Q My mother has recently develop big abscess in her axilla left side she is not able to even move her arm doctor says to put a cut but she is very much afraid how can I help her with home remedies

Whenever an abscess occurs, it has to be drained in order to get relief faster and in complete form. Home remedies will subside the pain, but the pus will not be completely dried with the help of home remedies. Hence it is necessary that your mother listens to her doctor.

Q Body too thin...some diet tips

Weight gain depends upon your diet and exercise pattern. Include calorie and protein rich foods in your diet such as eggs, chicken, fish, milk and milk products, nuts, pulses etc. Every morning have a glass of milk with honey and 2 bananas. Consume handful of mixed nuts everyday. Weight gain should be healthy and hence you should limit your intake of junk food. Instead of 3 large meals have 5-7 small meals. Join a gym and practice weight training under supervision.

Q High lymphocytes means what.

An increase in lymphocyte concentration is usually a sign of a viral infection (in some rare case, leukemias are found through an abnormally raised lymphocyte count in an otherwise normal person).

Q How fast are calories absorbed?

The calories absorption depends on the physical and mental well being of the person. It also depends on the age, sex, occupation, environmental factors etc. It varies from person to person. Some one doing heavy physical work spend the calories early than other one who does relax work in the office.

Q What is multiple personality syndrome?

Dissociative identity disorder or multiple personality disorder is a very rare mental disorder. It is characterised by at least two distinct and relatively enduring identities or dissociated personality states that alternately control a persons behavior, and is accompanied by memory impairment for important information not explained by ordinary forgetfulness. It is one of the most controversial psychiatric disorders with no clear consensus regarding its diagnosis or treatment.

Q Is it possible that you catch any disease from this minimally invasive surgery - I assume all tools used - needles, scalpels etc are clean/new - should I be worried? I had 2 very small hair transplants and both surgeries were completely clean and very modern - just am concerned over the cleanliness of tools used - should I worry?

Almost all the standard institute for hair transplant follow all the necessary aseptic precautions while doing any kind of procedure. Hence you should not worry.

Q When is herpes contagious? I have not had an outbreak of genital herpes in years but i do take valtrex if i feel an outbreak may be coming on. If i take valtrex as needed and i do not have an outbreak, am i still contagious?

Genital herpes is the most contagious when the lesions are active and a few days before that. However, an infected person can potentially be shedding the virus all his life. Since, the virus is spread by direct skin to skin contact, it is very easy to spread it through intercourse or oral sex. Thus, protect your partner by always using a condom.

Q Hi doctor, what is infertility? Is infertility just a womens problem?

Infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant after at least one year of trying. Women who are able to get pregnant but then have repeat miscarriages are also said to be infertile. No, infertility is not always a Womens problem. In only about one-third of cases is infertility due to the woman. In another one third of cases, infertility is due to the man. The remaining cases are caused by a mixture of male and female factors or by unknown factors.

Q My baby has a white curd-like coating in the mouth. It bleeds when I try to clean it. What could it be? Is it normal?

Hello. The white coating you have described in your babys mouth could be a fungal infection! It is not normal. It could be acquired from the mothers birth canal at the time of birth and called as thrush in medical terms. It looks like elevated white patches of cheese or curd on tongue or cheeks and leaves behid a red bleeding surface when cleaned. Dont worry! It is not dangerous; but, it is surely painful for your baby and interferes with the feeding. In some babies the condition is self limiting and needs no treatment. In others an antifungal gel or medications might be needed.

Q What is "Selective Mutism"?

Selective mutism is a condition in which a person who is normally capable of speech is unable to speak in given situations or to specific people. Selective mutism usually begins in childhood. It usually co-exists with shyness or social anxiety. Its important to understand that when the mutism happens, the child is not voluntarily refusing to speak but is literally unable to speak, feeling frozen. In time, they learn to anticipate the situations that provoke mutism and do all they can to avoid them. Example: selective mutism while interacting with the opposite sex. Other attributes of children or adults with selective mutism are nervousness, socially awkward, clingy, excessively shy or withdrawn, stubborn or aggressive. Behavioral therapy forms the mainstay of treatment with medications used in a few older patients. Most children will work their way through SM with sympathetic support, although they may remain reserved and anxious in social situations.