Dear HealthSmart,

From reading the internet, I believe I have Gastroparesis. But I’m phobic about going to the doctor. How is it diagnosed?

HealthSmart asked Dr. Henry Parkman, M.D., director of GI Mobility Laboratory at Temple University School of Medicine. Here’s his response:

If you have symptoms of gastroparesis, it’s important to visit your doctor and explain the extent of your discomfort. There are several tests used for diagnosis. A typical first step is an upper endoscopy to see if undigested food is left in the stomach. Another common test involves scintigraphy, which measures gastric emptying and the transit of food through the small bowel and colon. Some doctors are puzzled by the symptoms of gastroparesis—which can lead to a delay of up to three years to get a proper diagnosis. If your primary care doctor is dismissive of your symptoms, I wouldn’t delay seeking the opinion of a gastroenterologist.

Dear HealthSmart,

What are symptoms of blood cancer? What signs should prompt a visit to the doctor?

HealthSmart Asked Dr. Daniel Pollyea, M.D., M.S., Clinical Director of Leukemia Services at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Here’s his response:

The signs and symptoms for each type of cancer is completely different. However, fatigue, symptoms related to significant anemia, shortness of breath, infection complications, and bleeding complications are seen in patients suffering from various types of blood cancer. How early on or late a diagnosis is made is often dependent on how long a person can tolerate their symptoms. Multiple myeloma will involve bone pain. Lymphoma will have enlarged lymph nodes. Leukemia may cause easy bruising, unintentional weight loss, and a pale complexion.

Dear HealthSmart,

I often find myself snacking at my work desk even when I know I’m not hungry and end up eating way more than if I were out and about. What are ways to stop this habit?

HealthSmart asked Dr. Sumati Gupta, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology at Barnard College. Here’s her response:

It’s very common to snack mindlessly at your work desk. A lot of people say they need to have some sort of jaw activity while working and end up associating the two activities. For these individuals I may suggest chewing a piece of gum instead of eating. If this doesn’t work, simply portioning out snacks and not eating straight out of the bag or container can help avoid overeating. Another good strategy to limit eating while you’re working is to force yourself to pause your work and go to an area away from your desk, or even just close the tabs your working on, and eat mindfully without distraction. This will help separate the association between the two activities.

Do you have questions on health or wellness you’d like answered by the nation’s leading medical researchers? If so, you can send to Editor@WashNews.com. HealthSmart is a national newspaper column from the Washington News Service in DC. Due to demand, we are unable to reply to all inquiries. Responses through the column are no substitute for care from physicians or other medical professionals.

Copyright Ellen James Martin 2021