Health information

QUESTION: I’ve done it again and my hands and face are covered with the
itchy, messy rash of poison ivy
Why is it that some people never get poison
ivy and I seem to get a case at least once every summer?

ANSWER: You’re in good company
Nearly four of five people are sensitive to
poison ivy and its cousins, poison oak and poison sumac
It is only the few
lucky ones who are apparently insensitive to the irritants produced by the
plant that escape its effects
A case of poison ivy begins when an oily resin
in the leaf of the plant binds to your skin
The first time you meet up with
the resin, your immune system may not respond for two weeks, but later you’ll
react with the itchy, oozy rash in just one to three days
Contrary to
popular belief, you can’t transfer the rash from one part of your body to
another
Only the resin elicits the rash.
Recommended treatment is a cool soak, such as with an aluminum acetate
solution, or calamine lotion
For intense itching, doctors prescribe
antihistamines
In extreme cases of irritation and intense symptoms, a
corticosteroid may be prescribed as well
Of course, prevention is the best
medicine
If you think you’ve touched poison ivy, immediately wash the
affected area thoroughly, and tools or clothing too, with warm, soapy water.
And next time, remember: leaves of three, let them be.

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.

Abana
Our price: $19.25
Abana is a cardiac tonic that prevents from cardiac neurosis.

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QUESTION: One of my grown children has just admitted to me that he is
suffering from hypoglycemia
I have heard that this is a serious condition.
What kind of risks is my son subject to?

ANSWER: Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, describes a deficiency of glucose
in the bloodstream (fasting hypoglycemia), or a condition in which the body
reacts to sugars in the diet by absorbing them too quickly and then producing
an excess of insulin (postprandial, or “after-eating” hypoglycemia)
The
condition can also result from excessive self-administration of insulin by a
diabetic.
Fasting hypoglycemia can be caused by insulin-producing tumors in the
pancreas, called insulinomas, or other tumors capable of creating insulin-like
compounds
Advanced cases of liver disease, alcoholism, or even the strains
of marathon running can also trigger the condition.
The symptoms a hypoglycemic individual may display depend upon many
factors, including the person’s age and the kind of hypoglycemia they are
experiencing, but may include anxiety, heart palpitations or quickened
heartbeat and sweating, progressing to ataxia (uncoordinated muscle activity),
confusion, convulsions and coma
Severe or prolonged hypoglycemia can lead to
brain hemorrhaging and death.
The good news is that the condition is easily treated: fasting
hypoglycemia is counteracted by eating sugar rich foods in the proper amount,
while postprandial cases must be managed by replacing large meals with
frequent smaller ones, and avoiding concentrated carbohydrates
Surgery may
be required to remove insulinomas or related tumors.
Certain hypoglycemic individuals must be instructed in monitoring their
own blood sugar levels in order to keep their glucose within normal range
By
pricking a finger, applying blood to a test strip and checking it with a
special meter or comparing it with a color chart they can instantly determine
their current blood sugar level
As the symptoms last only a short time, it
is important to test blood sugar as quickly as possible during a hypoglycemic
episode in order to find out just how severe the problem may be
With a bit
of education, and careful attention to managing the problem, your son should
do just fine.

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.

Miacalcin
Our price: $173.25
Miacalcin (Calcitonin) is used to treat osteoporosis (thinning of bone) and Paget’s disease.

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QUESTION: My son (who’s nine) has oozing sores on his face
I wash them
carefully, but they aren’t healing
What is causing them, and what can I do
for my son?

ANSWER: The most common cause of blistering or oozing sores in children is
called impetigo, an infection often passed on in crowded or unsanitary
environments
The sores are small, no larger than 1 to 2 millimeters across,
and often appear in groups on the child’s face, arms or legs
In bullous
impetigo, the sores can be much larger, up to a half-inch in diameter.
Washing alone won’t clear up your son’s condition; this bug has to be fought
from the inside out
A doctor should diagnose his condition and prescribe an
appropriate antibiotic
A penicillin injection will do the trick, but if your
son’s allergic to penicillin (or just afraid of needles), erythromycin taken
in pill, capsule or liquid form for ten days is equally effective
Don’t
delay obtaining this treatment.

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.

Flomax
Our price: $0.63
Flomax (Tamsulosin) is an alpha-blocker that is used to improve symptoms, associated with an enlarged prostate.

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QUESTION: The word “inflammation” is used in so many ways in many medical
articles, that though I think I know the sense of the word, I am not sure that
I really know what it means
Would you please just what inflammation is, and
what the word really means?

ANSWER: I would be happy to
An inflammation is a reaction in the body when
the tissues have become irritated, usually by injury or infection, although
there are other causes
The blood vessels in the affected area dilate,
bringing more blood to the scene and causing congestion and swelling
Along
with this swelling come the other signs of this process, and we can see the
redness and feel the heat and pain that warn us that something is wrong in our
system and that we can probably use some help
Since inflammation has many
different causes, it is important to find out which one is at work, so that
the proper remedy can be applied
Inflammation is an important part of the
way the body responds to an infection, and the signs which I have outlined for
you are common when an infection is present
Some of your understandable
confusion may be brought about by the use of these terms in the discussion of
acute infections.

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.

Rhinocort
Our price: $38.3
Rhinocort (Budesonide) Aqua Spray treats nasal allergy symptoms, nasal congestion, and sneezing.

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QUESTION: There is a lot of discussion about intelligence tests in our school
district
A lot of us don’t think they mean very much, and are frequently
incorrect in their interpretation
What can an I.Q
test really measure?

ANSWER: First let me say that perfect I.Q
tests would accurately and
completely validate and reliably predict a person’s intellectual aptitude.
But there are no perfect I.Q
tests
Controversies about such things as the
definition of intelligence and appropriate methods for evaluating that
aptitude have been with us for decades (yes, even when I took them!) and even
now are still being debated.
I.Q
tests you probably hear the most about are the currently popular
Wechsler and the Stanford-Binet
The latter was the leader in the United
States until fairly recently when the Wechsler which measures a wider variety
of verbal and performance aptitudes was introduced.
Nevertheless, I.Q
tests particularly those that are given individually
as opposed to those administered to groups to people over six years of age
can be very helpful in identifying intellectual aptitudes and their relative
strengths and weaknesses in specific areas of thinking/learning abilities.
Additionally, I.Q
tests can be very useful in evaluations of patients
suspected of being mentally retarded, those having serious learning
disabilities and/or attention disorders, or those who are exceptionally
talented.
One of the most important elements in I.Q
scores is analyzing the
specific conditions under which the test was taken, as well as various parts
of the tests
Also, the tester’s degree of skill and rapport with the person
taking the test, scoring procedures, and the test taker’s motivation to be
tested, physical and psychological conditions, fatigue, and understanding of
directions are important
And so you may wish to know that I.Q
tests only
give indications not absolute truths.

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.

Loxitane
Our price: $1.08
Loxitane (Loxapine) is an anti psychotic drug of intermediate-potency.

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QUESTION: There have been several times when you have discussed heart
disease, where you have mentioned reducing risks, usually by diet or exercise.
Recently we were offered the chance to have a “risk profile” developed for us
by our company
What does this mean
how does it work, and do you think it is
worthwhile?

ANSWER: As medical insurance costs to companies continue to mount, some clear
thinking has made prevention of disease an important goal, rather than just
financing the cost of care for disease when acute crises develop
A careful
history, an examination, and a few tests are necessary to construct a risk
profile that provides an individual with some conclusions upon which to change
a style of life and activity, and thereby prevent the onset of heart disease.
There are several factors that are considered, some of which you may not be
able to change, others that require your decision and actions
A family
history is taken, and if early heart disease runs in your father, mother or
brothers or sisters, then you must consider the changes you can control even
more seriously
The other risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure,
elevated cholesterol levels, diabetes, obesity, an abnormal electrocardiogram,
and certain behavioral characteristics (such as extreme emotional reactions
and anxiety responses to life’s stressful situations)
You can understand
just by by scanning this list that there are elements that can be changed by
proper medication or activity
In some risk profiles, numerical scores are
calculated and can be used as indicators of the chances that you will fall
victim to heart disease
Lower the numbers and you reduce that probability.
I think that this approach to disease prevention makes great sense, because it
reduces a lot of complicated considerations into some simple numbers, and
offers you a realistic evaluation of your chances of living a longer, more
enjoyable life, but that doesn’t of necessity make it “worthwhile”
All the
numbers and calculations are worthless unless you decide that they have a
meaning for you, and that you accept the challenge of changing those factors
which may be altered
Your employers, as many concerned health providers,
consider these evaluations most important, but their true worth depends upon
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.

Nexium
Our price: $1.66
Nexium (Esomeprazole) is in a proton pump inhibitor (PPIs) which blocks the production of acid by the stomach.

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QUESTION: Please settle an argument I’m having with a friend about what makes
a person’s skin turn yellow
She says it means liver disease
I say it means
jaundice
Who’s right?

ANSWER: Actually, both of you are correct
“Jaundice” merely means that the
skin is tinted yellow
The color comes from certain pigments contained in the
bile, and it’s a sure sign something has gone wrong
Most frequently it is a
disease affecting the liver, but can also be caused by problems in the
“biliary tree” (the tubes leading to and from the gall bladder).
There are some clues doctors use to tell the conditions apart
For one,
an individual with obstructive jaundice, caused by a blockage in the biliary
tree, usually notes the changed color of the skin before being aware of
feeling under the weather
In fact, jaundice patients often discover their
condition accidentally, when a friend or family member comments on the change
in their complexion
In contrast, patients suffering from hepatocellular
diseases (a fancy name for liver disease) the most common variety is viral
hepatitis usually complain early on of such concerns as weight loss, fever,
or a sensation of itching.
When a doctor suspects an obstruction in the biliary tree, a series of
noninvasive radiologic tests to discover the location of the blockage is
usually recommended
Ultrasonography can show dilated bile ducts; CT scans
are useful in providing more detailed data
For true liver disease, there are
a wide variety of blood and chemical tests to help determine the exact
diagnosis, and it sometimes take quite an effort before the exact cause of the
jaundice can be determined.

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.

Ismo
Our price: $0.35
Ismo (Isosorbide-5-Mononitrate) is used for preventing symptoms of angina(chest pain).

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QUESTION: I have an ugly overgrown scar called a keloid
I want it removed,
but don’t know how to go about it
Are there any treatments available to help
me, and what do they consist of? What type of doctor can deal with this
situation?

ANSWER: Let’s take the last part of your question first, because it is the
easiest part of your question to answer
To begin with, you may need to
consult a dermatologist (often called a skin doctor) and you need to be
treated by one who is experienced in the use of x-ray and laser therapy
In
some cases, particularly keloid scars about the face, the skills of a plastic
surgeon may be required to remove these scars and prevent new ones from
recurring
Your family doctor can help you chose the proper physician to
consult and locate the appropriate specialist.
Unfortunately, all treatments of keloids up to this time have been less
than perfect
But don’t be disheartened, the treatments can and do help to
correct the unsightly conditions
Among the newer treatments are those
including the removing of the scars with a special type of laser surgery, plus
daily applications (to the keloids) of a high-potency steroid-containing
medicine, injections of corticosteroids into the scar itself, and/or low-doses
of x-ray treatments to the keloid.
That entire series of treatments takes about four to eight weeks.
Patience will have to become your byword since additional treatments may be
required which may continue for as long as two years.

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.

Avandia
Our price: $0.7
Avandia (Rosiglitazone) is used to control high blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes.

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QUESTION: A serious sports injury of my knee now demands that I consider
surgery
The surgeon is suggesting replacing some damaged ligaments with
artificial tissues
Shades of the Bionic Man! What can you tell me?

ANSWER: There are a variety of methods available to reconstruct a damaged
knee: Stents are temporary internal splints providing stability while the
knee regains strength; degradable scaffolds allow the fibers of the knee’s
ligament to grow and merge into the synthetic tissue as the joint heals; and
ligament augmentation devices provide immediate protection and stability while
the recovering ligament regains its strength.
These implants are made from various materials
Carbon fiber implants
have been tried in a variety of weaves, but have been subject to problems; its
brittle fibers may fragment or break, while it may have less capacity to
absorb fibrous ingrowth than other techniques
Doctors have also used a
ligament augmentation device, a 6 mm thick plastic braid that attaches to
structures in the leg
A composite of two synthetic substances, Dacron and
Dexon, has also been used, as well as materials made of Dacron alone, Gore-Tex
and Xenotech ligament
This last material consists of tendons from cattle,
treated to be nonallergic and more flexible
None of these implants has
solved the problem of shielding the recuperating knee from sudden stresses,
which can lead to re-injury of the damaged joint
While an implant
occasionally works its way loose, rejection by the host body has not been a
major problem
Your best answer would come from your surgeon
Ask him about
his plan, and the benefits or risks of the surgery, and the material he
proposes to use.

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.

Lukol
Our price: $20.35
Lukol is an indigenous tablet preparation which is administered orally for the treatment of non-specific leucorrhoea.

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QUESTION: Is there any real way to ensure you’ll live longer? I’ve seen some
pills in health food stores that make claims to extend your life
Is it
possible that they really work?

ANSWER: I’m sorry to say that with all of the advanced technology we have,
there is still no magic elixir that can provide us with a “fountain of youth”.
Scientists have been studying gerontology learning about what happens to
the body during normal aging but they haven’t figured out how to slow or stop
this process
A large number of Americans are obsessed with youth and staying
young, allowing quacks and manufacturers of useless products to make tens of
millions of dollars every year
I’m not saying that all of these
manufacturers are insincere and intentionally ripping people off, but there is
nothing to prove that these products work
Some of the products you might
have seen in health food stores include dietary antioxidants, superoxide
dismutase (SOD), Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and Gerovital-H3.
The antioxidants are based on the belief that normal chemical reactions
within the body produce harmful by-products which accumulate
To counter
this, some individuals recommend taking increased amounts of antioxidant
substances, which include vitamins A, C and E and the mineral selenium
This
theory backfires though, because selenium and vitamins can be toxic in high
quantities and scientists have not come to an agreement that an antioxidant
regimen will increase one’s life-span
SOD is a protein thought to have
antioxidant properties, but it occurs naturally in the body and there is no
evidence that SOD supplements can be ingested and utilized.
DHEA is a hormone produced in human beings by the adrenal gland which
seems to help curb caloric intake
There have been no scientific studies on
people to conclude DHEA supplements have life extending effects.
Gerovital-H3 is marketed as a treatment for age-related bodily changes.
A Rumanian doctor has reported this substance has helped laboratory rats to
live longer lives, but those results have not been found by other scientists
studying the compound.
There really is no proven method to guarantee a longer life, but there
are things you can do to help you live a healthier life and perhaps indirectly
prolong life
The National Institutes of Health concluded that people who are
slightly underweight live longest; other scientists disagree
Exercise, begun
early in life, is believed to play an indirect role in life extension
Active
people have fewer problems with their hearts and are generally healthier, but
studies on athletes done by the National Institute on Aging have not found
athletes to have longer lives than the general population.
Proper diet, exercise, a life lived within the rules of good health will
make your existence a healthier and more enjoyable one, and will avoid many
diseases that can shorten your time here in this world, but it would seem that
there really is still only one manner by which you may truly increase your
longevity, and that is to choose parents with the right genes
Since that
choice has already been made for you, you must use your efforts to choose a
lifestyle that provides you with the best possible chances for a long and
happy life.

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.

Tricor
Our price: $2.4
Tricor (Fenofibrate) is used for controlling high cholesterol.

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