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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 2017)
6 B SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2017 TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH Are Dermatologists ‘Zapping’ for Dollars? DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 73 years old and lived on a boat in my 40s. Now, whenever I go to the dermatologist (two to three times each year), he “zaps” me about 20 times and burns off “cancer cells” or maybe “potential cancer cells.” Some of them have been cancer and were healed with MOHS procedure. While I am grateful for the care he gives me, I also sometimes feel that he zaps because each zap means more money. Can you please clarify this for me? -- G.B. ANSWER: I often get questions like this, where a patient has a con- cern that their doctor is performing unnecessary medical care for the purpose of enriching himself or her- self. I always have trouble believing it, since I can’t really imagine it, but I recently read about an oncologist SALOME’S STARS ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Th is is a good time to reassess important relationships, both per- sonal and professional, to see where problems might exist and how they can be overcome. Keep communica- tion lines open. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) It’s not easy to bring order to a chaotic situation, whether it’s in the workplace or at home. But if anyone can do it, you can. A pleasant sur- prise awaits you by week’s end. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Be careful that you don’t make an upcoming decision solely on the word of those who might have their own reasons for wanting you to act as they suggest. Check things out for yourself. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A pleading guilty to treating with che- motherapy people who didn’t really have cancer, which shakes my faith in my profession (and colleagues). Still, I truly believe that, in your case and probably more than 99 per- cent of the time, the doctor is being extra cautious to treat you for the sole purpose of reducing your likeli- hood of developing an invasive skin cancer later on. DEAR DR. ROACH: My mother lives in Florida. Her major discom- fort is fatigue and no energy. I have asked her doctor to please give her a vitamin B-12 injection, even though her B-12, thyroid function, vitamin D and blood count are all in the normal range. Her doctor does not believe in B-12 injections. Do you think it might help? -- J.L. ANSWER: Vitamin B-12 is nec- essary for proper function in many tissues, but it is critical for blood cell production and neurologic function. B-12 defi ciency causes an unmistak- able anemia (called megaloblastic anemia) and can cause neurologic and psychiatric disturbances even in some people with no anemia. The blood test for B-12 is quite reliable. The major cause of B-12 defi ciency is an autoimmune dis- ease that prevents the stomach from making intrinsic factor, which is necessary for effi cient absorption of B-12. B-12 can be absorbed orally by people with pernicious anemia by taking very high doses, such as 1 mg. This gives as good a replace- ment as injection. It was common 50 years ago to give B-12 injections as a “tonic.” However, it offers no advantages for people with normal B-12 levels beyond the placebo response. As I have noted many times, the placebo response can be very powerful, and 1 mg of B-12 orally is very safe. DEAR DR. ROACH: I have heard that drinking water with your meal is bad for you. Is this true? And if so, why? I have a dry mouth due to cancer treatment and must have water with everything I eat. Is something bad going to happen to me? I am otherwise healthy. -- R.G. ANSWER: It’s not true at all. Water is, generally speaking, the healthiest drink. It is possible to drink too much water, but it’s very hard to do so unless you are taking medications that affect your kidneys or you have excess anti-diuretic hor- mone, an unusual medical condi- tion. Keep drinking your water. personal relationship that seems to be going nowhere could be restarted once you know why it stalled. An honest discussion could result in some surprising revelations. LEO (July 23 to August 22) Th at unexpected attack of self-doubt could be a way of warning yourself to go slow before making a career- changing decision. Take more time to do a closer study of the facts. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A workplace problem needs your attention, now, before it dete- riorates to a point beyond repair. A trusted third party could be helpful in closing the gaps that have opened. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A recent family situation could give rise to a new problem. Keep an open mind and avoid making judg- ments about anyone’s motives until all the facts are in. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Rely on your always- sharp intuition to alert you to potential problems with someone’s attempt to explain away the circum- stances behind a puzzling incident. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Although you still need to do some snipping of those lingering loose ends from a past project, you can begin moving on to something else. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) With your self-confi - dence levels rising, you should feel quite comfortable with agreeing to take on a possibly troublesome, but potentially well-rewarded, situation. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Travel is favored, both for business and for fun. Th e end of the week brings news about an upcoming project that could lead toward that promised career change. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) You might feel suddenly over- whelmed by a fl ood of responsibili- ties. But if you deal with each one in its turn, you’ll soon be able to hold your head above water and move on. Siuslaw N ews ! AD IT DAY E R TO www. the siuslawnews.com E -E DITION • S PORTS • T OP S TORIES • O BITUARIES • W EATHER • F ORUMS • B LOGS
