DEAR DR. GOTT: In the bones of both my legs, I have what is called intermittent claudication. When I walk, it is real painful. Could you tell me if there is medicine for this and the cause of it?
DEAR READER: Intermittent claudication is leg cramps during exercise. The cause is arterial blockage in the legs that prevents the contracting muscles from receiving an adequate blood supply. There is no medicine to relieve the muscle spasms.
You need an arteriogram — a test to identify the location and extent of the blockages. Once you have this information, you may choose to have more surgery to unblock the arteries, or you may prefer, as a first step, to enter an exercise program. Follow your doctor's advice in this matter.
DEAR DR. GOTT: Ever since I was a child, I was taught to burn the end of a needle with a match before trying to get a sliver out. My question is, do you wipe the carbon off the needle before using it or leave it on? With no exaggeration, I must have asked more than 40 people I know, and no one knows the answer. Please clue us all in.
DEAR READER: The burning-match therapy is one that I also remember from my childhood. The heat from the flame will sterilize the point of a needle prior to removing a splinter. But you don't have to apply the match for more than a second or two, not long enough for any residual carbon to form on the needle. If you blacken the needle, you're overdoing it. But the good news is that you can ignore the carbon entirely. It, like the needle itself, is sterile.
DEAR DR. GOTT: I hope you can help me with my problem. I am lightheaded, not dizzy. It's especially bad when I turn my head side to side or up and down, such as when reading. I've had this for over a year and haven't yet found a cause or remedy. Any suggestion will be appreciated.
DEAR READER: When you turn your head or look up, the carotid arteries in your neck are stretched. In the presence of arterial blockage, this stretching can retard the flow of blood to your brain, leading to faintness and lightheadedness.
I urge you to bring your symptoms to your doctor's attention, because carotid obstruction places you at risk of a stroke. You need to have a carotid ultrasound exam, a safe and painless test that will indicate the exact location and severity of the blockages. If you have significant carotid disease, you might be a candidate for surgery. But first you need a diagnosis. Your primary care physician can discuss the situation with you, order the appropriate testing and make necessary referrals to specialists.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Stroke."
DEAR READER: Intermittent claudication is leg cramps during exercise. The cause is arterial blockage in the legs that prevents the contracting muscles from receiving an adequate blood supply. There is no medicine to relieve the muscle spasms.
You need an arteriogram — a test to identify the location and extent of the blockages. Once you have this information, you may choose to have more surgery to unblock the arteries, or you may prefer, as a first step, to enter an exercise program. Follow your doctor's advice in this matter.
DEAR DR. GOTT: Ever since I was a child, I was taught to burn the end of a needle with a match before trying to get a sliver out. My question is, do you wipe the carbon off the needle before using it or leave it on? With no exaggeration, I must have asked more than 40 people I know, and no one knows the answer. Please clue us all in.
DEAR READER: The burning-match therapy is one that I also remember from my childhood. The heat from the flame will sterilize the point of a needle prior to removing a splinter. But you don't have to apply the match for more than a second or two, not long enough for any residual carbon to form on the needle. If you blacken the needle, you're overdoing it. But the good news is that you can ignore the carbon entirely. It, like the needle itself, is sterile.
DEAR DR. GOTT: I hope you can help me with my problem. I am lightheaded, not dizzy. It's especially bad when I turn my head side to side or up and down, such as when reading. I've had this for over a year and haven't yet found a cause or remedy. Any suggestion will be appreciated.
DEAR READER: When you turn your head or look up, the carotid arteries in your neck are stretched. In the presence of arterial blockage, this stretching can retard the flow of blood to your brain, leading to faintness and lightheadedness.
I urge you to bring your symptoms to your doctor's attention, because carotid obstruction places you at risk of a stroke. You need to have a carotid ultrasound exam, a safe and painless test that will indicate the exact location and severity of the blockages. If you have significant carotid disease, you might be a candidate for surgery. But first you need a diagnosis. Your primary care physician can discuss the situation with you, order the appropriate testing and make necessary referrals to specialists.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Stroke."