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19 Adar II 5765 - March 30, 2005 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Home and Family

Your Medical Questions Answered!
by Joseph B. Leibman, MD

Director, Emergency Services, Bikur Cholim Hospital

Osteoporosis — bone thinning — is a disease we have spoken about many times. Many think this is a disease of females only, and it is primarily a problem for most elderly women, but the "Prescribers Newsletter" informed me that nearly two million American men have this disease and they are not being screened. One out of four men over the age of fifty will have an osteoporosis-related fracture. This is due to declining levels of hormones in the aging male. Sometimes men take anti- hormone therapy as part of treatment for prostate cancer. These people are at high risk for fracture, since the lower hormones thin the bones, and also because the cancer has a propensity to spread to the bones.

Risks for osteoporosis in males as they age include alcohol and smoking abuse, as well as sedentary life styles. Men, like women, need to exercise and increase their calcium intake. Screening is through a densiomonitor.

I have a request to speak about lice and worms. Let me reiterate that lice do not mean your child is dirty nor does it mean that a child must miss school. These bugs do not jump from heads. They are spread through contact of heads and headgear. The Middle Eastern version is highly resistant.

Worms are another story. Most worms are not found in this country, although, a story about the Chinese Liver Fluke is worth repeating. This worm is spread through incompletely cooked fish and was rampant during World War Two among Jews in Shanghai who brought with them from Europe a love for gefilte fish. A warning for people to cook their meat, fish and eggs completely to prevent disease. As a side note, I do not eat sushi (a dish made with raw fish that has become popular in the West) and do not think it is a good idea.

The most common worm in industrial countries is pinworm. This little worm — about 1-2 cm long — emerges at night from the anus and causes intense itching. The patient then scratches, and the eggs are left under the scratching fingernail. They can then get to the digestive tract and repeat the process. Babies with dirty diapers sitting in sandboxes can also spread the disease. Treatment is simple with the taking of a pill. Worms seen crawling around in clothes or bedding should not be a cause of alarm.

Write me in care of the Yated. By email: jbleibmd@yahoo.com

A message from GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this column. Vomiting is a serious problem especially after chemotherapy. A stronger medicine than Zofran does not exist. This medication has been around for more than 15 years with an unparalleled safety and effectiveness record.

 

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