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CHILD’S HEALTH/INFECTIOUS DISEASES: CHICKENPOX (VARICELLA) CLINICAL FEATURES
May 21, 2009
The incubation period for chickenpox is 2-3 weeks after contact. Symptoms tend to be much milder in children than in adults, so you may actually be doing your child a favour if you let him catch chickenpox! The illness usually starts with a general feeling of tiredness and lethargy, which is soon followed by the outbreak of a characteristic rash. At first this rash appears as red spots which develop into crops of small blisters over the trunk. These begin to appear soon on the rest of the body, and may occur even in the mouth, ears or on the genitalia. The blisters are extremely itchy, and new ones keep forming as older ones are scabbing over and drying up. Your child remains contagious until the last blister has scabbed over and the blisters are all dry. The scabs may take several weeks to fall off. The rash does not leave any scars unless your child scratches the blisters or scabs, or they become infected. The rash may be accompanied by a fever, which is usually more marked in adults.
In healthy children complications of chickenpox are unlikely, although they do occasionally occur. These include pneumonia and encephalitis. Children who have reduced immunity, such as those with cancer or those taking immunosuppressant medication, can suffer severe attacks of chickenpox and should be kept away from those who have it. Elderly people cannot get shingles from chickenpox, but children can develop chickenpox after contact with someone who has shingles.
*273\90\8*
LEAVING YOUR CHILDREN SOMETHING TO LOVE BY: RULES FOR TALKING WITH KIDS ABOUT SEX
May 19, 2009
“Every time I sit down to talk about sex, to have ‘the talk,’ my son says, ‘Oh Dad, I know all that,” and walks way.”
FRUSTRATED FATHER
The reason the mother’s fingers were crossed is that she knew there were still years of sex education to go. She knew what the peer group exerts profound influence, and she feared for the welfare of her son in a world confused about sexuality. The rules for effective loving and sex education are really simple. Here is the list. Talk it over with your whole family and see if they don’t agree.
Rules of Family Sex Education
Never have a “sex talk.” Sitting down for a formal birds and bees lecture is bound to fail. Sex cannot be separated from life, so deal with any problems of life when they relate to sex. If you look, you will see the relationship everywhere. Phone calls, assertiveness, curfews, discipline, respect, differing treatment of the father, mother, brother or sister, TV programs, movies, and dozens of everyday events relate to sex. Sex mini-lessons should take place then, related to an issue everyone can actually experience.
There is no need to do all of the talking. Listen and you will hear. You will hear questions even if they are not put in question form. “Nobody around
here cares about me” is a sex question about self-esteem and acceptance, “I wish our family was taller” is a question about body-image. “Look at that chick” is a question about sexism. “He’s a fag” is a question about gender identity. Use of explicit sex words is always a question about what and how to have sex, about values and morals and social appropriateness, even about technique. Good sex education is much more listening than telling.
Sex and love education cannot be done “one way.” One obvious reason
sex education can be a difficult family problem is that the child or teenager
is “on the spot,” the student. In my teaching, I have found that I am most effective when I am learning and sharing, not telling. I’m not really sure there is any such thing as teaching if it means telling. Changing behavior and thinking always depends on interaction, on a two-way learning. Ask your children to teach you about their world. Remember, you were never their age! They live in their own time, and, as the poet Kahlil Gibran stated, we cannot visit there, not even in our dreams.
*309\97\8*
YOUR MARITAL HEALTH/WIVES’ SEXUALITY: “ORGASMIC DYSFUNCTION”
May 18, 2009
Orgasmic denial was replaced with orgasmic obligation, and capacity was mistaken for requirement. Women were no longer to be made love “to” but to be made love “for.” The female sexual-response cycle was seen as separate in many ways from the male’s, totally devoid of a refractory period, and dependent on much more general, romantic stimulation than the male’s. Women were now seen as intensely responsive, multiply orgasmic sexual athletes who, once appropriately and rigorously stimulated, lost all control, succumbing to their unlimited “carnal lust.” Men had to learn, according to the third perspective, to harness this infinite lust through clever stimulation, self-control, timing, endurance, and the patience to wait for the emergence of this special sexual capacity. Why they were no longer sexual objects to be used and abused, women were now to be “handled with care,” erotic puzzles to be solved by liberated men.
Women were never seen as prematurely orgasmic. Indeed, there was no limit to their sexual capacity. Only men “came too soon.” Women were seen as having “orgasmic dysfunction,” as not having orgasms or not having enough or intense-enough orgasms. Men, of course, were always easily orgasmic. In fact, they were seen as too easily orgasmic in comparison to these sexual women whose orgasmic threshold was high and required intense, generalized, and prolonged stimulation in order for “the force” to be released.
For men, the female orgasm became a goal. For women, it became an assignment, a signal of the effectiveness of their male partner. Even though many women talked privately of the fact that orgasms were highly subjective and that sometimes they were totally irrelevant to sexual fulfillment, they knew they had better have them if sexual relationships were to flourish. Group therapy for women was offered, “orgasm groups” helping women to find the way to their inner sexual potential. If men had their orgasms too soon, women tended to take too long. While men put desensitizing creams on their penises to numb themselves, women sought “sexual inventions” for easy orgasmic release. They discovered a magical spot that could help with all of this. After all, we were now living in a pushbutton culture, so why not look for the female sex button? Men didn’t need one, because they were turned on all the time anyway, but it seemed important to look for the female “on switch.”
*136\97\8*
TRUE HEALING – PRACTICAL ADVICE/DETOXIFICATION PROCESS: OXYGEN THERAPIES – OZONE TREATMENT
Ozone (03) is a very active form of oxygen. It exists naturally in the atmosphere – it is created from molecular oxygen (02) by the UV rays from the sun. Ozone is the essential ingredient of fresh air. Ozone is unstable: it breaks down into oxygen after only a few minutes at room temperature (25 deg C), but its supplies are continuously updated using the UV energy from the sun. High in the mountains there is a lot of ozone in the air. We can create ozone in our home, by yet again imitating the ways of nature: using a quartz lamp to generate UV rays. Because ozone is so active, it neutralises (by oxidisation) all odours very effectively. Breathing air, with the concentration of ozone similar to that in the mountains, is quite beneficial. Be careful not to exceed natural concentrations of ozone in the air you breathe. Your body will give you a warning if you are doing so: dryness of the throat and/or discomfort in your lungs. Do not ignore it.
Do not ever breathe ozone produced using a high voltage arc. Such ozone is initially very hot and it is so active, that it reacts with the nitrogen in the arc plasma, creating nitrogen oxides, which are quite toxic. The air around a high voltage arc contains not only ozone, but also nitrogen oxides, which are dangerous.
“Cold” ozone, generated at low room temperature by an UV quartz lamp is safe. Such “cold” ozone is naturally produced in the atmosphere by the activity of the sun and is an essential ingredient of fresh air.
*35\96\8*
MIGRAINE – MIGRAINE HEADACHES
May 15, 2009
Migraine headaches rarely last beyond one day and, if not relieved with drugs, may go once the person goes to sleep. Where the headache persists for days, it is usually initially a migraine which develops into a tension headache and the sufferer has difficulty separating them.
Ergotamine is a drug which constricts the arteries and is the treatment of choice for most vascular headaches. These drugs are often combined with an antihistamine to stop nausea and vomiting.
They must be taken at the onset of the migraine so as to abort an attack.
Ordinary analgesics, even strong ones, are of little use in relieving migraine. The stronger narcotic drugs like morphine and pethidine should be used with extreme caution.
If the attacks are infrequent, taking an ergota-mine preparation to relieve the attack is all that is necessary. More severe or frequent attacks usually require the use of one of the preventive drugs taken on a regular basis, usually for many months.
Some cases resistant to other measures do well with manipulation of the neck, hypnosis or acupuncture.
*504/71/1*
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME – GENERAL INFORMATION
It is common in pregnancy and here it is believed to be due to swelling of the nerve and the overlaying band of ligament as part of the general retention of fluid in the body which may occur in pregnancy.
It may be relieved if the pregnant woman takes a diuretic; a drug that washes fluid and salt from the body. The symptoms are usually relieved following delivery.
Carpal tunnel syndrome causes pain in the hand and fingers, but this pain may spread up the forearm as well.
Pins and needles and numbness may affect the hands and fingers. The fifth finger is never involved because of its different nerve supply.
Patients may be unaware that the little finger is not involved and claim that their symptoms involve the whole hand. But when they are made aware of it and they take particular note, they will find that this finger is spared.
That is a very important point in making the diagnosis. Pressure on the nerve in the neck will usually involve all five digits. Sometimes weakness and inco-ordination of the muscles, particularly those of the thumb, may be part of the problem.
The pain appears to be worse following use of the hand but it also commonly comes on at night and may wake the person in the early hours of the morning. It is usually relieved by hanging the hand down over the side of the bed.
In mild cases the use of one of the antiinflammatory drugs to relieve the inflammatory swelling of the nerve in the tunnel may produce relief. This is often combined with the taking of a diuretic to reduce fluid retention.
If these simple measures do not work, it is worth a trial of applying a plaster of Paris splint to the wrist to be worn only at nights.
Nerve conduction studies will confirm the diagnosis. Where conservative measures fail, operation gives excellent results.
*247/71/1*
YOUR CANCER YOUR LIFE – RIGHT TO HAVE QUESTIONS ANSWERED (DIFFERENT PATIENTS)
May 12, 2009
Remember that, because every patient is different, and because no one can look with certainty into the future, many of the answers can only be educated guesses—what is average or likely. No one can tell you exactly how you will react to a certain treatment or how long you will live. The best anyone can do is tell you what is likely to happen. It is important to know this, and also to know what could happen if you are not an ‘average’ patient, that is both the best and worst that could happen.
Remember you cannot make the best decisions for yourself without this information. Getting it will not be easy. Most of the answers should come from your practitioner. You can ask other practitioners as well as the first one you see. You will find many of the answers in this book. You can go to a library or bookshop and find other books. You can get information from other patients, other hospital staff, friends, or relatives.
Much of this information will not be offered, you will have to ask and often ask more than once. If you find it hard to push for all the information, some of the following will help.
*5/40/1*
SKIN CARE: DANGER ASSOCIATED WITH SOLARIUMS
May 8, 2009
Various advertising brochures present different inaccuracies. There are, however, three fundamental inaccuracies which most of them contain.
The first is the claim made for the enormous benefits of UVA radiation for the body! They reject the ‘blazing and potentially dangerous sun’, only to promote ‘the rich golden tan, which gives you that healthy, confident, affluent look. Who could resist, especially as they say that the radiation which produces a tan is also the major source of vitamin D. In fact the major source of vitamin D is dairy products and fish oils, not sunlight. Moreover such supplementation of vitamin D is hardly necessary in our society: vitamin D deficiency results in rickets, a virtually non-existent condition in developed countries.
The second misleading claim concerns the safety of these units. They maintain that they ‘filter out the potentially harmful part of the UV range’, and use only the ‘beneficial tanning rays’. Some even state that they produce ‘a safe tan, without drying and prematurely ageing the skin’, and further, that such tan is a very effective measure towards the prevention of skin cancer’.
Thirdly, they state that ‘it is not necessary to wear protective goggles’. This, in spite of increasing evidence of cataract formation.
It can be seen, therefore, that tanning for cosmetic purposes is not a harmless procedure. This is equally true whether the tan is developed by lying on sunny beaches or frequenting solariums. The greatest disadvantage of the solarium concept is that it allows people to maintain a tan all the year round. Such people thus have the means of accumulating consistent cellular damage, resulting eventually in tissue breakdown which manifests itself as premature ageing and cancer.
The widespread use of solariums is a public health issue, just as smoking has become. In the United States the Government Department of Health and Human Services, together with the Food and Drug Administration, are very much aware of the danger involved in the indiscriminate use of solariums. As a result, regulations governing their use and their equipment are being enforced. All operators are required to be licensed, and their equipment regularly calibrated and checked. Posters must be prominently displayed, warning of the skin and eye dangers, and referring to the various drugs and diseases which may adversely affect the client using the solarium.
*101\44\4*
THE MENOPAUSE: HOT FLUSHES AND NIGHT SWEATS (PART 2)
Hot flushes and night sweats are, therefore, an obvious case for treatment with hormone replacement therapy, and in fact relief from these distressing symptoms is the commonest reason for women wanting to take it. As the problem is caused by falling levels of oestrogen, the flushes cease when these levels are topped up to their normal level. Once oestrogen therapy is started, the situation can be dramatically improved within a few days, and the flushes have usually ceased completely within a few weeks. If you are still troubled with them after three months of therapy, ask your doctor if he will change your dosage of oestrogen; he should be able to find one eventually that relieves your symptoms without causing unpleasant side-effects. Once things have stabilised, the relief will usually continue for as long as you remain on the therapy. However, they may return if you stop the treatment suddenly, move to a hot climate (if you go abroad on holiday, for example), take a course of antibiotics, or come under additional stress. If this happens, ask your doctor’s advice.
Taking HRT will eliminate night sweats, dramatically improving the quality of your sleep, and with it your level of fatigue and irritability. Sadly, some general practitioners still prescribe tranquillisers and anti-depressants to women who complain of hot flushes and night sweats, and the insomnia and emotional upsets that they cause. This is difficult to justify, as the problem is due to falling oestrogen, and nothing else. Replace the oestrogen with HRT and the flushes and sweats will disappear, and with them the sleep disturbance they cause and its accompanying fatigue, irritability and lack of wellbeing. If you are on tranquillisers or anti-depressants for these particular menopausal problems, talk to your doctor about the possibility of changing to hormone replacement therapy. (If he ‘doesn’t believe in it’, see page 90 for other suggestions.)
Many women feel they want to ‘die of embarrassment’ or ‘disappear into the floor’ when a hot flush strikes them at work or in mixed company. This is largely due to other people’s perception of hot flushes; some men and young women may laugh and make unkind remarks. Perhaps we could bring up our sons in such a way that they become men who will not diminish a female colleague’s self-esteem at work, but will show kindness and sympathy during what is a very uncomfortable few minutes. Once our daughters know more about the menopause and its causes and effects, perhaps they will help to develop a culture that will ensure attitudes have changed by the time their turn comes.
Flushes have been described as ’something like adolescent acne – an outward sign of natural hormonal changes’. They may be troublesome and embarrassing but (unless you are one of the unfortunate 5 per cent) they do decrease in number and strength, and they will eventually pass as the body adjusts to its lower level of oestrogen. However, just because the menopause is ‘natural’ doesn’t mean you have to put up with its distressing symptoms for months or years, and we are lucky that HRT is now available to relieve them.
*11\42\4*
DRUG TREATMENTS FOR EXCESSIVE BLEEDING
Numerous pharmaceutical treatments have been developed to stop excessive bleeding. Not only do they avoid major surgery which, until quite recently, was the only treatment option for these conditions, they also preserve a woman’s fertility, a factor of increasing importance with current trends to deferral of childbearing until after the age of thirty.
In general, these treatments are best used in the short-term (that is, for no more than a year) because prolonged use tends to result in side-effects. This drug-induced respite from heavy bleeding secures time during which women and their doctors can examine the situation carefully before settling on a strategy. For women approaching menopause, medical treatments may provide just the sort of stopgap needed until their bleeding problems disappear spontaneously.
Drug treatments can shrink tissues that may be responsible for bleeding. According to some doctors this makes subsequent surgery easier; although practitioners whose approach is to cut out or excise the aberrant tissue say it makes the surgical removal of unwanted tissue more difficult because it is less visible in its shrunken form.
The cost of drug approaches compared with surgery depends on the duration of their use, whether their price is subsidised through a national health scheme (such as through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in Australia) and whether there is a need for regular medical checks or examinations.
*26\198\4*
