Shari Forschen, NP, MA
Family Nurse Practitioner
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Co-authored Articles (56)
How to
Recognize Staph Infection Symptoms
Staph infections are caused by bacteria called ''Staphylococcus aureus'' and are usually easy to treat. Skin infections are the most common type of staph infection, and often occur when a burn or wound gets contaminated....
Administering B12 Injections Safely at Home: A Complete Guide
''Learn where to self-administer a B12 shot and how to do it painlessly''If you've been feeling sluggish or low-energy lately, getting B12 injections might help you get back on track (especially if you have a B12 deficie...
Guide to Removing, Cleaning, and Caring for Dead Toenails
Your guide to treating and removing dead toenails at homeHaving a dead toenail can cause a lot of pain and can make you reluctant to wear sandals or show your toes. A dead toenail can have various causes, among them inju...
How to
Painlessly Remove a Splinter
A splinter lodged in your skin can be painful, and even more painful to remove. Some people find their splinters so painful, a costly trip to the doctor's office is needed. Rather than digging into your skin to force out...
How to
Spot Signs of Cocaine Use
Cocaine is a highly addictive drug with widespread use around the world. Some experts estimate that in the United States alone, almost 25 million people will have tried cocaine at least once in their lifetime. Cocaine is...
How to Hit a Vein When Drawing Blood
Physician-backed tricks to hit a vein every time Drawing blood quickly and cleanly is an important skill for doctors, nurses, lab personnel, or phlebotomists. Many venipunctures are routine, but you may occasionally enco...
How to
Sleep with a Stuffy Nose
There are many ways to get a stuffy nose—from allergies, a cold, or even acid reflux. Plus, it's just a common bedtime issue; when you lie down, more blood flows to your head, and that causes your nose to get stuffed u...
How to
Calculate Heart Rate from ECG
Although heart rate can be calculated easily by taking a pulse, studies show that an ECG (electrocardiogram) may be necessary to determine if there is any damage to the heart, how well a device or drug is working, whethe...
How to
Administer a Flu Shot
Experts say that an annual flu shot is your best bet for preventing the flu, but it's not 100% effective. Typically, the annual flu shot will protect you against 3 or 4 strains of the virus that are expected to be preval...
How to
Kill E. Coli in Your Body
''E. coli'', or ''Escherichia coli'', is a bacteria that is present mostly in the digestive system. The bacteria is actually a ''normal'' flora of the intestines; it is harmless and beneficial in most cases; however, som...
How to
Sleep While Having Diarrhea
Diarrhea is loose watery stool. It happens to everyone at some point and can really make you miserable, especially if it prevents you from sleeping. Diarrhea can be caused by many different things including bacterial in...
How to
Make Yourself Sneeze
Do you ever feel a sneeze coming on, but it just lingers in your nostrils, causing you to squirm with discomfort? Or maybe you need to get a sneeze out of your system before you give a talk, attend a meeting, eat a meal,...
How to
Get Rid of Plantar Warts (Verrucas)
The newest research on plantar warts suggests that many different treatments can be effective, including some that you can try at home without the care of a physician. These warts occur on the bottom of the foot, which ...
How to
Sit with Hemorrhoids
People are often embarrassed to talk about hemorrhoids (sometimes also called “piles”), but roughly half of all adults deal with them at least occasionally. Hemorrhoids occur when sitting or straining creates pocket...
How to
Get Rid of a Chesty Cough
Coughs that contain phlegm are called productive coughs, chesty coughs, or wet coughs. Phlegm is generally a sign that there is inflammation or an infection. If you find yourself experiencing a wet cough, be particularly...
The Best Ways to Quickly Stop a Tickly Cough
Natural remedies to cure a dry cough and soothe your throat A dry cough is most commonly called a tickly cough. This type of cough is usually associated with relatively minor irritations in the throat. Chronic dry coug...
How to
Give a Depo Shot
Depo-Provera is a form of birth control that can be taken as an injection once every three months. It is available by prescription only. It can be given as a subcutaneous or intramuscular injection. Some providers allow ...
How to
Tell if You Have an Ingrown Toenail
Ingrown toenails are perhaps one of the most painful conditions caused by such a small part of your body. Ingrown toenails occur when one edge of your toenail grows and curves into the soft skin around your toe, resultin...
How to
Take Orthostatic Blood Pressure
Orthostatic blood pressure is a vital sign gathered from a patient who has potential blood pressure problems. Something called "orthostatic hypotension" occurs when a person’s blood pressure drops considerably when tra...
How to
Get Rid of a Skin Rash Caused by Antibiotic Allergy
Studies show that antibiotics, particularly those in the penicillin and sulfa groups, are the most common cause of drug allergies. Most drug allergies are usually limited to hives, swelling, and skin rashes, but some peo...
