Health information

QUESTION: I have tried to figure this out for myself, but between pressures
at work and problems at home, I fear I will develop a heart attack
I am even
beginning to think I have real symptoms
Can you please help me help myself?

ANSWER: You’re already taken the first step by recognizing you have a
problem
Now you have to figure out what aspects of your work and home life
are specifically causing the stress
Try to evaluate those problems
realistically
Are they leaving you drained, or feeling victimized, or are
they problems that can be overcome? Could you perhaps look at these
“problems” as “challenges,” therefore turning them into something positive to
triumph over
In many cases, a stressful situation is created in the mind.
If you start by taking a positive attitude about obstacles to be overcome,
you’ll begin to win the battle.
There are several steps you can take to combat stress
Begin by trying
to live a healthy lifestyle
Reduce your heart disease risk factors
Get
into good eating habits
Try to cut out smoking, if you still do, or start by
cutting down
Talk with your doctor about other measures you can take to keep
your heart healthy.
Your emotional health is very important
If you bog yourself down with
too many obligations, you may produce stress by putting pressure on yourself
to meet the demands you’ve given to yourself
So, take control! Set limits
on your time and energy
Give yourself a break.
Take time for yourself
Go to an exercise class
It’ll make you feel
like you are doing something good for yourself
Exercise helps reduce stress,
keeps you in shape, and produces hormones in the body that make you feel good.
Try to avoid getting into the rut of doing the same thing every day.
Accept that stressful situations will arise
Instead of swallowing them
and letting them eat you up inside, find a way to express your feelings
It
is possible to do this without exploding.
Reach out to people who love and care about you
Sometimes a “pick me
up” phone call can do wonders
Call someone who makes you feel good about
yourself, and when you get off the phone, you may have a fresh prospective on
your problems.
Take a break to do something fun
Read the comics, or something
inspirational
Treat yourself to a good lunch, make yourself feel like you
deserve good things.
Overcome each problem that arises one at a time
If you see yourself as
facing three stressful problems, it can be overwhelming
So tackle one, and
when you finish dealing with that one, take a little break and tackle the
next
You can surely solve one problem at a time.
If some of these steps towards reducing stress help you, then you are on
the road to success.
Stress and its effects seem to be a sign of our times, but they probably
existed back in prehistoric days as well
What is unique to our society is
the ability to cope more effectively with such problems
If you or anyone
else believes they are on the verge of an acute illness such as a heart
attack, a thorough examination by an attentive physician that can lead to
reassurances that all is well may be the best treatment of all.

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: While everyone now is warning against the dangers of a sun tan, I
still don’t understand what causes a tan? If the body produces this naturally
isn’t it a good thing? While you’re at it, perhaps you can explain just what
causes a sun burn as well? I know that isn’t too good for you.

ANSWER: Obviously a sun burn with its painful consequences is something to
avoid, and can rapidly change a fun weekend into something far less enjoyable.
Actually there are four effects upon the skin from exposure to the ultraviolet
(UV) radiation in the sun rays, all of which attempt to reduce the injurious
effects of the sun’s rays
They are erythema, short-term tan, common tan, and
delayed thickening of the skin
Erythema is the name given to the red flush
that occurs to the skin after exposure to sun rays (as well as a variety of
other causes)
A substance called prostaglandin is released by the tissues
which causes the capillaries in the skin to dilate (open), fill with more
blood and give the red coloring to the skin
This is an attempt to protect
the skin and reduce the damage from the sun’s rays
It comes on from 2 to 12
hours after exposure and its severity is related to the amount of exposure
A
short-term tan is caused by ultraviolet A rays, is created by the oxidation of
the melanin (pigment) in the skin and fades away in a day or two
The common
tan takes several days to develop, and is caused by the production of more
pigment in the skin as a response to the sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays,
pigment that acts as a protection for the skin the next time it is exposed to
the sun
Over a period of time, perhaps several months, the upper layers
(epidermis) of the skin thicken
These thick skin layers can also absorb the
UVB rays, and reduce the amount of harmful radiation that reaches the lower
(basal) layer of the skin
A word about protection
Of the 1 million new
cancers that are diagnosed each year, about 30 percent occur in the skin, and
are thought to be provoked by chronic exposure to UV radiation
A person with
a history or more than six serious sunburns in a lifetime is 2.4 times more
likely to develop a melanoma, a cancer that spreads rapidly through the body
and which can be lethal
If exposure to the sun can’t be controlled, be sure
to apply sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 to cut
down your exposure to these potentially harmful rays.

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 would like some information about a tapeworm disease that can be
caught from improper cooking of meat from infected pigs
This problem has
recently affected a member of our family and we all need this explanation
Is
there any treatment available?

ANSWER: A complication of human infestation of T
solim, the pork tapeworm,
is cysticercosis
Tapeworms are more common in this country than most people
realize, and many people are not even aware of the deadly nature of
cysticercosis
If a person eats undercooked pork that has a larval form of
the tapeworm in it, he or she is essentially swallowing an undeveloped
circular form or “cyst” of the tapeworm, whose head is wrapped up way inside
the cyst
The human digestive process unravels or unsheathes the tapeworm
head, which, when free and uncovered, attaches itself to the lining of the
human intestine by means of hooks and suckers
Segment by segment, the worm
proliferates, sometimes becoming several feet long
The new segments or eggs
can detach and are then passed out in the stool
If a person makes
hand-to-mouth contact and by chance had previously contaminated his or her
hand by contact with the feces, the tapeworm eggs are again ingested
The
hatched embryos migrate throughout the host, invading skeletal muscle, eye
tissue or the central nervous system, and even the brain
Usually,
cysticercosis develops when the eggs rather than the larvae are swallowed.
Epilepsy and severe headaches are some of the symptoms that appear after the
cysts have invaded critical areas
The liver, lung, peritoneum, and
underlying skin tissues can also be greatly damaged
Surgical removal of the
cysts may be necessary
Cysticercosis should always be considered when a
person discovers a problem of tapeworms, because the diagnosis and treatment
is difficult
As treatment either niclosamide or praziquantal can be used.
This kills the tapeworm, which is usually digested by the time it is passed.
Stools should then be rechecked at 3 and 6 months to be sure that a cure has
been achieved
And just to keep the record straight, another common disease
from uncooked or poorly cooked pork is trichinosis, where the culprit is a
roundworm called T
spiralis
But that is a tale of another worm.

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 a condition that I find both embarrassing and puzzling
I
am always tearing, with little tears constantly running down my cheek
requiring the constant use of a tissue
I don’t have any idea what causes it,
as it happens at any time, and without any emotional causes
Though I am 79,
I am in good health otherwise and just wish there was a way of dealing with
this
Can you help me?

ANSWER: I suspect that your condition is one called “ectropion” where the
eyelid falls away from contact with the eyeball and leads to a poor drainage
situation for the normal passage of tears, which are constantly flowing across
your eyeball
Tears are produced by the lacrimal gland which sits in the same
bony orbit that protects the eye itself, close to the outer portion of the
upper lid
The tears pass through thin tubes into the conjunctival sac, and
then flow out across the eyeball
Normally they are then collected through
two lacrimal ducts at the inner portion of the lids, then down to the inner
part of the nose
As a result of the aging process there is a relaxation of
the tissue in the lids which allows the lids and the ducts to lose touch with
the eyeball, and so the tears can not follow their normal route, well up and
spill over
You call it tearing, doctors have a term for it too, they call it
“epiphora”, but it means the same thing
When there are other symptoms, such
as redness and irritation, it’s worth consulting an ophthalmologist about.
Using surgical techniques, the eyelid can be repaired so that the margin of
the lid once again is back in place against the eyeball, which allows the
tears to resume their normal path, thus preventing this type of tearing.

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 was just a bit astonished when during a routine visit to my
doctor, I was required to have a tetanus shot
I am now in my middle 50’s and
have been made to have this injection since my college days
Why the sudden
push for extra immunizations? Are they truly necessary?

ANSWER: There are some who know about such things that would say your doctor
deserves recognition rather than a rap, for he is actually doing what doctors
should do most, practicing preventive medicine
Tetanus (or lockjaw) is a
frightful disease, easy to catch since the spores of the bacteria can be found
most anywhere
It doesn’t take a major injury to expose you to infection,
since a cut or scratch, or even dental surgery, can lead to tetanus
The
Centers for Disease Control recommend that adults have a booster doses every
10 years, after the initial immunization schedule of three injections
Many
doctors use the schedule of 25 years old, 35 years old etc
to keep track, so
I guess that makes you 55 years old
And if you keep seeing this informed
physician, you can look forward to another booster at age 65.

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.

Atrovent
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Atrovent (Ipratropium) treats lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

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QUESTION: A close relative has recently been diagnosed with “Thalassemia”.
He is 29 years old and has never used illegal drugs and is a heterosexual.
Please tell me what you know about this disorder
Thank you very much.

ANSWER: Let me first put your mind at ease
Neither of the two life style
situations that you mention have anything to do with the causes of
thalassemia
The name of this blood disorder comes from the Greek word
“thalassa” meaning “sea” because the condition was first observed in people
who lived around the Mediterranean Sea, and is sometimes called “Mediterranean
Anemia”
Today, although common in Italians, Africans and individuals of
Southeast Asian ancestry, the disease has a worldwide distribution
As a
group, the thalassemias are chronic, inherited anemias that are due to errors
in the synthesis of hemoglobin which affects the production of red cells.
There are two main types, “thalassemia major” (sometimes called “Cooley’s
anemia”) and “thalassemia minor”
While the anemia may be severe in the
“major” form, life expectancy for those with the “minor” form is normal
In
severe types, there may be changes in bone structure, enlarged spleen, and
impaired growth pattern in children
Since the anemia is caused by the body’s
inability to manufacture enough normal red cells, the only treatment available
is transfusion, which in itself can provoke serious side effects and
complications
However, since the disorder may be inherited in a number of
ways, the severity of the disease may vary from one with few problems to one
that is most severe and life threatening
The manner in which thalassemias
are transmitted has received a great deal of study, and the ability for
genetic counselors to advise prospective parents with this trait has been
greatly enhanced
The fact that your relative has only been diagnosed at the
age of 29 may indicate that he has the less severe form of the anemia, but
only complete testing of his blood can tell
The fact that this is an
inherited disease may make this answer of more than passing interest to you if
you are a member of his family and a “blood” relative.

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.

Diovan
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Diovan (Valsartan) is used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure.

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QUESTION: There are difficulties enough when a woman enters menopause, and
the confusion of taking medications just adds to the problems
Although I
have tried to understand it all, I could use some of your easy to understand
advice
Could you please discuss menopause for me and all the other gals who
need this information?

ANSWER: There is no reason for menopause to mark a change in your life style.
Menopause is defined as the cessation of menstrual periods for 1 year
It can
occur naturally or surgically when the ovaries are removed
Either way, the
result is decreased production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
One consequence of reduced estrogen is osteoporosis, a loss of bone
density that may lead to spine and hip fracture, a major health problem today.
In fact, 1.3 million fractures, mostly spine hip and wrist, occur each year in
the United States.
Another consequence of decreased estrogen in menopause are hot flashes
and night sweats that may significantly affect the quality of sleep
These
are the vasomotor symptoms that affect approximately 85 percent of women and
are due to an abnormal signal from the heat regulation center of the body.
The natural reduction in estrogen may also result in changes in vaginal
tissue “senile” vaginitis
Inadequate lubrication causes dry, painful
intercourse
There is also an increased susceptibility to lower urinary tract
infections.
How can estrogen replacement therapy offset these problems? First, clear
evidence now shows that age-related bone loss can be forestalled, perhaps
indefinitely, with even low doses of estrogen replacement
The addition of
calcium is also recommended
To be most effective, though, therapy needs to
be started as soon as possible after the onset of menopause
Estrogen therapy
for osteoporosis must be lifelong; once stopped, bone loss begins and
progresses rapidly.
Medium to high doses of estrogen will prevent hot flashes
Those and
night sweats tend to diminish with time, so your physician may taper the
dosage in accordance with the extent of symptoms.
Estrogen therapy will also reverse the atrophy affecting the
genitourinary tract during menopause
It restores cervical and vaginal
secretions and thickens the vaginal tissue to its premenopausal state.
Because estrogens are absorbed through the skin, an estrogen cream will work
as well for those symptoms as oral estrogens.
Your physician can determine the amount of estrogen you are still
producing and decide on the amount you need
A progesterone supplement may
also be given to women with an intact uterus
We now have enough experience
to feel confident that the benefits of hormone replacement therapy outweigh
the risks
The only women who should not be treated are those with breast or
endometrial cancer, chronic liver disease, or a history of thromboembolism.
The menopausal period of life can be a anxious time for a woman, but with
good counseling from your physician and a real understanding of this natural
life process, you can pass through it with a minimum of discomfort or fear,
and without breaking stride in the normal pattern of your life style.

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 suffer from frequent nosebleeds which always arrive at the worst
time
There is never any warning, nor is it the result of a bang or blowing
my nose
Any ideas on what may be causing them?

ANSWER: There are many causes of nosebleeds (epistaxis) and although some of
them sound quite serious and well may be, the most frequent reasons for
nosebleeds are relatively simple
Nosebleeds can occur because of infections
in the nose, such as rhinitis and sinusitis, and can be provoked by infections
in the body including scarlet fever, malaria and typhoid fever
Hypertension
with its elevated blood pressures is a leading cause of nosebleeds, and then
there’s a whole list of blood diseases which reduce the ability of the blood
to coagulate, thus permitting nosebleeds to occur with just the minimum of
trauma
Severe epistaxis is often associated with liver disease and the
underlying cause must be treated if the nosebleeds are to cease
Most nasal
bleeding arises in a group of blood vessels which are on the lower front part
of the partition that divides our nose in half (the septum)
This area is
called Kiesselbach’s area and most bleeding may be controlled by pinching the
sides of the nose against the septum in the middle and holding them tightly in
place for from five to ten minutes
If this is not successful, then the
bleeding site must be found and controlled by electrocautery or chemical
cautery using silver nitrate.
Bleeding can also be provoked by the changes in temperature and humidity
that we experience as we move from indoors to outdoors, particularly in cold
weather.
But the bottom line is that most nosebleeds are provoked by picking away
at the nose with a finger or other blunt instrument
Some people are so
caught up in this habit that they are unaware that they have provoked
nosebleeds themselves and it takes a member of the family or a friendly
neighbor to point this fact out to them
Should nosebleeds be very frequent
and difficult to control, your physician’s physical examination may hold some
personal answers for you.

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.

Zelnorm
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Zelnorm (Tegaserod) is used for the short-term treatment of women with IBS whose primary bowel symptom is constipation.

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QUESTION: Do you know of any miracle technology that can solve the ancient
problem of snoring? I love my husband dearly but losing sleep night after
night causes me to become irritable and tense
Moving him only stops the
snoring for a few minutes and if I wake him he becomes angry because I
disturbed his sleep! Please help me, I am getting desperate.

ANSWER: This isn’t a question that I can address without including some
serious considerations
When a person sleeps, and muscles relax, the passage
of air through the mouth and respiratory system can cause the soft palate to
vibrate, and produce those atrocious sounds
It may be embarrassing, but
there are no pills to take, and the solutions depend upon some research into
the cause of the problem
If your husband is a bit overweight, into his later
years, smokes, drinks or takes sleeping pills, he fits into the common pattern
of snorers
If this be the case, the solution may merely be losing weight,
avoiding alcohol before bedtime, discontinuing the sleeping pills, and of
course throwing the cigarettes away
Try to make him sleep on his side, so
that gravity can not affect the position of his tongue and pull on the muscles
of the palate
Sew something to the back of his pajamas; tennis balls seem to
be remarkably effective in getting people to remain off their backs during
sleep
Of course, your husband may suffer from sleep apnea, a condition that
causes people to stop breathing during sleep, and then awaken with a grunt and
snort as they catch their breath
This is a far more serious cause of snoring
as it may lead to high blood pressure, abnormalities of heart rhythm, and even
sudden death
Listen carefully to his snoring
If it stops for long periods,
20-25 seconds, and starts up again with a snort, sleep apnea may be the
problem
While surgery was once the only treatment, new devices which fit
over the nose and force air through the passages, may now relieve your
husband, the family and yourself from his regular and disturbing nightly
serenades
Don’t be reluctant to have this important medical condition
checked out by your own family physician who can counsel you further.

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.

Phentrimine
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QUESTION: Now that I have finally put together an exercise program, including
some running, that will do all those health promoting things you write about,
I now have to deal with a bad stomach after my running
Is this usual, and
what can I do about it? Getting this thing started wasn’t easy and I don’t
want to quit now.

ANSWER: Stomach problems and other gastrointestinal distress are pretty
common in runners and other athletes
One study has shown that 12 percent of
runners experience belching or heartburn and another 37 percent feel a severe
need to move their bowels while running
It’s been found that women runners
are more likely to have lower intestinal discomfort than men runners
There
is some evidence that up to 30 percent of runners show blood in their stool,
but no one is certain what is causing this
On the up side, two large studies
have shown that exercise decreases the risk of colon cancer.
Many of these problems may be due to the intestinal motion that running
causes
Runners have more frequent bowel movements and food passes through
their intestinal system slightly more quickly
However, runners also usually
eat a diet higher in fiber, which also speeds up the intestinal system.
There are several things you can do to relieve your own distress
To
reduce nausea, cramping and vomiting, don’t eat for three or four hours before
you run
This way your stomach will be empty while you exercise
If you
suffer from diarrhea during long training runs or races, try eating a
low-residue, low-fiber diet for one or two days before the event
You might
also try emptying your bowel before competition by drinking coffee or tea or
by having a light workout
If these steps don’t work, see your physician to
rule out other problems, such as lactose intolerance.

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.

Adalat
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Adalat (Nifedipine) is used to lower hypertension and to treat chest pain.

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