Dr. Richard C. Rhiew, MD

You should not have to go to an ER for this unless you have severe bleeding and may need a blood transfusion. Also if you have severe pain, you might need to go to the ER to get pain medication. Usually you just need to see your usual primary care provider.

That’s a very good question. The bottom line is we do not know. There are many animal studies , usually in rats or nerve tissue obtained from rats, that demonstrate nerve regeneration secondary to exercise . However human beings are not rats and there are no good studies that show the same effect of exercise on nerve regeneration in humans. Part of that may be due to much longer nerves in humans. There are probably other reasons as well.

I think exercise is still good to do. Even if it doesn’t help nerve regeneration, there are many other benefits from exercise including increased circulation, muscle tone and flexibility.

There is no single most effective pain relief for sciatica or any specific pain. There are multiple treatment options for sciatica, but individual responses will vary. The effectiveness of a treatment option may depend on the nature of the sciatica. For example, physical therapy can be quite useful if the sciatica is due to muscle strain and spasm. This will likely not be effective if you have severe arthritis with spinal stenosis (narrowing) that pinches the nerve.

There are many types of medications for sciatica including NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen, Aleve), steroids (e.g., prednisone), muscle relaxants (e.g., cyclobenzaprine), opioid pain medications (e.g., hydrocodone), non-opioid pain medications (e.g., gabapentin, a seizure medication, and duloxetine, an antidepressant). You should see a provider for further evaluation which might lead to possible cause of the pain and the most appropriate treatment option.

That’s a good question . For your particular case I don’t know. However human body temperature should not usually be above 99 degrees. Temperature over 103 has been associated with hyperthermia and death. 143 degrees is way too hot but it’s an isolated area. Still I think there should be concern of potential elevation in body temperature and dehydration. You should probably limit the amount of time you are in contact with the device, take breaks between use for instance. Also you might consider an insulated surface between your body and the laptop to prevent excess heat transfer.

I have never heard of any cases of harm from using a laptop in the way you do but you don’t want to be the first. If microwave popcorn can cause severe lung damage, then anything is possible.

There probably isn’t a fast way to quit any addiction. However if you are truly motivated, you might be able to quit sooner than most people. Chantix is a medication that can help a lot and you don’t have to quit all nicotine once you start this. It can be expensive although most commercial health insurance plans cover this and depending on your state of residence, there might be some special coverage to help you quit smoking. If you go on Chantix I recommend staying on this as long as you can, at least 6 months, studies show that the people who stay on the medication the longest are the most successful at remaining nicotine free.

That’s an excellent question! Snoring is not the same as sleep apnea although people with sleep apnea often snore. Sleep apnea is much more serious since this causes people to stop breathing and lack of oxygen can have significant effects such as daytime sleepiness, falling asleep while driving, and possibly heart problems like pulmonary hypertension.

From your description, I do not think you have sleep apnea. If you have any of the symptoms I mentioned of sleep apnea or someone has seen you stop breathing, you might need to get tested.

Children can have the same signs and symptoms as adults with Lyme disease. Additionally they may have more subtle symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, visual problems or light sensitivity, and cognitive or behavioral issues such as poor concentration, anxiety, restlessness and even paranoia or hallucinations.

Hepatitis C has been called The Silent Epidemic. Almost no one has symptoms until it is severe and then it's obvious the liver has a problem. I strongly recommend you get a blood test for the hepatitis C virus antibody (HCV Ab).

Diabetes medication typically does not cause feelings of sleepiness or laziness. However any medication may cause unusual side effects. Very low blood sugar can cause a sensation of weakness but usually also causes nausea and cold sweats. Very high blood sugar typically causes increased thirst and increased urination but could cause sedation, even a coma with extremely uncontrolled diabetes.

You should check your blood sugar routinely to monitor this. You might need to discuss a change in medication with your medical provider.

If you have an injury to a ligament or tendon, such as an ankle sprain, you will weaken that part of your body. This will make you more prone to future injuries. That is the most likely explanation. Some people are born with a tendency to ligament and tendon injury but that is less common.

This could be several things, but most likely either acid reflux (GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease) or gallstones. Acid reflux usually occurs about an hour after eating, but can be sooner and is often associated with spicy foods, alcohol, tomatoes, and carbonated beverages. Gallstones are often exacerbated by fatty foods and symptoms can occur much sooner, 15 minutes or less.

You could try changing your diet and/or trying over-the-counter H2 blockers like Pepcid or proton pump inhibitors like Prilosec. Serious conditions like an ulcer or even stomach or esophagus cancer can also cause similar symptoms, so you may need to see a doctor for testing. Gallstones can only be cured with surgery. Your doctor will refer you if testing shows that.

Generally after any surgery a clear liquid diet is the first diet e.g. clear broth, jello. Then advance to solid foods as tolerated but he should avoid high fat foods after gallbladder surgery since removal of the gallbladder will reduce the bile that helps with fat digestion. The liver still makes bile so eventually this might not be a problem although some patients have chronic problems after surgery.

Because of your sun sensitivity I would advise oral vitamin D supplements daily. Sun block prevents almost all UVB.

Fevers are usually due to infections. However other things can cause this such as autoimmune diseases, reactions to medications ( and other substances), and even cancer. It's possible you have a viral infection if your only symptom is a fever and the onset is recent. In that case your symptoms should resolve in 1 to 2 weeks. I did have a patient with high fevers up to 103 once and after a full work-up with lab tests and radiology tests, he got better with no diagnosis. We just assumed it was a virus since he was fine. If you have any other symptoms or your symptoms persist, you should see your doctor for further evaluation.

Yes. Strep throat is an infection of the throat due to a bacteria. Enlarged tonsils often make a person more prone to infections, especially tonsillitis, but removal of your tonsils does not prevent infections from happening. This sounds like you need to see a healthcare provider so I hope you did.