food cravings

[Marijn]

I have a friend who has a craving for salt, so much so that she makes herself salt sandwiches. I have another friend who is constantly eating whole lemons (without sugar). Neither of them are pregnant. Sometimes people eat unusual things when they have a lack of something in their body. What could they be lacking? And what would that be a symptom of? Thanks

[sqad617]

Have no idea about your other friends, but the one with the salt craving Google ......Addison's Disease.

[Marijn]

Thanks Sqad, I'll google that. She says she craves more salt when she's stressed.
BTW re your post on Friday. I did not think you didn't like the person. I was saying it's a shame that was your philosophy on life.
P.S Do you mind if I ask you about my sister's recurring headaches?

[sqad617]

notafish....not at all....for what my opinion is worth.

My philosophy..........don't let it worry you.

[Marijn]

Hi Sqad, I like your new philosophy "don't let it worry you". :-)
But your philosophy on Friday was "be wary of nice people" : (
My sister has a headache behind her right ear, on a regular basis. It is 2 inches round from behind her ear in a little dent in the base of her skull. She says it has long spasms, it comes about from tension or carrying heavy bags. She said once it went on for six weeks.
Thank you for your time.

[sqad617]

Nota fish...a little more information please.
Does she have any symptoms in her right ear..discharge, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), feeling of fullness or deafness?
How old is she and does she have arthritis anywhere?

[Marijn]

Thank you very much Sqad: She says she has a little tinnitus, but randomly (not linked to the pain). She is 50 years old and has crepitus in her knees and right big toe. (is crepitus the same as arthritis?)

[sqad617]

Right........the area that she is getting the intermiitent headaches is in the region of the nerves C2 and C3 and this region is at the top of the neck, commonly involved in cervical spondylosis(type of arthritis)

She needs an MRI scan of that area, which will either support or refute my diagnosis of cervical spondylosis.

[Marijn]

Oh dear, she'll be very worried if I tell her. When I phoned to ask the questions you wanted me to ask her, she told me to leave it, she said she only wanted a moan, and didn't want me to ask anymore.
Why would it be CERVICAL spondylosis?
My late dad had spondylosis, he had quite a bad humped back.
Thank you for your time.

[sqad617]

Cervical Spondylosis affects the nerves C2 and C3 which then travel to the area behind each ear..........the region in which your sister is getting the pain.

It might be a good idea if she tried NSAID's e.g Ibuprofen on a regular basis for a month, say 400mgms twicw daily.

[Marijn]

Thank you very much. Would it do her harm to take the Ibuprofen for a month if she didn't have anything wrong with her? I can't see her going to the doctor, she's very anti going to doctors for some reason.

[sqad617]

No problems at all.

[Marijn]

Thank you Sqad :-)