Health information

QUESTION: An article I have just finished tells of how hormones may affect
the reaction of animals and their behavior to one another
Do these
mechanisms exist in humans and affect their behavior as well?

ANSWER: The release of hormones and the sense of smell has been proven to
have a definite effect in many kinds of animals, but the relationship between
human hormone secretions and scents is not fully understood.
The hormone-like substances that make animals react to one another are
called pheromones
The substance is released by one individual and prompts a
change in the physiology or behavior of another.
When a female dog goes into heat, male dogs all over town are attracted
to her master’s home because of the scent she releases.
In colonies of naked mole rats, all females but the queen are infertile.
That’s because the queen sends out such a strong odor that the reproductive
systems of the other females are shut down.
In humans, however, over ten years of studies have not been able to
establish beyond the shadow of a doubt that pheromones exist
There were two
studies though that are caused considerable debate that human underarm
pheromones can influence menstrual cycles
The research was done by the
University of Pennsylvania and the Monell Chemical Senses Center in
Philadelphia.
The researchers collected underarm secretions from men who wore a pad in
each armpit
The male essence was then dabbed on the upper lip of women whose
menstrual cycles were irregular lasting less than 26 days or more than 33.
After three months of this “therapy” the women’s cycles changed lasting an
average of approximately 29.5 days, which is the cycle length associated with
the highest fertility
The scientists concluded that male scents produce at
least one pheromone that helps promote female reproductive health
Another
study with women who lived in close quarters showed that their menstrual
cycles would eventually begin to coincide
This is believed to be due to
underarm sweat secretions.
The research will continue, in the hope of unlocking the secrets of the
“chemistry” between human beings.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

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QUESTION: I’m a Type A personality I admit it
In fact, I enjoy the rushing
and competitiveness
Unfortunately, a friend tells me I’m a good candidate
for a heart attack
I can’t believe this, especially since I feel so good.

ANSWER: Some 20 years ago, Drs
Mayer Friedman and Ray Rosenman sketched out
the Type A personality: someone who does many things at once, takes on too
much work, moves quickly, hates waiting, can’t relax, interrupts, angers
easily and is competitive
Ever since then, cardiology has never been the
same
This seemingly definitive list has raised as many questions as it
answered: Why, exactly, would Type A behavior lead to heart attack? Do some
Type A characteristics count more than others? And most important, is there
any way a Type A person can reform into a Type B?
Researchers speculate that it’s the high levels of the hormones
adrenaline, cortisol and testosterone found in young Type A men that
contribute over time to a narrowing of the coronary arteries, but this still
is unproven
Another question mark is whether these hormone changes are a
result of Type A behavior or a cause of it.
We know more about which Type A characteristics count most heavily
Some
studies show that hostility and anger are far more reliable predictors of
heart disease than any other Type A characteristics
This is good news indeed
for people like you who are competitive, hurried and so forth, without being
angry
It may well be that Type A behavior has its good and its bad
components.
Even Type A’s who are angry may not be headed for heart trouble.
Hostility has been linked with coronary artery disease in younger people only.
The theory here is that the older hostile Type A’s are a hardy bunch who have
avoided heart disease while the more vulnerable people in their age group
succumbed to it prematurely.
Finally, the best news: it is possible to change Type A behavior through
counseling
Patients learn that hostility and anger are likely to be harmful
to their hearts and are trained in heading off these negative emotions
Of
course, if Type A behavior turns out to be the result of hormone imbalances or
other physical causes, counseling will help only temporarily
Researchers are
now working to discover whether drugs can control Type A behavior, and a few
early experiments have hinted that they can.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

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QUESTION: After a recent blood tests, I was told that I have too much calcium
in my blood
I’m confused because I thought calcium is good for you
I’ve
also been told I have parathyroidism
Are the two conditions related? Please
clarify.

ANSWER: You’re right
Calcium is good for you, but, like anything else, too
much of it isn’t healthy
More importantly, excessive calcium in the blood is
a signal that something is wrong and should be investigated and possibly
treated.
You say you have parathyroidism, but I think you mean
“hyperparathyroidism.” Hyperparathyroidism, or HPT, is caused by the
hyperactivity of the parathyroid glands, and too much calcium in the blood is
characteristic of the person who has hyperparathyroidism
Other conditions
can cause too much calcium in the blood, but it is very common to see
hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcemia, or high levels of calcium in the blood,
together.
HPT is being diagnosed with greater frequency now than ever
It appears
that it is no more common now than it has been in years past, it is just
diagnosed more frequently
Often it is unexpectedly identified in patients
when a routine blood test reveals higher than normal amounts of calcium in the
blood
The patient may or may not have symptoms
It is twice as common in
women as men, and is seen most often in women aged 40 to 60.
More than half the people with HPT diagnosed in routine screening tests
have “primary HPT,” which means the cause is not known and the only problem
that can be found is simply the higher than normal levels of calcium in the
blood
In other individuals the cause may be a tumor of the parathyroid
gland, which causes the gland to malfunction and secrete more hormone than it
should
Other forms of cancer can mimic HPT, but this is fairly uncommon.
Those persons whose primary HPT is discovered during routine lab work usually
require little or no treatment
If the problem is caused by a tumor on the
parathyroid gland, surgical treatment will probably have to be considered.
People with HPT vary widely in their symptoms
Those with primary HPT
often have vague symptoms that are not severe enough to motivate the
individual to seek medical attention
Symptoms most frequently reported are
fatigue, irritability and mild gastrointestinal distress such as nausea and
constipation.
The decision on when or how to treat depends upon the age and the general
physical health of the patient, and the severity of the symptoms
Surgery on
the parathyroid gland is an option for some, but it should not be undertaken
lightly
Surgery to correct hyperthyroidism is delicate and not always
successful.
Liberal intake of fluids and salt are often prescribed for the person
with mild primary HPT, because this helps the body excrete excess calcium in
the urine
Sometimes, limiting intake of calcium and Vitamin D is
recommended
Do not treat yourself by adding salt to your diet or limiting
your calcium and Vitamin D unless you have been thoroughly evaluated by your
doctor
Calcium and Vitamin D are essential to health, and limiting your
intake of them should be done with your doctor’s supervision and advice.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

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QUESTION: I am having frequent chest pains, too frequent for me to be content
with the idea that they are just a form of heart burn
How probable is it
that I have heart disease, and if not what is causing the heart burn?

ANSWER: You pose a difficult question with a lot of “ifs” and “buts,” but it
deserves an answer
Your chest pain could indicate a cardiac problem; your
physician will be able to arrange tests for you to search for the presence of
coronary artery disease
According to recent studies, however, up to 30% of
the 500,000 coronary angiograms performed in the United States each year are
normal, so it’s wise to investigate other possible sources of your pain.
Intense, recurring chest pain can also signal pulmonary diseases such as
pneumonia or pleurisy, or musculoskeletal disorders of the spine, ribs,
shoulder or chest wall.
Esophageal disorders are another possible cause of the searing temporary
pain known as heartburn
These diseases are difficult to diagnose because
their symptoms so closely resemble those of heart conditions
In fact, in
many patients, cardiac disease coexists with an esophageal disorder
One
common difference between the two, however, is the location of the pain.
Esophageal pain is more likely to be situated below the sternum (the bone that
lies down the middle of our chest) and to radiate throughout the abdomen.
Cardiac pain is located more often higher up and usually spreads outward to
the face, back or arms.
Another clue: antacids are often effective in relieving pain stemming
from esophageal causes
And usually any pain that becomes worse when you push
a finger against the pain area is usually muscular.
But while every chest pain may not be cardiac in origin, those which keep
coming back deserve medical attention, not only to find the answers that come
with a proper diagnosis, but also for the relief that treatment can bring.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Revia
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QUESTION: Is it true that the risk of heart attack increases for women
suffering from diabetes?

ANSWER: Normally, men are more at risk of experiencing heart attacks then
women
However, studies of diabetic patients have shown that while this
condition does not increase the risk of heart disease for men, it has
precisely that effect on women
The result of this gender-related difference
is that diabetic men and women have a roughly equal chance of developing heart
disease
According to this research, women appear to develop a more “male”
type of heart disease than they otherwise would, with more heart attacks but
less angina (the sense of suffocation or suffocating pain that is a common
symptom of heart disease)
Doctors have theorized that this difference is due
to the greater sensitivity to insulin that women normally possess, which
reflects their stronger cardiovascular risk profile
This natural advantage
is lost in diabetes, where the disease either reduces insulin secretion or
increases the body’s resistance to its effects.
None of this minimizes the importance of controlling one’s diet, smoking
and blood pressure, all far more important in reducing the risk of heart
disease for men, women, the diabetic and nondiabetic alike.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

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Topamax (Topiramate) is an oral drug that is used to prevent the seizures of epilepsy.

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QUESTION: My young son has had recurrent ear problems
The ear infections
don’t seem to respond well to medications
My doctor says he wants to insert
tubes in my son’s ears
Can you tell me about these tubes? What are the side
effects? Will my son still be able to participate in sports activities with
the tubes in place?

ANSWER: Tympanotomy tubes are used when middle ear infections fail to respond
to treatment within a few weeks
Many physicians suggest tubes may be
warranted after other therapies have failed
Tubes may also be necessary if
in addition to an ear infection, the child is suffering from meningitis, an
inflammation behind the ear, or any other intracranial complication.
The ventilation tubes are inserted during an outpatient surgical
procedure, so you won’t need hospitalization in most cases
In almost all
cases, the tubes result in immediate hearing improvement for the child
This
benefits the youngster in educational and language development, and in the
school age child can make for a more successful school year.
For most children, there are no restrictions concerning participation in
sports after the tubes are in place
Swimming rarely poses any danger to the
child, unless he or she swims in contaminated water
Pool water and clean
lake water are usually perfectly safe, but heed your personal physician’s
advice.
There are some side effects with tube usage
One to three percent of
children experience chronic discharge from the ear when the tubes are in
place
Sometimes the tubes are spontaneously pushed out of the ears
And
some doctors feel there is the possibility of adhesions of the inner ear
membranes when the tubes have to be replaced more than once.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Lariam
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QUESTION: It seems I hear more and more often about incidents of ectopic
pregnancy especially in women around my age (early 30’s)
How is an ectopic
pregnancy detected and how is it treated?

ANSWER: Ectopic gestation, which can include any pregnancy where the
fertilized egg implants itself outside of the uterus, is, as you’ve noticed,
on the rise
The number of ectopic pregnancies has tripled in the past 15
years, and presently accounts for a significant number of maternal deaths.
For these reasons, diagnostic and care procedures are becoming more
sophisticated.
Ectopic pregnancies have always been difficult to detect
A number of
symptoms occurring together can generate suspicion of an ectopic condition.
Delayed menstruation, irregular spotting or bleeding, pelvic pain, possible
shock or shoulder pain are some symptoms that might cause a patient to seek
the advice of a hospital or physician
First is the all important history
and physical exam
The next step is for the physician to administer a battery
of diagnostic tests
A pelvic sonogram is one testing technique that is
increasingly used, along with other tests, including the vital pregnancy test.
Other clues are provided by the woman’s gynecological history
The
history of previous pelvic infection is an important clue
A significant
number of women between 80 and 90 percent with ectopic pregnancies have
given birth to more than one child previously, and some may have had previous
ectopic conceptions
One very significant factor is the woman’s method of
birth control, as a retained intrauterine birth control device (IUD), a tubal
ligation or tuboplasty can increase the likelihood of ectopic gestation.
In 9 out of 10 extrauterine pregnancies the site is the Fallopian tube,
usually on the right side
Other locations include the abdomen, the cervix or
the ovaries
The danger of the condition varies from location to location,
with one of the worst being the cervix, due to the likelihood of
life-threatening hemorrhage.
Treatment of an ectopic pregnancy is surgical
The type of operation
required depends on the amount of blood already lost, on the patient’s desire
or need for future fertility
In about 10 percent of cases, the woman can
expect the problem to occur again
Infertility is a problem for half, and 30
percent can expect permanent sterility.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

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QUESTION: I have just recovered from a bout of kidney stones, which
fortunately passed without my having to have surgery
We never did get a look
at the stone, but I am now quite curious as to its nature and whether I may
have to go through this thing again
Can you help?

ANSWER: It is really too bad that you didn’t manage to recover the stone as
it passed, for the first step in deciding upon future treatments and your
risks of another episode of renal colic would have been to chemically analyze
the stone
Statistically the most common composition of renal or kidney
stones is calcium oxalate, which occurs in 65 percent of the cases
Next most
frequent is struvite (composed of magnesium ammonium phosphate), in 15 percent
of the cases
Other types of stone include calcium phosphate (5%), calcium
and uric acid (4%), uric acid (4%), and cystine (about 2%)
Calcium stones
are frequent in individuals where the urinary content of calcium is high, with
an output of greater than 300 mg per day
Struvite stones are seen in
patients with urinary tract infections caused by bacteria that can affect
urea, a chemical normally found in urine
Uric acid stones are the most
common of the noncalcium stones and are seen in conditions which produce high
levels of uric acid in the urine, such as gout
Your chances of recurrence
are close to 1 in 10 each year, and 75% of all patients will have at least one
recurrence during their lifetime
You have a high risk of repeat episodes if
you a middle aged Caucasian male, if there is a family history of renal stones
or gout, or if you have chronic bowel disease or certain kidney disease
The
good news is that you may never need surgery to rid yourself of these painful
pebbles
Between 80 to 85 percent of all stones pass by themselves, and the
development of techniques using high power shock waves to disintegrate stones
in the body has reduced the use of open surgical procedures to less than 5
percent
Your best course is to have a complete, relatively inexpensive
metabolic evaluation to try and determine the cause of your stones, in the
absence of a specimen
Such an evaluation will provide the information
necessary to plan strategies that prevent recurrence
In the meantime keep
fluid intake high, so that production of urine exceeds 2 liters a day
This
will keep the concentration of stone forming materials low and help prevent
another painful incident.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Viramune
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QUESTION: I think I know what a cardiogram is, but what’s special about an
exercise cardiogram?

ANSWER: An exercise cardiogram is a test that checks to see how well your
heart functions during exercise, rather than at rest
You may also know it as
a stress test, since it shows how your heart responds to exertion
An
exercise electrocardiogram (EECG) can show abnormalities of the heart that a
regular ECG won’t, and is helpful in evaluating people who have symptoms of
heart disease, angina or a past heart attack
The test is also part of the
checkup for older people who are considering starting an exercise program.
During an exercise ECG you’re attached with cables to the ECG machine
while you walk on a treadmill or pedal on a stationary bicycle
The speed and
the incline of the treadmill or the resistance on the bike is increased
gradually so that you’re continually exercising more strenuously
Don’t eat
or smoke for two hours before the test
Wear loose pants or shorts, and
sneakers
In addition, women should wear a comfortable support bra, a loose
front-buttoning blouse, and avoid wearing a girdle or one-piece undergarment.
The test takes about 30 minutes
It may take some time to analyze the
findings, but then you can be sure that an exercise program that may be
developed just for you will do you more good than harm, and you will derive
real benefits from all your efforts.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

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QUESTION: I have had it with all my Jock colleagues who brag about their
exercise programs
This exercise fad is just bunk why should I bother?

ANSWER: Sounds like you need some information
There is abundant evidence
that exercise arms you with protection against heart disease, diabetes,
hypertension, obesity and many stress-related conditions
Several studies
have compared the incidence of heart disease between active and sedentary
people
One such study looked at postal delivery people and postal clerks,
and found significantly less fatal and nonfatal heart disease in those who
deliver mail
Another study showed that physical training increases the
body’s sensitivity to insulin, showing a positive role in preventing and
managing maturity-onset diabetes.
There is currently no evidence that exercise lowers cholesterol levels,
but endurance exercise increases high-density lipoproteins, or “good
cholesterol” in the blood.
You sound like you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy exercise
People like
yourself can increase their physical activity in small ways that will add up
to some significant health benefits
Instead of looking for a parking place
close to work, park in the far corner of the lot
The extra steps will do you
some good
Take the stairs instead of the elevator
If you don’t enjoy
exercise, find a way to get involved in some physical activity that you can
find comfortable
It pays off in improved health.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

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Inderal
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