DEAR DR. DONOHUE: There has been a lot of talk about lung cancer in the news lately. One doctor who was interviewed about the causes of lung cancer mentioned that radon is the second most likely cause, after smoking. Would you tell us what radon is and how it affects the lungs? – A.L.
ANSWER: Radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. It arises from the natural decay of uranium. Automatically, uranium makes us think of atom bombs, and most of us believe that the supply of it is limited to a few special places. Not so. Uranium exists throughout the earth’s crust. It’s everywhere. In some places, there are heavier deposits than in others.
Radon can find its way into buildings and houses – usually the basements of houses. It enters through cracks in the foundation, foundation joints, and gaps around pipes that enter the foundation. Dangerous levels can accumulate. Estimates say that levels constituting a lung-cancer risk exist in 10 percent of North American homes. It accounts for up to 13 percent of lung-cancer deaths.
People who smoke and have heavy concentrations of radon in their homes are at an extremely high risk for lung cancer.
Hardware stores have kits that reliably measure radon levels. It’s a test worth investing in. If levels are found to be high, venting procedures can reduce the radon concentration to safe levels.
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am having a bout of boils. Is there anything I can do to stop them? – D.M.
ANSWER: A boil is a walled-off collection of pus, usually due to the staph germ. The first thing you must do is see if you have any condition that makes you vulnerable to staph infections. Diabetes is an example.
If you are healthy, then the only way to stop the plague of boils is to wage an all-out war against staph.
For boils now present, apply warm, moist compresses. Compresses soften them and bring them to a head so they can drain. If they do not, then the doctor has to open them for drainage.
Next, stamp out staph. You will need a prescription for anti-staph antibiotics. For one or two boils, antibiotics are not necessary, but for someone like you, they are.
Staph can find sanctuary in the nose. Apply a light coat of Bactroban ointment to the lowermost parts of each nostril to evict staph from the nose.
Wash your hands frequently with Hibiclens or pHisoHex soap. Change washcloths and towels daily, and if possible, change bed linen daily too.
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My ears frequently plug up with wax and make it hard for me to hear. I can’t be running to the doctor every time this happens. What’s the best way to remove earwax? – J.C.
ANSWER: First find out if it’s safe for you to remove wax on your own. If you have a hole in your eardrum, for example, flushing the ear canal can cause trouble.
One or two drops of warm (not hot) mineral or baby oil in each ear softens the wax. Use an eyedropper to get the oil in the ear canal. Let it stay there for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn your head to one side to get the oil out. You might have to repeat the process more than once.
Then, with a bulb syringe (available in drugstores), flush the canal gently with warm water and tilt your head toward the shoulder to get all the water out. If, after two or three tries, the wax won’t budge, have your doctor do the job.
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Does stress bring on bruxism? – V.W.
ANSWER: Bruxism is teeth-grinding, and it often takes place during sleep. The constant grinding of teeth against teeth wears them down. Stress definitely can bring it on.
Your dentist can fashion a mouth guard or a splint to protect your teeth. You can also buy a mouth guard at a sporting-goods store, but it won’t be as comfortable as the one a dentist fashions for you.
Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.
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