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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*
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*
CHILDREN’S MENINGITIS: PRECAUTIONS AND TREATMENT
April 28, 2009
Precautions
• The unnecessary use of antibiotics for an upper respiratory tract infection may mask the onset of meningitis.
• A child who is suffering from exhaustion or extreme weakness, and who has fever and a stiff neck is in danger and should be taken to a medical facility immediately.
Your doctor will take the child’s complete medical history and perform a thorough examination. The doctor will then order a spinal tap. Spinal fluid will be examined for cells, bacteria, and abnormal chemical components. This is the only way to differentiate between meningitis and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), which is also a life-threatening disease. The doctor will also require cultures of the spinal fluid, blood, and nose and throat mucus. Immediately following the spinal tap and cultures your doctor will administer intravenous fluids and antibiotics. If the infecting organism is unknown, the doctor may put the child on two antibiotics at the same time. If the meningitis turns out to be caused by a virus, no antibiotics will be used, since viruses do not respond to antibiotics.
If your child has been in contact with a person with meningococcal or Haemophilus influenzae meningitis, your doctor may choose to administer penicillin, sulphonamide, or rifampin by mouth prevent your child from developing meningitis.
Vaccines against meningococci, pneumococci, and Haemophilius influenzae are available, but they are still in the experimental stage and not currently recommended for general use.
*149/84/5*
SELF-HELP PREVENTION: HEAT RASH (PRICKLY HEAT) AND HEATSTROKE
April 23, 2009
Heat rash (prickly heat)
It is an itching skin condition caused by heavy sweating (usually in hot climates). Little red pimples occur in sweaty areas.
What causes it?
Inflammation of the sweat ducts.
Prevention
• In hot and sweaty climates reduce your physical activity and hence the amount you sweat.
• Don’t drink hot drinks.
• Wear as few clothes as possible, preferably made of light, natural fibres.
• Shower in tepid water and use no soap. Dry carefully and use a dusting powder.
• Soothe the bad areas with calamine lotion.
Heatstroke
Heat stroke is a condition in which the body is unable to lose heat, for example in extremely hot climates in which the air is hotter than the body so that the body does not lose heat into the air. It can also occur in very humid conditions in which the body is unable to sweat and so lose heat. The skin is hot, dry and red, and the sufferer has a rapid pulse and a high temperature and may also vomit and be irritable. If severe, it can lead to a coma.
What causes it?
An inability of the body to cool off by normal heat loss or via sweating (which also reduces body temperature).
Prevention
• Avoid extremely hot situations.
• Drink ice-cold liquids to lower the body temperature.
NB This is not a treatment. No one with this condition should be cooled quickly.
• When in hot climates wear thin, natural-fibre clothes and keep out of the direct sun.
*167/72/5*
THE DANGERS FOR WOMEN WHO CONTINUE TO SMOKE
April 2, 2009
The bad news is that women are continuing to smoke, and younger women are taking it up more readily than did their mothers at the same age. Approximately 40 percent of teenage girls, but only 30 percent of teenage boys, are reported to be smokers.
For women who smoke, the facts are simple:
• Premenopausal smokers have three times the heart attack rate of their nonsmoker colleagues.
• Women smoking more than forty cigarettes a day increase their heart attack risk by twenty fold.
• Combining smoking with diabetes hugely increases the heart attack risk in women, well above that in similar men.
• Oral contraceptive users who smoke heavily increase their risk of thrombosis in the pelvis, legs, and brain. The risk rises very steeply from their mid-thirties onwards.
Surgery for Women with Angina
Women with angina who are offered a coronary artery bypass operation should accept the chance. Even though they tend naturally to have narrower coronary arteries than men, the results of bypass grafts in women and men are equally good. Women with angina who have never had a heart attack do even better after bypass surgery than similar men.
So go for it! Your doctors have been alerted to the fact that you have had a raw deal and need to be treated more vigorously.
For your own part, recognize that you are at risk by not ignoring that pain in your chest. Do not smoke—at all. Have regular health checks. If you have high blood pressure and /or diabetes, be meticulous about their control. And try to keep to a normal weight—not overweight, but not too thin, either. Finally, if you are menopausal or older, do consider HRT It could do your heart a lot of good.
*106\86\8*
THE CARDIOLOGY UNIT: THE STRESS TEST AND THE HOLTER MONITOR
A stress test is done on a treadmill or stationary bike. The treadmill is a moving walkway, the speed and incline of which can be altered. The faster it moves and the steeper the incline, the more work it forces your heart to do. While you walk on the treadmill, your heart is monitored by EKG, which will show when the demand for oxygen by the heart is beginning to outstrip the supply through the coronary arteries. This is usually well before you feel any pain.
The EKG can show how much of the heart is affected, and which part of the heart. This helps to pinpoint which coronary artery is affected, and roughly where. It is a start on the road to defining what exactly your problem is, but it is too inaccurate to use as the sole basis of treatment.
As a rough rule of thumb, if angina or ischemic changes on the EKG start within two minutes of beginning the treadmill exercise, there is enough coronary disease for serious note to be taken. If you can go ten minutes without pain, and there is no silent ischemia on the EKG, there is little to worry about. However, many people fall in between these limits.
The Holter monitor is a portable computerized EKG machine that can be strapped to your chest for twenty-four or forty-eight hours. You wear it as you perform your everyday tasks and even when you sleep (some angina may occur when you sleep).
The Holter monitor records a continuous trace of your heartbeats throughout the whole time you are wearing it, and is programmed to pick up every abnormality during that time, from episodes of ischemia to bursts of abnormal rhythm, to the odd missed beat. It can compare the episodes of ischemia with your count of episodes of pain. The difference gives the numbers of attacks of silent ischemia, and gives an idea of the whole burden of ischemia your heart is carrying, day and night.
Treadmill testing and Holter monitoring can detect people who are at relatively high risk of a serious heart attack. Cardiologists now recommend that everyone with angina under the age of sixty-five years, regardless of whether their symptoms are mild or severe (remember they often bear no relationship to the severity of your blockage), should be offered these tests. For those aged over sixty-five, the decision to put them to such discomfort depends on their general fitness and on how much their angina is interfering with their quality of life.
*86\86\8*
HELP YOUR ANGINA/EXERCISE: THE IMPORTANCE OF REST
Daily exercise is all very well, but rest is important, too. Some people find that exercise helps them to relax and reduce their stress, because they always feel good after vigorous physical activity. However, they must not exercise vigorously every day.
For muscles, including the heart muscle, to get the best out of exercise you should take two days of rest from it every week. Plan your week accordingly for two separate “do little” days between exercises. Professional athletes know this—and it is even more important if you have angina.
Rest is important at certain times in your exercise days, too. Don’t, for example, exercise vigorously for at least two hours after a main meal, or until an hour after a snack. Don’t exercise after drinking alcohol.
If you are ill, don’t try to keep up the exercise schedule, especially if you have a virus infection such as the flu or a cold. As you begin to recover, start with a few easy exercises at home—they will help your muscles to recover faster.
Don’t stick to just one exercise either. Mix your exercises with walking, swimming, cycling, running, golfing, tennis, badminton, or whatever you most enjoy. Keep it moderate, and not too competitive, and learn how to relax.
*62\86\8*
