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2B – Daily News – Monday, January 3, 2011 FEATURES Harpy henpecks haggard hubby Hair loss treatments and consequences Dear Annie: I am in my late 40s, have a good career, am well-respected and well-educated, and have many friends and acquaintances. I keep in reasonable shape. I love my son, my siblings and my mother, and always want to do the best I can. The problem is out more than once, but each time she claims she will be nicer and I believe it. Janice seemed Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar ‘‘Janice,’’ my 41-year-old wife of two years. She crit- icizes me constantly. I can’t wash the dishes, empty the trash, drive a car, eat my food, buy the groceries, sleep or blow my nose without her berat- ing me for doing it wrong or irritating her in the process. Her criticism extends to my 11-year-old son from my first marriage. He is a great kid who does as he is told without talking back or giving any attitude. He gets good grades and is never in trouble. He stays with us every other week- end. When he is here, I know my wife will be moody and unfriendly toward him. Janice also gossips neg- atively about my friends and their wives, and then wonders why she isn’t invited to their social events. My wife has a ter- rific career, but whines constantly about her job. Other than her sister, she doesn’t have close friends. Janice and I argue a lot, mostly because I have grown tired of her knock- ing everything I do. The only reason I stay is because I do not want to be labeled a two-time loser in the marriage department. I have threatened to walk BEEBE, Ark. (AP) — Wildlife officials are try- ing to determine what caused more than 1,000 blackbirds to die and fall from the sky over an Arkansas town. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission warm and fun when we first began dating. Now I wonder how our relationship evolved into this mess. I have thought about counseling, but when she barks at me, I can only think of running away. What do I do? — Tired of Walking on Eggshells Dear Tired: You must first protect your son from Janice’s criticism. Insist she treat him with kind- ness and decency. Other- wise, quite frankly, you’d be better off if she left the house on those weekends so you can spend time with your son. Counseling is still a good idea. It can help you verbalize your frustration instead of becoming too angry to be effective. It also can help Janice understand how her constant negativity and criticism undermine your relationship. Please try it. Dear Annie: A few months ago, I had an infected tooth extracted. It had a gold crown. When I told the dentist that I would like to have the tooth, he told me that I couldn’t because it was infected. I accepted that because I was too over- whelmed from going through this lengthy, uncomfortable procedure. Now, I am getting more and more upset. It was my tooth. At least I should have gotten back the gold crown. I paid quite a bit for it. What do you think? — said Saturday that it began receiving reports about the dead birds about 11:30 p.m. the previous night. The birds fell over a 1-mile area of Beebe, and an aerial survey indi- cated that no other dead birds were found outside The Tooth Fairy Dear Tooth: According to our dentists, an infected tooth is considered biohaz- ardous material and needs to be incinerated along with other medical waste. To extricate the gold from the crown would be time consuming and not worth the effort for the small amount of gold involved. If this explanation doesn’t help, the American Dental Association recommends contacting your state or local dental association to resolve the dispute. Dear Annie: I laughed when I read your answer to ‘‘My Two Cents’ Worth,’’ saying some newlyweds combine their names to form a new one, giving genealogists fits. If you try to track down a French- Canadian family, you will find out how hard it is. They use what are called ‘‘dit’’ names, meaning ‘‘called’’ or ‘‘said.’’ In my family, for exam- ple, I have discovered that Cyr is also known as Crock; Corbin was LaCroix; Gagnon has about a dozen variants, including Savage. Don’t even get me started on the Scots side of my family. My mother’s maiden name has so many variants it would drive you up a wall. — West Haven, Conn. Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.ne t, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. DEAR DR. GOTT: A couple of years ago, I was diagnosed with alopecia universalis. I saw my family doctor and three dif- ferent dermatologists. They ran a few different tests, but nothing came up. I realize this is not a death sentence, but it has affected my life in every which way. I did buy a wig, but that is only cover- ing up the problem. If you have any medical advice on this topic, I would greatly appreciate it. I guess I should mention that I am a 53-year-old woman, basical- ly in good health. DEAR READER: Alopecia univer- salis is a condition that causes a total loss of all body and scalp hair. It is the most severe form of alopecia. Other forms include alopecia areata, which causes round patches of hair loss on the scalp and body, and alopecia totalis, which causes a total loss of hair on the scalp only. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disor- ders says alopecia areata is considered an autoimmune disorder. Treatment includes steroid injec- tions under the skin surface, ultravio- let-light therapy and topical corticos- teroids. Drugs may be applied topically as well to stimulate hair growth. Full regrowth of hair may occur, but those with eczema, long-term alopecia or alopecia at a young age may experi- ence permanent hair loss. The loss of hair, especially for women, can be emotionally upsetting and traumatic. There is little known about the condition and its cause; there- fore, few effective treatments are avail- able. Make an appointment with a ther- apist to work through your feelings and learn ways to cope with your condition. If you can come to accept that there is little you can do and that the condition is not your fault, you may improve your emotional state and quality of life. You may wish to make an appoint- ment with a dermatologist to discuss the condition and keep up on any new treatment options. He or she may also be able to tell you whether there are any clinical trials testing new treatments for which you may qualify. There is also a Dr. Peter Gott nonprofit group for women with alopecia called Bald Girls Do Lunch (www.BaldGirls- DoLunch.org) that provides information and support. To provide related informa- tion, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Medical Specialists.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self- addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order payable to Newsletter and mailed to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDrGottMD.com. DEAR DR. GOTT: I live in an area where the air is dry. After moving here, I got frequent nosebleeds. I started dabbing Vaseline in my nostrils to keep them moistened, and it solved the problem. But after reading your column about how this can be dangerous, I stopped. What would you suggest as a reme- dy instead of the Vaseline? DEAR READER: Dry air is a com- mon cause of nosebleeds because the skin and mucus membranes become much more fragile and susceptible to damage. Vessels near the surface can break spontaneously, causing a nose- bleed. In arid areas of the country and even during the winter when wood stoves, fireplaces and furnaces are heating homes, people may struggle to keep the air from drying too much. In these situ- ations, using saline (or other water- based) nasal sprays to keep the nostrils and airways moistened, as well as using humidifiers to add moisture back into the air, may be beneficial. If these fail to provide adequate results, speak with your physician regarding his or her recommendations. Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,” “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com. More than one thousand dead birds fall from sky in Arkansas of that area. Commission ornitholo- gist Karen Rowe said the birds showed physical trauma, and she speculat- ed that ‘‘the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail.’’ The commission said that New Year’s Eve rev- elers shooting off fire- works in the area could have startled the birds from their roost and caused them to die from stress. Robby King, a wildlife officer for the agency, col- lected about 65 dead birds, which will be sent for testing to the state Livestock and Poultry Commission lab and the National Wildlife Health Center lab in Madison, Wis. Rowe said that similar events have occurred else- where and that test results ‘‘usually were inconclu- sive.’’ She said she doubt- ed the birds were poi- soned. 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