Problem: Article: Once the healing process is underway, massaging the area helps to breakdown the formation of collagen that leads to scar tissue. Be careful not to re-open a wound that is still trying to heal. Massaging the area breaks the formation of collagen bonds and prevents the formation of solid areas of collagen that attach to the new skin growth. This action prevents scars from forming or minimizes their size. Massage the area several times each day using a circular motion for 15 to 30 seconds each time. Use a lotion or cream recommended for scar prevention to help with the massage. Several products are available without a prescription that can be used. One popular products contain varying strengths of an ingredients including onion skin extract and has been shown to provide some efficacy. Other products contain a combination of ingredients that help to maintain moisture in the skin to reduce scarring. Gentle and consistent pressure to the wound helps prevent or minimize scarring. Focus the pressure along the area most likely to scar. Bandages are available that help with applying pressure. Other than the hydrogel and silicone sheeting previously mentioned, other products designed to add constant pressure to the wound area as well as provide protection are available. Ask your doctor about ways to safely create a custom fitting pressure application bandage. Options include using regular dressing materials to create a thicker area of a standard bandage that can be applied directly over the potential scar. For larger or more prominent areas of scarring, pressure appliances are available that are worn during the daytime hours and for as long as four to six months. This is a costly venture and would require evaluation and recommendation by a physician or wound care specialist. One research study done in animals using scar compression therapy resulted in significant and sustained improvement in areas of scarring, decreased thickness of the dermal skin layer where the scars were located, and increased blood flow in the areas treated. Once the area has healed and there is no risk of pulling the wound open, use elastic tape in specific patterns to lift the skin, improve circulation to the area just beneath the injury, and prevent the development of scars. The most familiar brand name of this type of tape is also the name of the taping procedure, Kinesio Taping. Wait two to four weeks after the initial injury to be sure the wound is well healed. Different patterns of taping are recommended depending on the location, depth, and length of the injury. Work with your doctor, a physical therapist, or sports trainer, to understand the most appropriate patterns to use for your injury. One common taping pattern to prevent scarring involves applying a single layer or strip of elastic tape along the length of the injury. Stretch the tape to about 25 to 50% of its elasticity. Massage the tape into place over the wounded area. Gradually increase the tension of the tape application over time, provided the skin is able to tolerate this without pulling or tearing. Kinesio taping works best to prevent scars by using patterns that lift the skin, aid in circulation, and break up collagen formations. Talk to your doctor, physical therapist, or sports trainer to understand the best patterns for your injury. Tension and motion will cause the scar to widen, so try your best to avoid activity that tightly pulls the skin around the wound. Use gentle movements if the injury is located on a joint area, like an elbow or knee. You want to regain your range of motion, but you need to take care not to re-open the wound. Continue with any regular exercise or daily routines provided that the injury is not negatively impacted by those activities. Exercise helps to promote circulation throughout your body which is important in healing your injury.
Summary: Massage the area. Apply pressure. Apply elastic tape. Minimize movement.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Your fear of driving may be a phobia if it is so severe that it causes debilitating symptoms. If you are just a bit frightened by the idea or act of driving, then it is probably not a phobia. For example, a fear of driving might cause you to feel a bit nervous before you start your morning commute, while a phobia might cause you to avoid driving altogether by taking public transportation or riding your bike to work. Phobias may cause emotional and physical symptoms such as: feeling dizzy sweating having chest pain having difficulty breathing trembling or shaking having a racing pulse feeling anxious wanting to escape or run away feeling like you are going crazy or dying feeling powerless to control your fear The first step toward getting over your fear of driving is to try to pinpoint the reason you are afraid. Many people with this issue experienced a traumatic event at some point in their past that turned them off to the idea of piloting a car; for others, the fear arose gradually. For still others, driving fear has a more indirect source. The following are examples of how some driving fears and phobias start: You were in a serious car accident. This is a big reason some people don't like to drive, and it is especially likely to be problematic if it happened when you were a young, inexperienced driver (or as a child passenger). You had a negative experience when first learning to drive, such as being yelled at by an impatient teacher or being a victim of another driver's road rage. You become anxious or feel trapped during traffic jams. You found yourself driving in bad weather such as deep snow, icy roads, heavy rain or fog, or high winds. Whether or not such an event results in an accident, it can lead to fear of driving if it is a frightening experience. You are frightened by stories of traffic accidents. Sometimes just knowing what could happen is enough to generate heightened fear of driving. You are prone to anxiety attacks, which you fear having while driving and losing control as a result. Stress and anxiety in other aspects of your life has boiled over to affect your driving confidence. Phobias, especially when deep-seated, can be difficult to overcome without assistance. If you cannot seem to overcome your driving phobia or if your phobia is impacting your quality of life, you should think about seeing a therapist. A therapist can help you to address the problem and take steps to overcome your driving phobia. Even if you have a fear of driving and not a phobia, a therapist can help you to identify the source of your fear and become more comfortable with driving. Search online for therapists in your area and seek out those who specialize in anxiety disorders (the category under which most driving phobias fall).

SUMMARY: Recognize the difference between a fear and a phobia. Acknowledge the source of your fear. Consider therapy.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: With a tiered APR, the credit card company applies different rates to different parts of the balance. For example, it may charge 17 percent on balances up to $1,000 and 19 percent on balances above $1,000.00. If you have an outstanding balance of $1,500, you would pay 17 percent interest on the first $1,000 and 19 percent interest on the last $500. Figure out how many tiers apply to the outstanding amount at the end of your billing cycle. You need to figure out the DPR for each of those rates individually. So, for our example: 17 365 results in a DPR of 0.047 for the first $1,000 of your balance. 19 365 results in a DPR of 0.052 for the last $500 of your balance. The steps are essentially the same as those for fixed and variable rates, as you can see. But it's important that you remember to apply each step to the different tier rates. Assume that we're calculating the monthly rate for January, which has 31 days. 0.047 x 31 = a monthly rate of 1.457 percent for the first $1,000 0.052 x 31 = a monthly rate of 1.612 percent for the last $500 Again, move decimal points two places to the left to convert percentages to numbers that can be multiplied. $1,000 x 0.01457 = $14.57 of interest paid on the first $1,000 $500 x .01612 = $8.06 of interest paid on the last $500 $14.57 + $8.06 = $22.63 of interest paid on your outstanding balance of $1,500.
Summary:
Understand how tiered APRs work. Calculate the DPR for each tier. Multiply each DPR by the number of days in the month. Calculate the interest paid on your outstanding balance. Add the amounts together to find your total.