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24 Teves 5765 - January 5, 2005 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Home and Family

Your Medical Questions Answered!
by Joseph B. Leibman, MD

Director, Emergency Services, Bikur Cholim Hospital

I have been asked to make a retraction. The gemora talks about the benefits of white bread over whole grains, and in many places it appears that whole grains such as barley, oats, brown rice and whole wheat may not be the ideal food for the ruchniyus of an individual. As I quoted an article lauding these, I was speaking from the perspective of medicine. [Editor's Note: The position of the gemora is not clear and some believe that the references are to very coarse and unrefined flours and breads that are not similar to what we call now "whole grains."]

More questions that come to my desk: I will briefly describe birth conditions that can occur and are true emergencies.

The most dangerous thing for a mother during childbirth remains bleeding, a rare occurrence nowadays due to the medications that are used. Other bad diseases are toxemia of pregnancy where the patient could lose consciousness, platelets and other blood components and have a seizure due to unknown reasons. Some women seem to have a tendency to it. The treatment is usually intravenous magnesium and delivery as soon as possible.

Premature labor is also an emergency and this fortunately can also be dealt with efficiently. Amniotic fluid embolism is when amniotic fluid, that which bathes the baby in the womb, gets into the blood stream. This can happen after birth and is catastrophic.

With babies the name of the game is oxygen and things that can prevent good oxygenation include shoulder dystocia — where the baby doesn't rotate and both shoulders get "stuck" — and prolapsed cord where the cord falls out first and is compressed. Breech presentation is usually dealt with before birth by turning the baby.

I thank Dr. Rafi Pollack from Bikur Cholim hospital for his assistance in the above.

I was asked about living with a diabetic. Living with a poorly-controlled diabetic or one who refuses to take care of himself is a frustrating experience. Nowadays, insulin pumps under the skin and pancreatic implants help, but diabetes is a disease that requires the utmost discipline. Let me remind you that staying thin lessens your likelihood of adult-onset diabetes.

I am asked about how much sleep a person really needs. It is all dependent on the individual. Being sleep deprived is dangerous and makes a person feel terrible, as well as being illegal among truck drivers, pilots and, yes, doctors. Write me in care of the Yated.

A message from GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this column. Avodart is Glaxo's answer to prostate problems, a malady that affects most men by the age of 75. This medication can shrink the prostate and return a man to a normal lifestyle. When the prostate shows symptoms, it can be due to cancer. You should have it checked out. But if not, Avodart can help. In any case, make sure you have regular checkups of your whole body at regular intervals.

 

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