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2B – Daily News – Monday, February 21, 2011 FEATURES TGA an uncommon disorder DEAR DR. GOTT: Could you please talk about transient global amnesia? I have never seen this discussed in your column before. Thank you. DEAR READ- ER: Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a rare event that causes sudden, temporary loss of memo- ry. It is often accompa- nied by repetitive ques- tioning. It is not associat- ed with the more common causes of amnesia such as stroke. For a positive diagno- sis, the patient must meet a set of criteria. He or she must retain knowledge of personal identity and have normal cognition (naming familiar objects, follow- ing simple instructions, etc.); the event must be verified by a witness; there cannot be a history of active epilepsy, a recent head injury or the presence of seizures dur- ing the episode; the event cannot last more than 24 hours; testing and exami- nation will not reveal signs of brain damage; and, finally, the patient must experience a gradual return of memory. Some sufferers may also have a racing heart- beat, cold hands and feet, sweating, trembling, headache, vomiting, nau- sea, dizziness, chest or neck pain, visual distur- bances, flushing or chills, a fear of dying and more. A typical episode lasts about six hours and does not cause lasting damage. Memory of events that happened during (and occasionally for a few hours prior) typically does not return; however, memory of events that were forgotten before that time is eventually regained. It is important that any- one who witnesses a per- son develop sudden extreme memory loss call an ambulance or get the sufferer to a hospital immediately, because it is much more likely that a seizure or stroke caused the amnesia. In most cases, a trigger can be found. The most common include physical or emotional stress, such as strenuous physical activity, sudden immer- sion in hot or cold water Dr. Peter Gott and acute emo- tional distress, like that caused by a conflict or bad news. Certain medical proce- dures may also be the trigger. The exact cause of TGA is unknown, but there does appear to be a link between it and migraines in some patients. Those at higher risk are those with a history of migraines and those over the age of 50. The condi- tion is temporary and doesn’t cause lasting damage, so it does not require treatment. Because the cause is unknown, there is no way to prevent these episodes. Recurrence is uncommon. Because sudden mem- ory loss is more common- ly related to a disorder of the brain, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Stroke.” 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- 0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDrGottMD.com . DEAR DR. GOTT: A while back, I read an arti- cle about skin-tag removal. It mentioned something used on finger- nails as a home remedy. Can you please tell me what this is? DEAR READER: The product you are referring to is nail-hardening polish. For the removal of skin tags, it is applied to the lesion once or twice a day. As the coating builds up, it can be pulled off, remov- ing the tag. The process may take up to a week. To provide related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Dr. Gott’s Com- pelling Home Remedies.” 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 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website at www.AskDr- GottMD.com. Sick of snared sibling’s sob stories Dear Annie: My adult brother is a drug addict. ‘‘Keith’’ has been in and out of rehab programs, but hasn’t succeeded in staying clean. He lies to family members and lives in his car and various fleabag motels. He is still working, but only enough to support his habit. Frankly, I’m amazed he can hold down a job. Annie’s Mailbox I feel torn when it comes to being in his company and having him in my home. I try to be understanding of his addiction, but I am extremely uncomfortable around him. And I don’t trust him. He stole from my parents, and when he received thousands of dollars through an inheritance, he spent all of it on drugs. by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar parents but to give Keith hope that his family has not given up on him. Please con- tact Nar-Anon (nar- anon.org) at 1-800-477- 6291. It’s an excellent resource for friends and rel- atives of drug addicts. Dear Annie: My sister- in-law, ‘‘Edith,’’ is a profes- sional organizer. Recently, we invited her to our home for a social visit, along with her husband and children. While here, Edith noticed a messy pile of papers on my kitchen counter. She took it upon herself to sort through the papers, unsolicited, going so far as to open a folder to determine its contents. I was so shocked that I didn’t know what to say. Am I wrong to want to distance myself from my brother? Keith keeps saying he’s going to get his act together, but it hasn’t happened. Meanwhile, I dread his calls because I feel obligated to listen to his sob stories, and then I feel guilty for wanting him to leave me alone. How do I handle this? — Torn in Maryland Dear Torn: It’s hard to remain lovingly invested in the life of a drug addict. It requires tremendous patience and effort, and there’s no guarantee of a payoff. You do not need to have Keith in your home if he is not trustworthy, nor do you have to spend a great deal of time in his company. However, if there are family gatherings, we urge you to be there, not only to support your 500 Continued from page 1B holding off Carl Edwards after fan favorite Dale Earn- hardt Jr. crashed in NASCAR’s first attempt at a green-white-checkered flag finish. ‘‘Our first 500, are you kidding me?’’ said Bayne, who needed directions to Victory Lane. ‘‘Wow. This is unbelievable.’’ Unbelievable, indeed. Just one day after cele- brating his 20th birthday and leaving his teenage years behind, the sport’s biggest race was captured by an aw- shucks Tennessean who shaves once a week and con- siders ‘‘Rugrats’’ his favorite TV show. The rookie had been great throughout Speed- weeks, even proving his mettle by pushing four-time I am reluctant to invite Edith into my house again because I feel her behavior was an invasion of our pri- vacy. Is this acceptable conduct from a professional organizer? — Fuming Sister-in-Law in Canada Dear Fuming: Professional organizers do not stick their noses in your private papers without an invitation. Edith sounds like a Nosy Nellie who found a career that suits her proclivities. However, she is your sister-in-law, and cutting her off will create hard feelings within the family. Instead, give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she is overly accustomed to going through people’s things. If you catch her at it again, say with a smile, ‘‘Edith, I know you are only trying to help in your professional capacity, but we insist you let us champion Jeff Gordon for most of a qualifying race. With the win Bayne breaks Gordon’s mark as the youngest winner in Daytona 500 history. Gordon was 26 when he won the 500 in 1997. ‘‘I think it’s very cool. Trevor’s a good kid, and I love the Wood Brothers,’’ Gordon said. ‘‘I’m really happy for him. And I think it’s great for the sport. To have a young talent like that — he’s got that spark, you know?’’ The victory for NASCAR pioneers Leonard and Glen Wood ended a 10- year-losing streak, and came the week of the 10th anniversary of Dale Earn- hardt’s fatal accident on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. This was only the fourth win in last 20 years for Wood Brothers, which has- clean our own messes.’’ Then steer her somewhere else. Dear Annie: ‘‘Confused and Restless’’ wanted to take a break after college, but felt her father would question that decision. You mentioned Habitat for Humanity, but missed a great opportunity to also mention AmeriCorps. My daughter is a recent college grad and joined AmeriCorps. Young people have a wide variety of pro- jects to choose from and can travel to almost anywhere in the United States. After each of the first two years of service, the students receive scholarships for further education. After two years, my daughter was accepted for her MAT degree and will have the AmeriCorps scholar- ships. It is a great way to get experi- ence, travel, meet new people and participate in public service pro- jects. — Proud Mom in Oregon Dear Mom: Thank you for giv- ing us the opportunity to mention AmeriCorps. This is a national ser- vice organization for adults of all ages and backgrounds who want to work with local and national non- profit groups. To contact them, visit their website at americorps.gov or call 1-800-942-2677. 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.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. n’t run a full Sprint Cup sea- son since 2006. And there were no plans to do so with Bayne, who drove in the Daytona 500 on a loaner from Roush-Fen- way Racing. Bayne came onto the NASCAR scene in late 2009 with Michael Wal- trip Racing but bolted late last year when the team couldn’t promise a sponsor for this season. He hooked up with Roush and planned to run for the Nationwide Series title this season, and a deal was made to get him some seat time in the Cup Series with the Wood Brothers for 17 races. It wouldn’t be for points, and he wasn’t eligi- ble to run for rookie of the year. But the stunning Daytona 500 win might change everybody’s plans. Bayne could potentially retract his decision to run for the Nationwide title, and the fat Daytona 500 payday could provide the funding the Woods need to become competitive again. Sunday’s race had a record 74 lead changes among 22 drivers, and a record 16 cautions that wiped out many of the lead- ers, including Earnhardt Jr. on the first attempt at NASCAR’s version of over- time. It put Bayne out front with a slew of unusual sus- pects. David Ragan, winless in 147 career starts, was actu- ally leading the field on NASCAR’s first attempt at a green-white-checkered fin- ish. But he was flagged for changing lanes before the starting line, then an acci- dent that collected Earn- hardt in the middle of the pack brought out the cau- tion, and Bayne inherited the lead. Support our classrooms, keep kids reading. 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