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TOE HERALD OUTLOOK Saturday April 13 1HPge9 Is there a link between caffeine and glaucoma DR GOTT DEAR DR GOTT Please discuss the relation of caffeine to glaucoma My ophthalmologist suggests I dis continue my wakeup cup of coffee I and In excellent health DEAR READER Glaucoma refers to an abnormal increase in the fluid pressure within the eye The condition is often due to blockage of the tiny drains iridocorneal angles that nor mally allow fluid to circulate be tween various parts of the eye Some forms of glaucoma appear to made worse by fatigue tobacco caffeine and emotional upset There fore ophthalmologists often prohibit cigarettes and coffee Because glaucoma is readily treat able using modern drugs your doctor may rescind his order about your one cup of coffee if your wakeup drink is important to you Ask your doctor DEAR GOTT My doctor put me on amoxicillin for pneumonia ter five days I developed joint pain The physician says it due to spurs and tennis elbow but Im wondering if It might be a reaction to the medi cine What do you think DEAR READER Arthralgia joint pain is sometimes caused by the fe ver that results from infections such as pneumonia It can also be the con sequence of certain types of pneumo nia such as pneumococcal pneumo nia in which the bacteria may temporarily infect joints Joint spurs of calcium and tendon inflammation tendinitis will cause joint pains Finally as you pointed out adverse reactions to medications are often as sociated with arthralgias Prom your question I cannot sort out the various factors causing your problem The arthralgias from bacte rial infection frequently appear as red hot swollen joints that improve with antibiotics Calcium deposits and tendinitis or produce no objective changes in the joints also ray examination may disclose the offending spur In addition to causing joint pain an to an antibiotic usually is asso ciated with a rash Therefore I can not be more helpful except to say that from the information youve supplied your doctor is probably correct Nonetheless a reaction to amoxi clllin is certainly a possibility I sug gest that you discuss this situation with your doctor For more information Im sending you a copy my Health Report Con Tips on Medicines Other readers who would like a copy should send 25 and their name and ad dress to Box Cleveland OH 3369 Be sure to mention the title DEAR READER Chilblains is an antiquated medical term that refers to the consequences of excess expo sure to cold redness and swelling of the skin followed by itching blister and ulceration The preferred term is frost injury Frostbite is a more severe form characterized by extensive cold induced tissue dam age pale skin loss of sensation and gangrene Frost injury is treated with gentle warming cleansing of affected skin and avoidance of further exposure to cold GOTT I have arthritis of the spine and other joints I take Motrin but this does not help the pain ful muscle spasms in my back ing my doctors have tried works DEAR READER Spinal arthritis is often characterized by back pain es peclally because of muscle spasms as tired muscles attempt to compensate for the arthritic changes Thus treat is sometimes more successful if it is directed toward relieving spasm rather than simply controlling pain For examplq you might be helped by massage or chiropractic manlpu Or If you wish ask your doctor for a referral to a physlatrist an MD trained in rehabilitation medicine In addition physical therapy in cluding special stretching exercises ultrasound treatments and of heat may relieve your spasms Finally musclerelaxing prescrip tion drugs such as or Flex eril can help For more information I am send tog you a copy of my Health Report Understanding Osteoarthritis readers who would like a copy should send 25 with their name and address to Box Cleveland OH 3369 Be sure to mention the title DEAR DR My adrenal glands were removed because they were producing three times the amount of cortisone needed Now I must take steroids for the rest of my life What my life expectancy DEAR READER The adrenal glands produce substances that are necessary for life If the adrenal glands are removed the patient will not survive unless these substances are administered to make up the def Fortunately adrenal steroids are readily available by prescription Un der proper medical supervision your longevity will not be affected as long as you take the required amounts of synthetic steroids Of course you will have to be checked regularly to make sure that your body has the proper amount and that the doses of medicine are ag ing with you With appropriate re placement of steroids your life ex should remain materially the same as it was before your surgery DEAR Two months ago I had a very bad case of strep throat Since then I ve noticed eruptions of tiny blisters on my palms and legs They scaleover then reappear Are they somehow related to the strep DEAR READER Strep throat is associated with an array of diseases including rheumatic fever nephritis kidney inflammation and skin disorders The blisters you describe should be cultured This means that the fluid from them should be tested in the lab for the presence bacteria If bacteria are present you should be given an appropriate course of otlcs to eradicate the Infection If the blistersscabs are sterile your doctor probably not related to the will want to look for a cause that is streptococcus How do I know if I am receiving enough fiber in my diet Reply Fiber is an important part of any diet and is found in fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains Fiber absorbs water in the large intestine promoting faster transit times through the digestive tract It has actually been shown in some cases to lower blood cholesterol levels The Diet Center Program pro vides plenty of fiber from the above mentioned foods Diet Center has always believed that eating a fiber rich diet starts by selecting foods that avoiding foods that are highly pro come in Nature s Wrapper and by and refined On The 74 A Main St aau tav Georgetown I AX the income specialists CAPITAL GAINS MlH Acton QUESTION My wife and I own a house in the city and a cottage in a area The cottage is in my name and the house is in my name Wo are planning to sell the cottage this summer Do we have to report this sale on our tax return ANSWER When you dispose of the cottage it will be necessary for you and your wife to decide which property is not your principal residence It would be a good idea to have both properties valued or to collect information as to the market value of the properties on January 1 1982 and also as to the current market value The capitfel gain twothirds of which is taxable will be calculated from January 1 In order to correctly calculate the ijprtat gain and the related deduction you should seek competent when preparing your tax return No PET CENTRES Moore Park 96 Broadway Orange Store MallGuBlph 83K802q