Diplomate, Board Certification of Emergency Medicine
Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine Ma'ayenei Hayeshua
Hospital
I want to acknowledge that I enjoy hearing from my readers; I
am very elated to hear that people are enjoying my columns. I
have to especially thank my British readers who have written
many times. If you live in Australia or South Africa and
receive the Yated, I'd love to hear from you as
well.
I appreciate the letter I received from one of the staff at
the Yated, especially her comment that my articles
have given her a feeling of gratitude to Hashem for her good
health. I do hope others feel similarly, no matter what you
lack, if you have health you really have it all. I do regret
that you are unable to send chicken soup.
One of my readers from my home town in Kiryat Sefer felt that
posters must be designed to push the public into better hand
washing and covering their mouths when they cough. This is a
wonderful idea, but we can not expect that our Ministry of
Health will be too helpful, as they are overwhelmed as it is.
This requires a class in a school or a group of retirees to
approach locally the health organizations (Kupot) and make an
arrangement with them to hang up their posters.
My favorite Rosh Kollel correspondent asks what can
one do about secondhand smoke. As this requires etiquette
according to the society one lives, I appeal to my readership
on what ideas they have.
A reader from Ramot has many questions about a number of
diseases. Erysipelas, or cellulitis is an infection of the
skin which can be problematic. Usually it is found in
patients who already have some sort of blood vessel disease,
so due to lack of blood flow it heals slowly. The skin is red
and hot. The short term solution is antibiotics -- the ones
covering the two bacteria -- strep and staph -- that cause
this problem. Support hose, exercise and warm soaks will help
the situation. Long term solutions include a visit to the
vascular surgeon who has many therapies that can help, such
as whirlpools. Hernia was another question but I hope to
dedicate, iy"H another column to this subject
alone.
He also asks about alternative medicines, and I will repeat
my feeling on this, although I have discussed this before in
the past. Alternative medicines are rarely tested in a
scientific manner, and as such I worry about safety issues.
They are not subject to quality control in their
manufacturing processes. They can be full of impurities and
additives that are poisonous (dolomite, a calcium supplement,
often is laced with lead). Whether or not they work is a
different story, but that matters more for the person taking
them.
If you trust them and you know they are safe, then I see no
harm in taking them provided they are not taken instead of
proven therapies. A person can lose a kidney for example by
taking herbs instead of antibiotics for a urinary tract
infection. On the other hand, medicine has little to offer
for the treatment of benign lower back pain, so here
alternative therapies may be an idea.
He also writes asking about Anti Cardiolipin syndrome. This
is a very rare syndrome which may contribute to strokes in
patients with Lupus. A rheumatologist may be the address for
more information on this subject. Thanks to all who have
written, and keep writing me in care of the Yated.
The allergy season is almost upon us and antihistamines may
have troublesome side effects for many of us. Inhaled nasal
steroids can give relief if started a few weeks before the
season starts. A safe and convenient way of doing this is
Flixonase, by Glaxo. This could be the easiest way to end the
suffering from seasonal allergies.
The Glaxo company sponsors this column.
