DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a 26-year-old, beautiful and intelligent daughter who washes her hands constantly. The skin on her hands is red and raw. She says she knows it’s ridiculous, but she keeps on doing it. What’s wrong with her? Can she be helped? I have no idea who can help her. Is this just a habit? — R.S.

ANSWER: Your daughter can be helped. The doctor to see is a psychiatrist. If you don’t know one, your family doctor can refer her to one.

She has obsessive-compulsive disorder. An obsession is a recurring idea that intrudes into her thoughts and causes anxiety. The compulsion is a ritual-like act that she feels compelled to perform in order to free herself from the anxiety-provoking obsession — her hand-washing. This isn’t just a habit; it’s an irresistible urge to gain peace of mind. Many people have OC disorder. Another compulsion is checking, time and time again, to see if the oven is turned off. Repeatedly straightening the fringe of a carpet is another example.

OC disorder can disrupt a person’s life.

A skilled therapist can convince your daughter that her hand-washing ritual is counterproductive. The doctor will help her erase the thought that prompts her to repeat this action time and again. He or she will show her the irrationality of her behavior. The process is called cognitive behavior therapy.

Medicines can restore normal brain chemistry. An imbalance of chemical messengers in the brain also is part of the problem.

Urge your daughter to see a professional. She doesn’t want her life ruined by something that can be successfully treated.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Please furnish information on basal cell cancer. I had four removed. How did I get them? Are they a threat to life? — B.B.

ANSWER: Basal cell cancers are skin cancers that arise from the lowest layer of skin, the basal layer. Exposure to sunlight and having a fair complexion are the two greatest risk factors for developing this common kind of skin cancer. The typical basal cell cancer is a scaly, red, slightly raised, small patch of skin that develops a central sore. The sore may heal, but it always comes back.

Basal cell cancers are not usually a threat to life. They can bore deeply into the tissues beneath them if they are not removed.

Doctors and patients have a number of ways to successfully get rid of them. Their size and location dictates the best treatment.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I recently read in the newspaper that limiting salt is no longer believed to be an important part of treating high blood pressure.

I have taken medicine for high blood pressure for 10 years, and now my pressure is fine. I have been strict about my salt intake. At first I found it quite disagreeable, but I have gotten used to it, and prefer my food not be salted.

Can I start taking salt again? I don’t really need to. I’m happy the way things are. — R.B.

ANSWER: I’ve read the same articles, and I’ve read the original articles in respected medical journals. This information has stirred up lively debates.

Your blood pressure is normal. You like your food without salt. I’d stick with your current regimen. It’s working for you.

Before people ditch the low-salt diet, they should wait until this new information has been retested and proven beyond a doubt.

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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