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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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Hazel had been ill, in one way or another, for most of her life. As a child she had pains in her stomach a lot of the time, and shooting pains in her arms and legs. She was sick when she ate certain foods, notably fish. Despite this, she was a bright child and did well at school. At 17, she suddenly became very lethargic, put on weight and suffered ‘swollen glands’ (enlargement of the lymph nodes, which are part of the immune system). These symptoms looked just like those of glandular fever, and that was what her doctor diagnosed. But the illness lingered for over a year, and in the end the doctor decided that she must be suffering from depression. Her tiredness was such that Hazel could no longer study and she failed all her school exams. She remained unwell, with recurrent headaches, sleepiness, fatigue and inexplicable bouts of fainting. Alcohol made these symptoms worse, she noticed, so she gave up drinking at the age of 20. Her family doctor remained convinced that all her problems were in her mind.

When she was 22, Hazel consulted a doctor who felt that her illness might be something in her diet or environment, rather than a psychosomatic problem. He tried out an elimination diet, and got a reasonably good response. Six common foods were identified as causing symptoms, but even when she avoided all these Hazel was still not particularly well. So she was admitted to a special hospital with controlled environmental conditions. Here she blossomed, recovering a great deal of her former vitality and alertness. She was then exposed to various synthetic chemicals in turn, and reacted badly to diesel fumes, cigarette smoke, natural gas, chlorine and alcohol. Some made her drowsy or faint, others produced a severe headache or nausea. Tap water and filtered tap water also affected her, whereas mineral waters caused no problems.

By avoiding her culprit foods, and removing a number of synthetic chemicals (see pl64) from her home, Hazel managed to maintain a reasonable state of health once she left the environmental unit.

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