TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH - By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My father is 88 and quite headstrong. He has taken a daily dose of mineral oil for years and years. He says it keeps him regular. Should he continue to do this? Could it harm him? -- K.H.

ANSWER: Mineral oil was once a favorite treatment for constipation and for its prevention. It's not a great way to combat either. It interferes with the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K, and it can block absorption of other nutrients. He should take it before eating or before taking any medicines or vitamins. If it goes down the wrong way -- into the lungs rather than the stomach -- it causes pneumonia.

Your dad is 88. I take it he is in reasonable health. He's been taking mineral oil for years and years without facing any consequences. I would mention to him that this isn't a good idea. However, he is at an age when he can do most anything he wants. If he objects, I wouldn't push matters too hard.

The booklet on constipation and its treatment deals with this common problem in depth. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 504W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient's printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.
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DEAR DR. DONOHUE: If a person is all alone and choking from something caught in the throat, this person cannot perform the Heimlich maneuver on himself. Would it be good for that person to insert a finger into the back of the throat to provoke regurgitations and clear the airway? -- C.

ANSWER: If food or anything else gets caught in the windpipe (the trachea), a solo person can dislodge it by bending over a sturdy chair so the abdomen, just above the navel (bellybutton), rests on the top of the chair. A kitchen chair with a wooden back is a good choice. Then the person pushes the abdomen with an inward and slightly upward thrust against the top of the chair. It should generate a burst of air through the windpipe to dislodge whatever is stuck there. Repeat the thrust as many times as necessary. If a chair is unavailable, then make a fist with one hand and cover it with the other hand. Put the fist in the same location, above the navel, and make a forceful inward and upward thrust. Repeat as needed.

The forced vomiting idea isn't a good one. Vomited material leaves the stomach and enters the mouth through the esophagus. It doesn't unblock the trachea.
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DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Do you lose more nutrients from vegetables when you cook them in a microwave than when you cook them on a stove? -- A.T.

ANSWER: You lose fewer vitamins and minerals when you microwave vegetables than when you cook them on top of a stove. Little water is needed when microwaving, so nutrients don't pass out of the vegetables and into the water.
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Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.