Director, Emergency Services, Bikur Cholim Hospital
There is more information on migraines that makes it seem
that they are not disorders related to the spasm of blood
vessels but rather changes in the chemicals in the brain.
Therefore it is easy to understand how the drugs like Imitrex
work to resolve migraines despite lacking any anti-spasm
components.
Chest pain is always tricky, and to give advice for when it
is safe and when not is very hard. Better to be safe than
sorry and do not take chances. Even a recent normal stress
test does not guarantee that this is not the heart. The heart
just gives no warning.
As we go to press, all hospitals in Israel are bulging at the
seams with patients. It has been a hard winter with lots of
pneumonia. One must be patient with hospitals, as the
government will not allow more beds or intensive care beds or
more manpower. In some places an incoming patient may need to
stay in the emergency department all night or in a corridor
in the ward.
Crib death is always a scary thing. Right now the risks that
we know about are: placing the baby in the prone — that
is face-down — position and smoking near the baby. What
I would recommend all parents to do is learn CPR, including
how to do it for babies. If there is an episode where there
is no breathing for a short time, the baby needs to be on a
monitor.
Advice to young smokers? Be smart — don't start. If
there is someone in the house who smokes, the children will
probably smoke even after seeing the damage it causes. There
is a lot of peer pressure, and we as parents must take a
stand. Write me in care of the Yated.
A message from GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this
column. This column spoke about migraines and smoking. So
let's note the effectiveness of Zyban against smoking, and
Imitrex against headaches. It can be given as an injection or
a fast- acting nasal spray.
