Sleep Apnea

I have been reading Neurology Now for a few months. I am a 71-year-old woman with fibromyalgia. I never see any news coverage of exploding head syndrome, an apnea-related condition described by Dr. John M.S. Pearce in 1989. I wrote Dr. Pearce to thank him for helping me with this awful thing. I have central hypopneas, which are episodes of overly shallow breathing.

Also, I am on a limited, fixed income and live in a small studio apartment. Could you feature some articles on poverty-stricken sick people? - Karen Keys

THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your letter, Karen. We have never reported on exploding head syndrome, but we have covered sleep apnea. We will also try to include more stories about people with neurologic conditions who are facing poverty. Check out our "Penny Wise" department, which includes stories about managing the cost of care.

Phantom Smells

For the past two years, I have been smelling smoke when no smoke is around. It can disappear for months at a time, but it always comes back. Do you have any information on this condition? - Dorit Rosa Moody, Surrey, England

I fell down a short flight of brick stairs in early August, hitting the back of my head against a rock wall. It hurt, and there was a lump near the base of my skull on the right side, which lasted about a week. Since then, I started losing taste, then smelled a sour perfume smell and tasted perfume. A couple of days ago, it shifted to a constant smell of stale cigarette smoke. Do you have any advice? - Suzi Ryder

THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Please see a neurologist if you are experiencing phantom smells. 

More Coverage of Huntington's Disease

I recently came upon your magazine while at a doctor's office for a check-up. Please consider including coverage of Huntington's disease (HD). My father passed away from complications associated with HD in 2006. My youngest sister has HD and requires the assistance of a live-in caregiver.

Prior to my dad's passing, a group of local friends and family organized and created a non-profit called Team KJ. Our website is FightHD.org. We have worked with Dr. Jan Nolta's HD stem cell team at the University of California, Davis. I lived in San Francisco in the 1990s and was actively involved in the local HD Society of America San Francisco chapter. Part of our fundraising dollars goes to fund Dr. Nolta and her team on their cutting-edge HD stem cell research. She is brilliant and a huge supporter of Team KJ.

Last fall, Westchester-based RNN television did a feature story on Team KJ prior to our annual major fundraiser, the Mickey Sullivan Duathlon, which takes place Columbus Day weekend in Pearl River, NY, to benefit Team KJ. - MG Fleming, New York, NY

THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your letter. We congratulate you on the work you're doing in support of people with HD. Read more Neurology Now coverage of HD.