Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/40110
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 – Daily News 3B FEATURES Whatever happened to mustard plasters? DEAR DR. GOTT: I have wanted to ask this "lighter" question for a long while, so here goes: Whatever hap- pened to mustard plasters and poul- tices? DEAR READ- ER: A mustard plaster is (or was) a home remedy used for many ailments, including the flu, coughs and colds. This old remedy is still rather common in France and Russia and is purport- ed to stimulate the immune system, relieve pain, treat the common cold, cure gout, help bad circulation, sore muscles, rheumatism and difficul- ties related to the respira- tory system. I find this all a little hard to believe. Through the years, as other remedies became available, poultices such as this one declined in popularity. Dr. Peter Gott DEAR READ- ER: I question whether you had a clean-catch mid- stream culture and took the necessary initial steps prior to presenting the specimen, or whether you might have tested nega- tive because you were on an antibi- otic for a presumed uri- nary tract infection. Some common causes of frequent urination include diabetes types 1 and 2, prostatitis in men, cystitis (inflammation of the bladder), a neurogenic bladder, pyelonephritis (kidney and upper urinary tract inflammation), hypokalemia (low potassi- um levels), bladder or kid- ney stones, hypercalcemia (an excess of calcium in the blood), an ovarian cyst or fibroids. Some individuals A mustard plaster is actually a poultice of mus- tard seed powder, flour, and water or egg white placed inside a protective dressing. When egg white is used, it presumably pre- vents blistering of the skin. Mustard plasters should not be used on children under the age of 6, and black mustard should not be used for patients with kidney disease, ulcers or venous problems. Inhaling the vapors of a plaster can trigger asthma attacks or eye irritation and cause sneezing and a cough. A mustard plaster should never be left on for longer than 20 minutes, and the contents should never come into direct contact with the skin because of the possibility of burning. This tidbit is informa- tional only and does not in any way imply that I endorse or believe in mus- tard plasters taking the place of good medical care. DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 25-year-old active female. About 10 months ago I began experiencing frequent urination, having to urinate every 30 min- utes to an hour and either once or twice at night. I stopped drinking fluids after 7 p.m. That didn't work. I went to see a doctor several times who thought it might be a urinary tract infection. I was tested four times and every culture came back negative. I finally went to a urologist, who said I was retaining too much fluid and who put me on some medica- tion. Nothing has worked. Is there anything you can recommend? find that adding one or two 8-ounce glasses of 100 percent cranberry juice to their daily diet can ward off symptoms of a UTI, as can 200 mg of vitamin A daily. Vitamin A deficien- cy can cause people to awaken two to three times each night with an urge to urinate. Because your problem has continued, I recom- mend you make an appointment with a urolo- gist who can take your medical history and deter- mine what, if any, addi- tional testing might be necessary, such as cys- toscopy, which examines the inside of the bladder. I don't in any way imply your physician is incor- rect, but it is time for a sec- ond opinion. Readers who would like related information can order my Health Reports "Bladder and Uri- nary Tract Infections" and "More Compelling Home Remedies" by sending a self-addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 U.S. check or money order for each report to Dr. Peter Gott, P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title(s), or print an order form from my website's direct link: www.AskDr- GottMD.com/order_form. pdf. 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. Teen's tumult triggers trouble Dear Annie: We live in a small rural area. We love the community, school, church, etc., but I am sad for my daughter. ''Tess'' is a junior in high school. About six months ago, one friend became angry with her for some reason and managed to get the rest of their group to ostracize her, as well. It breaks my heart that Tess no longer has friends. She sits home night after night. It also makes me angry that one girl can have so much control over other people. This is just like bullying. And those who allow this to happen are just as guilty as she is. Shame on them. As a parent, I want to jump in and let them know how hurtful they are being to my daughter, but I real- ize it will only make things worse. What can I do? — Hurting for My Daughter Dear Hurting: This is not ''just like'' bullying. It absolutely is bul- lying. Some of these things resolve themselves over time, although six months is a long wait. Did Tess do something for which an apology would help? Could Tess meet with the ringleader privately and come to an understanding? If no reconciliation is possible, please encourage Tess to find new friends both in and out of school — perhaps at church or through sports groups. She also can check kid- shealth.org to find better ways to Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar cope. She should not be moping around at home. And if these ''mean girls'' are verbally or physically nasty to Tess, you should report it to the principal and make sure they are held accountable for their behav- ior. Dear Annie: I have a cir- cle of friends I've known since high school. One of them, ''Aiden,'' has the foulest mouth imaginable. Back then, we all thought it was hysterical that someone could fit in six or more f-bombs per sen- tence. We used to imitate him, and I'm sure he thought we were impressed by this ability. We are all adults now with chil- dren, but his potty mouth continues. Aiden thinks nothing of swearing continuously in front of his own children and anyone else's. Worse, he dominates every conversation and speaks louder than anyone else. Over the years, this has alienated him from us and kept him from being invited to our get-togethers. My wife and I are the only ones who keep in touch with Aiden, but after an hour or so of his foul lan- guage, we make our excuses to leave. Could this be an obsessive- compulsive disorder? — Heard Enough Dear Heard: It's more likely an ingrained bad habit that Aiden has- n't had the energy or desire to fix. You should tell Aiden that his lan- guage has become unbearable and he needs to work on it. If you still want to stay in touch, you can see him less often and without your children. Dear Annie: Here's my story about the effectiveness of counsel- ing. When my girls were young, my husband wore cowboy boots. Every night when he came home, he would yell, ''Pull my boots!'' It was quite an ordeal to get them off, so when the girls heard him coming, they would make a hasty retreat to their rooms and I was the one who got stuck. It was a real bone of contention, and I didn't know how to handle it, so I went for counseling. The coun- selor had me try behavior modifica- tion — when I had pulled off his boots a certain number of times, he was supposed to do something nice for me. Yeah, right. One day, I walked by a store that sold Western gear and found a boot puller. I had never heard of it before. I bought it, and the problem was solved. The girls are long gone, and my husband has passed away, but the boot puller is still on the floor by the door. — Rapid City, S.D. 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. Free fishing for all on Labor Day The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) invites Californians to kick off their Labor Day weekend celebration by fishing in our state's spectacular waters. Sat- urday, Sept. 3 is the sec- ond of California's two 2011 Free Fishing Days, when people can try their hand at fishing without having to buy a sport fishing license. All fishing regula- tions, such as bag and size limits, gear restric- tions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream clo- sures remain in effect. Every angler must have an appropriate report card if they are fishing for abalone, steelhead, sturgeon or spiny lob- ster anywhere in the state, or salmon specifi- cally in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity River systems. DFG offers two Free Fishing Days each year - usually in conjunction with the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekend - when it's legal to fish without a sport fishing license. This year, the Free Fishing Days were set for the Saturdays preceding Independence Day and Labor Day (July 2 and Sept. 3) because they fall on hol- iday weekends, when a fishing excursion is likely to be most conve- nient for the public. Free Fishing Days provide a low-cost way to give fishing a try. Some DFG regions offer Fishing in the City pro- grams where you can go fishing in major metro- politan areas. Fishing in the City and Free Fish- ing Day clinics are designed to educate novice anglers about fishing ethics, fish habits, effective meth- ods for catching fish and fishing tackle. You can even learn how to clean and prepare your catch so you can enjoy it for dinner that night. Anglers should check the rules and regulations at www.dfg.ca.gov/reg- ulations/ for the waters they plan to fish. War- dens will be on duty to enforce them. For more information on Free Fishing Days, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/licens- ing/fishing/freefish- days.html.