KUSA - Dr. John Torres from Premier Urgent Care answers your questions every week. If you have a medical question for Dr. John, send it to mornings@9news.com and make sure to have Ask Dr. John in the subject line.
Question #1
I have asked the question that I will pose to you of many food editors. I have never received a definitive answer. We are told to cook chicken until the juices run clear. However, when I order duck breast in a restaurant or see it being prepared on food shows it is always served medium rare. Both chicken and duck are fowl. Why can we eat duck breast medium rare and not chicken? - David
There are actually multiple answers to this question. First off, ducks and geese have traditionally not been raised the same way as chickens so have less exposure to the agents normally causing food poisoning, namely salmonella or E. coli. But recently, because of their increasing popularity, ducks and geese have started to show up on big farms getting raised much like chickens so are starting to also get infected with these same bacteria. So it's always a good idea, no matter what kind of meat your handling, to practice safe kitchen techniques. That means not using the same utensils and cutting boards for meats and other food items and also cooking the meat to a sufficient temperature. In the case of duck or meat, recommendations are to cook it to an internal temperature or 165. Even at this well cooked temperature though, the meat can still have a pink color so it might seem like it's not cooked enough even though it is. Your best bet is to use a thermometer to figure out when it's at the right temperature to serve without concern about food poisoning.
Question #2
I was on Lipitor a year or so ago and was taken off when I complained of left hip joint pain. The pain went away. I was recently put back on Lipitor to help with the cholesterol (total is 203) and my hip pain is back. I know joint pain can be a side effect of this drug but can it affect only one specific joint area? - Alta
Statin medications have proven to be a wonderful medication for treating high cholesterol and even life saving in many instances. But like all medications, it has certain side effects. One side effect is joint pain, which can be temporary or can last as long as someone takes this medication. Using normal techniques to help with joint pain can sometimes allow a person to continue taking their statin medication. That means using heat or cold compresses, resting the joint and if possible taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory when the pain gets bad. But occasionally statin medications will have a more dangerous side effect, muscle pain and weakness. This has led to some more severe health problems and even a few deaths so should not be taken lightly. If you are on a statin medication and note any muscle pain or weakness you should discuss it with your doctor immediately. You best bet in this case is to switch to a different medication that might not have this side effect.
Question #3
What is considered a "Normal" sex life for an adult male in their 50's? If a 50 something man has NO sex drive and has normal hormones, not a diabetic, overall health good with only controlled high blood pressure what could be the problems?
The best answer to the question of what is a "normal" sex life is that it is relative. This means that each person, and each couple, will have a different definition of what it means to them. But overall someone in their 50's, or even older, should still have a fairly active sex life. Sometimes this doesn't happen and oftentimes it's due to a low libido. There are multiple reasons for having a low libido and most of them have treatments that can help restore both the libido and a healthy and active sex life. Medical conditions, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes or even thyroid problems, can interfere with blood flow which in turn can interfere with a person's libido. Chronic alcoholism can do the same. Some medications can also work to lower someone's libido. But even simple things like stress, both inside and outside the relationship, can wreck havoc on a person's sex life. The main thing is that this lack of libido is usually fixed if the underlying cause can be treated. Having a frank discussion with your doctor about a lack of libido and working together to find the cause and solution can go a long way towards restoring sex life to what it used to be.
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