swelling on neck

My son (10) has a painless swelling in the upper part of the neck. It?s soft but can?t be compressed with hot vapour. Can you suggest a remedy?

It needs to be thoroughly examined. It may be a congenital cyst (fluid-filled lesion), a lymphatic cyst (called cystic hygroma), or a lipoma (benign tumour of fat cells). Because it is soft, I think it?s not a swelling of the lymph node. Such swellings are usually firm. To pin down the problem a few investigations ? x-ray of the neck, fine needle aspiration cytology and a few blood tests ? should be done. All these tests are necessary, because treatment can begin only on the basis of the test reports.

abdomen pain

My mother (42) has been suffering from pain in the right upper abdomen. The pain radiates towards the shoulder. She also feels a queasiness after eating oily foods. She?s been taking some antacids, but the condition has not yet improved. We?re worried. Please help.

It seems your mother has been suffering from a chronic inflammation of the gall bladder. I suggest her to get an ultra-sonogram done to look for stones in the gall bladder. If tests confirm problems due to gallstone, it should be got rid of. There are several options for that. It can be done through a laparoscopic surgery, or a conventional operation, depending on the condition of the patient.

vomiting

For the last few months, my father (50) has been vomiting undigested food after meals. As a result, he?s lost appetite and body weight considerably. In addition, there is a swelling on the left side of his neck. What?s the problem?

It?s essential that a surgeon examines your father properly. Investigations like upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy and biopsy of the stomach should also be done. The history points towards a tumour in the stomach. However, to confirm the diagnosis, conventional examinations and investigations should be done. If it?s not a tumour, the treatment won?t be much of a problem. But if the investigations reveal a tumour, the treatment will depend on its stage. If it?s not in an advanced stage, then the stomach will have to be operated on. But if it?s advanced, palliative treatment should be started.

frequent urination

My father (65) has been suffering from increased frequency of urination for some time. A doctor examined him and said it?s due to an enlargement of the prostate gland. He prescribed some medicines, but none of them have worked. Please suggest a remedy.

It appears that your father is suffering from a benign enlargement of the prostate. However, a clinical examination should be done to confirm. To ascertain if the enlargement is due to some malignancy, an investigation called prostate specific antigen (PSA) test should be done. In case of a benign enlargement of the prostate, the gland should be removed. If the enlargement of the prostate is malignant in nature, surgical removal of the gland is the next course of action to be followed. Anti-cancer drugs should also be taken.

breast swelling

My sister (30) has been suffering from a swelling in her left breast which is gradually increasing in size. My grandmother also had had a similar ailment, and she died of breast cancer. Please help.

You should take your sister to a surgeon. The symptoms and the history you have stated point towards breast tumour. But to conclusively comment on the swelling, some investigations like fine needle aspiration cytology and mammography should be carried out. If breast tumour is confirmed, its stage should be ascertained first and treatment should be carried out accordingly. Removal of the affected breast would be mandatory, but considering your sister?s age, breast reconstruction with prosthesis should be done simultaneously. A proper psychological counselling should also be carried out.