MDTalks - Free Personalized Medical Questions and Answers

I am a nineteen year old female. I have one blister in my mouth on the right anterior pillar. It hurts to swallow. What could be the cause of this? I have no other symptoms and I have never had this happen before. I woke up two days ago with pain in my throat. I assumed it was a sore throat but I noticed that it hurt near the back of my mouth instead of the actual throat. I have not done anything treat the pain except eat a tablespoon of honey before going to sleep.

tdomf_55c88 — Fri, 20 May 2011 10:24:11 +0000

The most common causes of blisters in the mouth are cold sores and canker sores. Cold sores are due to Herpes Virus infections and are contagious. They can be brought on by stress or illness. Canker sores are usually secondary to viral illnesses such as a flu virus or cold. Canker sores are not infectious.

Cold sores and canker sores usually resolve within two weeks. To increase healing, you can rinse your mouth with salt water. If your symptoms do not improve or worsen, you should seek medical attention.

Tweet This Post

My mom is 65 and recently had cataract surgery performed with a Toric IOL lens implanted. Her vision was blurry after and had to have the posterior capsulotomy surgery done 6 weeks after. Her vision is still blurry and she is now being sent to Will’s Eye in Philadelphia. Do you have any suggestions on what the problem could be?

tdomf_55c88 — Fri, 20 May 2011 10:17:29 +0000

It is difficult to determine the cause of her blurry vision without a physical exam or more detailed knowledge of the operations she’s had. However, Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia is one of the premier eye hospitals in the country. You should provide the opthalmologists there with your mother’s complete medical records in including the past operative reports that the surgeons are obligated to provide.

Tweet This Post

Im 28 and been having dull pain in my lower pelvic area more on my left side but I feel it on my right just not as strong I feel it in my lower back its been a week now and no change any ideas of what it could be?

tdomf_55c88 — Fri, 20 May 2011 10:12:48 +0000

The most common types of pain in a 28 year old female are genitourinary or musculoskeletal in origin. Menstruation, ovarian cysts, or infections (pelvic or urinary) can all produce the pain you are describing. Injuries or excessive exercise to the hip joint and associated muscles/ligaments can also produce the pain you are describing. Because the pain has not gone away in a week, you should be evaluated by your physician with a physical exam, urinalysis, and blood tests if warranted.

Tweet This Post

I had an operation one year ago to remove a mass from my uterus. The surgeon also said she would check to see if my fallopian tubes were blocked as I have fertility issues. After the surgery she told me that my left fallopian tube was blocked. She did not have to remove the tube as it was not connected to the mass. I had surgery 2 days ago hoping that my surgeon could unblock the tube only to be informed in the recovery room that my left tube was non existent. How can a fallopian tube just disappear???????

tdomf_55c88 — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:27:44 +0000

Each patient is different. Without a detailed history, physical exam, and supportive diagnostic tests, it is impossible to specifically answer your question. There are a number of genetic conditions in which the fallopian tube either does not develop or develops abnormally. However, it is highly unlikely that a fallopian tube would “disappear” over the course of one year. The best person to answer the question would be your gynecologist, a fertility expert, or the gynecologic surgeon who took you for your operation one year ago to remove the uterine mass.

Tweet This Post

I’ve had a bump under the skin of my armpit for a few months but it hasn’t been red or sore. It recently started oozing whitish, greenish puss with an odor. It’s still not red, nor ever really looked like a pimple. What could it be? Maybe from an ingrown hair?

tdomf_55c88 — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:22:41 +0000

There are a number of causes of bumps in the armpit. That it recently opened up and started oozing purulent fluid is suggestive of an abscess or pilonidal cyst (infected hair follicle). Treatment is with an incision and drainage followed by a course of antibiotics. Alternatively, cysts/lumps in the armpit are suspicious for malignancy such as breast cancer and lymphoma. Therefore, you should be evaluated by your physician to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.

Tweet This Post

I have a husband disabled from stroke, and a son who has seizures that started when he was 18, and i was told by a doctor that has seen both husband and sun I was the cause. Is this possible? What can i do about it?

tdomf_55c88 — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:15:02 +0000

From your question, there does not appear to be any medical condition that points to one person as the cause of both seizures and strokes. Seizures can be caused by genetics, intracranial masses, drugs/alcohol/medications, fevers/infections, injuries, or metabolic disorders. Strokes are either ischemic or hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes are caused by either embolic events (a clot breaking off and lodging in a vessel of the brain) or thrombotic events (a narrow vessel clots off). Hemorrhagic strokes are a result of an intracranial bleed caused by anatomic defects of blood vessels, high blood pressure, or drugs/medications.

Tweet This Post

Could sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (generic for Bactrim) also be used to treat Chlamydia? I know it says that it will not treat virial infections…but since Chlamydia is a bacterial infection, would that work?

tdomf_55c88 — Mon, 16 May 2011 10:29:59 +0000

Bactrim is not effective at treating of chlamydia. Patients with chlamydia infections are treated with azithromycin, doxycycline, erythromycin, or ampicillin. Patients with chlamydia is often treated for gonorrhea with ceftriaxone or cefexime because of the high incidence of co-infection. Bactrim also does not treat gonorrhea.

Tweet This Post

This is a medical law question, if your doctor asks for a urine sample and he said you tested positive for illegal substances can he refuse to give you your normal prescriptions prescribed by him for pain?

tdomf_55c88 — Mon, 16 May 2011 10:22:15 +0000

Every physician is different but we have the obligation to “do no harm.” If your physician believes you are abusing drugs or narcotics, (s)he may elect to withhold future prescriptions of pain medication for your safety.

Tweet This Post

I fell down on friday and gauged my elbow. A small piece of meat was hanging and I cleaned it with peroxide adn neosporin. I broke it open tonight and clear bloody fluid drained out. I woke up two days ago with mod. to sev. pain in my forearm ext. I am wondering if this is from an infection and how severe it could get. I have no insurance and no money so going to the doctor would have to be damn near life and death.

tdomf_55c88 — Mon, 16 May 2011 10:16:25 +0000

From what you are describing, you could have an infection of the soft tissue; the severity of infection depends on your immune system and the type of bacteria. With increasing bacterial resistance, neosporin is less and less effective at treating local wound infections.

Soft tissue infections range from cellulitis to necrotizing fasciitis. Signs of infection include pain, tenderness, swelling, warmth, and erythema (redness of the affected area). If your symptoms do not improve or worsen, you should be evaluated by a physician. In addition, you develop fever, severe pain, notice increasing redness/swelling, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Tweet This Post

I am a 23 year old female and was recently diagnosed with GERD and diffuse esophageal spasm after having an x-ray, barium swallow, schazki ring removal and balloon stent, endoscopy, and an esophageal manometry. I am now on medication for the esophageal spasms that lower my blood pressure but my blood pressure is low from genetics. Sometimes I get very dizzy and it has gotten to the point that I don’t feel comfortable driving. From my research and speaking to relatives in the medical field, being hospitalized and speaking to the hospital doctors, and meeting with my gastroenterologist, it seems that this might be the best case scenario, and that it might never get better. I have read about antidepressants helping rather than heart pressure medication, but my doctor said he doesn’t think it would help and if the heart medication is helping the spasms that I should stick with it. I’d like a second opinion.

tdomf_55c88 — Sun, 15 May 2011 10:24:01 +0000

It appears you are suffering from diffuse esophageal spasms but also have low blood pressure. Calcium channel blocks and nitrates (both heart medications) have been proven to effectively decrease the amplitude of diffuse esophageal spasms. These medications are generally well tolerated but may lower the blood pressure of patients. Unfortunately, it appears that you have low blood pressure and these medications are giving you symptomatic hypotension. If you feel uncomfortable driving because of dizziness, it may be necessary to explore alternative treatment options.

The antidepressant you are referring to, imipramine (a tricyclic antidepressants) is not indicated for treating diffuse esophageal spasm. Instead, it may be used as a last resort to treat unexplained chest pain. Your best alternative if calcium channel blockers and nitrates are intolerable is botulism injection above the lower esophageal sphincter.

Tweet This Post