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This section has been discontinued for the time being.
Read previously submitted questions
below.
Questions Submitted Here:
Q. My wonderful boyfriend is very handsome with
very good bone structure, however he has a very prominent
forehead/brow area that protrudes (redundant, I know).
He had cat scans and although the doctor said he was o.k.
he can't quite remember the diagnosis. He thinks it was
called frontal lobing. He gets severe headaches and it
really concerns me and I wonder if it is related. Frankly,
I have never seen anyone with a forehead like his. We
have been together 11 months and I finally decided to
ask him if he noticed, because it could be related to
his headaches and mood swings, please help!
A. I think perhaps your boyfriend's physician
said he had "frontal bossing." Since he appears
to have had a work-up, it is unlikely to be related to
his headaches or mood swings. These are both symptoms
that should be assessed by your health care provider.
For more information on frontal bossing, please click
on:
- D.L. Davis, M.D.
Q. I am considering gastric bypass to lose weight.
Can you tell me what the possible complications are and
side effects of having this done? Also, what criteria
do I have to meet to have this done?
A. Gastric bypass surgery for obesity remains
a controversial topic in spite of improvements in surgical
technique. Every case is evaluated individually and the
best procedure (or recommendation for NO procedure) is
explained. Choose your surgeon carefully and don't be
afraid to seek more than one opinion. For more information,
see:
- D.L. Davis, M.D.
Q. What causes underarm pain?
A. A tender nodule in the underarm area may be
an enlarged lymph node. Inflamed, tender skin may result
from allergy to deodorant or soap, or may be a yeast infection
on the skin. Muscular pain may result from unaccustomed
lifting. If your pain persists more than a few days, consult
your health care provider. - D.L. Davis, M.D.
Q. I had both carpal tunnel and pronator releases
done in a 2-year period time frame. I still have the "electric
jolt" feelings and numbness in my arm. Is there anything
I can do to help relieve the pain?
A. Have you talked to your surgeon about the continuation
of these symptoms? He/She would be the best resource or
provider to answer this question for you. It is possible
that this may never improve or may improve with time.
- D.L. Davis, M.D.
Q. When I was pregnant with my first child, I
researched immunizations and chose not to immunize except
for tetanus. I know the risks involved with acquiring
measles increases with age. So my question is, if my child
does not acquire measles naturally, as he probably will
not, at what age should I consider the vaccine?
A. If you expect to eventually vaccinate your
child anyway, why wait? Vaccination not only protects
your child from the potential complications of the measles
(and these complications do exist), but it protects the
unborn children of mothers who may not even know they
are pregnant yet. I would have you see the Centers for
Disease Control website at http://www.cdc.gov. - D.L.
Davis, M.D.
Q. What is the average length of a three-month-old
child? what do you do for a baby who is constipated?
A. The average length of a 3-month-old child is
between 20 and 30 inches. Constipation is defined by hard,
dry stools. If stools are soft/formed rather than hard/dry,
then constipation is not present. An infant may have a
bowel movement once a week or 10 times daily and still
be "normal." Whether they're constipated or not, infants
strain with stooling, so that isn't a good indicator of
constipation. If your infant's stool is hard and dry,
a good old remedy is to use a tablespoon of dark Karo
syrup in one bottle per day. You may add it to more bottles
per day until the child is no longer constipated. Also,
Colace, a stool softener, is available in liquid form,
and can be used to keep stools soft. Any persistent problems
with constipation should be discussed with your health
care provider. - D.L. Davis, M.D.
Q. I am experiencing numbness in my hands. I wake
up every morning with one or both hands dead asleep. At
times I will have a dizzy/numb feeling in my forehead
with a shooting numbness in both hands. (For instance
- with sudden movement, both feelings at once.) Is this
something I should be very concerned with?
A. The most common reason people experience numbness
in the hands during sleep is carpel tunnel syndrome. The
medial, radial and/or ulnar nerves may be compressed at
night when the wrists are kept in a flexed or extended
position for long periods. Treatment includes splints,
anti-inflammatory drugs and even surgery to release any
constriction on the nerves. The other symptom described
is not a typical presentation and should be discussed
with your health care provider. - D.L. Davis, M.D.
Q: My mother is 76 and is experiencing a real
problem with verbalizing and performing tasks such as
dressing herself, cooking & bathing. How does
one determine if this is Alzheimer's or a medical problem?
What tests can be performed to diagnose Alzheimer's? Thank
you.
A: As the American population ages, dementia is
becoming an increasing problem. The symptoms that your
mother is experiencing with performing tasks that she
has apparently done quite simply before, such as cooking
and bathing, is most likely from a dementia. To determine
whether it is Alzheimer's disease or not requires a full
and thorough evaluation by your health care provider.
There are multiple tests that need to be performed in
an effort to hopefully find a treatable cause for your
mother's functional decline.
The medical problems that need to be addressed are -
Is she depressed? Does she have hypothyroidism, metabolic
abnormalities, or has she had previous strokes? Some of
the tests that are performed are thyroid functions, electrolytes,
sedimentation rates and neuroimaging of the brain.
But even with all of these sophisticated tests, sometimes
it's quite difficult to determine if this is new onset
Alzheimer's disease and requires observation and sometimes
trials of medication. My advice is that you would see
your medical care provider and have them address this
issue. Sincerely, D.L. Davis, M.D.
Q: I am having small sharp pains in the left side
of my chest by my underarm and the middle of my chest
that don't last for very long and some pain in my left
arm. I don't know what it is. I was wondering if you could
tell me what it might be? My father had cardiovascular
disease and I was wondering if it is passed down to the
kids?
A: Chest pain may be related to chest wall inflammation,
lung disease or heart problems. Angina pectorus is a group
of symptoms characterized by pain beneath the breast bone
that is frequently related to exertion, lasts for a short
period of time and is relieved by rest. It is important
not to ignore this type of pain as it may well be related
to underlying heart (blood vessel) disease. - Ben N.
Till, M.D.
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