Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-10-17
Stop Killing
Yourself
BY PETER J. STEINCROHN

my husband and niece suf-
fer from allergies of differ
ent types. At one time. my
husbands allergy became so
severe that he was Hospital
lized. The swelling began at
his feet accompanied by
large. round welts and con-
tinued until they reached
his head. His face was so
swollen I would never have
recognized him had I not
known he was lying in that
particular bed In the hos
pital.
He took about IS scratch
tests" and they found he was
allergic to tomatoes, eggs,
coins and various other
things. incidentally, he eats
eggs every morning and I
keep crossing my fingers he
hasn't had any trouble since.
/ guess he will never know
what caused his trouble or
when or If 1t will ever strike
again. Mrs. K.
WHAT DID they call the
swellings? Giant urticaria?
That's the name we give to
these large, itchy swellings
that spread all over the skin.
AS in your husbands case,
the cause is not always evil
dent beyond doubt.
His skin tests showed SEN
sitivity to eggs, yet he eats
eggs without q reaction. In
many cases skin tests may be
positive and the patient may
not be allergically sensitive;
on the other hand, 1t may
be negative, yet the patient
Is quite sensitive to the
tested material when he eats
it, inhales it or rubS 1t on
the skin.
In simple urticaria the
eruptions disappear within a
few hours or days: in some
patients they come in crops
for many weeks or months.
Yes, allergy is a disturbing
and frustrating condition.
Our best hope is to keep
trying to determine the &C
tual cause and then try to
stay away from 1t or neu-
tralize 1t with treatment.
Il suggest that you, and
others interested, send for
my leaflet S-13, called "a
leroy: Disguised Attacker."
Inclose 10 cents and a
stamped, self addressed en-
velope and mail to me in care
Of The Evening Starr
s&A
Dear DR.. Steincrohn: I am
IS years old and have trou-
BILE with my right shoulder.
I can't raise my arm above
my head. ] had an attack
Of coronary thrombosis q few
months ago and the pain and
stiffness came on within a
few weeks after ! was up and
around.
Mr. doctor says X-rays
show that I do not have bur-
sits or arthritis in the
shoulder. I have been tax
ing physiotherapy for eight
weeks, but it doesn't seem to
do much good. The pain
never seems to leave my arm.
I am getting worried. Do
you have any suggestions?
Mr.. L.
is IT POSSIBLE to have
bursitis and still have mega
tive X-rayS. (Some joints
with o lot of calcium give
no symptoms at all while
others-like yours - may be
painful without evidence Of
calcium in the Joint or
bursa.)
There is another factor
that is sometimes overlooked.
After some attacks Of coro-
nary thrombosis and we
don't know the exact reason
unless there is some inter-
ference with the circulation
in the joint - the patient
comes down with trouble in
the shoulder joint causing
pain, stiffness and immobil-
ity frozen joint. We call it
the shoulder arm" syn
drome.
It may last for weeks or
months, but usually clears
up even though it is so Sc
we're that the swelling ex-
tends right down into the
hand. Your doctor will have
to make the diagnosis.
II it's bursitis and physi-
otherapy doesn't help, some
times the adheSions have to
be broken up by operation.
But this should not be con-
sidered until you have given
conservative treatments a
chance: more physiotherapy,
injections Of a cortisone de-
rivative into the shoulder re-
gion, X-ray treatment, or
ultra sonic therapy.
Bsll Syndicate Feature)