Vulvovaginitis: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis
Millions Of Federal Dollars Coming To Virginia To Address Housing Crisis, $8 Million To Richmond
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Some say home is where the heart is, but these days it's become where a lot of your money is as well.
U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner recently announced $98 million in federal funds will be spread out across the Commonwealth to address affordable housing accessibility. Out of the more than 30 localities that are receiving a portion of this money, the City of Richmond is taking home the second largest sum — second only to Fairfax County.
It's been more than a year since Richmond declared a housing crisis. Last summer, city officials said there was a shortage of more than 23,000 housing units available in the city. Former Richmond Mayor and current U.S. Senator Tim Kaine said housing accessibility has been a problem in the Commonwealth for a while now.
"I would say it's kind of a top-three issue wherever I go in Virginia," Sen. Kaine said on Wednesday.
According to Virginia code, "affordable housing" is defined as housing that people with incomes at or below the area median income are able to pay for with no more than 30% of their gross annual income.
"Many people are spending more than what has traditionally been thought to be kind of a fair measure," Sen. Kaine said.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the City of Richmond's median annual individual income fell just below $35,000 in 2022. Therefore, it is recommended that individuals earning around that shouldn't spend more than $10,500 a year on housing.
The grant money will help pay for emergency shelter and rehousing services, as well as housing rehabilitation projects. It'll also support local non-profits aiming to help low-income individuals with rental costs and to build more affordable units.
"The housing authorities around Virginia do really important work in helping low-income folks have safe, dignified housing," Sen. Kaine said.
Senator Kaine said there are a variety of relevant pieces of legislation to address the housing crisis in the works.
"Hopefully, we can take other steps to deal with housing affordability," Sen. Kaine said.
A few other localities in Central Virginia, like Henrico County, Petersburg and Colonial Heights, also received smaller quantities of money. You can see the full breakdown here.
How To Stop Hiccups
Hiccups are involuntary contractions (quick tightening and loosening you can't control) of your diaphragm. Your diaphragm is a thin muscle below your lungs. It helps you breathe in and out. It lowers and rises with each breath.
When you hiccup, your diaphragm suddenly moves downward, forcing you to breathe in. In response, your glottis (the space between your vocal cords) quickly closes to stop more air from coming in. This causes the sound "hic" — which is how hiccups get their name.
Hiccups usually go away on their own after a few minutes. But there are some things you can do to get rid of them sooner.
Sometimes, hiccups are caused by an underlying health condition and can last longer than normal. In that case, your doctor can find out the cause and suggest treatment.
Hiccups happen when something irritates the nerves that control the movement of your diaphragm. Transient (or temporary) hiccups can be caused by several things, such as:
Other types of hiccups that can last longer — days, weeks, or even months — are usually a symptom of a health condition, such as:
Some medications can also cause hiccups, including:
Hiccups after surgery
Sometimes, people get hiccups after abdominal surgery. This could be because this kind of surgery can affect your stomach muscles, slowing down your ability to digest food. As a result, food stays in your stomach longer. It also might be because anesthesia can lead to hiccups.
Most of the time, hiccups are more of a nuisance than a serious medical issue. They usually go away on their own pretty quickly. However, they can become so annoying that you want to try anything to stop them.
There are a lot of folk remedies for hiccups. Unfortunately, there isn't proof that many actually work. This might be because hiccups can go away on their own during the time it takes to prepare or use the remedy. But some might be worth a try even if they only take your mind off your hiccups.
Swallow sugar
Some people suggest letting a spoonful of sugar dissolve on your tongue, others recommend swallowing it whole.
This remedy works by irritating your pharynx (throat) and your uvula (the punching bag-like flesh that hangs down in the back of your throat). Doing so helps your vocal cords relax and also causes a brief distraction for your body to focus on. The feeling of the sugar granules in your throat also might stimulate your vagus nerve, which controls your diaphragm movements (including hiccups). However, this remedy might only work for a short while and not get rid of hiccups entirely.
Gargle with water
This remedy works in the same way as swallowing sugar -- by stimulating the back of your throat.
Ice-cold water may work better than room-temperature water. You can also try sipping the water or sucking on ice chips.
Breathe into a paper bag
Raising the amount of carbon dioxide in your lungs is proven to reduce the frequency of hiccups. Scientists think it might relax your diaphragm, calming down the spasms that cause hiccups. This might explain why some breathing techniques work. This can be as simple as holding your breath for some time. Breathing techniques could be especially helpful if your hiccups are caused by stress.
However, if you have a paper (not plastic) bag handy, you might want to try breathing into it. Allowing the bag to inflate and deflate with each breath.
In rare cases, these techniques may cause you to hyperventilate -- fast breathing that decreases carbon dioxide. This could actually make your hiccups worse.
Suck on a lemon
Some people think sour tastes, such as those of vinegar or lemon, can help with hiccups. There's little-to-no scientific proof for this. But it might work similarly to swallowing sugar or gargling. Sour tastes might make the pharynx tingle.
Take slow breaths
Simply breathing in a controlled way might help relax your diaphragm. Inhale slowly to a count of four, then exhale slowly to a count of four. Do this several times or until your hiccups go away.
Hold your breath
This increases carbon dioxide in your lungs and relaxes your diaphragm.
Medication for hiccups
If you experience long-term, or chronic, hiccups, your doctor might prescribe you a medicine called baclofen. Baclofen is an effective treatment for hiccups because it relaxes your muscles. Keeping your muscles relaxed helps calm your body and settle your diaphragm. This medicine might cause you to feel drowsy or sleepy.
Other medicines for hiccups include:
Talk to your doctor before taking any medications for hiccups.
According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), putting pressure on certain parts of the body could ease your hiccups. Per TCM, your body is full of energy called Qi (pronounced "chee"). It flows through your body in river-like channels. When you're sick or upset, the rivers become blocked and the Qi gets stuck. Acupressure can help you clear away the blockages.
Some acupressure points, like the dip just below the earlobe, are associated with hiccup relief. In TCM, this particular pressure point is indirectly connected to the diaphragm by energy channels. In Western medicine, the area of skin covering this pressure point is linked to the diaphragm through nerves.
Another part of acupressure is deep breathing. While you press, you need to take slow, deep breaths. This might be part of the reason acupressure helps with hiccups. Controlling your breathing helps relax your diaphragm, calming the hiccups.
There isn't a lot of research to support whether acupressure really works. One study found that a few minutes of acupressure on the dip below the earlobe cured 97 out of 148 people with persistent or intractable hiccups. But, this study didn't have a control group and might have been biased. For example, the benefits might have been caused by the belief that acupressure would help, rather than the acupressure itself. The deep breathing likely played a major role, too.
To try it out for yourself, you can press gently on your:
Jaw. Find the small dip just below your earlobe and behind your jaw bone. Put your pointer finger in the dip and press forward towards your jaw bone. Hold this position for 1–2 minutes while breathing deeply. It should feel tender, but not painful.
Chest. Find the round dip at the base of your neck, just above your collarbone. Put both pointer fingers there. Slide them down one inch. Then, move one finger an inch to the right, and one finger an inch to the left. You should find two small, sensitive pockets of muscle. Gently press them for 20–30 seconds while breathing deeply.
Upper lip. Put your finger in the dip between your nose and upper lip. Gently press for 20–30 seconds while breathing deeply.
Eyebrows. Put your pointer fingers on your eyebrows, directly above the inner corners of your eyes. Rub them in small circles for 1–2 minutes. Breathe deeply.
Avoid areas where you have:
Hiccups typically aren't anything to worry about because they usually go away without medical treatment. However, you should reach out to your doctor if your hiccups last more than 48 hours or cause problems with eating, sleeping, or breathing.
At your appointment, your doctor will ask about:
They might also run some tests, including:
Hiccups in babies
It's common for babies to hiccup. Doctors think it's because they might swallow a lot of air while eating, which causes gassiness. This is normal.
But if you also notice a lot of coughing or spitting up, call your doctor. These could be signs of acid reflux.
When to go to the emergency room
If you have hiccups in addition to signs of stroke or a pulmonary embolism, call 911 right away.
Some signs of stroke include:
Some signs of pulmonary embolism include:
You might be able to help prevent short-term, or transient, hiccups by:
You can't prevent hiccups that last longer or are caused by health conditions or medications. But you can talk to your doctor about treatments or changes to your medications.
Hiccups happen when your diaphragm (the muscle below your lungs) rapidly squeezes and lets go. They usually go away on their own in a few minutes. You might be able to speed up the process with home remedies such as putting sugar on your tongue, gargling ice water, or sucking on a lemon. But if they last longer than 2 days, contact your doctor.
VA Loan Guide
Your VA Loan Benefits ExplainedOne of the most significant benefits of military service is the VA home loan, which can help youpurchase a home with no down payment or refinance an existing loan. This gives you the opportunity to get a mortgage with a competitive interest rate as well as a lower cost at closing without prepayment penalty. With all these benefits, you have the potential to purchase a more expensive home than you might otherwise have been able to afford.
The VA does not give you the actual loan for your home; rather, they simply guarantee a loan made to you by private lenders (such as banks, savings and loans, or mortgage companies). If a home loan is approved by your lender, VA will guarantee a portion of the loan to the lender.
What Is the Most I Can Borrow Using My VA Home Loan?There is no maximum loan amount; however, lenders may limit the amount they will loan you based on your personal creditworthiness. If you make a down payment your lender may loan a larger amount. While not a down payment, the guarantee often satisfies the lenders' requirement that a portion of the home price be paid for up front (i.E., the down payment). This can save the home buyer the burden of making a down payment. The loan maximum itself may be up to 100% of the VA appraised property value. In addition, certain funding fees and closing costs apply, and you must be able to pay a portion of these fees up front. Generally, these fees range from 1.4% to 3.6% of the total loan amount.
Am I Eligible for a VA Home Loan?The major eligibility categories for a VA home loan include:
Read more in our VA loan eligibility section.
How Do I Apply for my VA Home Loan?Want to apply for a VA home loan? There are four basic actions items.
Before anything else, you'll need to find a lender or lending institution that provides VA home loans - our VA Loan finder will match you with rate quotes from up to five lenders. At this stage, you should also gather the documents you'll need when applying for the loan.
After you get a purchase agreement for your new home you'll need to ask the VA for a property inspection or appraisal. Once that is done, you'll need to submit a VA home loan application. Make sure you have your Certificate of Eligibility.
Finally, when the loan is approved, you can move forward with closing on your new home.
How Do I Use my VA Home Loan Benefit? 1. Find a HomeFind a home and discuss the purchase with the seller or selling agent. Sign a purchase contract conditioned on approval of your VA home loan.
2. Select a Lender for Your VA LoanA lender can help you review your financial situation and credit history and determine the loan amount you qualify for. Choose a lending institution that is VA approved and can handle home loans.
3. Submit the ApplicationThe lender will process the required loan documentation and develop all credit and income information. They will also request VA to assign a licensed appraiser to determine the reasonable value for the property. A Certificate of Reasonable Value will be issued. NOTE: You may be required to pay for the credit report and appraisal unless the seller agrees to pay.
4. Loan Approval, Funding, and ClosingThe lender will let you know the decision on the loan. You should be approved if the established value and your credit and income are acceptable. You (and spouse) attend the loan closing. The lender or closing attorney will explain the loan terms and requirements as well as where and how to make the monthly payments. Sign the note, mortgage, and other related papers. To finalize your transaction you need these legal binding documents:
Once your loan documents have been prepared, signed, and returned, the funding process begins. After a final check of all signed documents is completed, the lender funds the loan. Usually through an electronic wire transfer, the money you borrowed is given to the escrow or closing attorney for disbursement.
The last step is the issuance of your Closing Disclosure (CD), which often takes place on the same day as the recording of your loan. The recording is considered the true closing of the loan. By law, a VA loan user must pay a funding fee (usually around 2% of the loan), but VA can lower this fee if the borrower makes a down payment of at least 5%. You may also be exempt from this fee if you fall under one of these categories:
You can use your VA home loan benefit to refinance your existing VA home loan to a lower interest rate, with little or no out-of-pocket cost. This is called an Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loan (IRRRL), also known as a "rapid refinance" or a "streamline refinance."
Generally, no appraisal, credit information, or underwriting is required for this refinancing option, although some lenders may require an appraisal and credit report. The fees and charges associated with the refinancing loan may be incorporated into the new VA loan. Remember: The interest rate on the new loan must be lower than the rate on the old loan (unless you refinance an adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed-rate mortgage).
To receive an IRRRL, work with your lender to process your application. It's generally a good idea to compare several lenders' rates first, as there may be large differences in the terms they offer. Also, some lenders may contact you suggesting that they are the only lenders with the authority to make IRRRLs, but according to VA, any lender can make you an IRRRL.
An IRRRL can be done only if you have already used your eligibility for a VA loan on the property you intend to refinance. If you have your Certificate of Eligibility, take it to the lender to show your prior use of the entitlement.
The occupancy requirement for an IRRRL is different from that for other VA loans. When you originally got your VA loan, you certified that you occupied or intended to occupy the home. For an IRRRL, you need only certify that you previously occupied it.
The loan may not exceed the sum of the outstanding balance on the existing VA loan, plus allowable fees and closing costs, including the funding fee.
What's the Cash-Out Refinance Option?The Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008 allows you to free up cash with a cash-out refinance, a VA home loan refinance program in which you can cash out on the equity you have built up in your home. As an example, if you still owe $70,000 on your original loan, you can refinance for a $90,000 loan, which gives you a cash-out of $20,000.
An appraisal is required and you must qualify for the loan. If you are refinancing for the first time, VA charges a 2.3% funding fee for this program (2.3% of the total loan) which can be rolled into the loan amount. If you refinance more than once, the funding fee is 3.6%.
There is no minimum amount of time that you must own your home, yet your home must have sufficient equity to qualify for VA refinancing. Existing loans can be refinanced whether they are in a current or delinquent status, but refinancing loans are subject to the same income and credit requirements as regular home loans. As long as you have title to the property you can refinance an assumed loan. Check with your lender as there are some additional regulations concerning assumed loans.
We have a complete guide to Cash Out Refinancing available here.
Conventional Home Loan to VA RefinanceIf you do not have a VA home loan but are eligible for one, you can refinance a subprime or conventional mortgage for up to 100% of the value of the property. Usually you will be charged a funding fee if you are using your VA loan guarantee for the first time. Benefits to this type of refinancing are that your new interest rate may be lower and you will have no monthly mortgage insurance or out-of-pocket closingcosts.
Can I Reuse My VA Home Loan Benefit?The VA home loan benefit can be reused if you have paid off your prior VA loan and sold the property. In addition you may, on a one-time-only basis, be able to reuse or restore your benefit eligibility if your prior VA loan has been paid in full and you still own the property.
In either case, to restore your eligibility, you must send a completed VA Form 26-1880 to your VA Eligibility Center.
To prevent delays in processing, you should also include evidence that the prior loan has been paid in full and, if applicable, the property disposed of. This evidence can be presented in the form of a paid-in-full statement from the former lender, or a copy of the Closing Disclosure (CD) settlement statement completed in connection with a sale of the property or refinance of the prior loan. Depending on the circumstances, if you have already used a portion of your VA-guaranteed amount, and the used portion cannot be restored, any remaining portion of your VA guarantee is available for use on another loan.
You will have to ask your lender if your remaining VA-guaranteed portion will be enough, or if you will need to make a down payment to qualify for the loan. If you have a question about your specific case, contact VA.
Find a VA Approved Lender Now Find a VA Approved Lender NowNow that you have the guide, use it for your discussions with VA Lenders. Remember, the VA Loan us worth up to $417,000. Use it to buy or refinance a home. Find Lenders Today.
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