Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/6098
DEAR DR. GOTT: My co- worker and I love to read your articles about health in our newspaper and always read them on our way to work. You were our first thought when we had questions about something. Two months ago, another co-worker came down with vertigo. She has not been able to come to work at all since then. We looked up vertigo in the dic- tionary, but it only gives a small definition. From that, we understand that aircraft pilots and sea divers are always getting it. Since she is neither, we are concerned for both her and our health. How does a person get vertigo? Is it contagious or hereditary? What are the symptoms? Neither of us had heard of vertigo before the co-worker caught it. DEAR READER: Verti- go is neither contagious nor hereditary. It is also not limited to pilots or divers. Vertigo is a sensation that you or your surround- ings are moving or spinning. Depend- ing on the type and cause of the verti- go, there may be other symptoms. The most com- mon type is benign paroxys- mal positional vertigo (BPPV), which can also cause dizziness, blurred vision, loss of balance, lightheadedness, unsteadi- ness, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms of most types of vertigo typically come and go, with each episode normally lasting less than a minute. They may also be cyclic, with few or no symp- toms followed by periods of increased episodes. To understand how verti- go develops, one must first know how a normal ear affects our sense of balance. The inner ear contains the cochlea (which plays a major role in hearing), the labyrinth and the otolith organs (both primarily responsible for balance). The labyrinth is made of three semicircular canals that contain fluid and fine hairlike structures that track head rotation, while the otoliths contain crystals that monitor movement. In a normal ear, these organs work together to sense when the body and head move, tilt or rotate and then respond by sending signals to the brain to make minute, involuntary changes to pre- vent falling. When vertigo develops, it is because the crystals in the otoliths of the ears have become dislodged and moved into an abnormal position. BPPV can occur for several reasons, includ- ing minor to severe head trauma, inner-ear damage or even lying on your back for prolonged periods. In many cases, no specific cause can be identified. In rare instances, it can be caused by a type of tumor known as an acoustic neuroma, a benign and slow-growing lesion that can exert pres- sure on the sensitive ear organs. Vertigo is a generally harmless and common con- dition that does not typical- ly lead to serious health consequences; however, persistent cases can lead to dehydration. Less common causes for the condition include multiple sclerosis and migraines. Serious causes include strokes. Dear Annie: My wife and I were high-school sweethearts. We have been together for 13 years and married for seven. I am 29 and she is 28. Like every couple, we have had our ups and downs, but nothing that couldn't be resolved, until this year. We used to be so spontaneous, but now our sexual relationship is over. She doesn't want to touch, kiss, hold hands, nothing. She says she still loves me, but can't give me what I want as far as affection or sex and I need to find it some- where else. She has asked for a separation so we both can clear our heads. I can't figure out what's going on. She tells me there is no affair, and I believe and trust her. I love my wife with all my heart. She is so beautiful and sexy. How could she lose the desire to be passion- ate? I have tried to figure things out, but it seems I only make it worse and push her farther away. We have a 5-year-old girl, and I don't want to break up our family. My wife says she has no time for me now and thinks a separation will help us get back that spark. I can tell whenever I am with her, she would clearly rather be doing something else. Every conversa- tion ends with her becoming angry and picking a fight. I need some friendly advice. — Lonely in North Carolina Dear Lonely: The birth of a child can change the relationship between a husband and wife, but whatever is going on, you seem oblivious and your wife isn't let- ting you in on the secret. Please ask her to go with you for coun- seling so you can work on this without becoming angry. Say it is for the sake of your daughter. If she refuses, go without her. Something is going on and you need to figure it out. Dear Annie: My hus- band and I recently cele- brated our 25th wedding anniversary with a party. In the invitations, we requested no gifts, but sev- eral people brought them anyway. One couple gave us something that was obvi- ously re-gifted. We have no prob- lems with re-gifting, but this was a beautiful glass platter with the other couple's names engraved on it, along with the date of their last anniversary. What do I do? The couple that gave it to us either for- got it was engraved or never fully opened the package to begin with. Should we return it, say- ing we are sure they wrapped it by mistake, or do we simply send a thank-you note and get rid of the platter? I don't want to hurt their feel- ings, but I would feel ter- rible throwing away such a lovely personalized gift. — Stymied in Ohio Dear Stymied: We have to assume the cou- ple had no idea this plat- ter was engraved. Re- gifting is usually more subtle. Please call, thank them and explain that you are certain they brought the lovely platter to the party in error and you are anxious to return it as soon as possible since they must surely want it back. (It might even be true.) Dear Annie: I have another suggestion for ''Louisville Lass,'' who wants the grandparents to limit the number of toys they give to the children. We had that situation in our family. My daughter-in-law requested no toys, explaining that the kids were overwhelmed. When I saw with my own eyes what she was talking about, I sug- gested that we grandparents give ''experiences'' instead of presents. Now, as gifts, we take them to kid- friendly places, museums, trips and such. As they got older, we added books and gift cards. The time we spend with our grandchil- dren makes wonderful memories. We expanded the idea of what a present means. — Happy Grand- ma aka Nana Dear Nana: We love these gifts — they create bonds to cher- ish forever. Tuesday, January 19, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FAST RELIABLE SERVICE Junk Cars, Trucks & RV Removal. 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