[carboy]

Cousin is around 45 years old with hypertension & taking medication(losartan). He wants to monitor his BP regularly (atleast once a week if not more). He has a home machine - but he feels it is not accurate. Plus the aggravation of fitting the cuffs correctly probably raises his BP by 10 points. So is there another option than visiting a doc every week. Abroad, I have seen some pharmacies have automated machines (free to use inside the pharmacy) which are reasonably accurate. Are there some pharmacies in India which have this or atleast have a trained nurse or somebody who can quickly check BP was a reasonable fee?

[noidea]

The best option is to take the machine with you when you go to the doctor for the regular follow-up and then check the if the machine is giving correct readings there itself.
In out country there is no quality control - for anything at all- starting from machines to professionals. You can get fake or untrustworthy BP machines, fake medicines, untrained nurses to quack doctors all on the same street.

Cheers.

[creative420]

Can anyone suggest a urologist in Bangalore? Any urologist here on this thread? I have had a major kidney stone removal surgery done 3 years back. But guess it is back again.

Edit: also, tell me what all to drink? And what food to strictly avoid?

[thumpingheart]

Hey i'm a newbie. I'm a dentist from pune. Would love to help

[LonelyPlanet]

My 70 yr old father has been diagnosed with gall bladder stone - are there any alternate ways other than surgery.

[condor]

Originally Posted by noidea

In out country there is no quality control - for anything at all- starting from machines to professionals.

Fake or not, India or USA, it is a good idea to get your BP meter calibrated. Take your BP Monitor to your doctor, and do back to back measurements. The doctor will not say no, but will definitely help you. I have done such a comparison/ calibration both in US & here, with the same BP meter. And both my doctors knew how much the readings from their meters differed from mine.

It has nothing to do with Fake meters or lack of QC.

Originally Posted by LonelyPlanet

My 70 yr old father has been diagnosed with gall bladder stone - are there any alternate ways other than surgery.

Have you considered laproscopy ? We had successful results with this for my dad, then 67.5 years. If the doctors are suggesting a surgery, then the stone may be quite big already.

[noidea]

Originally Posted by condor

Fake or not, India or USA, it is a good idea to get your BP meter calibrated. Take your BP Monitor to your doctor, and do back to back measurements. The doctor will not say no, but will definitely help you. I have done such a comparison/ calibration both in US & here, with the same BP meter. And both my doctors knew how much the readings from their meters differed from mine.

It has nothing to do with Fake meters or lack of QC.
Have you considered laproscopy ? We had successful results with this for my dad, then 67.5 years. If the doctors are suggesting a surgery, then the stone may be quite big already.

1. Comparison is exactly what I suggested with the BP apparatus.
2. Laproscopy is also a kind of surgery. And large gall stones can be and are removed by that procedure

I really thing that a person should stick to his own speciality!

[condor]

Originally Posted by noidea

I really thing that a person should stick to his own speciality!

Of course .. but would be better if you said it more clearly .. a more "specialised" line instead of a generalisation.

[noidea]

Originally Posted by LonelyPlanet

My 70 yr old father has been diagnosed with gall bladder stone - are there any alternate ways other than surgery.

There are medicines that dissolve gall stones but the results are no so predictable. Surgery, especially keyhole surgery is a safer and faster alternative, if your father is fit for anaesthesia.

Originally Posted by condor

Of course .. but would be better if you said it more clearly .. a more "specialised" line instead of a generalisation.

Yes, agree with you there. My grammer was a bit off. Sorry for that.

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please use the "edit" button if posting within 30 minutes of the first post, instead of creating another back-to-back post.

Also use "Multi Quote" option for quoting Multiple posts.

[quadra]

Is there any dermatologist on this forum?

Some 2 yrs ago i noticed that a tiny portion of my beard under the chin was just missing (woke up one fine morning & it was just not there). Looks like someone played a prank and chopped off that part with a electric shaver. Its been 2 yrs since then......

I grew full beard but that portion is like a barren land.

A frnd had a similar situation where the doc advised to apply some onitment on that patch for like a year maybe & later he did some ultravoilet thing after which the problem was solved.

1. Now should i go see a doc or would it be safe to get an ointment off the shelf?
2. Did anyone else faced this issue?

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by quadra

...a tiny portion of my beard under the chin was just missing ...
1. Now should i go see a doc or would it be safe to get an ointment off the shelf?

It may be an immunological disease called alopecia areata, but difficult to pinpoint without actual clinical examination. It would be best for you to see a dermatologist and not self-medicate.

[quadra]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

It may be an immunological disease called alopecia areata, but difficult to pinpoint without actual clinical examination. It would be best for you to see a dermatologist and not self-medicate.

Thanks for the update.

[Deep Blue]

Originally Posted by LonelyPlanet

My 70 yr old father has been diagnosed with gall bladder stone - are there any alternate ways other than surgery.

In most of the gallstones that occur in adulthood, the problem is in the gallbladder called cholecystitis. This predisposes to formation of stones necessitating removal of the gallbladder. So medical dissolution of the existing stone even if possible is not the ultimate remedy.
Laparoscopic or open surgical removal of gallbladder is a safe surgery even at 70yrs in good hands subject to absence of comorbid illnesses. Comorbid illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, ischaemic heart disease can be brought to optimum levels before proceeding for surgery.

[chevelle]

Doctors, please provide a suggestion.

I have been experiencing symptoms of flu since my wife was having flu since last 4 days.

I have headache, cold and dry cough along with fever. Yesterday evening i measure the heat pocket under the tongue and it came to 100.4 F. Today i don't feel much fever, but it may come back as i took sinarest and crocin. I don't have a runny nose though.

I feel better now. Should i continue with this or should i take a stronger medicine like TamiFlu. I am taking sinarest once in 24 hours and crocin every 7-10 hours.

I have a long trip coming up in couple of days and want to get better asap.

Please advise. Thank you.

[idea]

Originally Posted by thumpingheart

Hey i'm a newbie. I'm a dentist from pune. Would love to help

Beleive you are Newbie on Team BHP and not Newbie as dentist :-).

Joke apart, where is your clinic in pune. It seems i am in need to extraction of my wisdom tooth.