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HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR DOCTOR: FLUORIDE AND FOLIC ACID

admin — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:18:24 +0000

Fluoride

If fluoride is present in municipal water supplies the resultant drop in community tooth decay is astounding. The use of fluoride supplementation and fluoride containing tooth paste should be curtailed in cities where fluoride is added to the water. It is theoretically possible for infants on tablets that swallow the toothpaste, to overdose on fluoride and get Fluoridosis. In animal studies involving rats, excess fluoride has been linked to cancer of the bone.

Folic Acid

Folic acid is a vitamin that experiences an increased demand in the presence of pregnancy, breast feeding, blood loss, antibiotic therapy and alcoholism. Lack of supply contributes to an anemia resembling that produced by a deficiency of Vitamin В12. Folic acid is found in green leafy vegetables, eggs, beans, yeasts, lentils and offal. Recently it has been found that folic acid supplements reduce the risk of Spina Bifida and Anencephaly by up to 70 per cent. Pregnant women are advised to eat 6.4 grams daily. Women with a history of children with neural tube defect need four grams or more of folic acid each day.

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WHERE TO GET HELP: HOUSING

admin — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:00:38 +0000

Housing is often taken for granted until a family member becomes either mentally or physically disabled. The problems associated with stairs and lifts then become very apparent. With confused elderly people the difficulties may be different. The stairs may still pose a problem but there are other areas of concern such as the person wandering out into a busy road or disturbing the neighbors by knocking on their doors. Small rooms mean that there may be difficulties with installing aids and adaptations; in contrast, many elderly people find themselves in accommodation with too many rooms after family members have moved out or died.

Private and public housing each have their own set of problems. It is no exaggeration that one should think about one’s housing needs as an elderly person (perhaps with some disability) very early on, well before reaching that stage. The physical layout of the house is only one part of the equation, though. The closeness of friends and relatives is very important, especially when an informal network is needed in a crisis. Shops, parks and leisure facilities, as well as transport, all have to be taken into account (in that group of the population who have a choice over these sorts of things). And there are increasing fears of break-ins and violence generally, the media especially painting a picture of the old and frail as victims; this leads to many frightened and housebound people, even though the statistics show that it is still the younger groups in society that are the most vulnerable to muggings, etc.

In the public sector, although very stretched, housing departments will do all they can to move people into more suitable accommodation – ground floor flats with a garden being the top of the wanted list, although because of the fear of break-ins and where one partner in a couple may have a tendency to wander, increasing numbers of people are choosing first floor flats with a lift. The demand for sheltered accommodation is also rising.

This term ‘sheltered’ means different things to different people. In some schemes the warden acts as a relative and calls in on the occupants, all of whom have alarm systems fitted to contact the warden in times of emergency. This virtually provides some form of 24-hour cover. This type of accommodation is in the minority, though, and for most people in public housing, i.e. council housing, the warden will be employed to keep an eye on things and will definitely not be available throughout a 24-hour period. This confusion in terms and roles of the warden leads many people to enter sheltered accommodation expecting (or their relatives expect) a lot of supervision.

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THE SICK BABY AND CHILD: NAUSEA

admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:08:26 +0000

Nausea is a common symptom during childhood, and occurs with many illnesses. Sometimes it occurs alone, at other times it is accompanied by vomiting. Nausea is rarely an indication of serious illness — it is most commonly seen in simple viral illnesses.

Nausea is best treated with simple measures, such as avoiding fatty foods or heavy meals, and encouraging the intake of frequent small quantities of fluids and bland foods.

Medicines and injections to prevent nausea should never be used in young children. They are rarely effective and can have very unpleasant neurological side effects.

CARE OF THE SICK CHILD

As parents, it is our role and responsibility to care for and nurture our children. Children are especially vulnerable during times of illness, and in constant need of our support and reassurance at such times. Knowing that you care for him and that you are there to help him through the rough patch goes a long way towards putting your child back on the road to recovery.

We do not believe that medications alone are the answer to illness; TLC (tender loving care) also plays a vital role. A child who is given the attention he deserves while he is ill will have a better chance of a quick and complete recovery. As to whether or not chicken soup is effective in the treatment of illness, well… it can’t hurt! It is undoubtedly the love and devotion stirred into the pot that do the trick.

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CHILD’S HEALTH CARE/EVERYDAY LIFE: BEING A PARENT

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 06:25:21 +0000

Becoming a parent must surely be one of the joys of life. There is little that can equal the pleasure of the dance between a newborn baby and parent. Then, as the baby grows and develops an increasing and amazing repertoire of capabilities, the parent can tune into the magic that is childhood. Of course it is not all smooth sailing, and there are everyday stresses and hassles as well.

Parents are human, and have needs too. Some parents are so concerned for and involved with their children that they neglect their own needs — for rest, relaxation and stimulation. Becoming a parent for the first time brings about an enormous and often stressful change in lifestyle for most people, and many fears and anxieties are experienced during the pregnancy and the first few months after birth. Parenting is hard work most of the time, but the rewards are many. Do not try to be a martyr. The best gift you can give to your children is to be a relaxed, fulfilled parent. Here are some thoughts on what may help you get through the day and still enjoy your child. These are in no particular order of importance. Trust your instincts You can listen to advice from family, friends and professionals, and read what all the experts write, but in the end you should rely on your own intuition as fo what to do in relation to your child.

All children are different Try not to compare one with the other, and respect individual differences.

Keep a sense of humour This may be the most important piece of advice to heed as we go through life, especially as a parent. The ability to laugh at a situation, and at oneself, is the very best form of therapy we can receive.

Relate to your children in a warm, gentle, sensitive way Ultimately this is always more successful than verbal threats or physical punishment.

Above all, love and enjoy your children The years fly past all too rapidly.

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OUR MARITAL HEALTH/SEX AND PROBLEMS OF DAILY LIVING: MOVING THROUGH LIFE AND KEEPING SEXUALITY MOVING- ADOLESCENCE: FEELING IT VS. DOING IT

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 12:55:16 +0000

Adolescence is so sexually problematic not only because of resistance to allowing our young people to enter our adult world, but because the first three stages of sexual development are difficult for most children. When adolescence is taking place, the focus can be on “doing it” if the sexual self-concept and emotional response to sexual feelings have been disrupted or delayed. In a society that values action over feeling, doing over thinking, acting over reflecting, it is difficult to come through adolescence with an integration of love and sex. We teach our teens to be a man or woman rather than experience their own personhood and the personhood of others. We teach them to fear anything but the strictest of gender division lines.

You have already learned to read your love map and I have discussed these adolescent concerns, but reconsider now your own ability to unite sex with love. Would you say, would your children say, that love and sex are the same? They are, but our society teaches that they are different because our society seems stuck at this developmental phase itself, continuing to separate doing from feeling.

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HYDATIDS – THE MAIN FORM OF TREATMENT

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:18:34 +0000

Surgery remains the main form of treatment for hydatid disease in humans. Care is necessary in removing the cyst, as rupture may cause spillage and seeding of further cysts.

Although the mortality for such surgery is low, the morbidity is high. This means there is a high rate of complications and recovery may be slow. The decision to operate on a patient with hydatid disease is not always straightforward.

Healthy patients with cysts in the liver should be operated on, as there are few risks.

Those with cysts in the brain, the bones and the spine may demand operation because of the risk to life or proper functioning.

Elderly, unfit patients, especially if the cysts show evidence of calcification, indicating the contents may not contain living parasites, are usually best left alone.

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TOXOPLASMOSIS – EARLY INFECTION

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 07:33:50 +0000

Early infection may result in marked changes.

The resulting damage may be so severe as to cause an early abortion or the death of the foetus during later pregnancy or during or shortly after birth. Some infants are born blind or mentally retarded. The infection can affect the brain, the liver.the eye or other foetal tissues.

Infections acquired late in the pregnancy may not show up for several months after birth and, while not all such infections are severe, varying grades of disability may be present.

The child may be born, appear normal and then, in the first few weeks of life, show signs of infection. Involvement of the brain may lead to convulsions or muscular twitchings. Obstruction to the flow of cerebrospinal fluid through the brain can result in the condition of hydrocephalus, where there is enlargement of the head.

Treatment of this condition is effective in acquired cases but gives poorer results when damage to various tissues has occurred where the infection has developed in the womb.

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TINCTURE

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:00:45 +0000

The term comes up again and again in books about herbal remedies, but what exactly is a tincture? While the herbs in decoctions and infusions are boiled or steeped in boiling water, tinctures are fluid herbal extracts prepared when the active ingredient of a herb cannot be heated and is not water soluble.

Although not widely available in shops, tinctures are favoured by professional herbalists because they are highly concentrated and long lasting, being made with a base of alcohol. The chopped herb is placed in a 40-50% alcoholic spirit and left in a warm place to steep. After a couple of weeks, the alcohol containing the herbal extract is decanted and stored in dark glass.

The required doses and dilutions of tinctures vary greatly from as little as a few drops to 20 mls at a time. Because of the concentrations involved, great care should be taken to follow the herbalist’s instructions which are usually written on the bottle.

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INSOMNIA AND SLEEP PROBLEMS: JET LAG EXPLAINED

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:25:53 +0000

After flying east or west over several time zones, most people do not overcome the “jet lag” for several days. Out of step with their environment, they feel the urge to eat and sleep on the schedule they followed at home. Since traveling the same distance north and south involves no time zone change, there is no jet lag.

This is not only because of a difference in the person’s sleeping pattern, but also because it changes the time of day when the hormones in the body, such as adrenalin and thyroid, are most plentiful. Hormone production cannot change suddenly and can only adjust by about one hour a day, as we pointed out in the article “Shift Work and Hormones” under the heading Hormones. Since hormone blood levels can’t peak in synchrony with the changed hours of the traveler, the person experiences jet lag.

Surprisingly, more time is needed to overcome jet lag after an eastward journey than after an equally long journey westward. This “directional asymmetry,” according to the British Medical Journal (284:144), is due to the fact that traveling westwards results in a longer day than usual during the journey, whereas traveling eastwards shortens the day. The human body, research has shown, prefers a long day to a short one. People living without clocks and in a building without windows naturally adopt a sleep-wake cycle of 25 hours or longer in preference to the 24-hour day.

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SWOLLEN GLANDS IN CHILDREN

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:31:53 +0000

Symptoms: Swelling and tenderness of lymph glands (a sign of illness); unusual swelling, pain, and redness of the skin (a sign of infected glands).

Home care: In the case of mild swelling, identify and treat the disease or infection responsible.

Infected glands require medical attention.

Precautions

- Infants have limited immunity to disease; swollen glands in an infant should be examined by a doctor.

- Consult the doctor if a lymph node continues to increase in size and tenderness, or if the overlying skin becomes red.

- When your child turns his or her head, you may notice lymph nodes the size of a pea or smaller in the sides of the neck; these nodes are normal.

- Swollen lymph nodes in many areas of the body usually indicate a general illness or widespread infection.

The term swollen glands is often used to refer to swelling of the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are sometimes called lymph glands, although they are not true glands. Lymph nodes are widely distributed throughout the body, and in their normal state are 2 to 4 millimeters in size.

Many lymph nodes lie just beneath the skin. These lymph nodes are located in front of the ears, behind the ears, at the base of the skull, under the chin, down the sides of the neck, in the armpits, in the folds of the elbows, and above and below the creases in the groin. Lymph nodes are also found within the chest and abdomen, but these lie too deeply within the body to be felt.

All lymph nodes lie along thin-walled tubes called lymphatic vessels. These vessels resemble and roughly follow the course of the veins in the body. They do not contain blood, however. These vessels carry thin, clear, slightly sticky liquid called lymph, which resembles the clear, watery fluid that oozes from a scrape or that forms within a blister caused by rubbing.

Lymph nodes are important in helping the body fight infections and disease. When lymph nodes become swollen and mildly tender, it is a sign that they are fighting an illness or infection. The lymph nodes of the entire body may be swollen, or nodes may be swollen only in one area of the body.

When all the lymph nodes or the nodes in many areas are swollen, this usually indicates a general illness or widespread infection affecting the body.

When nodes are swollen only in one location, this is a sign of an infection in the area of the body guarded by those nodes. Swollen glands in one area might be caused by a variety of local infections. The appearance of red streaks under the skin (which typically precede blood poisoning) is caused by infection traveling along the lymphatic vessels in that area.

In some cases an infection may become too severe for the lymph nodes to handle. In such a case, the lymph node itself may become infected.

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