YOUR HEALTH
Too much radiation a concern for everyone
DR. DONOHUE

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Can you give me a reason not to be concerned? I have had a total of 15 CT scans in my life. I am now 81 years old. I realize you can get cancer from so much radiation. -- D.G.

ANSWER: I can't give you a reason not to be concerned. Everyone ought to be concerned about too much radiation. The CT (computed tomography, also called "CAT scan") scanner represents a giant stride forward for medicine and for the diagnosis of disease. But such a breakthrough comes with a price. A CT scan generates much more radiation than a regular X-ray. The risk of cancer from CT radiation is small, but it cannot be ignored.

You have had more than your share of CT scans. If your doctors want another, let them know how many you have already had. Quite often, when more than one doctor takes care of a patient, they do not know what other doctors have already ordered. Tell all your doctors how many scans you have had. If another is suggested, ask the doctor if some other imaging technique could be a substitute. For example, an ultrasound picture does not involve any radiation.

At older ages, the risk of radiation induced cancer isn't as great as it is at younger ages, when cells are rapidly dividing and when life span is so much longer. No case of cancer has been traced to CT scans -- yet.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 65-year-old immigrant from Hungary. I was 30 when I came to the United States.

In the past five years, I have developed rectal hemorrhoids. They do not bother me, but two or three times a month I see blood on the tissue paper. I have had a negative colonoscopy.

I received the enclosed leaflet on the banding procedure for hemorrhoids. Please tell me your opinion about it. -- J.K.

ANSWER: Hemorrhoids are rectal varicose veins. That's not technically correct, but it gives you a clear enough picture of what's going on.

If your hemorrhoids aren't painful and are bleeding only slightly and only occasionally, you don't have to rush to any treatment. You can, however, stop them from becoming a major problem by keeping your stools soft and not having to strain in order to eliminate them. Fiber does that for you. If you can't get enough fiber from foods, then start using a supplement like Metamucil or Citrucel. If the stools remain hard, take a stool softener such as Colace.

The rubber-band method for removing hemorrhoids is a simple procedure that is quite ingenious. The doctor grasps the base of a hemorrhoid with a special instrument. The instrument contains a gizmo that encircles the hemorrhoid with a rubber band. The rubber band shuts off blood supply to the hemorrhoid. Without a blood supply, the hemorrhoid shrivels and falls off in five or six days. This technique cannot be used for all hemorrhoids, but when it can, it's a great addition to the many other ways of eliminating hemorrhoids.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, FL32853- 6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall. com. 2006 North America Syndicate Inc. All Rights Reserved