DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I would like your opinion on varicose veins. I have them, and I want to get rid of them but I can’t afford to be off work for very long. My doctor says there are new ways of treating them that don’t require staying off your feet for an extended time. Furthermore, I love to dance. Did dancing have anything to do with my veins? If not, how did I get them? – G.M.

ANSWER: Defective vein valves bring about varicose veins. It’s a long way to travel from the legs to the heart, and blood has to get back to the heart with gravity pulling it back toward the feet. The only way this engineering feat is accomplished is through vein valves. As blood makes its way up the leg veins, valves close to keep it from trickling back down. If vein valves aren’t working, blood pools in the leg veins and stretches them out of shape. The result is gnarly, distended varicose veins. Prolonged standing and sitting are two factors leading to dilated leg veins. Dancing had nothing to do with them. Exercise prevents them. The contracting leg muscles squeeze leg veins, propelling blood upward and back to the heart.

Varicose veins can be more than a cosmetic problem. They can make the legs ache, and they can cause swelling of the legs and ankles.

New techniques for vein removal are plentiful, and they do get people back on their feet in a short time. One brand-new procedure is LASP – light-assisted stab phlebectomy (flea-BECK-tuh-me). The doctor introduces a thin light under the skin to illuminate the vein so it can be removed through very tiny incisions. The operation is over in one hour. Veins also can be treated by injecting them with solutions that make them collapse. Lasers and radio waves are two other procedures that get rid of these veins without a great deal of fuss and with a brief recuperation time.

The booklet on varicose veins explains why they happen, what can be done to prevent them and how they are treated. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue – No. 108, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My mother is 74. She self-diagnoses and self-treats her “chronic sinusitis,” ear and eye infections and any other malady, always with homeopathic remedies. When the remedy doesn’t work, my mother increases the dose.

She recently visited me, and I was shocked by her appearance. She is very thin, and her eyes and fingernails are discolored a frightful gray. A nurse caring for my brother inquired about her health. During her visit she became ill and dropped colloidal silver on her tongue and eyes. I convinced her to see a doctor, who advised her to stop taking colloidal silver. We have learned she is still using it. Will you outline its toxicity? She might stop taking it if you do. – A.S.

ANSWER: At one time, colloidal silver was considered a remedy for any number of illnesses. Sore throats and eye infections were among those illnesses. It’s still in use by some, but most have abandoned it. It’s a dispersion of silver particles in fluid. Silver particles deposit in the whites of the eyes and the nails and turn them blue or slate gray. They can deposit in the skin and produce the same disturbing color. The blue man of Barnum and Bailey’s circus was blue due to colloidal silver.

Silver can cause kidney damage, stomach upset and headaches. Your mother should stop using this right away.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I read that melatonin is good for you. It boosts sleep and acts on the pineal gland. It’s supposed to stop aging and rejuvenate you. How true is this? – G.D.

ANSWER: Melatonin is a hormone made in the pineal gland, which is a tiny gland buried in the brain. The hormone regulates our inner clock so we know when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to rise. It might be useful for insomnia. A rejuvenator? I don’t think so. Don’t your eyebrows rise in disbelief when so many wonderful things are ascribed to one product?

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 24 and have suffered with anxiety since I was 15. Now I am afraid to leave my home. My doctor won’t prescribe any pills over the phone. What should I do? – A.F.

ANSWER: Start by having someone take you to the doctor. Ask your doctor to refer you to a mental health professional. Your anxiety has grown into agoraphobia, a fear of leaving your home. You’re not likely to get over this on your own. Anxiety and agoraphobia are treatable with medicine and talk therapy. You’re a young person, and you’re losing too much of your life to a sickness that can be controlled with expert help.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com

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