Heart Rate, Cold Sores and Squamous: Top ASKs of the Week

This week we saw a wide variety of questions come into our community. Women asked about heart rates, aloe vera plants and herpes. Our moderators provided resources and answers to these health questions as well as many others. Do you have a health question you need an answer for? Post it to our community, and we promise to respond within 24 hours.

Here are some of our top ASKs in the EmpowHER community this week.

1. Can you eat the skin of an aloe vera plant??

Via Pixabay

A: Even though the outer skin of the aloe plant can be eaten, it is usually tough and bitter. You can peel back to skin using a knife, then crush the soft inner meat and eat raw.

2. What is my resting heart rate?

Via Fotolia

A: Your resting heart rate is the heart pumping the lowest amount of blood you need because you’re not exercising. If you’re sitting or lying and you’re calm, relaxed and aren’t ill, your heart rate is normally between 60 beats per minute and 100 beats per minute.

3. What's the difference between cold sores and herpes?

Via Pexels

A: Oral herpes is an infection with the herpes simplex virus around the border of the lips. Oral herpes causes tiny, fluid-filled lesions called cold sores or fever blisters.Since you are describing yours as a bump, instead of blister filled with fluid, it sound to be something else.

Read the full answer here.

4. What does an above average bilirubin reading mean?

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A: Bilirubin test results are expressed as direct, indirect or total bilirubin. It depends which one is slightly elevated for you. Higher than normal levels of direct bilirubin could mean your liver isn't clearing bilirubin normally. Elevated levels of indirect bilirubin may indicate other problems.

5. How fast does squamous cancer spread?

Via Pexels

A:Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells arising in the squamous cells, which compose most of the skin’s upper layers. SCCs often look like scaly red patches, open sores, elevated growths with a central depression, or warts; they may crust or bleed. SCC is mainly caused by ultraviolet (UV) exposure over the course of a lifetime; daily year-round exposure to the sun’s UV light, intense exposure in the summer months, and the UV produced by tanning beds all add to the damage that can lead to SCC.