Health information

QUESTION: Is there a substance known as a “tumor marker”? I am intrigued by
the idea and would like to know how they might work.

ANSWER: Researchers had once hoped to find that tumor cells produced certain
unique substances not made by normal cells
If these substances could be
detected in the blood or urine with a simple test, mass screening would be
possible to diagnose cancerous tumors in their earliest stages, when treatment
could be most effective.
Unfortunately, such clearly defined markers have not been found.
Although some tumor cells do produce substances, other cells or certain
conditions also cause these same substances to be present
For instance,
carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was once thought to be a marker for colon
cancer, but it’s also present with cancer of the lung, breast, ovary, and
pancreas
And the levels of CEA are elevated in heavy smokers and patients
with inflammatory bowel or liver disease, so it’s not useful for screening
large numbers of people for these types of cancer.
What CEA and other tumor markers can do, however, is to help doctors
establish a specific diagnosis
The presence and amounts of a tumor marker
can also be used to follow the response of a tumor to therapy and to detect
the occurrence of metastases (the spread of cancer cells to other locations in
the body from the original tumor site).
Tumor markers can also be helpful when screening a high-risk population
for a certain type of cancer
Because those persons are more likely to have a
certain type of cancer, the presence of the tumor marker is a more accurate
indication that cancer cells exist.
For instance, measuring levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in the general
population isn’t a very accurate way to detect early liver cancer
But
measuring AFP in patients with cirrhosis of the liver, a group in which the
prevalence of liver cancer is 25 percent, is a useful tool.

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.

Quibron-T
Our price: $0.5
Quibron-T (Theophylline) is a bronchodilator used to treat the symptoms of asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema.

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QUESTION: Is it right or ethical for a doctor to treat a disease with a drug
not approved for that use by the FDA? I need a straight answer.

ANSWER: Yes, it can be considered both right and ethical
In fact, many
times “unlabeled” uses of approved drugs may be appropriate and often lead to
innovative and valid new uses for a drug, although under the law a drug may be
approved for marketing, labeled, promoted, and advertised ONLY for those uses
for which its safety and effectiveness have been established (Sect
502 of the
Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act).
A drug labeled for one disease might be found effective for an entirely
different medical condition, but to add the new use to the drug’s labeling may
take years of time-consuming and costly clinical trials before its approval by
the FDA
Meanwhile the drug can be prescribed for the new indication provided
this use is safe and effective.
Labeling also warns against drugs that have been found unsafe or
ineffective for particular indications
The package inserts provide all such
information to help doctors make sound treatment decisions.
If you have some doubts about the particular use of a medication,
question your doctor
He may be able to provide you with some written
documentation that can help explain his use of your medication.

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
Our price: $34.5
Atrovent (Ipratropium) treats lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

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QUESTION: I am considering undergoing a vasectomy
Is this procedure
considered a reliable method of birth control? What if I want to change my
mind after the surgery, can it be reversed?

ANSWER: Vasectomy is a safe, effective and inexpensive method of birth
control
It is usually done in a doctor’s office under local anesthesia, and
you’ll be able to return to light work after a couple of days of rest.
Discomfort and swelling are managed with ice packs, scrotal support, and
aspirin or similar pain relievers
Swelling and tenderness should be gone
within about 72 hours of the procedure
Stitches dissolve by themselves and
do not have to be removed.
You can return to normal activity, including sexual intercourse, in about
seven days
It is very important to continue to use contraceptives until your
doctor tells you the vasectomy has been successful
Follow his advice
regarding semen analyses following the operation if you neglect to have the
analyses done, you may still be producing sperm and thus may risk an unwanted
pregnancy
Sterility is usually achieved after about six to eight weeks; it
takes this long to clear sperm from the reproductive tract.
The operation should be considered permanent, and should not be performed
if you have any lingering doubts about your goals and intentions
However,
many physicians report good results in reversing a vasectomy that was done
less than seven years ago, although there are no guarantees.
About half the men who have had vasectomies have antisperm antibodies in
their bloodstream
There was once controversy over whether these antibodies
were harmful, and, in particular whether they caused heart disease, but no
real proof has been found that should cause concern.

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.

Amaryl
Our price: $0.39
Amaryl (Glimepiride) is an anti-diabetic drug, used to control high blood sugar.

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QUESTION: I am having such a terrible time with “vertigo”
Will you please
write something about it
I’ve taken everything my doctor suggests, but
nothing is helping
It is wrecking my life
Please tell me if something can
be done?

ANSWER: Vertigo is not a disease in and of itself, but rather the signal of
some disorder in the body’s delicate balancing mechanisms, which is regulated
by the brain’s reaction to nerve impulses it receives from the inner ear, the
eye and the muscles, joints and tendons
In addition to dizziness, vertigo
sufferers usually experience fluctuating hearing loss and the ringing or
tingling sensation in the ears known as tinnitus
This trio of symptoms can
indicate any one of a possible range of diseases, however, so vertigo
sufferers should be sure to consult their family physician as well as a
specialist in balance disorders, whether a neurologist or an otolaryngologist.
Meniere’s disease is the most common balance disorder of which vertigo is
a symptom
It is characterized by gradual hearing loss in at least one ear.
Alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine should be avoided by patients with the
disease, because of their interference with the organs of balance, as well as
undue stress, which can bring on an attack of vertigo
Motion-sickness drugs
are sometimes helpful
A low-salt diet and diuretics can help minimize fluid
retention and so reduce the amount of endolymph, a liquid found in the ear’s
semicircular canals whose surplus is characteristic of the disease.
Surgery is an option for those who are severely disabled by Meniere’s
Disease
One surgical option which can be used in cases where hearing loss is
already profound is destructive labyrinthectomy, a procedure to remove the
semicircular canals of the affected ear
Unfortunately, the operation renders
the patient deaf in the operated ear
Another type of surgery destroys only
the balance-oriented branch of the eighth cranial nerve, while preserving the
shell-shaped cochlea which are critical to hearing
Cryosurgery, or
application of intense cold, can also help reduce the sensitivity of the
semicircular canals.
Severe recurrent vertigo can indicate other disorders as well.
Positional vertigo, which can result from changes in the posture of the head,
usually lasts no longer than a year; muscle-strengthening exercises and
antidizziness medications can bring relief in the meantime
Another cause can
be a swelling of the nerves of the vestibule, a chamber contained within the
inner ear’s semicircular canals, or the nearby labyrinth that contains the
canals
One more rare but serious disorder signalled by vertigo, tinnitus and
slight hearing loss is the nonmalignant growth on a nerve crucial to both
hearing and balance, known as an acoustic neuroma
Unless surgically removed
while small, these tumors can cause life-threatening central nervous system
damage, destroying hearing or lead to facial paralysis.
With all of these possible diagnoses, and since I sense a legitimate
distress about your condition in your letter, you can understand why my advice
to you is to continue to work with your physicians, and obtain additional
specialists’ consultations
It is the only way in which you can obtain the
answers you need that can help allay some of your fears, and discover the
answers you seek.

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.

Triphala
Our price: $23.1
Triphala provides overall support for the digestive function.

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QUESTION: It took emergency surgery to save my closest friend who suffered
from “volvulus”, a condition I never heard of
Could you please explain what
happened?

ANSWER: Volvulus refers to a blockage in the stomach or intestine, occurring
when part of the organ wraps around itself
This can happen when stomach
ligaments are weak or missing, or where fibrous bands and adhesions are
present as a result of past surgery or inflammatory disease
Acute gastric
volvulus causes severe pain from trapped gas and fluid, and left untreated can
prove fatal
The condition must be corrected as soon as possible, either
through surgery or by passing a tube through the patient’s nose and into the
intestines to relieve the pressure
Although the condition can be diagnosed
by observing a patient, x-rays are used to reveal the site of the blockage,
with a contrast material such as barium used to highlight the blockage on the
x-ray image.

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.

Accupril
Our price: $0.9
Accupril (Quinapril) is used for lowering high blood pressure and managing heart failure.

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QUESTION: I’m very worried about my newborn baby grandson
He is secreting
milk from his nipples
My daughter doesn’t seem to be too concerned
She
says her doctor told her this is not that uncommon
Have you ever heard of
this in a baby?

ANSWER: Yes
Galactorrhea, or a flow of milk in someone who is not nursing,
is a common occurrence in newborn infants
This milk is sometimes called
“witch’s milk” because of a superstition that is centuries old
The condition
may persist until a baby is 2 months old, and the infant may really be very
healthy and otherwise “normal.” The disorder was first noted in medical
literature in the 17th century and many superstitions developed about baby’s
breast milk
The most common belief was that if the milk was not thoroughly
expressed from the infant, it would be stolen by witches and goblins for use
in brews, thus the term “witch’s milk.” Doctors, however, strongly discourage
trying to remove the milk through manipulation, because it can cause
inflammation and breast abscesses
My advice to you is not to worry
Leave
the baby’s breasts alone, and this condition will disappear by itself in a few
weeks.

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.

Amaryl
Our price: $0.39
Amaryl (Glimepiride) is an anti-diabetic drug, used to control high blood sugar.

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QUESTION: I know that sinus infections affect many people, but my friend’s
doctor told her they could be life threatening
Isn’t this just an
exaggeration to make her follow her medication schedule?

ANSWER: It certainly isn’t an overstatement, though following your medication
routine is important
Any infection can be life-threatening in a worst-case
situation, but infected sinuses are serious because of their closeness to the
eyes and brain.
Your sinuses can become infected by any number of organisms
Luckily,
antibiotics usually stop most sinus infections in their tracks but resistant
organisms do exist
In rare cases, an infection in the sinuses either starts
and then spreads rapidly or is left untreated and a more serious condition
results
The best way to prevent complications from infected sinuses is to
catch the condition early and treat it properly.
Infection can spread from the sinus to the eyes or the brain along the
paths of nerves or blood vessels, but, in adults, there are no other openings
unless there is a defect in the bone
Infected sinuses in children are more
serious because the bones of the face are immature and openings from the
sinuses to the eye socket and the brain exist.
If the infection spreads to the eye socket, the lids and tissue around
the eyes become swollen
The lids may swell shut or the eye may be pushed
forward so that the lids can’t close
Because the socket is a small enclosed
space, the swelling causes a great deal of pressure that can severely damage
the eye if it is not relieved.
If the infection spreads to the brain, it may develop into meningitis or
form an abscess within the skull or of the brain tissue which can cause
seizures, brain damage, or death unless treated promptly
So while things may
seem simple, because we are used to hearing about them, all illness deserves
close attention and treatment to prevent the serious complications which can
follow.

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.

Avapro
Our price: $1.35
Avapro (Irbesartan) is used for treating high blood pressure.

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QUESTION: Articles in the papers are frightening
Is it true that skin
cancer is on the rise? What factors determine who gets this disease?

ANSWER: There are many different skin cancers
Malignant melanoma, the most
serious form of the disease, is increasing faster than all other cancers save
lung cancer in women
At least one out of every seven Americans will develop
some form of skin cancer, and the American Cancer Society has predicted that
if current trends continue, malignant melanoma will affect one person out of
100 by the year 2000
Skin cancers are primarily caused by overexposure to
the sun’s ultraviolet radiation; fair-skinned people, and people who work
outdoors are all particularly vulnerable
If there is a history of skin
cancer in your family, or if you suffer from any genetic disease (such as
albinism) that makes exposure to sunlight discomforting, you are also at
higher risk, as are people living in climates where the sun’s rays are more
intense
When detected and treated in time, at least 90% of skin cancers are
curable; but to play it safe, limit your unprotected exposure to the sun, and
apply a protective sun screen regularly before putting your fair skin in
harm’s way.

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.

Purinethol
Our price: $3.78
Purinethol (Mercaptopurine) is used to treat leukemia.

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QUESTION: I can’t understand how some people keep smoking, when all the
scientific evidence shows it to be a real health hazard
What keeps these
people puffing away?

ANSWER: It may be hard to believe, but approximately one-third of all adults
still smoke cigarettes
Though some statistics show that smoking has declined
in recent years, most of this decrease can be attributed to people who have
quit rather than a decrease in people who begin to smoke
Therefore, just as
many people seem to be taking up this dangerous habit.
Cigarette smoking, like drug use, is addictive
When people begin to
smoke, the chances are that eventually they will become “addictive smokers.”
This means that even if they smoke infrequently at first, gradually, they will
build up a desire for repeated cigarettes and ultimately they will have both a
psychological and physical dependence on them
Psychologically, the act of
smoking becomes addictive, and some people become dependent on it in
situations which cause anxiety or tension, or when they simply want to relax.
Physically, people become addicted to nicotine, the major substance in
tobacco
When one has a craving to smoke, nicotine is inhaled, and the
craving subsides
A certain amount of nicotine must be inhaled in order to
continually relieve this craving; if not, there are severe withdrawal
symptoms, which can last for days, or even months
These symptoms can include
nausea, headaches, diarrhea, constipation, insomnia, irritability, an
inability to concentrate, and an increase in appetite.
Another reason that people continue to smoke, therefore, is because it is
so difficult to quit
However, people do quit, and most individuals do so on
their own, without any professional help
For those people who can not quit
on their own, programs are offered by organizations such as the American
Cancer Society, American Heart Association, and American Lung Association.
These programs have about a 25% success rate.
It seems that quitting “cold turkey” is a better strategy than gradually
reducing the number of cigarettes smoked
Studies have shown that people can
generally cut down to about twelve cigarettes a day, but they are unable to
reduce their smoking further, because each remaining cigarette becomes more
and more important to them
It becomes extremely difficult to eliminate them.
There are people who successfully quit, and then for one reason or
another start up again
This usually occurs very soon after the person has
quit, and is usually triggered by stress and anxiety
However, the chances
are very good that if someone has been without a cigarette for a year or more,
they will remain “cigarette free.”
There are many social support systems and other kinds of reinforcement
that a person can seek if the urge to smoke occurs
Support from one’s
spouse, family members, or friends can help to reduce the likelihood of
relapse
And more and more today, Family Physicians are getting active in the
most important medical care of all, preventing diseases caused by tobacco use.
But regardless of the support systems available, the most important factor in
determining whether a person will be able to achieve and maintain a life free
from cigarettes is the level of their own motivation to do so.

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.

Combivent
Our price: $41.4
Combivent (Albuterol and Ipratropium) is used to prevent bronchospasm.

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QUESTION: I used to snore as a child, and a tonsillectomy solved the problem.
Now my wife tells me I’m snoring again
Does this mean my tonsils have grown
back?

ANSWER: I doubt that the tonsils are the cause of your present problem
It’s
more likely that you’re snoring for a different reason now: simple aging
As
we grow older, muscles everywhere in the body lose tone, including the ones in
the throat
Snoring occurs when the tongue falls backward into the airway and
vibrates against soft, floppy tissues there.
You have several courses of action:

- Improve your muscle tone with exercise.

- Lose weight if you need to.

- Avoid alcoholic beverages within three hours of bedtime, and don’t take
tranquilizers, sleeping pills or antihistamines
All of these relax the
muscles that hold the airway open.

- Sleep on your side
(A tennis ball sewn into the back of your pajamas
may help you remember.)

- Slant the bed so the head is raised.

- Wear a whiplash collar to keep your chin extended.

- Let your mate go to sleep first.

- Check with a physician to make sure that enlarged tonsils are not
indeed your problem.

- If you don’t have high blood pressure or an irregular heartbeat, and if
your physician approves, take a diet pill that contains phenylpropanolamine at
bedtime (Dietac, Dexatrim, others)
If the pill keeps you awake, adjust the
dosage downward.

That ought to take care of many of the common reasons for this annoying
but not funny situation
If they don’t, there may be more at work here
warranting a closer look
Sleep apnea (when a person stops breathing for
short periods during sleep) is also associated with snoring.
Snorers and those who sympathize with them have invented some 300
stop-snoring devices
Most, unfortunately, don’t work, and if they do it’s
because they keep you awake! However I hope these suggestions will be more
effective.

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.

Exelon
Our price: $0.3
Exelon (Rivastigmine) is an oral medication used to treat patients with Alzheimer or Parkinson disease.

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