Health News resources and information

The majority of mental illnesses which people suffer do not stem from lack of intelligence. However, there are conditions in which the intellect is involved. We use the term ‘mentally retarded’ to describe people whose intelligence is below normal due to defective brain development. Degrees of mental retardation were formerly described by the terms ‘idiot,’ ‘imbecile,’ and ‘moron.’ Today we find it more satisfactory to classify them as ‘profound,’ ‘severe,’ ‘moderate,’ and ‘mild.’

Sometimes it is not easy to recognize the higher grades of mental retardation. Methods of determining the intelligence, such as the intelligence test, which establishes the intelligence quotient, or IQ are excellent. But they deal with human beings and not with material things that can be weighed and measured exactly. No matter how carefully allowances are made for emotional factors, they cannot always be completely separated from the intellect. There have been cases in which a child’s IQ has changed; it may have been low due to apathy, which resulted from an emotional state and disappeared with treatment; or due to cultural differences. There have also been children whose general physical condition was below par and caused them to do badly on intelligence tests.

I cannot overemphasize the fact that only a very small fraction of all mental retardation cases is primarily due to inheritance. If you have any cause to worry about your family or that of your spouse, talk it over with your doctor.

Some defects causing mental deficiency can be corrected before any permanent damage is done. For example, cretinism can be overcome by the early administration of thyroid extract.

Sometimes an abnormality in the early development of the embryo causes mental retardation, as in the case of the mongoloid baby. Certain disorders of the mother may affect the infant’s intelligence while he is still in the womb, such as syphilis, or German measles (rubella) contracted early in her pregnancy.

Mental retardation can result from a birth injury—that is, damage to the baby’s brain while he is being born.

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Flat feet and fallen arches

Your foot troubles can be due to flat feet or fallen arches. Both these conditions should be diagnosed by a doctor, not by a shoe salesman.

Corns and calluses

These afflictions can cause a great deal of suffering. The best way to avoid them is by wearing shoes that fit.

Bunions

A bunion is a deformity of the big toe, almost always caused by wearing shoes that force it to turn towards the other toes. It is frequently associated with flat or weak feet. In mild cases, the pain can be relieved by heat, and the condition will correct itself after properly fitting shoes have been worn for some time. In more severe cases, a physician should be consulted, since a surgical operation may be necessary to correct the condition.

Ingrown toenails

This painful condition can be prevented by wearing good shoes and by keeping the nails short, with the sides a little longer than the middle. Badly ingrown toenails should always be treated by a doctor or chiropodist.

Athlete’s foot (dermatophytosis)

This is another condition that frequently requires a doctor’s attention. It is caused by a fungus—a tiny form of plant life. It causes itching or burning spots and often blisters, usually between the toes.

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