DEAR DR. GOTT: I have a few very personal medical questions that I am too embarrassed to ask my doctor, and I was hoping you could help me.
I have a problem with everyday flatulence, and I do not know why. It does not seem to matter what I eat. I still have it every day. Are there any foods that I should try to avoid or anything I can take over the counter on a daily basis to avoid this problem?
I also have another problem, which I did not have until I gave birth to my last child. I do not have very good control over my bladder, and sometimes I do not have great control waiting to use the bathroom, whether it is having to urinate or defecate. Would Kegel exercises help both of these problems?
I have also noticed that I pass gas in very intimate situations. I used to be able to control this, but it seems like I cannot anymore. Please give me some help and advice if you can. Is there anything I can do to strengthen the muscles in this area, or does this just come with age? I am only in my late 30s. I am seriously considering becoming a hermit and stopping intimate activities because I cannot take the embarrassment. Please help.
DEAR READER: Doctors have to deal with embarrassing situations constantly; this comes with the territory. So don't be afraid to involve your primary-care physician in health problems.
In general, intestinal gas may be worsened by eating certain foods, such as legumes, and may be helped by Gas-X and other anti-gas products.
Your bowel urgency may be helped by exercises, dietary alterations (more fiber, for instance) and -- in rare cases -- surgery. Follow your doctor's advice.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Digestive Gas." Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092.
DEAR DR. GOTT: Lately, the 2-year-old girl that I keep during the week has begun to really throw tantrums when it comes to her evening bath. Her mother and grandmother have both told me about them. She pulls her own hair and bites or pinches herself during these tantrums. I have had to bathe her on several occasions and have not seen this happen while she is here. I'm afraid, as they are, that she may hurt herself. She loves her swimming pool and playing in the water outside. I have noticed that sometimes lotion and soap make her gag. I wonder if this could be related to the tantrums. What should we do to make bath time a happier event?
DEAR READER: I don't know. The cause (and treatment) of infantile tantrums can be difficult to determine. I suggest that the child's parents discuss this issue with a pediatrician. Perhaps such a specialist can answer your question.
Doctor Gott is a practicing physician and the author of the new book "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet." (Quill Driver Books, www.quilldriverbooks.com; 1-800-605-7176).
I have a problem with everyday flatulence, and I do not know why. It does not seem to matter what I eat. I still have it every day. Are there any foods that I should try to avoid or anything I can take over the counter on a daily basis to avoid this problem?
I also have another problem, which I did not have until I gave birth to my last child. I do not have very good control over my bladder, and sometimes I do not have great control waiting to use the bathroom, whether it is having to urinate or defecate. Would Kegel exercises help both of these problems?
I have also noticed that I pass gas in very intimate situations. I used to be able to control this, but it seems like I cannot anymore. Please give me some help and advice if you can. Is there anything I can do to strengthen the muscles in this area, or does this just come with age? I am only in my late 30s. I am seriously considering becoming a hermit and stopping intimate activities because I cannot take the embarrassment. Please help.
DEAR READER: Doctors have to deal with embarrassing situations constantly; this comes with the territory. So don't be afraid to involve your primary-care physician in health problems.
In general, intestinal gas may be worsened by eating certain foods, such as legumes, and may be helped by Gas-X and other anti-gas products.
Your bowel urgency may be helped by exercises, dietary alterations (more fiber, for instance) and -- in rare cases -- surgery. Follow your doctor's advice.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Digestive Gas." Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092.
DEAR DR. GOTT: Lately, the 2-year-old girl that I keep during the week has begun to really throw tantrums when it comes to her evening bath. Her mother and grandmother have both told me about them. She pulls her own hair and bites or pinches herself during these tantrums. I have had to bathe her on several occasions and have not seen this happen while she is here. I'm afraid, as they are, that she may hurt herself. She loves her swimming pool and playing in the water outside. I have noticed that sometimes lotion and soap make her gag. I wonder if this could be related to the tantrums. What should we do to make bath time a happier event?
DEAR READER: I don't know. The cause (and treatment) of infantile tantrums can be difficult to determine. I suggest that the child's parents discuss this issue with a pediatrician. Perhaps such a specialist can answer your question.
Doctor Gott is a practicing physician and the author of the new book "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet." (Quill Driver Books, www.quilldriverbooks.com; 1-800-605-7176).