Jim "Dr. J" Ellis visits Wednesdays at 7:40 AM to answer your questions. CLICK HERE to email him your question. And now you can get Dr. J on your iPod!! Check out our PODCAST PAGE!!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Click here to hear today's segment on TINGLING/NUMBNESS:
Dear Dr. J.,
Over the last few weeks I have noticed a tingling, numbing feeling in the tips of my fingers on my right hand. It comes and goes through out the day, but it is almost every day. I am 42, health is OK to good I guess. Is this something to be concerned about? Thanks!
Dear Dr. J,
I am a 24 year old female and I am in good health. Over the last few months, I started getting sharp pains in my chest. These episodes only last a few minutes but they are pretty painful, not to mention frightening. I feel a sharp pain in the same place each time, towards the left of my chest and it actually feels like it's right where my heart is. I feel pressure and it's difficult to catch my breath. I also feel like the upper part of my left arm (around the bicep) becomes sore. My boyfriend swears it's heartburn but duh honey, I've had heartburn and it doesn't feel like this! I asked my doctor about it and he said it was just a panic attack and not to worry. And he said the pain in my arm is most likely just in my head. I have been under stress lately, but not any more than usual. And the incidents don't occur when I'm really stressed out, they actually seem to pop up out of nowhere when I'm relaxed. Do you think it sounds like anxiety or do I need to push my doctor to do some tests?
Click here to hear Dr. J's answer:
And here are the resources he talked about on the show today:
DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Panic Attack
A discrete period of intense fear or discomfort, in which four (or more) of the following symptoms developed abruptly and reached a peak within 10 minutes:
Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
Sweating
Trembling or shaking
Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
Feeling of choking
Chest pain or discomfort
Nausea or abdominal distress
Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
Fear of losing control or going crazy
Fear of dying
Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)
Chills or hot flashes
Wedensday, January 13, 2009
Click here to listen to today's segment on SNORING:
Dr. J--
SNORING!!! I snore and my husband can't sleep with me and it is ruining our marriage. For over 2 years now he hasn't slept in the same bed with me and if he tries he has to get up and go sleep on the couch and he is a horrilbly mean person to me when he gets mad at me for this! He told me recently that he will divorce me if I don't find a way to stop snoring. It sounds silly but he is very serious and gets very mean. I know my snoring is not sleep aptnea because I don't stop breathing or have other symptoms that this entails. I am somewhat congested at night and my "snot" drains into my throat I think and my air passage somewhat closes right where my Uvula hangs down. AND I only snore at the very beginning of my sleep or around 3 or 4 in the morning. I go to bed around 10pm and sleep until 6am every night. Some times I have a beer and sometimes I don't, either way I snore. I am 5'2" and 120 pounds. I don't smoke nor have I ever smoked. I work out almost daily. So I hope this helps in your diagnoses because I need to know what I can do to stop snoring or my marriage will fail. I'm not joking, it really will. I've been through this for years and the fights that we get into over this are horrible horrible horrible. My husband is a light sleeper and he won't wear earplugs and he "can't go back to sleep once I wake him up" So I don't know what else to do.... HELP HELP HELP
