Medical Lake City Council Position 1
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Ask the doctors: Uncomplicated appendicitis may not require surgery
Dear Doctors: I had a pain on the right side of my abdomen. A CT scan found a perforated appendix with an abscess. I was treated with IV antibiotics, and now I am feeling fine. Do I need to have my appendix taken out? My doctor says, in cases like mine, people have problems again 30% of the time.
Ask the doctors: Diarrhea is a common side effect of sigmoidectomy
Dear Doctors: I was diagnosed with diverticulitis, which caused a bowel perforation. I had a sigmoidectomy, no problem, and a resection. Now I’m dealing with constant and urgent diarrhea, as well as some cramping. What can I do to combat this? It is affecting my work and my home life.
Ask the doctors: Readers respond
Hello, dear readers! Welcome to a bonus letters column. We have several interesting questions to address, so we’ll get right to them.
On Tylenol causing autism: A Spokane mother’s concern with Trump’s claim
Holly Goodman didn’t take Tylenol during her pregnancy with her son, Isaac.“I never took acetaminophen because I had fertility issues and I was so worried I was going to miscarry again, right? So I never took a thing. I was eating organics. I was doing all the things because I was so wanting this child,” she said. “And guess what? He had autism.”
Ask the doctors: Skin condition requires further exploration
Dear Doctors: For almost two months now, I’ve had bumps on the back, sides and crown of my head. They itch all the time – and even more when I get hot. When I scratch, I see white or brown flakes. My dermatologist insists it’s dermatitis. He has prescribed clobetasol and antihistamines, but they do nothing. Neither does UV light treatment. How can I get the help I need?
Ask the doctors: Readers respond
Hello, dear readers! Welcome to our monthly letters column. The calendar is hinting at autumn, but in much of the United States, the heat waves continue. Please factor this into your daily lives. Try to limit exertion during peak heat and drink water throughout the day. Heat-related illnesses are far easier to prevent than to manage. And now, on to your letters.
Colville gets electric vehicle charging station in hopes of boosting local economies, aid EV owners
COLVILLE – The Washington State Department of Commerce and representatives from Avista celebrated a new fast electric vehicle charging station earlier this week.
Ask the doctors: Plant-forward diet can help control blood glucose
Dear Doctors: I suggest you talk about the benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet for people with Type 2 diabetes. The results are marvelous, and I think the people with diabetes could be cured.
Ask the doctors: Balloon mitral valvuloplasty helps with stenosis
Dear Doctors: I’ve been getting dizzy when I exercise or even stand up too fast. I got sent to a cardiologist who says it’s mitral valve stenosis. He thinks I’m a good candidate for a catheter repair that uses a balloon. Can you talk that?
Ask the doctors: Too much TV can have an emotional cost
Dear Doctors: Is there any connection with dementia patients and television? I am part of a group at my church that visits people living in memory care, and I noticed the television is always on. Now my mother is in the early stages of dementia, and her television is always on.
For first time, more children obese than underweight, UNICEF finds
For the first time, more school-age children and adolescents worldwide are obese than underweight, according to U.N. findings - a trend driven in large part by a rapid increase in obesity among young people in low- and middle-income countries over the past quarter-century, even in places where undernutrition persists.
Ask the doctors: Alopecia areata does not affect actual hair follicle
Dear Doctors: At about 26 years old, my father became sick and lost all of his hair. Not only did he lose hair on his head, he had no eyebrows, eyelashes or beard and even lost the hair on his arms and legs. Do you know what may have caused that?
Ask the doctors: How the doctors write their column
Dear Doctors: I’m puzzled by people whose doctors diagnose a problem but write to you to answer their questions. I believe you are trying to educate your readers. But might there be a way to present them without making those who ask them look foolish for not asking their own doctors first?
Ask the doctors: Ideal conditions for accurate blood pressure readings
Dear Doctors: I have read that for an accurate blood pressure reading, you should first sit in a comfortable chair with no talking or distractions for at least five minutes. But my doctors all slap on a cuff, ask questions the whole time, then exclaim that I have high blood pressure. I have to ask for at least five minutes of quiet before a reading. How do we convince doctors to change?
Ask the doctors: Dynamic ultrasound may help diagnose radial nerve compression
Dear Doctors: I’m having radial nerve problems whenever I use my triceps, like pushing the lawn mower, opening doors or pushing up from the recliner. It’s making my thumb and pointer finger very weak. An ultrasound didn’t show any nerve compression. If compression happens only when I flex the muscle, does that mean it won’t show on a diagnostic workup?
Jellyfish are out in force on the Atlantic Coast. Here’s what to know.
They’re squishy and pack a punch when they sting. And this year’s jellyfish bloom is hitting on Atlantic Coast beaches hard.
Ask the doctors: Readers respond
Hello, dear readers, and welcome to a bonus letters column. We’re thrilled to have an abundance of interesting mail. Let’s dive right in.
Ask the doctors: The health effects of microplastics
Dear Doctors: The more I read about microplastics, the more I want to do something to lower my family’s exposure to them. Thoughts? Also, what is so much worse about microplastics than dust or pollen?
Ask the doctors: Microplastics can be found in almost everything
Dear Doctors: What are microplastics, and where do they come from? They’re all over the news, and it’s hard to tell if they’re a real problem or just another internet scare. One news story said there’s an entire teaspoonful of them in our brains. Is this true?
Ask the doctors: Trochlear nerve palsy can be congenital or acquired
Dear Doctors: I had an episode where it felt like my left eye went out of alignment and I couldn’t focus. A brain scan was clear, but the doctor said it’s cranial nerve palsy. He says it’s from a concussion I had last spring. I’m fine again but really worried. Will it happen again? Is there treatment?