Health News resources and information

We humans are inclined to regard ourselves as sensitive in a way that animals are not because our brain has developed above the level of that of animals. We feel that we are sensitive, that we are highly strung. This gives us the ability to appreciate the subtlety and diversity of our sensations in a way which would not otherwise be possible. We feel that this sensitivity in itself makes us more vulnerable to pain. I think that this is only partially true. Many very sensitive people, by developing a quiet philosophy and understanding, have a great capacity for the

self-management of pain; and on the other hand, many very insensitive people allow distress and fear to overtake them, and so withstand pain very badly.

My own experience with patients is that the more sensitive persons learn the technique of the self-management of pain rather better than their less sensitive fellows. One reason for this is that some degree of sensitivity helps the patient to let himself go along with me with these ideas.

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Q. What is the current view on diet as it relates to ulcers? At one time diet was the most important part of treatment and we all recall the awful sloppy foods that were served to grumbling ulcer victims. Is diet still important?

A. The answer is ‘No’. Today most doctors believe diet plays no part in therapy. Ideally, the patient is allowed to eat whatever he desires. The concept of small, frequent feeds of non-irritating foods with an emphasis on milk, cream custards, gruel, strained foods and in between meal snacks is no longer regarded as important. Also, the concept that rough, raw vegetables and fruits were harmful is also not generally considered important. Tea, coffee, alcohol, condiments, pips, coarse salad vegetables, fried foods, spices and spicy fare and meat extracts were all incriminated as being bad news and prolonging the healing process.

Today the ulcer patient is allowed to eat virtually whatever he pleases.

Q. What about smoking and alcohol intake?

A. Opinions seem to vary on this. Some experts claim that ulcers heal more slowly if the patient continues to smoke. Others say it doesn’t matter. Personally, I think that the irritation of acids from swallowed cigarette smoke may cause harm and it’s better not to smoke. Furthermore, smoking is definitely harmful to other systems of the body, notably the respiratory and heart-blood vessel systems. Anyone who continues to smoke is foolish. Smoking is definitely harmful to general health. Some experts also believe the intake of alcohol may be adverse to healing. Once more, others dispute it. I think that the more effort that is made to remove known irritants like alcohol from the ulcer which is trying to heal, the better.

Q. What is the attitude about arthritic drugs and aspirin?

A. Aspirin and other widely used drugs for arthritis are well known for their ability to irritate the lining of the stomach and duodenum. These come under the heading of “non-steroidal antiinflammatory” drugs and ideally in the early stages of ulcer treatment it is usually recommended they be stopped. Most arthritics are able to put up with their pains for a short time, or alternative drugs (usually not as effective) are available as a stop gap. Also, cortisone-like drugs are usually stopped during early active treatment, for it seems that oral forms may inhibit, or delay, healing. However, once more, special instructions and alternative treatment will be given by your own physician or gastro-enterologist. Be guided by him and stick firmly to his advice.

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Based on the ages-old Oriental medical system that was first developed in China, acupuncture uses needles – or sometimes other similar objects – to stimulate specific points on the body so that this stimulation can bring about beneficial changes elsewhere in the body. One of the aims of this system is to ‘re-balance forces’ and so improve the health of the subject as a whole as well as provide treatment for existing specific ailments.

Acupuncturists believe in the ancient Chinese philosophy that states there is a life force – called chi – which is made up of negative and positive flows of energy, respectively known as yin and yang, which course throughout the body along channels called meridians. Disease and pain, say the acupuncturists, are the result of an interruption or an imbalance in these flows of energy. Stimulation by acupuncture is meant to promote or re-establish the normal flow of energy along the meridians and so restore health.

Commonly used for the treatment of back pain, acupuncture has gained a considerably amount of acceptance from conventional medicine and is even used quite frequently by doctors. Although there is a great deal of dissent about how acupuncture works – one currently popular theory suggests that the needles cause the body to release additional endorphins, these being natural painkillers – there is little doubt that it certainly has been an effective treatment for sciatica and other symptoms of back problems.

If you’re put off by the very idea of having needles inserted into your body, it’s worth pointing out that the procedure is not in the slightest bit painful and at worst may be a touch uncomfortable. However, because it’s absolutely essential that needles used during treatment be sterile, you should only consult a fully qualified practitioner.

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A physically active lifestyle or hard exercise taken regularly every day make losing weight and staying slim very much easier. According to Science Digest (94#4:41), these beneficial effects are due to the fact that muscular activity burns up the body’s fat stores while at the same time increasing the bulk of its muscles.

Muscle is a much more active tissue than fat and, pound for pound, has more cells and needs more calories just to maintain itself. Thus, people who have replaced fat with muscle develop a much more active metabolism that burns up more calories at rest and helps them to stay slim.

Dieting without exercise, on the other hand, results in loss of both fat and muscle tissue, and when the dieting is over, lost weight is quickly regained. Worse yet, weight regained under these circumstances is mostly due to fat. Cyclic loss and gain of weight due to dieting without exercise results in a new loss of muscle tissue that makes slimness even more difficult to attain in the future.

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Signs and symptoms

Depending on where the object is lodged, it may cause choking, gagging, pain, discomfort in the throat or chest, or difficulty swallowing. Once a foreign object passes into the stomach it does not produce any symptoms unless it obstructs or penetrates the digestive tract. Then abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever may develop. If the child has swallowed a metal object it will be visible on an X ray, but wood, plastic, or glass will not. Usually, however, the diagnosis is suggested by the circumstances and the symptoms that do appear.

Home care

If the swallowed object is small and smooth, no treatment is necessary. If the object is long, sharp, or large, examine the child’s stools carefully for several days to be sure the object has passed from the body. Each bowel movement must be passed through a sieve until the object is passed. If the child has been trained, place in the toilet bowl a basin fashioned of window screening. Then, after the child has passed a stool wash it through the screening with hot water.

Precautions

• An object lodged in the oesophagus must be removed within hours, preferably by a doctor.

• No known food, drink, or medication will speed up the passage of a foreign object through the body.

• If an object has not passed from the child’s body within one week, see your doctor. Try to bring a duplicate of the swallowed object to show your doctor.

• Do not give your child a laxative in an effort to speed passage of a swallowed object.

Medical treatment

Your doctor will carefully inspect the throat and observe the way your child swallows. The doctor may order X rays of the throat, neck, chest, or abdomen. If an object is wedged in the throat or oesophagus, your doctor will remove it with a surgical instrument. If the object is in the stomach the doctor will watch the child’s condition for three or more weeks before trying to remove it surgically. If the object is in the intestines and does not pass within a week the doctor may remove it surgically.

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Too late for a baby

« It’s never too late. What a silly saying! It is too late for me to have a family. And now I regret it. I suppose they mean it is never too late to repent. But no sin. I just put it off”. Felt good at the time. Put it off. Now it haunts me. I shall remain unfulfilled until the day I die. I don’t talk about it. He does not know how I feel. Really think he is quite happy as it is. Strange how one does not understand the other. I can accept it. But the thought of it is there. Worrying me. Perhaps I don’t accept it. I don’t know. Punishment for having had a good time. Must you be punished for having a good time? Is a good time bad? It’s just that I put it off. »

What’s done cannot be undone. But the rumination about it can be brought to an end.

Life goes on. One stage moves to the next. She has moved into a phase of life of accepted childlessness. When in transition from one stage to another, the increased activity of our brain leaves us more vulnerable to stress.

Regrets

«It may seem silly, but I have regrets. It’s not that the regrets are silly. It’s the way they keep worrying me. Wish I had spent more time with the children when they were young. I did as much as most people, but feel I could have done more. And Aunt Mary. She had been good to me in the early days. We drifted apart. Wish I could have reconciled things with her before she died. Just silly things. I know them to be silly. But the thought of them keeps stirring my brain. There is no quiet within me, although people comment that I seem so relaxed. ÓÓ

We are human. The human state is full of shortcomings. We can strive towards perfection. But to set God-like standards for what we do is to exalt ourselves beyond our human condition. We are what we are. Improve ourselves within our limits. But let us accept what we are. We forgive others for their shortcomings. The least we can do is to consider ourselves with equal forgiveness. And just if you wish it, seek forgiveness from God.

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The nose cleans the air on its way to the lungs by trapping particles that may be suspended in it and by expelling them with mucus in a sneeze. Some particles may remain in the nose and cause a non-seasonal allergy called perennial allergic rhinitis.

Perennial Rhinitis

This comes about when allergenic particles of dust, feathers, animal dander, or wool dissolve in the mucus of the nose and cause stuffiness, sneezing, itching in the palate, throat, and ears, rubbing of the nose, nose wrinkling, mouth breathing, sniffling, a nasal twang, and dark shadows under the eyes. (Many conditions besides allergy may cause a stuffed nose, such as hypothyroidism, abuse of nose drops, viral infections, foreign bodies in the nose, a deviated septum, or abnormal sensitivity to quick changes in temperature, altitude, and stress.)

Treatment of perennial rhinitis is through desensitization, diet, and environmental control.

The drugs to use in treatment are antihistamines and ephedrine, taken by mouth or in nose drops and sprays. However, the use of such drops and sprays should be limited to two weeks, because longer periods of use may irritate the mucosa of the nose and result in bad closure of the nostrils.

To give nose drops to a baby, hold the infant’s head as far back as possible with the left hand (keeping the right arm quiet). Put the drops in each nostril every three to four hours. For nursing infants, the drops have to be put in fifteen minutes before feeding time.

For older children, let the head of the child hang downwards off a bed. While he is in this position, turn his head to the right and put the drops in his left nostril. Leave him in this position for ten or fifteen seconds, then turn his head to the left, put the drops in his right nostril, and again leave him in this position for ten to fifteen seconds.

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Street Drugs

The use of street drugs like marijuana and cocaine has increased steadily over the years. However, as well as their adverse effects on fertility, these drugs can also affect the development and health of the growing baby.

In animals, marijuana has been linked to stillbirths and malformations. In general, it has similar effects to tobacco smoking such as low birth-weight.

If women use cocaine once they are pregnant they are more likely to have a miscarriage, a stillbirth or a baby born with a malformation.

The number of stillbirths increases in women who take heroin while they are pregnant, and the rate of prematurity goes up. Also, babies born to mothers who have taken heroin and cocaine suffer withdrawal symptoms which can be severe.

The message has to be that these drugs need to be eliminated from your body at least four months before you try to conceive.

Medication

You should try to avoid taking any drugs while pregnant. If you are taking tranquillizers and sleeping pills, talk to your doctor about gradually coming off them and finding other ways to deal with the problem (such as relaxation techniques).

Even ordinary, over-the-counter drugs can have an effect on pregnancy. For instance, paracetamol and ibuprofen can inhibit the production of prostaglandins which are essential for the healthy development of the foetus.

Taking analgesics or painkillers – the kind you buy at the chemists and in the supermarket – has been shown to increase the risk of miscarriages, and paracetamol has been linked to causing mutations in both animals and human cells.

One kind of tranquillizer, called benzodiazepines (BZD), is often taken during pregnancy but could cause irreversible central nervous system and behavioural disorders. The UK drug reference books list them as being given with ‘special precautions’ during pregnancy, while the American Physicians’ Desk Reference state that they should not be used in pregnancy. However, as many as 35 per cent of pregnant women can be given these tranquillizers for insomnia and anxiety problems. Babies born from mothers who have taken these drugs have problems such as dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactive disorder.

In conclusion, I think we should learn from the thalidomide disaster that drugs can be extremely potent, especially when taken at the most crucial times of cell division (normally in the early part of pregnancy).

However, it is important to realize that it is possible to prevent foetal damage due to most of the causes. Now that you are armed with accurate information, you can take action to protect yourself and your child throughout your pregnancy and later on.

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What is it?

Thrush is a yeast infection that affects both men and women but mostly women. The organism that causes it lives on our skin and in the mouth and is often found in the bowel. Usually this yeast causes no harm but sometimes it multiplies and produces problems. In babies it can produce a nappy rash.

Most commonly thrush causes a thick, white, very irritant vaginal discharge in women. There is soreness on intercourse and often pain on passing water.

What causes it?

• Pregnancy is a common cause. During pregnancy the raised level of oestrogen in the woman’s body encourages the yeast to grow.

• The contraceptive pill produces it for the same reasons (most pills contain an oestrogen).

• Wearing tights, nylon panties or tight-fitting jeans or trousers seems to raise the temperature and humidity in the woman’s vulval area and encourage the growth of the yeast.

• Antibiotics kill off other organisms in the bowel and in the body generally, leaving the yeasts free to multiply.

• Inflammation of the vulval area -caused by vaginal deodorants, bubble baths, talcum, perfumed soap, a scratch, etc. – can make thrush more likely.

• Poor health can make thrush more likely. Really run-down, overtired, and seriously ill women are more at risk.

• Sexual contact is an uncommon cause of thrush. In the vast majority of women the infection arises spontaneously but it can be transmitted sexually. Many doctors still think it is sensible to treat a woman’s partner so that the two do not pass the infection back and forth between them.

• Refined carbohydrates act as ‘food’ for thrush in the gut and can produce increased bloating, flatulence, soreness, itching, disturbed bowel function and a general increase of the symptoms. Eat no refined carbohydrates. Restrict your total daily carbohydrate intake to 60-80 grams. It helps to go on to a low-refined carbohydrate, no yeasty-foods diet for two weeks before starting Nystatin from your doctor. Keep on the diet even when taking the Nystatin, until all your symptoms disappear. Slowly, you can loosen up on your diet. If symptoms reappear avoid these foods for good.

Prevention

• Avoid tights, nylon panties, and tight-fitting jeans and trousers. Wear skirts, cotton panties or no panties and stockings.

• Use pads rather than tampons during a period.

• Avoid perfumed soaps, vaginal deodorants, and other irritants such as bubble baths and disinfectants.

• After going to the lavatory, wipe yourself from front to back so as not to drag any yeasts from the bowel opening to the vaginal area.

• Use antibiotics only when absolutely necessary and then eat two or three natural yoghurts (live) a day to replace lost bacteria in the bowel.

• (For a man) never have casual sex with a woman unless you use a sheath.

• Keep generally healthy.

Try a diet low in yeasts and refined carbohydrates for 2-4 weeks to see if there is any improvement. Yeasted foods include Marmite, frozen or concentrated orange juice, cheeses, bread made with yeast, alcoholic drinks, grapes and grape juices, unpeeled fruits, raisins, sultanas, food that has been ‘left around’ for some time, and B-vitamins (unless the label specifically says that they are yeast-free).

Follow your doctor’s advice about taking the drug Nystatin to kill the yeast and prevent its spread to your partner. As soon as you think you have thrush, stop having intercourse or you could infect your partner.

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• A sensible limit for men is 2 or 3 pints (or their equivalent) two or three times a week, and for women 2 or 3 standard drinks two or three times a week. Women are more affected by a specific amount of alcohol than men because a smaller percentage of their body weight is made up of water. Alcohol is distributed throughout all the body’s fluid and so is more ‘dilute’ in men than women. Also, women’s livers seem to have a smaller capacity for detoxifying alcohol than do men’s. Recent research shows that the effect of even very moderate drinking in pregnancy is harmful to the baby so the rule should be-if you’re pregnant, don’t drink.

If you are drinking the equivalent of 4 pints of beer or 8 whiskies a day (for men) or 2 1/2 pints of beer or 3 glasses of wine and 2 glasses of sherry (for women) you are almost certainly in for serious trouble with alcohol.

• Look back over your drinking diary and see if there are particular times or occasions (or even people) which encourage you to drink. Try to cast your mind back to how you felt at the times when you drank. Were you, for example, frustrated, angry, sad, depressed or tense? Could it be that by getting professional help from a doctor or counselor you could re-order your life to avoid the situations that make you drink in these particular moods? Sorting out the underlying problems, b they a failing marriage, a disappointing sex life, a poor job, or whatever, could be the real cure for your drinking.

• Reward yourself with something nice (such as some new clothes, a visit to the cinema, or a meal out) if you succeed in cutting down on the amount you drink in situations that have previously trapped you (as judged by your drinking diary). Start saving the money you would have spent on drinks and buy something you really want or save for a holiday you otherwise could not afford.

• When out with friends who by rounds say you would rather buy your own-that way you will drink less. Make drinks last longer (actually go by the clock if that helps) and alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones.

• Set yourself limits for a particular occasion and stick to them. If you are going to a wedding reception, for example, tell yourself that you will have only two drinks, plus the champagne for the toast, and have soft drinks the rest of the time.

• Most of the above advice about prevention can prevent the moderate drinker from becoming a real alcoholic. But millions of individuals are already further down the road than this and sadly an estimated 85 per cent of all dried-out alcoholics eventually go back to drinking. Why this should be is not known but undoubtedly many have psychological problems that make it likely that they will always need a prop of some kind.

An increasingly vocal group of doctors believes that better results would be achieved by more radical dietary approaches to alcoholism. They suggest a switch from sugar, cigarettes and coffee to whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables and vitamin supplements. Only a few US alcohol treatment centers use this nutritional approach but those that do claim good results. One expert in the field claims that alcoholics have a metabolic problem that makes them convert alcohol into a highly addictive morphine-like substance called tetra-hydro-isoquinoline (THIQ). Most alcoholics also develop hypo-glycaemia, she claims. They crave alcohol and sugar in any form. She puts them on a six-week programme which involves analyzing their mineral and vitamin status. This is often very poor in alcoholics and even in serious drinkers, as such people tend to eat little and what they do eat is often junk food. She then gives them full doses of vitamins  and Ñ and takes them off all refined foods, sugar, coffee and tobacco.

On this programme one US unit has 82 per cent of its patients still sober after a year. These results are, it claims, far better than the US National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism can achieve. The NIAAA’s figures show that only 15-20 per cent of all treated alcoholics are still dry after two years.

As long as twenty-five years ago Dr Roger Williams, the renowned US nutritional physician, used the amino-acid glutamine for the treatment of alcoholics. This reduces the terrible craving alcoholics have as they come off the alcohol. Â vitamins also reduce the craving.

If you are drinking more than a few drinks it makes sense to take a good vitamin  complex supplement and to change your diet to a healthy one as a preventive against the proven harm the alcohol will do you in the long term.

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