Question: Please don't laugh. I think I have athlete's foot on my hands. Is this possible? If so, what should I do? I have tiny bubblelike blisters under the skin surface on the sides of the fingers and inside the thumbs and forefingers. Sometimes they itch, and Micatin helps, but they never completely go away. Is it contagious, whatever it is?
- T.Y.
Answer: You could have a fungal infection. You can call it "athlete's hands" if you so desire.
Your success with the anti-fungal cream, however limited, is important evidence.
You should use the cream for a long time after the visible signs are gone - two or more weeks longer, perhaps. Fungi have a way of living on after they've done their immediate damage.
That's my first thought. My second is of other avenues to explore. Other maladies, such as dyshi-drosis, can resemble a fungal infection. With dyshidrosis, small blisters form on palms and sides of the fingers. However, anti-fungals would do nothing to combat that. Cortisone creams would.
Now, there is another situation: The person has athlete's feet and has hand symptoms. It's called an "ID reaction," an allergic response of hand tissue to the real fungus infection in the feet. You treat the foot infection with anti-fungals and the ID reaction skin with cortisone cream.
You're not likely to pass a hand fungus infection on to someone else, and it will not spread to your face or eyes. Fungi are funny that way. They prefer certain body areas for setting up house.
Perhaps you should visit your doctor, who can help you sort things out.
Question: My son, 41, has trembling of his right hand. It started a couple of years ago. Is this Parkinson's disease?
- J.H.
Answer: Your son is young to have Parkinson's disease, which usually strikes in the 50s. And what you describe does not fit an accurate picture of the illness.
There are many tremblings and variations of hand trembling and causes. If your son's trembling is causing concern, he should be examined by a doctor.
You can find Parkinson's signs discussed in the report I'm sending you. Others can order "Coping With Parkinson's Disease" by writing: Dr. Donohue - No. 24, Box 5539, Riverton, NJ 08077-5539. Enclose $3 and a self-addressed, stamped (55 cents) No. 10 envelope.
Question: In a recent column you mentioned a special mask to be worn over the face to maintain airway pressure during sleep to help snorers. Could you mention in the paper where a person could buy such a mask?
- Mrs. K.A.
Answer: I hope I didn't leave the impression that the mask is for simple snoring. It is not. I was discussing sleep apnea, a distinct disorder in which loud snoring is interrupted by episodes of silence and breathlessness of approximately 10 seconds. Those are called "apneic episodes."
One remedy is boosting of airway pressure, the kind that assists inspiration of air. The mask device delivers what is called "continuous positive airway pressure." You can buy one at a well-stocked medical supply store.
Such devices are not to be used frivolously for a mere snoring annoyance. Their use should be approved by a doctor.
Besides, it's not going to help if positive airway pressure is not the problem. For example, a structural blockage could be involved, and that should be identified and treated for itself.