- If your erection lasts more than four hours,
you run the risk of permanently preventing
that little guy from ever going back up again.
As an ER doctor, I have pulled out
many objects and many makeup sponges out of this area.
Do I need to worry about rabies?
(heat beating)
- Hi, I'm Dr. Jordan Wagner.
I'm a real life board certified emergency medical physician.
My mission is to make videos
that answer all your urgent medical questions.
And that's why today I'm going to mix things up
with rapid fire answers
to some of your burning medical questions.
But before I do, make sure that you hit the subscribe button
and turn on your bell notifications.
That way, you know when I post new videos.
Okay, brace yourselves.
Here we go.
Number one, "Can I get herpes from a toilet seat?"
No, you're safe when it comes to public restrooms
for the most part.
But the biggest difference
between herpes one and herpes two,
is that herpes one is oral or around your mouth,
and herpes two is in your genital area.
While herpes one and herpes two are in different areas
they can swap positions so be careful.
"So I just watched a crazy action movie.
In an emergency situation,
can you really use a belt as a tourniquet?"
You can.
In my opinion, using a belt as a tourniquet
is not as effective in the majority of cases
as direct pressure would be to that wound.
Save yourself time and effort
instead of using your belt and taking off your clothes
use direct pressure.
"What is the best medication to control a fever?"
Acetaminophen, which is Tylenol,
or ibuprofen, which is Advil.
They both work well to reduce fevers.
Just follow the directions on the label.
Next question,
"I waited in the emergency room for five hours.
Is that typical?" Sadly, yes.
Depending on the time of the day
or the time of the week in the emergency department,
wait times can vary from five minutes up to multiple hours.
Also, if you are waiting,
that is a sign that you're likely not dying
versus the person being rushed in right past you
who needs immediate care.
ERs today are not first come first serve.
The first people that are served
are the most ill and the most life-threatened individuals.
Next question.
Okay, "I ran out of tampons.
In a jam, can I use a makeup sponge?"
No. Tampons were specifically made
based on a woman's anatomy and menstrual cycle in mind.
On a personal note, as an ER doctor
I have pulled out many objects and many makeup sponges
out of this area.
It can be very dangerous.
There's something called toxic shock syndrome
that can occur to women
or perforation or puncturing your insides.
Don't do it.
"What is the best way to get a bee stinger out?"
Great question.
You can use tweezers,
you can use a credit card by sliding it against
the direction that it went into your arm,
or you can use any type of glue, let it dry
and then scrape it off and get all the contents out.
Just be aware when you try to squeeze the stinger
there's a top bulb on it that has all the bee venom.
So your object is to minimize squeezing that
and get it out as fast as possible to minimize any
of the venom or pain
that has occurred with bee stinging.
All right, next question.
"I went to the nail salon
and now I have redness around my fingernail.
What do I do?"
This is very common.
You likely have something called paronychia
which is a common infection
around the nail bed and the nail itself
which is usually treated at home with warm soaks
and topical over the counter antibiotics.
But if it gets worse, where the infection can develop more
you can get pus underneath the skin.
At this point, you need to either go to your doctor
your primary care doctor, urgent care
or the emergency department
where they need to drain it for you.
And after that occurs, you might want to check
out Yelp for a new nail salon.
"I've had abdominal pain that comes and goes for a few days.
Am I dying?"
Probably not.
It's a likely scenario that you're not dying
And it's a very common reason why people come
to the emergency department.
It's probably due to being backed up and constipated.
Most people are constipated as everyone has busy lives
and they miss their body's signal to go to the restroom.
And then later when they go, they're already backed up.
Think about that over a lifetime.
Normally, we should go
to the bathroom one to two times a day.
Now, if you're having abdominal pain that has other symptoms
including fevers, vomiting, chills, et cetera
this could be a signal that you're having
maybe an infection or another problem going on.
And you need to be seen
by your healthcare provider, doctor or go to the hospital.
Next question,
"I have a mysterious bite on my leg.
Should I be worried that it's a brown recluse?"
I hear this a lot at work.
Most wounds that people are referring to that are
bites are likely early abscesses or localized infections.
Usually somebody has not witnessed a spider bite.
A brown recluse is identified
as a violin shape on their body.
It's usually found in attics, wood piles, and storage sheds.
So just be aware.
It has venom when it bites you
that can cause tissue necrosis,
which actually breaks down your skin,
can cause a hole over time where it bites you.
If a brown recluse does bite you, clean the wound
use cold compresses to the area to slow the venom
and do general wound care.
Once the venom has started
there's not much treatment for it.
You basically have to wait for it to run its course.
If your skin gets broken down too much
we can give you a skin graft there after.
So be careful, not all bites are brown recluse,
but have your doctor check it out.
"I found out a guy I was making out with has mono.
do I have it now?"
Mono, AKA mononucleosis, AKA the kissing disease
is usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.
It's passed on by saliva.
So yes, you potentially can get it that way.
There's no treatment for mono
and the symptoms can last up to a month,
which includes sore throat
body aches, night sweats, swollen glands, fevers.
So watch how you feel
and if you develop any of these symptoms
check with your doctor.
Also to note, antibiotics will not work for mono.
If you do take them,
likely will develop a rash throughout your whole body.
"I cut my finger and I think I need stitches
but I have to work.
How long can I wait before I need to go to the hospital?"
Well, most wounds that require stitches or sutures
should be done within the first six to eight hours.
That way you reduce the risk of infection.
That timetable can be prolonged a little bit longer
for wounds to the face.
But again,
you don't want to increase your risk for infections.
So I think you should use one of your sick days,
leave the office and get to the hospital
or the doctor's office so we can sew you up.
What is the difference between a DO and an MD?
In simple terms, a DO is a doctor of osteopathic medicine
and an MD is a doctor of allopathic medicine.
But, in the United States, these two types
of doctors go to school for the exact same period of time
and they learn the same material.
The DO, or in my case,
I take an extra course in medical school that has to do
with the musculoskeletal system.
And we're also trained to be able to do manipulations.
"I hit my funny bone.
It's not funny. So why do they call it that?"
When you hit your funny bone,
which is actually your ulnar nerve
on the inside of each elbow,
it sends a shock or a signal down your arm,
which is weird sensation and tingly
which can hurt sometimes
but they call it funny because it's a weird sensation.
Next question.
"I've had an erection for the last six hours
and I'm a little embarrassed to go
to the hospital or a doctor's office.
Is there anything I can do at home to make it go away
or any medication that I can take?"
Stop what you're doing and immediately go to the hospital.
This is a medical emergency.
After four hours
permanent damage can occur to your man parts.
Meaning, if it isn't fixed in a timely fashion
you may never have the ability to get it up again
or you may lose all sensation down there.
The ER staff knows how serious this is
and will treat you that way.
So there's no need for embarrassment
as we want the best for all of you.
Make sure you tell your doctor any medications that you
might've taken, even if you don't think it was the cause.
Last question.
"I tried to pet a stray dog
and now I got bit, do I need to worry about rabies?"
Yes, you should think about rabies.
Although it is extremely rare in the United States
occurring about a hundred cases per year.
The usual suspects that can cause rabies
are bats, skunks, coyotes, raccoons and dogs.
Dogs nowadays are extremely rare to cause rabies
but if you do get rabies, it's nearly fatal every time.
So if you do get bit by an animal
get it checked out immediately by your doctor, okay?
All right. That's it.
Make sure you guys subscribe
and turn your bell notifications on.
Thank you for watching everyone
Stay healthy my friends.