Ask a Doctor
Ask a doctor, or Patients’ Frequently Asked Questions (PFAQ), is a reliable source for answers to medical questions, as each question has been validated and peer reviewed for accuracy by the doctors at California Pacific Medical Center. Ask a doctor is a great way to learn about a new treatment, a health condition, a medical procedure, or medications.
Here is a small sampling of questions and answers you’ll find:
Question: Are
antibiotics required to treat all ear infections?
Answer: No. In recent years we have learned that as many as half of all ear
infections are caused by viruses. These infections resolve on their own. No specific
therapy is needed. For ear infections that are caused by bacteria, antibiotics can be
helpful in treating them. However, even bacterial ear infections often resolve on their
own, with no antibiotic therapy required.
Question: What
is the proper weight gain in pregnancy?
Answer: Pregnancy weight gain depends upon your baseline height and weight. The
bulk of weight gain in pregnancy is blood volume, which increases by 66% in a normal
pregnancy. Taller, large framed women gain more weight than small women.
Question: What
is heart failure?
Answer: Heart failure is a clinical syndrome said to present when the heart fails
to adequately pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. The terms congestive heart
failure or "CHF" are also used to describe this syndrome. Symptoms a patient may
experience include exertional fatigue, shortness of breath with activity, shortness of
breath lying down, and shortness of breath at rest. Other symptoms include nocturnal
cough, wheezing, fluid accumulation in the ankles, abdominal discomfort.....
Question: What
is the cause of ovarian cancer?
Answer: The causes of ovarian cancer remain poorly understood. One hypothesis is
that an increased number of ovulations increase the risk of ovarian cancer. A second
theory is that high chronic levels of pituitary hormones that stimulate the ovary
(pituitary gonadotropins) can somehow lead to cancer. Both theories could explain why.....
Question: How do
antidepressants work?
Answer: The exact mechanism of action of antidepressants is not completely
understood. However, there is general consensus that the mechanism by which
antidepressants works involves a change in neurotransmitters in the brain.
Neurotransmitters are molecules in the brain that the neurons or nerve cells use to
communicate with each other. The general theory of depression involves the concept of
aberrations in these neurotransmitter levels in the brain. So antidepressants correct an
abnormality in the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain.
If you don’t see your question here, don’t worry! Go to Patients’ Frequently Asked Questions (PFAQ) to view our complete list of questions that are regularly updated.
You can also find a wealth of information at Learning About Your Health, an online searchable database of classes, info sheets, educational consultations, support groups and more created by California Pacific physicians and staff for patients and their families. Click on the link above and start getting informed on a health topic of your concern.