YOUR HEALTH

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have heard a lot about MRSA. Can you give me some more information about it? What can we do to prevent getting it? I am a high-school student from Mr. Sherman's Anatomy and Physiology class in San Jacinto High School, S.J., California. -- J.R.

ANSWER: "MRSA" is short for "methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus," a common bacterium found all over the place and a common inhabitant of the skin. "MRSA" is pronounced "mersa," as though it were a word.

In the early days of penicillin, it could kill many germs, including the staph germ. That germ is a wily creature. It soon learned how to dodge the killing power of penicillin. Clever scientists came up with a new model of penicillin called methicillin. It was effective against those resistant staph germs. This happy situation came to an end when staph learned how to evade methicillin. These are the MRSA bacteria.

We do have antibiotics that can deal with MRSA bacteria. However, the lesson is that antibiotics must be restricted only to infections by bacteria that respond to them. Using antibiotics indiscriminately paves the way for the development of resistance.

MRSA can cause all kinds of infections, but the most common infections are skin and softtissue infections. Soft tissues are the tissues just below the skin, the subcutaneous tissues you know from Mr. Sherman's class. Outbreaks of MRSA infections are common in high-school football players and wrestlers because of the skin-to-skin contact that occurs in those sports. Anyone, athlete or not, can come down with this infection. Frequent hand-washing is the best defense against MRSA. All skin wounds should be covered with a bandage of sterile, dry gauze and inspected daily to see if they are becoming infected. Athletes should launder their playing clothes after each use and should not store dirty clothes in a locker. They should shower immediately after a practice. No one should share towels, brushes or combs.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have diabetes, and a while back lost 25 pounds almost overnight. I cannot gain it back. What can I do? -- Anon.

ANSWER: A sudden, unintended loss of 25 pounds demands an explanation. If your diabetes was out of control, that might explain it. All the same, you must report this to your doctor right away so a search for a cause can begin.

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. 2006 North America Syndicate Inc. All Rights Reserved