Mayo Clinic Q & A - August 2013 Archives

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve read that there will be new options for getting the flu vaccine this year, including one for people who have egg allergies. How are these new vaccines different, and how do I know which one to pick? How do researchers know they will be safe? ANSWER: You’re right. Beginning this year, several new vaccine options will be offered to help protect you against influenza, or the flu. Rather than just two options, you now will have a range of vaccines from which to choose. At first having so many choices may be confusing. But by doing a little research and having a conversation with your health care provider, you will be able to decide which one is best for your situation. As always, each of the new vaccines has gone through rigorous safety testing before being made available to the public.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I was diagnosed last year, at the age of 38, with shingles. What causes someone who is relatively young to get shingles? Does this mean I am more likely to get it again? Should I get the vaccine at this point or wait until the recommended age of 60? ANSWER: Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Once you have had chickenpox, varicella-zoster stays in your body for the rest of your life. When the virus is reactivated, the result is shingles. [Watch this animation: stages of shingles] Shingles typically involves a band-like rash on one side of the chest, abdomen or face. The rash is usually quite painful. Most people recover from shingles over several weeks. A small number have lingering severe pain, called post-herpetic neuralgia, along the nerve that was irritated when the virus came back. 

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My 12-year-old son goes to bed each night around 10 p.m. but usually cannot fall asleep until 1 or 2 in the morning. Is this normal for a “tween,” or should I talk to his doctor? What are some things that could cause insomnia in someone his age? ANSWER: Lots of children your son's age have trouble falling asleep easily at night. In many cases, the reason for this can be traced back to habits a child has developed that interfere with good sleep. Less often, it may be due to a sleep disorder. Before you see a doctor, check to make sure your son’s routines are sleep-friendly. For example, one of the best ways to ensure healthy sleep is setting a consistent wake-up time and sticking to it. The wake-up time doesn’t have to be exactly the same time every day, but it should be within a two-hour window.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My physician recommended that I be screened by a dermatologist for a baseline risk assessment. What is this, and is it necessary? I use sunscreen regularly and have skin that normally does not burn. Am I still at risk for skin cancer? ANSWER: Anyone can get skin cancer. So it is a good idea for everyone to get a baseline risk assessment from a dermatologist. This assessment can give you a better understanding of your risk for developing skin cancer. It also can help determine how often you should see a dermatologist for checkups in the future. There are three major types of skin cancer: melanoma, basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. Basal cell skin cancer is the most common kind of cancer worldwide. Squamous cell skin cancer is the second most common. Although less common than the other two, melanoma is a more serious type of skin cancer that can be difficult to treat if it is not caught early.