Your source for medical news, health » General health

HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR DOCTOR: EXPECTORANTS, EYESTRAIN

admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:39:12 +0000

Expectorants

No product on the market today has the capacity to remove mucus from the airways any better than the means that nature intended. As a group of medications they don’t work. They are a complete waste of time.

Home Remedies

If a moist cough is present why drown in mucopus? It is better to cough than use cough suppressants. If a dry cough is the problem use a codeine linctus as a cough suppressant and drink plenty of water. It is hard to have a dry cough if the body is over hydrated. Do not use cough suppressants in infants or children. They depress the brains respiratory centre and raise the specter of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Eyestrain

The appearance of blurred vision and headaches whilst reading, driving or watching TV suggests the development of eyestrain. The condition arises because the eyes focal point moves forward a few millimeters every year. When the age of 40 arrives, people run out of enough arm to hold reading material further away. The eye’s focal point is brought forward by a pair of appropriately prescribed corrective spectacles. Modern technology in the form of laser beams scars the cornea, changing the shape of the lens without the need for corrective lenses.

Home Remedies

The first port of call with a case of eyestrain is the optometrist. Not the general practitioner or the ophthalmologist. Accepting that optometrists have a vested interest in supplying clients with expensive spectacles, it is hoped that ophthalmologists have better things to do with their time than writing out formulae for prescription lenses.

*55/131/5*

FDA Approved Prescription Drugs.

OLD PEOPLE’S HOMES

admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:35:04 +0000

Old people’s homes (also called residential homes) are the responsibility of the Social Services department. Up until recently they were really the only provider of care for the frail elderly, unless the person had money and could afford a private rest home in the country or on the south coast. All this has now changed with government encouragement to social services to use private rest homes. This has led to many local authorities closing down their old people’s homes, either through lack of demand (in areas with fairly affluent old people and lots of private homes) or because they are too expensive to run and it proves cheaper to place people in private homes inside or outside the area. Inevitably, this allows choice in affluent neighborhoods and none in poorer ones.

The original concept of old people’s homes was to provide the level of care that a relative could reasonably be expected to provide. This was fine until the numbers of very old and frail people began to rise. The homes were not designed for or staffed in sufficient numbers to cope with the increasing disability levels. Add to that the problems of mobility and mental confusion, as well as the lack of staff training, and there was a recipe for disaster. Many homes became feared and hated places, akin to the old workhouses – they became part of the retirement nightmare. After some scandals and much despair and unhappiness, things are beginning to change; for example, homes are being redesigned, moving away from large impersonal buildings to smaller areas of group living.

Most local authorities use a panel system for admission to their old people’s homes. In many ways it implies a needs tested approach, but it does also mean that a social worker has to be allocated to the case and present their client’s problems to a multidisciplinary panel. In this way those at risk of entering the home due to undetected illness will hopefully be picked up, and for others some way of caring for them at home will be arrived at by the panel. Specific questions on mobility and continence are asked of the social worker: a person must be independently mobile (using a frame is fine) and not incontinent (apart from the rare accident). They must also not be so confused as to be disruptive. This screening of prospective clients, allied with staff training on aspects of old age, means that the quality of life for all residents is increased.

Ideally the person should visit a home before any decisions (on either side) are made, and many homes like a probationary 24-4 8-hour visit before the place is offered permanently. There then usually follows a month’s trial to make sure the person settles in and that both sides are happy. It is vital that in this interim period neither carers nor social workers get rid of the person’s original home. Some old people find that the advantages of living in residential homes do not measure up to their expectations, and the disadvantages of their old home suddenly don’t seem so bad – in short, they want to go home.

*55/128/5*

Purchase generic Cialis online

MANAGING YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH: RECOGNISING SERIOUS ILLNESS IN BABIES AND VERY YOUNG CHILDREN

admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:07:30 +0000

Parents will often be worried that their baby is not well. The most common cause of a baby being ‘off colour’ is a cold or simple viral infection. These are very common in childhood, and in most cases no specific treatment is necessary. Your child may be a little irritable and clingy. A slight fever may be present on and off, and he may be snuffly. It is often difficult for parents to see their child not wanting to eat or drink very much but in the majority of cases all these symptoms will pass after a few days. Young children have viral infections frequently during the winter months, especially when they begin to attend daycare or kindergarten where they are in regular contact with other children.

While most simple viral infections are mild and a full recovery is assured with no treatment, a baby or young child can sometimes have a more serious illness. Sometimes, especially during the early stages of an illness, it is difficult even for doctors to pick up the signs of something more serious. Yet it is important to realise that the earlier the signs of a serious illness are detected, the sooner treatment can be started. This is particularly important for babies and very young children. Younger children can go downhill quite quickly, and early detection of serious illness is vital.

How do parents know when an illness is minor and when it might be more serious? Recent research has pointed to signs which might indicate that the baby or young child should be seen immediately by a doctor. You should watch out for:

• drowsiness

• decreased activity/lethargy

• breathing difficulty

• poor circulation

• poor feeding

• poor urine output.

*200\90\8*

YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH CARE/MEDICAL PROCEDURES AND TESTS: SWEAT TEST AND THROAT SWAB

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 06:23:00 +0000

SWEAT TEST

This is a test which is used to confirm the diagnosis of a genetically inherited disorder called cystic fibrosis (see p. 200). The concentration of salts in the sweat is measured. In children with cystic fibrosis, the level is much higher than normal.

THROAT SWAB

If your child has a sore throat, your doctor may suggest doing a throat swab. This is a brushing of the back of the throat with a sterile long cotton bud, which is then placed in a special container and sent to the laboratory. The sample is checked under a microscope and some is brushed onto a special culture medium and incubated for 48 hours, in an attempt to grow the germ causing the infection. Many throat infections are due to viruses but certain germs, such as Streptococcus, can also be the cause. It is definitely advisable to do a throat swab if your child has pus on his tonsils. The procedure also helps to determine which antibiotic will be effective against the specific germ found.

*33\90\8*

YOUR MARITAL HEALTH/SEX AND PROBLEMS OF DAILY LIVING: PERSONAL PLAY AND MARITAL PLEASURE: SPOUSEHOOD AND “SPERSONHOOD” – SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING RECREATIONAL TIME TOGETHER

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 12:54:09 +0000

Here are some suggestions for improving recreational time together.

1. Select an entirely new activity that neither one of you has ever done before, even in childhood. There are hundreds of possibilities.

2. Decide what type of recreation suits your “unit.” If one of you is very athletic and the other more artistic, the activity will have to stress other skills, leaving these for individual enjoyment.

3. Start the activity together and develop it together. If one or the other partner tends to “get ahead” in most things, make sure you leam together. This one activity is only for the two of you. You can still have your golf, tennis, running, or whatever other activity you may enjoy as an individual.

One wife reported, “We came up with something. It’s sailing. We both can’t swim, have never been on a boat, and don’t like the water. We couldn’t come up with anything, so we picked the one thing most unlike both of us. It’s working out slowly. He tried to be the captain and make me crew, but I think we worked that out after he fell off the boat while trying to tell me to be careful. There he was, mouth full of water, his captain’s hat floating beside him, and trying to tell me how to save him.”

4 Remember that individual activities are still important. One husband stated, “We have spouse activities that include tennis and walking. Then we have what we call ‘sperson’ activities, individual things we do with other people. She golfs, I golf, but we’re at drastically different levels of ability there. I will never be the golfer she is, so we each enjoy it to our own level with other people more at our level.”

The marriage that plays together and plays separately is most likely to find super marital sex, for the joy and energizing aspects of fulfilling play can enter into the sexual relationship. As you consider this possibility, remember that a mutual involvement in a “mini-career” could also be a form of play. Noel Coward said, “Work is much more fun than fun.”

*224\97\8*

HUNTINGTON’S CHOREA

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:17:30 +0000

An uncommon hereditary disorder, which can have disastrous effects not only on the sufferer but also on the whole family, is known as Huntington’s chorea.

It is caused by a dominant gene, so the children of a sufferer have a one in two chance of inheriting the disease. Unfortunately, it may not appear until a person is in his forties, so the sufferer has usually married and reproduced before being aware that he has it. It affects men and women equally.

Once the disease declares itself, the sufferer shows involuntary muscular movements, incoordination and mental degeneration.

Although it occurs in most countries of the world, it has its greatest incidence in closed communities where there is a degree of inbreeding.

Tasmania has one of the highest prevalences of Huntington’s disease in the world and this has been traced to the arrival in the last century of an affected Somerset woman who had nine affected children.

Unfortunately, there is no treatment.

Considerable research is under way to improve the outlook for sufferers. Proper genetic counselling for those who have a family history of this disorder can help a couple to decide about having a family.

*427/71/1*

TOXAEMIA OF PREGNANCY – HYPOTENSIVE DRUGS

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 07:32:38 +0000

A doctor will insist that the mother lies down during the day. If she is still working then he will insist on her giving up her job.

If the blood pressure continues to rise bed rest at home or admission to hospital may be necessary.

Hypotensive drugs that lower the blood pressure may also be necessary. Once pre-eclampsia has developed it does not go away, until the baby is delivered.

It can be controlled and its effects minimised until the baby is spontaneously delivered or the pregnancy is terminated by induction of labor before the due date.

If untreated pre-eclampsia may go on to the condition of eclampsia, where the blood pressure is out of control. The mother develops fits and the baby usually dies. Eclampsia is rare only because pre-eclampsia is so well managed.

An instrument called an echograph can measure the size of the baby and see its progress. This uses ultrasonic waves in the same way as sonar is used to track submarines. The placenta produces a hormone, oestriol, and this is excreted in the mother’s urine.

Measurement of the levels of oestriol give a good indication of placental function and how well nourished is the baby.

*173/71/1*

VITAMIN E CAN SAVE YOUR HEART

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:15:15 +0000

This is where vitamin E enters the heart picture as a miraculous heart saver! Whether it be for an already damaged heart or as a safety measure to prevent an attack, vitamin E is an indispensable aid.

Vitamin E oxygenates the tissues and markedly reduces the need for oxygen. It also has an anti-blood-clotting ability. This anti-coagulant quality of vitamin E prevents deaths through thrombosis or a blood clot. Yet, vitamin E is completely harmless and does not interfere with normal blood clotting in a wound or with the normal healing processes. It has been demonstrated that vitamin E is a dilator of blood vessels, and thus can improve impaired circulation and prevent clots. Vitamin E also prevents production of excessive scar tissue; it even has an ability to melt away unwanted scars. This property is of extreme importance in heart attacks where part of the heart tissue is destroyed.

All of these functions of vitamin E are scientifically confirmed in extensive clinical experiments in many parts of the world. As Evan S. Shute, M.D., of the Shute Foundation of London, Ontario, Canada, the foremost authority on using vitamin E in the treatment of heart disease, says, “Vitamin E is the most valuable ally the cardiologist has yet found in the treatment of heart disease … It is the key both to the prevention and treatment of all those conditions in which a lack of blood supply due to thickened or blocked blood vessels or a lack of oxygen is a factor or the whole story of the disease.”

It should be self-evident that anyone concerned with the health of the heart should make sure that his diet contains ample amounts of vitamin E. Foods rich in vitamin E are: wheat germ oil, wheat germ, whole grains, unrefined cold-pressed vegetable oils, raw nuts and seeds. But, of course, vitamin E is virtually nonexistent in processed cereals, processed oils, and white flour products. The richest natural source of vitamin E is wheat germ oil—as high as 240 mg. per 100 grams. You can also buy vitamin E in capsule form from your drug or health food store.

Of course, if you have already had a heart attack and are under your doctor’s care, it would be advisable not to experiment with any treatment on your own. Show him this chapter and ask his advice on using vitamin E and vitamin E-rich foods. Most doctors who are not too busy to read their professional publications are aware of the benefits of vitamin E. If your doctor is not, it might be advisable to find another doctor; your life may be at stake.

*87\58\2*

SYSTEM OF PREVENTING HEART ATTACKS: HOW EUROPEAN PREVENTIVE AND RECONDITIONING PROGRAMS SAVE LIVES

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:57:53 +0000

The United States has the highest incidence of heart disease of all the civilized countries; Russia has the lowest! The reason is.’ simple: We are looking for a cure—the Russians are concentrating on prevention. The governments of the Soviet Union and other European countries have built over 3,000 rural reconditioning centers where over five million people are treated each year. Tense, fatigued and malnourished workers and executives are given four weeks of reconditioning “treatment,” which consists of proper health-building diet, environmental emotional relaxation, and systematic physical training. In addition, they are instructed in rules of good health, proper nutrition and the need for proper exercise, which will guide them when they return to their homes.

Russia also has a nation-wide program of regular physical exercises for everyone, beginning with the schools and continuing with the regular radio-conducted morning calisthenics and exercise breaks in offices and factories.

In West Germany, Switzerland and Austria there are similar preventive programs, financed by governments, insurance companies and private industries. Most heart reconditioning centers are located in the healthy environment of the Alps and the Black Forest of south Germany.

The results of these European preventive programs are there for all to see: the absentee figures among workers visiting these reconditioning centers in Germany have dropped nearly 70 percent in two years;1 and Russia, as we have seen, has the lowest incidence of heart disease in any civilized country.

*80\58\2*

VITAMIN AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS FOR ARTHRITIS TREATMENT

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:56:42 +0000

Impaired adrenal function is one of the major characteristics of arthritis. It has been shown in clinical research (by Morgan, Wick-son and others) that prolonged deficiency in vitamin C and the two B vitamins, pantothenic acid and B2, can severely damage the adrenals and result in decreased cortisone production. Vitamin C increases the production and utilization of cortisone.

Therefore, biologically oriented doctors advise heavy doses of vitamin C, 1,-500 to 3,000 mg. a day, in the treatment of arthritis. This should be a natural vitamin C, made from rose hips, acerola berries, green peppers, or other natural sources. Natural vitamin C contains, in addition to ascorbic acid, bioflavonoids (vitamin P) — citrin, hesperidin, rutin—which always accompany vitamin C in its natural state, and which make ascorbic acid biologically more effective and potent.

Vitamin Bi2 is also used in the treatment of arthritis with good results. Dosage: 10 to 25 meg. a day.

Another vitamin useful in treating arthritis is vitamin E. Some researchers suggest that scar tissue, which forms around the joints in arthritis, could develop as a result of vitamin E deficiency.2 The usually recommended dosage is 300 to 600 I.U. a day.

Minerals are also considered extremely important in the treatment of arthritis. Disturbances in the body’s mineral metabolism are usually indicated in arthritis. Therefore, the restoration of proper mineral balance in the tissues is imperative for an effective and fast recovery.

European clinics use various mineral preparations. For the United States, the mineral supplements most useful and easily obtainable would be kelp and bone meal. Recommended doses are reported to be 10 kelp and 10 bone meal tablets a day. Kelp is especially beneficial for arthritis sufferers. It could be used as salt replacement in the seasoning of salads, soups, and other foods. In Japan, where kelp (seaweed) is used extensively as an important part of the daily diet, arthritis is virtually non-existent.

*72\58\2*