Health information

QUESTION: I had some artificial nails placed on my own fingers in the hope
that my hands could look better than they do now
A girl friend said I was
taking some big chances and that there were dangers to this simple process and
that I am being foolish
Is there any basis for her warnings?

ANSWER: No matter the process by which you increased the size, shape and
allure of your fingernails, there certainly are some risks that you should be
aware of
For the most part, artificial nails are made of a plastic or
“acrylic” and are glued to the natural nail surface with glues, which also
contain one of a number of acrylate substances
Though the results may take
on a pleasing look, the lengthened nail exposes the underlying nail bed to
more trauma and injury, more frequent knocks and blows, which may lead to a
separation of your natural nail from its nail bed
Our normal nails absorb a
great deal of water when immersing the hands in water during normal washing
and other daily chores
The water dries out quite easily, though, by
evaporation
However, when an artificial nail is in place this process can
not take place, leaving the nails water logged for long periods of time
This
forms a perfect environment in which bacteria and yeasts grow rapidly, and
infections develop that are a real hazard to the health of the nails
A third
risk is that of allergic reaction to the chemicals contained in the glues,
which can not only cause the nails to break down, but also provoke a
dermatitis of the fingers, and in some cases, skin rashes over other parts of
the body
One such acrylic, methylmethacrylate, has been banned by the Food
and Drug Administration for this use, because these negative effects were
commonly found
Though your glamorous nails must make you feel good about
yourself, do give your natural nails frequent periods of extended rest from
these additions, so that they may retain their natural strength and functions.

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: It used to be that my doctor merely had my finger stuck for tests.
Now, more and more, the nurse is taking the blood from a vein in my arm
I
was wondering if there was any difference in the results of these tests, and
if one method was better than the other?

ANSWER: There are many screening tests that only require a drop or two of
blood from which quite accurate and useful results may be obtained
They have
the advantage of using the blood obtained in the quick and easy method
afforded by a finger stick, and may also be quite economical
Again many
people prefer this method of obtaining the blood specimen to that of a needle
in the vein
Actually, with new, very sharp, disposable needles used but one
time, neither method is very painful
However more precise measurements may
require more of a sample and so the vein is used to rapidly collect all that
is necessary
With new developments in medical technology, several different
tests may be run on a single blood sample, offering you some economies, and
providing the physician with answers to more than one question
It is not a
question of one method being better than the other, but which type of test is
required for your medical care.

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.

Evecare
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Evecare regulates the menstrual cycle by virtue of its uterine stimulant action.

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QUESTION: Here is a good one for you
At a recent business convention, a
colleague who I have met at these things over the years, confessed to me that
a recent hospitalization was for a fracture of his sexual member
I know that
there is no bone there to break, and so find his story difficult to believe.
What do you think really happened to him? I’ve got to know.

ANSWER: Control your curiosity, and become a believer
The penis contains
two sponge like tubes, the “corpora cavernosa” surrounded by a very strong
fibrous tissue sheath, the “tunica albuginea”
When blood fills and expands
the corpora during sexual arousal, this sheath becomes thinner and more prone
to injury
If some type of forceful trauma occurs during an erection, either
during intercourse, or an accidental fall or unexpected blow directly to the
erect penis, the tissues of the tunica and corpora can be torn
This
condition is known as a fractured penis, and there are many articles in the
medical literature describing it
Considered a medical emergency, it is
extremely painful, as you might well imagine
The treatment of choice is
surgical, which is necessary to find the area of the tear, remove the
accumulated clotted blood and to repair the tear
When these tasks are
accomplished in a timely fashion, the function of the organ is preserved.
Hospitalization of two weeks is average and good results are achieved in about
75 percent of cases treated this 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.

Prometrium
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Prometrium (Progesterone) is a female hormone used to protect the lining of the uterus in women on estrogen replacement therapy.

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QUESTION: What is a “ganglion cyst”? A friend gave that label to a hard, pea
sized lump I have developed in the wrist joint at the top of my left hand
It
is not painful unless knocked
Are these cysts common? Can they turn
cancerous? What is the best course of action for getting rid of one for good?

ANSWER: Your pea sized lump is one of the most common tumors of the hand
It
can arise from almost any tissue source, ligaments, tendon sheaths or joint
capsules
Yours is at the most common location, the dorsum of the hand, and
fits well in the range of sizes, from but a few millimeters to 2 to 3
centimeters
Though sometimes they feel quite hard, most often they have a
soft or rubbery feel, and are filled with a clear, jelly-like fluid
They
never transform into a cancer of any type
If you are not too inconvenienced
and your ganglion has been around for but a short time, you might want to
delay any treatment as sometimes this little balloon will disappear by itself.
It can be aspirated to remove the liquid, and then injected with a
corticosteroid, but that procedure provides no assurance that the the ganglion
cyst will not return
The most effective method of treatment, when the
ganglion is symptomatic, is to eliminate it surgically, being most careful to
remove it all including the stalk that attaches it to its origin
This
dissection may sometimes be performed under a local anesthetic
A careful
skin closure will leave but a tiny scar, which when healed will be barely
visible
An oft told tale is the biblical method of removal, slamming a bible
down on the ganglion and rupturing it under the skin without using any
surgical techniques
Quaint, but not recommended, and certainly no guarantee
against 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.

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QUESTION: Now that my wife is successfully past an operation to remove her
gallstones, we learn of two other methods that might have made it a bit easier
on her
One is the use of sound waves, and another was to use ether to
dissolve the stones
Was there any reason for my wife to have an operation,
when those methods are available?

ANSWER: Though there are new methods available to treat cholelithiasis (gall
stones), the tried and true method of surgically removing the diseased gall
bladder still is preferred by many
It is still the only method by which the
problem is solved permanently, and which prevents the possibility of gallstone
recurrence
In each of the three alternative methods now available to rid a
patient of gallstones (you forgot to mention oral medications which will
dissolve gallstones formed of cholesterol), the gall bladder remains in place,
which provides the location for more stones to form
While the other methods
sound less traumatic, they often require additional treatments to achieve a
complete removal of the stones
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (called
ESWL for obvious reasons), which uses ultrasound waves to break up the stones,
may leave fragments which are too large to pass, and require another treatment
in as many as 3 out 4 patients
The use of methyl tert butyl ether (MTBE) to
dissolve the stones requires passing a catheter through the skin into the gall
bladder, and is not without its share of complications
With the operation
over, your wife can look forward to a life free of gall bladder disease.

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 just met a new girl with the strangest eyes
One eye is colored
green, the other is more like red (or brown), and she uses them like a traffic
light, red means “stop”, green for “go”! I am worried that they indicate some
hidden condition that might be important if we ever become serious
Can you
tell me if I have anything to worry about?

ANSWER: Eye color is inherited, with the two basic colors being blue and
brown
The brown color is carried by genes, which are dominant, that means
they will produce their effect when present
The genes for blue eyes are
recessive, and may be hidden
However, there are many variations, which
produce all the many shades that can be seen, hazel, grey and dark brown,
almost black eyes
Its because of this complex inheritance pattern that brown
eyed parents can have children with blue eyes, and that some interesting
combinations may be observed
People with two differently colored eyes, while
unusual and a bit rare, are not unknown, and the presence of this coloration
does not indicate some hidden genetic abnormality
It seems that all you have
to worry about is to learn to interpret her signals and hopefully keep her
green eye open.

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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Lasix (Furosemide) is a diuretic that is used to treat fluid accumulation, caused by heart failure, cirrhosis, chronic kidney failure, and nephrotic syndrome.

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QUESTION: Although it seems to be worse lately, I have had to use a laxative
for most of my adult life to keep regular
However, I think it has never been
as bad as now, and I wonder if my medicine isn’t being made as strong as they
used to? I am sure there are many others who would like a word from you about
caring for their constipation.

ANSWER: Your question is one that is asked quite frequently and so I am happy
to discuss it for you
The word “constipation” has an interesting origin, in
that it comes from the Latin meaning “to crowd together”
More than $250
million is spent each year for laxatives in this country alone, so there must
be many people who feel they need help
That may not always be so, for many
who use laxatives would normally have five to seven normal movements a week,
which is really all that is necessary to maintain health
However as we grow
older our bodies do change the way they function, it is harder to move around
(which helps the process of digestion), and new diets may fail to contain
enough bulk
When chronic and severe constipation is the complaint, a good
medical evaluation is necessary to determine if there are any underlying
medical problems that might yield to treatment
However, many times a change
in diet, which adds additional fiber and encourages you to drink six to eight
glasses of fluid daily, may help remedy the situation
If you can add a bit
of exercise, perhaps long daily walk, to your schedule of activity, you may
achieve your goals
If your current laxatives seem less than effective, try
choosing one that is a bulk forming preparation that contains materials which
absorb water, forming a larger mass which can stimulate the bowel’s actions.
Since there are many other types of laxatives, with different actions on your
system, your own physician is the best source of advice for you special
situation
However, I don’t think that they have reduced the amount of active
ingredients in your current medication
It’s just that you have been changing
bit by bit over all these years, and your needs are now different.

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.

Styplon
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Styplon naturally helps control hemorrage and bleeding.

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QUESTION: I like to exercise, and still enjoy a good game of tennis despite
advancing years
However, I am taken with painful cramps after any decent
match that takes away a good deal of the fun
What causes cramps, and is
there any way I can prevent them, and preserve my pleasure?

ANSWER: Don’t blame your age, cramps are just as common in younger people
when the conditions are right
A cramp is a painful spasm of a muscle that
causes it contract, forming a hard “knot” that may often be felt by an
examining hand
It is probably caused in otherwise healthy people, by a loss
of salt in the perspiration provoked by the exercise
It may happen as well
to workers who must labor in hot, steamy environments
The remedy is to
replace the salt, and the liquids, during the match or work period
While
there are commercial “sports” drinks available, orange or grapefruit juice
diluted with plain or carbonated water, with a generous pinch of salt added,
should do the job
If the cramp is caused by difficulties with blood
circulation, however, prescription medication may be necessary to help
Don’t
rub the cramp, it will only increase the pain, but try instead to stretch the
muscle
If it is in your calf, a most common site, pushing the heel down and
flexing the toes upwards towards the knee is most effective
Proceed slowly,
maintaining the pressure until you feel the cramp “let go,” and then move
about slowly, restoring normal muscle function.

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 am a state certified nursing assistant
I work in a nursing home
and have had contact with a resident who has “Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease”
What
can you tell me about this disease?

ANSWER: It is also called “subacute spongiform encephalopathy” and was first
described by Dr
H.G
Creutzfeldt in 1912
It is defined as a progressive,
inevitably fatal, slow viral disease of the central nervous system
The
disease occurs world wide, but how it is spread from person to person is still
unknown
It affects men and women alike, usually past the age of 50
It is
probably due to some infecting organism, but a hereditary familial form has
been described
The first signs of the disease are often self neglect, apathy
or irritability, with some patients complaining of weariness and fatigue,
while others speak of drowsiness, insomnia or other sleep disorders
Within a
brief time, disorientation and confusion appear, and gradually many of the
higher intellectual functions of speech, reading, and writing, as well as
smell become affected and are gradually lost
There may be many ocular
disturbances including a dimming of vision, and many abnormalities of movement
with rigidity of the limbs, and tremor present along with loss of power and an
altered gait
All these signs and symptoms are a result of the gradual
degeneration of many areas in the brain
Finally a dementia sets in and the
disease ends in death, after a brief 3 to 12 month course, commonly as the
result of the complication of a pneumonia
There are no specific treatments
for the disease, except for routine care to help reduce symptoms
Of
particular interest to you is the need for caution in handling all fluids or
other materials from these patients to prevent transmission
Many standard
methods of sterilization are ineffective, and steam autoclaving at 132 degrees
Centigrade for 1 hour, or soaking in sodium hydroxide solution for 1 hour is
recommended for all materials.

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.

StretchNil
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StretchNil treats stretch marks that appear during pregnancy.

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QUESTION: We received a phone call from the administrator of the nursing home
in which our father now lives
He told us Dad has become unmanageable, and
confused
He mentioned the word “delirium” as the diagnosis
What does this
mean and what should we do?

ANSWER: I am obliged to make a few guesses about your situation in the
absence of more complete information, but the question is so important that it
deserves an answer
Delirium is sometimes used as a diagnosis for a wide
variety of symptoms stemming from different causes, but most frequently is
applied when the patient becomes confused and disoriented, lacks the ability
to concentrate, and shows abnormal thinking and loss of memory
The pattern
of behavior is extremely variable and can change literally from hour to hour
depending upon the causes
And the disorders which can provoke this condition
are many, including heart problems: congestive heart failure, rhythm
difficulties, and abnormal blood pressure; infections: pneumonia and urinary
infections to name but two; metabolic problems: including dehydration,
anemia, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and chemical imbalance of vital
elements in the blood
Problems in the central nervous system and mild
strokes may also be underlying cause for delirium, but in an elderly man, who
I must suppose takes a number of medications, it is the possibility of drug
toxicity and medication side affects that should be explored first.
Medications used for sleep, as analgesics, antihistamines, for stomach
problems, digitalis, insulin and other medications for diabetes, may all
provoke the symptoms of delirium in certain cases
The good news is that
merely stopping these medications or altering the dosages may speedily return
the patient to a normal pattern of thinking and behavior
Your course of
action is clear
Your Dad deserves a first class workup by a competent and
concerned physician that has experience in dealing with these problems
It
may mean a trip for you to visit your Dad, but I assure you that the results
can be well worth it.

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.

Naprosyn
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Naprosyn (Naproxen) is indicated for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis.

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