Treatment

Hay fever cannot be cured, but there are a number of ways you can improve the symptoms and afford some relief to your child. Preventive measures play an important role in the treatment of hay fever.

Your doctor may advise the use of antihistamines to help relieve your child’s symptoms. These are tablets or mixtures which damp down the allergic response seen in hay fever. The newer types of antihistamines do not cause drowsiness. Steroid nasal sprays are used to prevent an allergic reaction and can be safely used for 2-3 months during the hay fever season. Decongestant nose drops and sprays need to be used with caution because the way in which they decrease swelling is by narrowing down the local blood vessels. With prolonged use they can cause permanent damage to the lining of the nose.

Prevention

As much as possible avoid direct exposure to pollens during late spring and early summer. Expect your child to have worse symptoms if he is playing outside.

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Hair

Some babies are born with a full head of hair, which is usually brown. This begins to fall out after several weeks, and is gradually replaced by permanent hair which is not necessarily the same colour. Fine, dark body hair (lanugo) is often present on the body for the first month, especially in premature babies.

Head

For several days after birth the baby’s head may have a strange shape because it has been moulded by pressure during the baby’s passage down the birth canal. This soon returns to normal and is no cause for concern. Some swelling of the scalp may also be present (caput), which soon disappears. The diamond-shaped soft spor, or fontanelle on the crown of the head is clearly felt. This is the point where the skull bones will join together when the baby is around 18 months old and the growth of the brain is completed. Pulsations may be visible with each heart beat over this area. A smaller fontanelle is present towards the back of the head, which may be more difficult to feel. Bruising may be present over the face or head, especially after a forceps delivery. This heals gradually and will soon disappear.

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IGNORANCE: I found a profound lack of sexual knowledge in the couples and, even worse, the possession of “mym-information” based on the first three perspectives of sexuality. Super marital sex requires first and foremost knowledge, a knowledge that integrates all four perspectives of sexuality. Knowledge is the first key to super marital sex.

FEAR: Spouses were afraid, afraid of failure, embarrassment, of not living up to their partner’s or even society’s “sexpectations.” Confidence in self and in the marriage is necessary for our natural sexual-response system to flourish. Confidence is the second key to super marital sex.

OBLIGATION: Spouses reported feelings of “ought to’s” in their sexual system that took away from the opportunity to experience what they would like to experience. Natural sexual response is blocked by conscious attempts to “do something” that “should” be done. Freedom is the third key to super marital sex.

VOYEURISM: This is a form of “group” sex in which each partner is busy watching self, other, and “us” rather than experiencing and sharing in the sexual interaction. Involvement is the fourth key to super marital sex.

WITHHOLDING: This was the “economic problem” for the couples, feeling that one or both spouses had to “earn” sexual fulfillment through sexual expertise and good timing or activities outside the sexual area traded for sexual favors. Trust that you are accepted and desired sexually for who you are and not what you have done is necessary for spontaneous sexual response. Trust is the fifth key to super marital sex.

PERFORMANCE: Masters and Johnson felt that an orientation toward performance interfered with sexual response, and my interviews verified this. Making sex an event instead of an experience can destroy any real joy in the interaction. Sharing is the sixth key to super marital sex.

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Vegetarian cuisine

Discussing benefits of pure vegetarian (vegan) cuisine as well as recipes is yet again a quite substantial topic and exceeds the scope of this book. For information about the vegetarian cuisine please read books by Ch. Lehman or M.Diamond listed in the References.

Microwaves

Using microwave radiation to cook or heat food changes the molecular structure of food. There is a consistent scientific evidence, that such food is harder to metabolise. We should avoid microwave cooking if possible.

How much to eat ?

This is also a very important question. The answer is quite simple . as little as possible to feel active and comfortable. Note, that eating too much is equivalent to overloading your body with additional duties, related to the processing and disposal of extra waste. Your mind is engaged too, reducing your intellectual and spiritual abilities.

During fasting, you will learn, that the feeling of hunger, as well as the tendency to overeat are typical reactions of a toxic body. If the body is pure and you try not to poison it excessively, your body will always tell you when you have had enough food. Just pay careful attention to what your body is telling you. That’s all.

It is easier to receive and understand such messages, when you eat slowly and chew your food well.

When should we eat ?

In the mountains of Georgia, where people live well beyond 100 years and even make babies at 100, they have a saying:

“Eat breakfast yourself share lunch with your friend, and give dinner to your enemy”.

I cannot help admiring the beauty and wisdom of this ancient proverb. What it says is that we should take food before the activities of the day, and to not take any food before going to bed for the whole night. Doing so, we feel energetic during the day, and we greatly assist our mind-body system in the night’s rest, freeing the resources necessary for everyday healing, repairs, maintenance, as well as for spiritual development.

Note, that most people do exactly the opposite: dinner is their main meal. They all wonder why their health is deteriorating quickly with age.

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The vaccine for influenza is effective. It is prepared from killed virus and contains the  virus and one, two or three of the current A strains.

Usually, only one injection is needed to stimulate the production of antibodies and immunity should be at its peak a month after injection.

However, its effect then tends to wane and it is relatively ineffective after six months but a further injection each year will ensure protection is kept.

When the virus radically changes its nature, the new vaccine usually requires two doses, a month apart, to achieve full protection. The vaccine is regarded as being between 75 and 90 per cent effective.

Most new strains appear in the northern hemisphere during their winter and do not affect Australia until our winter, some six months later.

This enables the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories, who make the vaccine in Australia, to produce a vaccine which will be effective against the current strain.

Although many people complain about the vaccine and believe it may cause an attack similar to the flu, the number of reactions are small.

In recent years greater purification of the vaccine has led to fewer reactions. There may be a sore arm for a couple of hours or even a day or so and, in a few people there may be a mild respiratory type illness for one or two days but severe reactions are rare.

Of course, those people incubating a cold at the time will blame the vaccine for the subsequent symptoms.

The vaccine is usually given in April or May. Who should have it? Certainly those at greatest risk should. This includes the very young, the very old, the very sick, and doctors and nurses, who come in close contact with patients, and those in close contact with the public.

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Pressing in the left lower area of the abdomen may cause pain in the right side. It is always necessary to carry out an examination of the rectum in cases of suspected appendicitis. Pain is felt in the abdomen when the examining finger presses on the inflamed appendix.

Although appendicitis may occur at any age, it is rare before the age of two and uncommon in the elderly. In the very young, the very old and in pregnancy it may be difficult to diagnose.

In a condition so common, it is surprising just how difficult, at times, appendicitis may be to diagnose. Chest infections like pneumonia, gallbladder attacks, kidney stones or infection, gastro-enteritis and pelvic inflammation in women may all mimic appendicitis and cause confusion.

The acute attack may spontaneously subside over one or two days or grumble on for several days. An attack may develop and then rapidly progress so that operation becomes a necessity.

The attacks of acute inflammation may be recurrent and, although each attack in itself is not severe enough to warrant operation, both the sufferer and his doctor may decide “enough is enough” and elect to have the appendix removed, either during the next attack or at some more convenient time.

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We have to refer to the original supposition that only white middle-class women contract endometriosis to understand why some doctors have misunderstood racial distribution of this disease. Medical textbooks told them SO. References to endometriosis tended to profile the “typical” patient, and. in nearly every case, she was the slightly privileged white woman. Endometriosis, then, had its own built-in bias, and in the minds of some doctors, it was as much a part of the diagnosis as any other telling symptom. This commitment to an outdated medical bias excluded black. Asian, Middle Eastern, and even Jewish women, among other ethnic groups. Doctors who treated such women dismissed the diagnosis of endometriosis—no matter how obvious a case it was and assigned the condition another name. What were the fates of these patients?

Kayla fits this indicator perfectly. A former dancer, Kayla is a native Californian of Japanese and Korean extraction, now teaching in New York and a patient of mine. She performed for ten years with a touring dance company, and many times she went on stage suffering from extreme pelvic pain. ‘The doctor said I had pelvic inflammatory disease, and that I’d probably gotten it from sexual contact with my boyfriend,” she told me. “I took antibiotics again and again, but they helped only for a short time. When I quit the troupe to start teaching. I tried a different doctor. She said I had endometriosis, and she put me on hormone pills.”

Being told that she had endometriosis was an unexpected revelation for Kayla. For nearly fifteen years, she was automatically diagnosed as having a sexually transmitted disease, and she believed it as fervently as she believed in the legitimacy of the medical system. Now she is questioning the diagnosis of endometriosis, even though she can measure the improvement in her health. What has happened is that Kayla’s sense of self-esteem has suffered because her friends have told her that Asian women do not gel endometriosis! She wants to know for certain what is wrong with her.

Kayla’s dilemma has been common among other Asian women and more so among black women, many of whom have faced stereotyping in medical care. Kayla has endometriosis, not pelvic inflammatory disease. The difference between the two needs to be clarified. In endometriosis, pelvic organs can appear inflamed due to a reaction to the prostaglandins released by endometrial tissue. Endometriosis is not caused by or related to bacterial or viral infection’, therefore, antibiotics will not help Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), in contrast, is caused by bacterial infection, which will inflame pelvic organs. If antibiotics are not given to control the disease, it can lead to progressively severe symptoms of pain and progressive damage to pelvic organs.

Doctors in certain areas of this country do not see many cases of endometriosis and they may be confused when confronted with such patients, be they white, black. Off Asian. Others, referring to an older text tor guidance, accept the racial stereotype. But with an enigmatic disease like endometriosis, exceptions and modifying factors cross all facial lines.

If you are a black or Asian who tends toward menstrual cramps, often with increasing severity over time, if you arc active sexually and experience pain during intercourse, and if you are of child bearing age and have never conceived either with forethought or accidentally— you may have endometriosis. If doctors insist you are suffering from recurring viral infections of the bladder, pelvic inflammatory disease, or psychosomatic illness, do not hesitate to get a second or third opinion. Seek out doctors who arc specialists in treating patients with this disease. Endometriosis doesn’t discriminate!

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Fungi are living organisms made up of chains of cells, called hyphae, which grow and become intertwined and matted, forming mycelia and spores. In everyday life they can be seen as the mould on old fruit or cheese. There are between 50 000 and 100000 known species throughout the plant and animal kingdom, and they are all parasites. Some are useful and productive, such as those which are used to produce Penicillin and the antifungal antibiotic, Griseofulvin. Relatively few cause problems in man. Those that do. however, affect many millions of people. It is estimated that 15 million individuals throughout the world have ringworm of the scalp!

The fungi which cause tinea are called dermatophytes. There are three species of dermatophytes: Microsporum, which rarely affects the nails; Epidermophyton, which rarely affects hair, and Trichophyton. All of them affect the epidermis of the skin. Some species are almost solely confined to humans, and these cause milder but more persistent infections than do some other species. Those species which normally infect animals, cause a more severe but less prolonged infection when contracted by man. Some species normally found in the soil may cause tinea in animals or man.

Tinea Cnpitits (’Scalp Ringworm’). This is almost entirely a disease of children, and is mainly transmitted from cats and dogs or from other children. With this disease the appearance of the scalp is one of well-defined areas of Inflammation and hair loss. The condition is most easily diagnosed by a fluorescence of the infected hair shaft when it is placed under an ultra-violet Woods lamp.

Tinea Corporis (’Body Ringworm’). This occurs at all ages and in all races, being more common in warm, humid climates. It may be acquired from infected animals and humans, or from infection of the patient’s own nails and feet. The classical ‘ringworm’ begins as a red pimple which enlarges peripherally, with relative clearing centrally. The border is raised, red and well defined. Frequently, it may be confused with discoid eczema. Unfortunately the appearances are not always classical and tinea may occur with many bizarre features.

The diagnosis is either made on direct examination of affected skin under the microscope or on cultures of the scrapings.

Infected skin does not, unfortunately, fluoresce under the Wood’s lamp.

Tinea Cruris (’Bobbie itch’). Fungal infections of the groin are commoner in men than in women. Tinea cruris is predominantly a summer disease, and its appearance is made more likely by the wearing of tight occlusive clothing, particularly nylon. Transmission by towels and other objects may occur, particularly in saunas and communal showers. Cross-infection from the feet is also common. The infection usually begins on the upper inner thigh, with a well-defined border which gradually extends. It is commonly itchy, but never involves the scrotum.

Tinea Pedis (’Athletes foot’). This is a common problem, but the mechanism of transmission is ill understood. Although this disease is more common in hot, humid climates, it virtually only affects people who wear shoes-it is rare, for example, amongst barefooted natives. The fungus is thought to be acquired by walking barefoot on fragments of infected skin or nail, particularly around swimming pools or in communal showers. It is uncommon in women, and very rare in children. Children with eczema of the toes are frequently thought, incorrectly, to suffer from tinea because the appearance of the two conditions is similar.

The infection may have symptoms of softening and cracking of the skin between the toes, ft may also appear as blisters or a diffuse scaling on the soles of the feet. It is very rare on top of the foot.

Tinea of the nails. This infection is almost always confined to adults, and is usually caused by the same fungus which affects the skin. The earliest change is usually a small area of white, yellow, or brown discolouration on one side of the nail, close to the cuticle. This discolouration spreads, and may involve the whole nail. Keratin tissue may build up under the nail and lift it from its bed. The nail may also crumble away, or become thick and distorted. These changes may be easily confused with either paronychia, which is a yeast and bacterial infection of the nailfold, or psoriasis, which has similar features but is not an infection.

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The function of the hypothalamus is critical for body weight regulation. Research with rats has shown that damage to the hypothalamus can have serious consequences. Damage to the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) is associated with hyperphagia (over-eating), decreased thermogenesis and spontaneous aotrvity, and elevated insulin levels. Obesity is almost an inevitable result! On the other hand, destruction of the lateral hypothalamus, only microns away, is associated with decreased food intake and a reduction in body fat.

These changes are partly influenced by the actions of chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters. Different types of neurotransmitters function to stimulate specific areas of the brain responsible for certain mental states. There are a number of neurotransmitters that can either promote or discourage feeding. For example, seratonin, derived from the amino acid tryptophan, can reduce food intake and this is now the basis of several appetite-suppressing drugs. Ingestion of carbohydrate results in the release of seratonin which inhibits the norther intake of food. Conversely, another neurotransmitter in the brain, neuropeptide Y, stimulates food consumption. There are a number of other chemical messengers that either stimulate or inhibit food intake—the strength of specific signals after a preferred food has been eaten may affect that food’s desirability for further consumption.

Isolation of a ’satiety’ gene, by geneticists working at Rockefeller University in 1994, suggests that genetics may play an important part in hunger. Research carried out over several years has suggested there may be a mechanism coded for by a gene or genes, which ’switches off hunger signals in the hypothalamus. Scientists have searched for, found, and now synthesised a protein hormone which they have called ‘teptin’ Qeptos is Greek for ‘thin’ which may result in major advances for drug therapy for obesity—if it lives up to its early promises.

In addition to dealing with neurotransmitter signals and proteins, the hypothalamus integrates a wide variety of messages, from the first smell of food to its metabolic fate as stored energy, by a series of neurotransmitters, hormones and signals from circulating nutrients.

Physiological signals—Stomach and intestinal distension are mechanisms for terminating feeding by negative feedback via the nervous system. The release of hormones such as cholecystokimn and the stirnulation of special receptors in the gut also provide signals to reduce feeding.

Nutrient -Circulating glucose, amino adds and may also signify that food has entered the body’s system and reduce the desire to eat. Low blood sugar levels promote hunger and it is possible that lesser degrees of changes in blood sugar may also influence appetite mechanisms.

Hormonal signals—A variety of hormonal changes occur in response to ingested and absorbed nutrients and some of these may influence appetite mechanisms. Insulin is one of the main hormones involved in nutrient metabolism but its role in appetite mechanisms has not been clearly identified.

Metabolic signals—The conversion of nutrients into storage tissues may influence appetite mechanisms. For example, the amount of carbohydrate and glycogen stores or fat in adipose tissue may feed back signals to the hypothalamus, giving it important information about the status of the body’s energy reserves.

From this wealth of feedback the brain must sort out relevant signals and make decisions about food intake. When hunger is high, an individual’s ability to inhibit inappropriate food choices is reduced. Many food companies, especially snack food manufacturers, exploit this by advertising their products on television around meal-times.

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Endometriosis is a disease that can affect any girl or woman who is menstruating.

In order to understand endometriosis you need to know how your menstrual cycle works. The tissue that lines the inside of the uterus is known as the endometrium. Each month the hormones in your body stimulate the endometrium to grow and thicken and then break down and bleed. This bleeding is your period.

In endometriosis small patches of endometrium grow outside the uterus in other areas, such as on the ovaries or on the surface of the other organs inside the pelvis. These patches of endometrium respond to the hormones in your body in the same way as the lining of the uterus. Therefore, the misplaced endometrium thickens each month and then breaks down and bleeds. Unfortunately, there is no way for this blood to leave the body so it irritates the surrounding area causing pain and the other symptoms of endometriosis.

The most common symptoms of endometriosis are period pain, backache, heavy bleeding, pain when using your bowels, pain with sexual intercourse and difficulty in becoming pregnant.

There are two main types of treatment for endometriosis: drugs and surgery.

Drug treatment is most commonly used for teenagers. Most of the drugs work by stopping your periods and drying up the patches of endometriosis. Surgery involves burning or cutting out the patches of endometriosis.

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