Diplomate, Board Certification of Emergency Medicine
Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine Ma'ayenei Hayeshua
Hospital
Time to answer some letters. Someone asked about the
cholesterol lowering drugs called statins. These were first
introduced in 1986 with Mevacor which is now rarely used as
we have improved a lot on these drugs, but nevertheless
slated to be available without prescription soon.
High cholesterol is related to a bodily disorder and not to
intake of cholesterol. Most foods with the exception of eggs
do not contain cholesterol. However, people who eat a lot of
fat can expect to have high cholesterol. Therefore,
advertisements that a product contains no cholesterol are
meaningless -- it may still contain a lot of fat.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are still
initially treated with diet, although it isn't often
successful. Statins are safe drugs that reliably lower
cholesterol and have recently shown to be helpful in
preventing not only the onset of heart disease, but also to
protect against future heart attacks. Along with aspirin and
exercise, statins form the cornerstone of heart
protection.
I have a letter from a man in Jerusalem who has two
questions. What can be done to prevent wax buildup in the
ears? I did not get far with this after consulting with my
ear nose and throat doctors. However I was taught that a few
drops of hydrogen peroxide in the ears after a shower will
help dissolve wax, and prevent buildup. Commercial wax
dissolvers are not designed for everyday use. I have no
information on olive oil. I am concerned that since it is not
water soluble, it may remain in the ear and predispose to
infection, although I have no information to guide me in
this.
His second question is a tough one: Is the water in Israel
safe to drink? This would require a lot of research. Some
things I can say. In most municipalities, but not all, there
is no problem. The fact that hepatitis and dysentery are
common in this country may be due to the water, but is more
likely due to food preparation, as we discussed in a previous
column. Water pipes in this country are newer than in many
other places, so lead is less likely a problem. Filtration
systems will not help against bacteria, only against mineral
poisons, and I do not believe that these are that much of a
problem.
Mineral waters do not provide any known health benefits, but
are more palatable than regular water. Most of the country's
waterways are polluted, and swimming outside of the Kinneret
and the Judean desert is probably not a good idea. Public
pools must conform to standards, but I cannot tell you if
recreational facilities in religious areas take them
seriously. I do not know.
In short, I do not have a concrete answer and those who would
like to do the research and report back to me will help me
and many others out. Please do not write me back on this
subject if you sell filtration systems or are otherwise
involved in this subject to make a profit; this introduces
bias and we must attempt to stay objective. Only serious
research will be publicized.
I am writing this column the week before Rosh Hashanah. I
pray that we will all see much blessing this year and be
inscribed for health and happiness. Write me in care of the
Yated.
A message from Glaxo, sponsor of this column. Asthma
season will be once again upon us, and Glaxo is the standard
in this. Seretide combines the protection of a steroid with a
long acting bronchodilator for the protection you need. While
not for an acute attack, use it daily to prevent a crisis.
