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THE HERALD OUTLOOK Saturday September Page Patients really deserve nonmedical talk DR GOTT DEAR DR GOTT I dont under stand why doctors insist on using highly technical words such as an giomatosis when discussing health problems with their patients This kind of word is frightening and con fusing to the average person Why cant physicians diagnose in plain words DEAR READER Fancy medical words are a form of shorthand for doctors Its often easier to talk in phrases than to take the time to ex plain things For example angioma tosis means a diseased state of the blood vessels with formation of multi ple angioma which means that the diseased vessels tend to congregate in discrete collections causing tumor like growths In my limited definition 12 words were required to explain angiomato sis Therefore its quicker for doc tors to use the shorter term Of course as you pointed out the use of technical words can be a catas trophe when a physician attempts to explain a disease to a patient In this circumstance the practitioner owes the patient the courtesy of an under standable explanation Most good doctors have developed skills in doing this However some physicians insist on mouthing technical phrases that are unintelligible to anybody but a medicalschool professor These phy sicians need to be reeducated by their patients I advise patients my own includ ed to stop the music when an expla nation becomes a medical lecture In other words stop the discussion and ask the doctor to restate the informa in understandable language This technique improves doctors man Also by asking questions the patient encourages an adult take dialogue which helps equalize the doctor parentpatientchild relation Above all patients should not feel intimidated by the doctors language the practitioner may simply be slip ping into jargon by force of habit Re member you have hired the doctor to perform a service part of this service to provide useful information that makes sense DEAR DR GOTT Are there any serious reactions to taking Vasotec for ones blood pressure DEAR READER Vasotec pril is one of a new class of drugs called angiotensin-converting-en- inhibitors that block the forma- angiotension II the hormone causing high blood pressure The medicine Is extremely useful and sur prisingly free of side effects Some patients may occasionally experience headache dizziness fatigue diarrhea cough palpitations insomnia or mus cle cramps In rare instances Vasotec may di minish kidney function and increase blood potassium Most of these side effects disappear with either time or an adjustment of dose In my expert Vasotec Is effective and well- tolerated by patients DEAR GOTT What can you tell me about alopecia Im currently on Medrol for polymyalgia tlca and estradermprovera for os teoporosis Ive suffered 30 to 40 per cent hair loss over the past nine months Im told these drugs can cause hair loss but cannot obtain addi tional information about alopecia DEAR READER Alopecia hair loss has many causes some of which include scalp infection fever and chronic illness cancer mechanical trauma such as burns and freezing poor nutrition including anorexia nervosa and crash dieting psoriasis and other skin diseases stress glan dular disorders especially of the thy roid gland poisoning particularly vi tamin A and arsenic pregnancy and malepattern baldness a genetic agerelated hair loss in men Alopecia is also a side effect of many drugs Aside from the loss universally experienced by cancer patients during chemotherapy a prising number of commonly used medicines cause alopecia these in elude anticonvulsants sants beta blockers calciumchannel blockers oral contraceptives anti Parkinson agents drugs for gout and antiarthntlcs As you can see alopecia is difficult lo f its manv causes In your case hair toss could be caused by your medicines or by poly myalgia a disease characterized by arterial inflammation and muscle- joint stiffness I urge you to see a dermatologist Such a specialist will be able to sort out the causes of your problem and suggest appropriate therapy To give you more information I am sending you a free copy of my Health Report Eczema and Psoriasis DEAR GOTT Would you please discuss episodic reverse perl of the esophagus DEAR READER Without rhyth and coordinated muscle move ments many of the bodys organs would not function These peristaltic waves are not under conscious con they propel food through the in testinal tract urine from the kidneys and ova down the Fallopian tubes As a result of certain diseases notably those affecting nerve pulses to muscular organs peristal sis may be impaired Scleroderma an autoimmune affliction of unknown cause that often affects the esopha is such a disease Other ailments too will disrupt the muscular con tractions that permit us to swallow Rather than causing reverse pen when the contractions move in the opposite direction ilie ma eases cause disorganized sudden con tractions that may seem to be travel ing backward Hence people may have difficulty swallowing because the perslstaltlc waves are not coordl this is somewhat analogous to a 10 speed bicycle with a chain that keeps slipping on the sprocket Peristaltic abnormalities of the esophagus can be identified during a barium swallow when under a the muscular waves of swal lowing can be seen to be uncoordinat ed appearing even to Work in reverse Treatment for the disorder is i cult However medicine to reduce muscle spasm will often suppress in appropriate peristalsis permitting patients to swallow more normally without the lump in the throat sen sations or indigestion that often ac company disorders of esophageal mo tility I believe that patients with peristaltic problems should be under the care of 1919 NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE ASSN Vinegar conquers crust on chrome POLLYS POINTERS DEAR POLLY The chrome fau cets on my bathroom sink are getting a crusty white lime buildup especial ly around the faucet bandies and In hardtoreach places Is there an easy way to clean these areas DEAR PJUE Help is at band in the bumble but hardworking form of an ordinary toothbrush and an Inex pensive bottle of white vinegar If wiping with a vinegarsoaked sponge doesn do the job and those tiny places certainly are hard to reach saturate a cloth or paper towel with vinegar and lay It over the crusty places for a few minutes Then attack with your toothbrush not of coarse with the one you use to brush your teeth an old one that youre no longer MAID SERVICE WHOS BEST using for dental care will do If you still cant clean the faucets let the de posits soak longer with more vinegar It should soften the thickest mineral buildup so you can scrub it away with the brush Im sending you a copy of my news letter Cleaning Sinks Tubs and Tile should help you do doz ens of kitchen and bathroom cleaning tasks everything from getting rust stains out of the bathtub to maintain ing your septic system Including a couple of homemade drain cleaners that are safe for your plumbing DEAR POLLY I keep an art gum eraser In my sewing drawer to rub the threads out of stitches I also keep a file to sharpen the seam ripper An emery board will sharpen your sewing machine needle in an emergency until you can get new ones use the fine side of the emery board Heres a recipe for stirfried zuc chini Cut about slices of bacon into pieces place in a skillet and fry until about halfway done Drain grease then continue to fry until HOME OF FRESH FRUITS VEGETABLES AND PROUD OF IT STREET theres a little more grease Add 1 me dium chopped onion medium zuc chini shredded and diced ripe to mato Stir fry until vegetables are tender and bacon Is cooked through A couple of shakes of a nosalt season Ing mixture may be added when the vegetables are added to the bacon VERENE DEAR VERENE Sounds tasty Dont forget though that although no salt Is added there is quite a bit of so dium In the bacon POLLY Dear Are there health benefits to weight reduction other than the obvious benefit of improved appearance Reply Not only does your appearance improve when you shed excess pounds but there are also a number of related health benefits For exam pie losing weight reduces your risk of developing several major diseases including heart disease high blood pressure adultonset diabetes and cancer And there are psychological benefits assorted with weigh ou reduction as well Most people expe Ifyou a boost self esteem llke So when you come to Diet Center improve the quality of your life call you not only improve your appear Diet Center today Business Number 8772900 Home Number 8530780 98 Mill SI Georgetown Personal Consultation By Appointment Fashions For The Young At Heart MAIN ST S GEORGETOWN A mil torn Krai Church 8732851 THATSWH0 THEAWARD WINNER mam TV SHOW TO COAST For FREE Estimates call 87321 65 8778882 Present this coupon and receive DISCOUNT ON ALL SERVICES Valid Only Tues Wed S 235GUELPHST BESIDE BURGER KING 8777917 DAY CARE 12Mos 6am Also Evenings and Weekends Pick up r 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