Health information

QUESTION: I have noticed that when I examine my breasts as you have often
suggested, that a small white discharge can be pushed out if I squeeze around
my areola (nipple) area
I haven’t yet pulled together enough courage to see
my physician about this, and hope you can tell me if this is something I
should be worrying about.

ANSWER: When “worry” is part of the problem, the only solution is to obtain
the answer that will help to explain the situation and outline the
possibilities
While I can offer you general explanations, the only way you
can be completely informed is to stop putting off the examination by your own
physician that you know you need, and which will provide you with the personal
answers you must have
For my part, I have some good news for you
The
nipple discharge which women can express from their nipple, and which a doctor
may also do during the breast examination, is rarely the sign of any serious
medical condition and is not considered unusual
When healthy women had a
suctioning device used on their breast as part of an investigation of this
situation, 83% showed some discharge
The type of discharge which is more
significant than the type produced by compressing the nipple area, is that
which occurs persistently, without any external squeezing, and is present in a
nonnursing woman
Such discharges can be of almost any color, but fall
essentially in to seven types: milky; thick, multicolored and sticky; yellow;
bloody (red); pink; pussy (purulent); and clear
While any of these may be a
sign of possible tumor growth, there are many other causes for such
discharges, including medications, including birth control pills and
antihypertensives, infections, and even the use of marijuana
There is even a
condition called “pseudo-discharge”, which while looking like a breast
discharge can come from skin rashes on the breast, inverted nipples and
excessive stimulation during self-examination or sex
Whatever the cause in
your case, an early diagnosis is important to effective treatment and to
respond to your anxiety, which I hope will have been truly unnecessary.

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.

Mycelex-G
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Mycelex-G (Clotrimazole vaginal) is an antifungal agent used to treat vaginal yeast infections.

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QUESTION: Why on earth would anyone inhale nitrous oxide for fun? I’m a
metallurgist, not a biochemist, but it seems to me that the only effect would
be to shortchange you on oxygen
For that matter why would an
anesthesiologist use it? Am I missing some important info here?

ANSWER: You are gapping on quite a bit of pharmacology and some important
medical history as well
And (forgive the pun) the laugh may be on you, for
nitrous oxide is also known as “laughing gas”
Back in 1844, Dr
Horace
Wells, a dentist from Hartford, Connecticut who is credited as the discoverer
of this gas as an anesthetic, was watching a theatrical demonstration of the
effects of nitrous oxide
While generally the effects were those of euphoria
and intoxication, frequently accompanied by hysterical laughter (thus the
name), on this occasion the subject became angered and jumped from the stage,
cutting his leg deeply
Wells noted that though the wound should have been
painful, there appeared to be no suffering on the part of the victim, and
speculated on the medical uses of the gas
Although difficult to manage,
nitrous oxide was found useful as an anesthetic
However, some misguided
individuals seeking a cheap high still use this gas without due respect to the
dangers of this treacherous gas
It may cause nausea and vomiting, shivering
and trembling, hallucinations and confusion
In animal studies it has been
shown to provoke fetal death, growth retardation and skeletal abnormalities.
It is used in low doses for obstetrical analgesia (pain suppression) where
loss of consciousness is not needed
Since it is a weak agent, it is most
frequently used with other more potent anesthetics to reduce the dosage needed
to maintain adequate effect
You’re right about the need for oxygen, though.
Nitrous oxide is administered with no less than 30% oxygen to maintain
sufficient levels to the blood stream, and thus the heart and brain.

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.

Casodex
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Casodex (Bicalutamide) is an anti-androgen used to treat prostate cancer.

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QUESTION: I have a lush growth of hairs right inside my nostrils on both
sides
If I don’t trim them, they protrude, irritating me and causing me to
sneeze and looking just terrible
However, when I do try to cut them back, my
wife screams at me that they are there for a purpose and that all kinds of
calamity will befall me if I don’t quit
Please, Dr
Bruckheim, tell me what
to do, so I can show your article to my concerned spouse.

ANSWER: Well your wife does have a point, the hairs that grow inside our
nostrils do serve a function
By partially blocking the opening, large size
particles of dirt and dust are strained out and are prevented from entering
our air passages when breathing
The size and caliber of these hairs differ
from person to person, and while most individuals have no problems, they may
be thick and voluminous in others
When they become too luxuriant, I see no
danger in carefully clipping them back to a more discrete look
All you need
is a good mirror, a pair of fine scissors and a steady hand
Nail clippers
and other cutting tools should be avoided, as accidents can happen and this is
a bad place to sustain a cut
To be honest, I have seen many a fine barber in
my day who made this procedure into a real art, and solved the problem during
a regular haircut visit.

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.

Menosan
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Menosan is a unique complex herbal formula that helps women to cope with symptoms, associated with menopause.

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QUESTION: I was supposed to have an operation that would keep me in the
hospital for just a day
I was instructed not to eat after midnight the
evening before
Because I was so nervous, I chewed some gum during the
morning, but the anesthetist cancelled my operation because I hadn’t listened
to the instructions
Wasn’t she being a little overcautious?

ANSWER: Perhaps so, but rules differ from hospital to hospital
The reason
for the NPO order (nothing by mouth) is to reduce the contents of the stomach,
and lessen the possibility of having these liquids sucked into delicate lung
tissues, if you have a stomach spasm while under anesthesia
Since chewing
gum (or sucking candy) increases the production of saliva and stomach
secretions, the anesthetist was just playing it safe.

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.

Prozac
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Prozac (Fluoxetine) is in a new class of antidepressant medications that affects chemical messengers within the brain.

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QUESTION: I recently saw a television program that presented a horrible story
of the terrible effects of new pills for pain called NSAIDs
What it didn’t
do was to tell people who needed these medications what could be done about
reducing bad effects
Could you? I need my medicine as it is the only one
that helps my arthritis pain.

ANSWER: I think you bring an important perspective to this problem
Many
people do need NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to control their
pains and aches from many sources
Actually over 67 million prescriptions
were written for NSAIDs in 1984, almost 1/3 of which were for people over the
age of 65
The good news is that for most of these patients the medication
was both safe and effective
However there may be adverse reactions, the most
common occurring in the upper gastrointestinal tract, causing dyspepsia,
nausea and vomiting, and the formation of gastric and duodenal ulcers
The
real danger lies in the fact that some ulcers occur without producing
symptoms
However many people with symptoms do not have ulcers
The symptoms
can be reduced or eliminated by taking these medications with meals, or
changing from one NSAID to another (there are more than 20 available)
When
symptoms do persist and NSAIDs must be taken, adding an antiulcer drug may be
helpful
A new medication misoprostol, has been shown to prevent injury to
the stomach from NSAIDs.

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.

Coumadin
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Coumadin (Warfarin) treats or prevents blood clots that may occur in the veins and lungs.

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QUESTION: I was told that a woman who is breast feeding her child should,
under no circumstances, lose weight
I am nursing a five month old now and am
approximately 25 pounds overweight
I am seriously considering continuing to
breast feed my infant beyond the first 6 months but I cannot live with the
extra weight
If I do lose weight could it possibly harm either the baby or
myself? Thank you for your consideration.

ANSWER: I have never heard of the admonition against weight loss that you
refer to, and am happy it may not be too wide spread, because it is wrong.
The weight gained during a normal pregnancy is there for a special reason, to
furnish the mother with the nutritional reserves necessary to provide her baby
with the nourishment gained through breast feeding
Ask any woman who hasn’t
breast fed her infant about the troubles returning to pre-pregnancy weight
levels, and you will understand that your decision has been the right one, and
you may certainly continue without danger to yourself or baby
The only
caution I would have is not to try to crash diet to reduce your weight, but to
increase your activity gradually and continue to nurse as before
This will
lead to a gradual and safe weight loss
Just to check my information I
contacted La Leche International (P.O
Box 1209, Franklin Park, ILL 60131-8209
for you and others who may wish more information) and they connected me with
Ms
Doris Esposito, my Area Professional Liaison, who discussed this with me
and afforded some additional information
By providing your infant with its
daily need, you are using about 700 calories to provide the nutrition
That
adds up to about a 1 pound weight loss every 5 days, if you eat only the
amount of food your body consumes for its own metabolism, your 25 pound excess
will just about be gone by the time you complete 4 months more of furnishing
your infant with the best nutrition available
Give or take an extra snack
here and there, you will probably come out even after 6 months, and bestow
upon your baby the head start that only mothers can give.

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.

Brite
Our price: $16.65
Brite Cream, based on Hydroquinone, treats hypo-pigmentation.

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QUESTION: My 12 year old daughter, with high hopes of an athletic career in
tennis, is suffering from a swollen knee that was diagnosed as Osgood
Schlatter Disease
As very concerned parents we have looked up the condition
in a medical book at our local public library, and are horrified with what we
learned
Yet our wonderful doctor keeps telling us not to worry, it will all
come out fine
Can you help us with an explanation of the causes, and the
proper treatment of this condition?

ANSWER: The history of this answer to you took an interesting turn, for when
checking my own sources to refresh my memory I found that my material spoke in
optimistic terms about the outcome of Osgood Schlatter, a disease that strikes
the knees of young teen age boys and girls
I was all set to provide you with
the reassurance that your doctor was correct when my studies took me to our
own small public library, and I decided to try to duplicate your experience.
Naturally the books available were all a bit dated, and when I read the
explanations offered, I quickly understood your anxiety
The description of
the cause was “avascular necrosis of the ossification center of the tibial
tuberosity” which translates into “the death of the bone producing center of
the tibial bump due to loss of circulation”
While that may have been the
accepted cause when Drs
Osgood and Schlatter first described the condition in
1903, it is a theory that no longer is generally accepted
Instead it is
believed that the condition of a swelling, and very tender and painful area
over the bump on the shin bone just below the knee, is most probably due to
the strains and stresses that may result from active participation in athletic
competition
While once a condition seen primarily in boys, the gals are now
rapidly catching up as their involvement in sports increases
The good news
is that Osgood Schlatter is considered a benign disorder that in mild cases
can disappear by itself
Treatment consists of pain medication as needed and
restriction of physical activities, particularly those that require frequent
deep knee bending
Braces on the knee can be used, or even a cast to
immobilize the knee if symptoms continue
A two to four month period of rest,
followed by reconditioning and strengthening exercises, will soon have your
young athlete back on her feet and playing her favorite sport.

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.

Cardizem
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Cardizem (Diltiazem) is used for the treatment and prevention of angina (chest pain).

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QUESTION: Can you help us make some sense out of problem diagnosed as a
middle ear infection? We have had a terrible time with our baby boy (age 2)
and the doctor feels that this ear infection is causing all of his problems
including vomiting and diarrhea
Is this possible? What should we do?

ANSWER: This is certainly the season for Otitis Media (the medical name for
the condition) to rear its head, as it is most frequently seen during the
winter months and early spring
It is more common in younger children under
the age of 6, and boys seem to suffer from it more frequently than girls
As
you have probably been told, it is a bacterial infection located in the middle
ear, and usually is seen a few days after the beginning of a common cold or
other upper respiratory infection
It is not a pleasant situation for your
youngster, who will display all the signs of pain in the ear, crying and even
screaming, certainly increased irritability, fever and disturbed sleep
Yes,
acute otitis media may even provoke vomiting and diarrhea
And it is not a
diagnosis that should be treated lightly, as serious complications, including
hearing difficulties and language and speech development problems, may occur
if proper therapy and follow-up is not carried out
The first line of defense
will be the use of antibiotics, which usually are quite effective
In the
event that the first prescription fails to obtain the desired results, a
change may be made, as there are many antibiotics that may be used in these
cases
Your baby should be seen regularly following the conquest of the
present acute situation, to prevent possible recurrence.

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.

Nimotop
Our price: $1.45
Nimotop (Nimodipine) is used to improve symptoms caused by spasms as a result of a brain hemorrhage (ruptured blood vessels).

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QUESTION: There are a few dollars riding on this one
While I take the
position that there are still cases of leprosy in this country, my friend
believes it has generally been wiped out here and that only a few cases still
exist, and only in poorer countries
Who takes home the money?

ANSWER: You do, my friend, going away
There are, in fact, over 5 million
registered cases of leprosy in the world, and experts believe the actual
figure is probably nearer to 12 million
Approximately 3000 cases are here in
the United States and some 200 patients are cared for at the National Hansen’s
Disease Center in Carville, Louisiana
There were even 46 new cases reported
by the New York City Department of Health in 1984, the highest number in many
years
Gerhard Armauer Hansen, a Norwegian physician for whom the disease is
now named, discovered the bacteria responsible for the disease in 1874, before
the discoveries of Pasteur and Koch of bacteria that caused anthrax and
tuberculosis
Prior to Hansen’s work, it was thought that leprosy was
inherited and incurable
Today, Hansen’s Disease may be treated by a number
of medications, used in combination, including dapsone, clofazimine, rifampin
and ethionamide, which are capable of curing the infection.

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.

Mysoline
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Mysoline (Primidone) is used to treat a seizure disorder.

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QUESTION: Faced with a life time of dieting just to keep a barely passable
figure, I am now thinking about surgery as a way to get the shape I want
My
friends tell me that liposuction is the way to go, but I need more information
before I can gather enough courage to go to a doctor’s office
What can you
tell me?

ANSWER: It is as important to get your priorities straight as it is to gather
more information about this procedure
Most experts agree that liposuction is
no replacement for a diet, and is not the way out of a weight reduction
program
It is a good way to rid your self of an unwanted or unsightly lump
or two, but it won’t help you shed pounds
In fact surgeons usually don’t
remove more than five or six pounds in one operation, and that won’t change
your dress size
It is clear that the procedure is not for everyone, but may
be the answer when there are fat deposits about the thighs, abdomen or hips
that do not fit in with an otherwise slim or trim figure
It can also be used
for problems on the arms, knees, inner thighs neck and face
The operation
may be performed under local anesthesia, as a hospital outpatient, or in a
doctors office
A small cannula (a thin metal tube) attached to a vacuum
producing machine is passed through small incisions in the skin and suctions
away the unwanted fat
A tight dressing is applied to the area after the
surgery, and there will be a period of swelling and bruising for as long as
three or four weeks, but then these conditions disappear
Antibiotics are
prescribed to prevent infections
Choose your surgeon carefully, seeking a
qualified specialist with appropriate credentials and board certification
It
pays to check around, and your own family physician may be a fine source for a
recommendation
It isn’t cheap, either, with the cost of procedures running
from $1,000 to $3,000
Hospital costs are extra, and few insurance companies
pay for this surgery, considered an elective procedure
You may want to think
a second time about your diet and exercise program!

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.

Gasex
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Gasex helps in digestion by exerting carminative, antispasmodic, antiflatulent and antacid actions.

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