Question:

What can warts do to you if you don't get them removed?

Answer:

Some warts resolve on their own, but many require treatment to remove. Since these are surface lesions, caused by certain types of HPV viruses, they do not cause systemic illnesses. The greatest danger of not treating a wart is the development of additional warts. They are contagious by simple touch, but it is difficult to judge how contagious individual warts or people may be. They usually don't cause any symptoms but can be particularly painful when they develop underneath the foot.

Question:

I know that when you are trying to lose weight you should cut back on sugar. But I have a real sweet tooth and need my sugar! So I want to start using a sugar substitute. How safe are they?

Answer:

Many consumers want the taste of sweetness without added energy. The food industry has responded to this demand by producing a number of calorie-reduced or non-nutritive sweeteners.

To date, the Food and Drug Administration has approved four sugar substitutes and regulates them as food: saccharin, aspartame (Equal), acesulfame-K (Sunett) and sucralose (Splenda).

They range in sweetness from 160 to 700 times that of sugar. Not only do non-nutritive sweeteners not add inches to your waistline, but they also help prevent dental decay and have little effect on blood sugar levels. In other words, they are safe for diabetics. The claim that sugar substitutes cause headaches, cancer and other such physical ailments is unfounded.