by Dr. Peter Gott, M.D. and staff.
Reviewed by Board Certified physician.

Articles from the ‘Daily Column’

Osgood-Schlatter possible cause of ‘growing pains’

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

DEAR DR. GOTT: I wonder why you didn’t mention Osgood-Schlatter disease in your column about growing pains. Our son, who is now 38, had this condition when he was 12 and had to have both legs (one at a time) put into a cast for two months.

DEAR READER: Osgood-Schlatter (OS) causes a painful lump below the kneecap (where the tendon attaches to the shinbone) in some children. It results from growth spurts during puberty and typically occurs in children who participate in sports that involve jumping, running and swift changes in direction.
(more…)

Tags: growing pains, leg pain, osgood shlatter, osgood-schlatter
Posted in Daily Column, Leading Letter | No Comments »

How many envelopes do I send?

Sunday, September 26th, 2010

DEAR DR. GOTT: If I order two or more of your health reports, do I need to send more than one self-addressed stamped envelope along with the check?

DEAR READER: This is a question I have been receiving more and more frequently, so I have decided to print the answer in the hopes that others will benefit, as well.
(more…)

Tags: envelopes, health reports, postage
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Readers offer advice for dealing with motion sickness

Sunday, September 26th, 2010

DEAR DR. GOTT: Please tell your reader about Sea Bands. They really work. My local doctors are even giving them to chemo patients, pregnant women suffering from morning sickness and patients suffering from postoperative sickness.

DEAR DR. GOTT: I guess you don’t have motion sickness. In my opinion, the worst thing you could have a kid do is look out the side window of the car. Watching the trees and things flash by would always set me off as a child, whereas looking out the windshield was fine. The best thing that helped me was having the window down and the air blowing directly on my face. Even now, if I become queasy in an airplane, adjusting the vent to blow onto my face takes care of it.
(more…)

Tags: car sickness, carsick, Motion Sickness
Posted in Daily Column, Leading Letter | No Comments »

Sarcoidosis treatment: Watch and wait

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

DEAR DR. GOTT: I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis after many bone-marrow tests, blood work, X-rays, pet scans and finally by removal of my spleen, which was greatly enlarged and filled with nodules. I requested a second opinion on the diagnosis, and the second doctor agreed with the first. It is inactive but in my lungs, and he tells me the normal treatment is 60 milligrams of prednisone daily for up to two years to reduce the scarring and inflammation. But, with that high dose, it will cause other major problems.

I am white, in my late 50s and have multiple other problems — asthma, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, rosacea, borderline high cholesterol, osteoarthritis and low oxygen at night that isn’t sleep apnea. (more…)

Tags: inflammation, Sarcoidosis
Posted in Daily Column, Leading Letter | No Comments »

Skin condition has few treatment options

Friday, September 24th, 2010

DEAR DR. GOTT: I have been plagued for years by an incurable skin condition I am told is called prurigo nodularis. Nothing has helped in clearing it up, and it has been active for more than two years. I have tried a sunlight box and a tanning bed, as well as cortisone injections, medical cortisone tape and creams — both over-the-counter and prescription. All seem to help only a little.

Do you have any idea as to how I can get rid of this or at least keep it under control? I eat healthy and take vitamins.
(more…)

Tags: nodules on the skin, prurigo nodularis, skin nodules
Posted in Daily Column | No Comments »

13-year-old fracture causes problems

Friday, September 24th, 2010

DEAR DR. GOTT: About 13 years ago, I fractured my humerus in multiple places. The fracture was cast only and did not heal properly. If you run your finger up my arm, you can feel where the bones are misaligned.

I have always had pain in this arm, but for the past five or so years, I have had numbness in my hand that is getting worse. Within the past year, I’ve had sharp pains in my forearm, almost like someone is splitting the bone in two. I’m concerned that if I mention this to my PCP, he will just want to prescribe me a painkiller and send me on my way, possibly labeling me a drug seeker.
(more…)

Tags: arm fracture, arm pain, broken arm, fracture, hand numbness, humerus fracture, misaligned bones
Posted in Daily Column, Leading Letter | No Comments »

Medical jargon baffles patient

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

DEAR DR. GOTT: The results of my thyroid ultrasound reveal abnormal echogenicity of the right lobe without a discrete lesion identified within the thyroid gland. I have been taking 25 micrograms of thyroid medication since May. The goiter on the right side of my neck is noticeable. On May 21, my TSH was 4.53. In July, it was 3.5. Can you please explain the ultrasound results in English? Should I ask my doctor for an increase in my Synthroid dosage or wait for the next lab work in October?

DEAR READER: The thyroid gland is situated in the lower neck — below the larynx and above the collarbone. This gland uses iodine to make hormones essential for the proper function of every cell in the body. (more…)

Tags: goiter, hypothyroidism, low thyroid level, thyroid disease
Posted in Daily Column, Leading Letter | No Comments »

Skin cancer, cardiac cancer possibly related

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

DEAR DR. GOTT: A dear friend of mine had a large black mole on his face. He asked his doctor and a surgeon to remove it by freezing it. One month later, he felt sick and had a liter and a half of fluid taken out of the sack around his heart. There was blood in the fluid, and cancer was diagnosed. Could this have been caused by not biopsying and having surgical removal of what turned out to be a melanoma? He died in one month.
(more…)

Tags: cardiac cancer, heart cancer, skin cancer
Posted in Daily Column | No Comments »

Colon cocktail for constipation

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

DEAR DR. GOTT: I have a friend who takes medicine that causes him to be constipated. One of my co-workers said she saw an article in one of your columns for a cocktail for this problem, but she could not remember the ingredients. Her husband used it at one point and had good results.

It’s odd that I write because I have an ileostomy and have exactly the opposite problem. I take tincture of opium, which slows my bowels down and lessens the amount of fluids I lose. Our bodies are amazing, and it’s good to educate ourselves about them with as much knowledge as we can.
(more…)

Tags: colon cocktail, constipation
Posted in Daily Column | No Comments »

Meds or alternatives for hand tremors?

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

DEAR DR. GOTT: Can you tell me if there is a safe and effective home remedy for hand tremors? My father is 69 years old and has stopped going to his doctor for his monthly B12 shots, which were given to reduce his hand tremors. I advised him to try drinking six to eight ounces of warm sage tea up to three times a day, but can you recommend something else that will work for him?

DEAR READER: While there is a genetic tendency, no one knows why tremors exist; however, they represent an abnormal communication between specific areas of the brain.
(more…)

Tags: b12, b50, benign essential tremor, grape seed extract, hand tremor, vitamin B, vitamin b50, vitamin deficiency
Posted in Daily Column, Leading Letter | No Comments »

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