It takes about 20 minutes for wheals to appear after pricking or scratching the skin. The larger the wheal is, the more likely you are to be allergic to the substance. If you have allergy symptoms, skin tests won't always show symptoms, especially if you're taking allergy medicine. In an IgE test, a nurse will take a sample of your blood, which is sent to a lab for testing. To test the blood, lab technicians will add allergens to it to see if your blood produces antibodies to attack them. They test the amount of antibodies your blood produces to fight the allergens. This will indicate whether you are allergic to dust mites. To get a specific IgE blood test, your doctor will either do it in their office or send you to a lab to have your blood drawn. A positive blood test to an allergen doesn't mean an allergen caused your symptoms. That's why you should have a full checkup to rule out anything else. Over-the-counter antihistamines and intranasal corticosteroids treat dust mite allergies, but these medications act in different ways. For example, corticosteroids treat inflammation in your nose caused by allergens. Antihistamines block histamine to reduce allergy symptoms, and you take them orally. When over-the-counter medicines fail to work, your allergist may recommend immunotherapy to strengthen your immune system against allergens. You can also limit your exposure to dust by regularly vacuuming carpets, washing bedding, using mite-proof covers for your bedding, and washing your clothes weekly. Use a HEPA air filter to clean the air in the bedroom of the allergic individual. Another option is to have just wood flooring throughout your home, rather than carpets. Dust mites prefer fabric over wood or tile.

Summary: Identify symptoms such as hay fever, cough, runny nose, or sinus pain. Get a skin prick test to determine your sensitivity to allergens. Get a specific IgE blood test if the skin test shows no signs of allergies. Take antihistamines or corticosteroids to treat allergy symptoms.

Write down how you feel when you think about your spouse. Try to consider if you feel angry, frustrated, hopeless, or disinterested in your marriage. If you answer yes to the following questions, you may need counseling: Do you feel as though your partner consistently takes you for granted? Do you feel as though you are often or consistently neglected or ignored by your partner? Does your partner make you feel angry or annoyed on a daily basis? Do you feel jealous of your partner's friends or career? Do you feel sad, hopeless, or "stuck" in your marriage? Trust is essential for a relationship to succeed. If you and your spouse cannot trust each other, it is time for you to get professional help. Some signs of trust issues include: Monitoring the phone calls, text messages, emails, and social media of your partner. Refusing to allow each other to go out or socialize with friends. Accusing each other of cheating without adequate evidence. Keeping secrets from each other. All couples may go through periods of reduced sexual activity, but these should be temporary. If you or your partner has lost interest in sex for a prolonged period of time, seek advice from a counselor. Try to keep track of how often you have had sex in the last 2-3 months. While every couple's expectation is different, ask yourself if you're satisfied with this pattern. If not, seek counseling. Alternatively, if your spouse seems dissatisfied with your sex life, don't ignore their complaints. Even if you're happy with it, you should address their concerns. Some problems in the bedroom can be solved through communication and compromise. That said, if talking to your spouse about the problem doesn't work, see a counselor. Contempt means that 1 or both partners see themselves as better than the other partner. Ideally, in a relationship, both partners respect each other and see each other equal footing. If you answer yes to the following questions, consider seeing a marriage counselor: Do you often get mad at your partner for doing things "wrong"? Does your partner yell at you for doing things a certain way? Do you or your partner believe that you are smarter than the other person? Do you often forget why you are married to your spouse? Is it difficult for you to think of your spouse's positive qualities? Do you or your partner refuse to take responsibility for your actions in the relationship? If the answer is yes, marriage counseling can help strengthen your relationship, no matter how rough it may be at this moment. If you're uncertain, marriage counseling may help you figure out your feelings. If the answer is no, you must seriously consider whether or not counseling will help you love your partner again. If counseling is to help, you must be willing to put in the effort to save your marriage.
Summary: Reflect on your feelings regarding the marriage. Identify any trust issues in your relationship. Monitor the frequency and satisfaction of your sex life. Assess if your relationship is defined by contempt. Ask yourself if you still love your spouse.