Talk Radio 702 - A Word Medical Matters

The urologist Shingai Mutambirwa was our guest, allaying your fears with his ultra-smooth voice and ultra-thorough explanations. Some of the things listeners were worried about were very yellow urine, vomiting blood, arthritis, possible irritable bowel syndrome, sleep apnea, losing sensation in your legs, bladder problems and diabetes.

The open line with pulmonologist Dr Frans Skosana went down a treat. He gave callers comprehensive answers on the symptoms laid before him. This varied from chronic chest pain and the possible causes to a worried elderly wife calling about her husband’s emphysema and fibrosis of the lungs and the benefits of oxygen. One caller had recently had a collapsed lung and wanted to calm his paranoia, while another wanted more information on her pulmonary embolism. Callers also came with more general queries, like getting to the bottom of pins and needles and swollen ankles at certain times of the day. Dr Skosana also spent some time discussing the different medication available for respiratory diseases.

So what exactly do you need to know this holiday and take with you to be safe and prepared? Emergency services specialist Charl van Loggerenberg was in studio to talk about just that. He tackled snakes, scorpions and blue bottles, or at least their bites and stings. There was also an interesting call about where snoek factor into this. Charl gave handy and uncomplicated hints for your first aid kit, whether you’re going to the beach, going camping, hiking or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Leigh was joined by Professor Francois Venter of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute. 1 December was World Aids Day and the professor talked about the improvements in HIV in South Africa that can be celebrated, such as vast improvements in life expectancy over the last three years and also very cheap soon-to-be-available new ARVs. He touched on some of the side-effects of HIV treatment and also talked about the different stages of HIV to look out for. One caller called in concerned about her elderly, HIV-positive dad’s drinking problem and him possibly going off his medication. Another caller wanted to get the facts on male circumcision and why it reduces the risk of getting HIV. The professor discussed a study that gives the answers. Lastly, one caller was worried about having a child when one partner has HIV, and the professor gave him some peace of mind. On the sms line there were questions about how ARVs affect weight and growth and listeners wanted to know tips for the appropriate lifestyle, such as the correct water intake when on ARVs.

Registered Dietician Anne Till was our guest this evening. Anne spoke to us about the importance of maintaining a healthy diet if you are diabetic. She also gave some advice on which foods are acceptable and which aren’t. She also said diabetics should avoid fizzy, sugary drinks and substitute them with water and slices of lemon. She then said eating carbohydrates in moderation won’t prove harmful.

Joining us in studio was Podiatrist Andrew Clarke. He spoke about how diabetes can affect the feet. We had amputations, damaged nerves in the legs, itching and restless legs and treatment for such disorders.

Diabetes is usually a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there are high levels of sugar in the blood. High blood sugar levels can cause several symptoms including: blurry vision; excess thirst and fatigue. There exists two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease where the body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Type 2 of diabetes, also known as late-onset diabetes is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency.

Ophthalmologist Dr Nicky Welsh spoke about how diabetes affects the eyesight. Dr Nicky said if you have diabetes, regular visits to your eye doctor for regular exams are important to avoid eye problems. High blood sugar (glucose) increases the risk of eye problems from diabetes. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults age 20 to 74. She also said three major eye problems that people with diabetes may develop and should be aware of are cataracts, glaucoma, and retinopathy.

Dr Carol Benn, a specialist surgeon with an interest in breast disease at the Netcare Breast Care Centre in Johannesburg was Leigh’s guest for this evening’s open line on medical matters. She spoke about breast cancer, lumps in breasts, hyper tension disorders, tumours and depression.

Injury (trauma) to bones and joints should not be dismissed lightly, especially if pain persists. ER Consultant Dr Robert Gentz said if untreated, fractures and dislocations may heal with the bones out of alignment. Permanent deformity and joint degeneration are two possible complications.