DEAR DR. GOTT:

I have wanted to ask this "lighter" question for a long while, so here goes: Whatever happened to mustard plasters and poultices?

DEAR READER:

A mustard plaster is (or was) a home remedy used for many ailments, including the flu, coughs and colds. This old remedy is still rather common in France and Russia and is purported to stimulate the immune system, relieve pain, treat the common cold, cure gout, help bad circulation, sore muscles, rheumatism and difficulties related to the respiratory system. I find this all a little hard to believe. Through the years, as other remedies became available, poultices such as this one declined in popularity.

A mustard plaster is actually a poultice of mustard seed powder, flour, and water or egg white placed inside a protective dressing. When egg white is used, it presumably prevents blistering of the skin.

Mustard plasters should not be used on children under the age of 6, and black mustard should not be used for patients with kidney disease, ulcers or venous problems. Inhaling the vapors of a plaster can trigger asthma attacks or eye irritation and cause sneezing and a cough. A mustard plaster should never be left on for longer than 20 minutes, and the contents should never come into direct contact with the skin because of the possibility of burning.

This tidbit is informational only and does not in any way imply that I endorse or believe in mustard plasters taking the place of good medical care.

DEAR DR. GOTT:

I am a 25-year-old active female. About 10 months ago I began experiencing frequent urination, having to urinate every 30 minutes to an hour and either once or twice at night. I stopped drinking fluids after 7 p.m. That didn't work.

I went to see a doctor several times who thought it might be a urinary tract infection. I was tested four times and every culture came back negative. I finally went to a urologist, who said I was retaining too much fluid and who put me on some medication. Nothing has worked. Is there anything you can recommend?

DEAR READER:

I question whether you had a clean-catch midstream culture and took the necessary initial steps prior to presenting the specimen, or whether you might have tested negative because you were on an antibiotic for a presumed urinary tract infection.

Some common causes of frequent urination include diabetes types 1 and 2, prostatitis in men, cystitis (inflammation of the bladder), a neurogenic bladder, pyelonephritis (kidney and upper urinary tract inflammation), hypokalemia (low potassium levels), bladder or kidney stones, hypercalcemia (an excess of calcium in the blood), an ovarian cyst or fibroids.

Some individuals find that adding one or two 8-ounce glasses of 100 percent cranberry juice to their daily diet can ward off symptoms of a UTI, as can 200 mg of vitamin A daily. Vitamin A deficiency can cause people to awaken two to three times each night with an urge to urinate.

Because your problem has continued, I recommend you make an appointment with a urologist who can take your medical history and determine what, if any, additional testing might be necessary, such as cystoscopy, which examines the inside of the bladder. I don't in any way imply your physician is incorrect, but it is time for a second opinion.

Readers who would like related information can order my Health Reports "Bladder and Urinary Tract Infections" and "More Compelling Home Remedies" by sending a self-addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 U.S. check or money order for each report to Dr. Peter Gott, P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title(s), or print an order form from my website's direct link: www.AskDrGottMD.com/order_form.pdf.

Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including "Live Longer, Live Better," "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet" and "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook," which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com.

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