15 May 09 EXERCISE RISK
The idea that participation is better than watching seems to have taken hold in Australia as well as other developed countries and the Western world is on a fitness kick.
Not only the young, but the middle-aged and even the elderly are walking, jogging, swimming and playing tennis and squash.
We have been told that it is all good for our health and likely to reduce the risk of having a heart attack.
When a jogger drops dead, this receives great publicity and can make those of us who are pushing our ageing bodies harder than we have for many years, just a little anxious about whether we are doing the right thing.
People still have heart attacks and some die while sleeping or making love. That shouldn’t keep us awake or make us choose celibacy.
Regular sustained physical exercise, tailored to the needs of age, present fitness and state of health is good for one and may protect from the development of a heart attack. Nothing is absolute in medicine.
The trend back to active exercise for many can only be good for the majority even if, for a few, their exertions are foolhardy or even dangerous.
While exercise may not increase the quantity of life it does seem to increase its quality. Those who take up exercise usually take other steps to improve health such as stopping smoking and improving their diet.
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Tags: General Health
15 May 09 CANCER OF THE WOMB – GENERAL INFORMATION
Cervical cancer may occur in young women, but its peak incidence is in the late Forties. It is more common in women who have had many pregnancies, in those who have had regular sexual intercourse from an early age and in those who have had many sexual partners. It is also more common in those with a lower socio-economic status.
The herpes virus and the human papilloma virus which causes genital warts are thought to be causes of cancer of the cervix.
Most people still associate cancer with pain but this is usually a late symptom. The earliest symptoms of cancer of the cervix are bleeding and discharge. The bleeding may occur between the periods and may follow intercourse. The discharge is initially clear but later becomes blood-stained and offensive.
In 1933, Dr George Papanicolaou showed that a simple test of placing a scraping from the cervix on a slide and examining it under the microscope could detect cancer in its earliest stage.
This test has been widely used since the late Fifties but, unfortunately, many women fail to take advantage of it.
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Tags: General Health
08 May 09 HOW TO STAY YOUNGER LONGER WITH THE MIRACLE FOODS FROM THE BEES
You have seen in this chapter that foods from the bees—honey, pollen and royal jelly—do indeed have great potentials for health and longevity. It would be unwise to ignore these foods which have been used with so great a benefit by the ancients. In the terms of practical application of the information in this chapter you can do the following:
Pollen and pollen preparations are available in the United States in the better health food stores. So are the preparations containing royal jelly. It certainly would not hurt to try these—and you just may be surprised by the benefits. Specifically in conditions of intestinal sluggishness and putrefaction in the digestive tract, pollen has definitely proven to be exceedingly beneficial.
Honey, pollen, and royal jelly are definitely rejuvenating, age-retarding foods. They have a stimulating effect on all the vital processes of your body. Follow the example of Russian centenarians and use them liberally—and see yourself growing younger as the symptoms of old age gradually disappear.
Stop using white sugar! Replace it with health-giving honey. Honey can be used everywhere sugar is used: in beverages, in baking, in cooking, on cereals, etc. We have a double reason to use honey instead of sugar—honey is so inexpensive here! In most European countries honey costs two to three times more than it does here. And, in spite of the food industry’s efforts to “improve” on nature, honey is still one of the least-tampered-with natural foods you can buy.
Use only raw, unhealed and unstrained honey. Heating destroys both vitamins and enzymes. Refining, filtering and “clarifying” of honey removes many of the minerals and amino acids—yes, honey even contains amino acids, the essential forms of protein! And what is even worse, refining and filtering removes the pollen! Also, choose the dark varieties of honey in preference to the light; dark honey contains more vitamin and minerals than light-colored honey.
Remember: The miracle foods from the bees—honey, pollen and royal jelly—will give you many health benefits and will keep you younger longer. After all, they have been used for these purposes for many thousands of years!
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Tags: General Health
08 May 09 HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND FASTING: POINTS TO REMEMBER
Although fasting is one of the safest and most practical therapeutic agents known, the general public is largely ignorant as to how it is administered. As with the other therapeutic agents, it is of great importance that fasting be carried out correctly. Misuse or disregard for certain fundamental rules of fasting may make it not only useless, but even harmful. Of course, I earnestly advise that you discuss your case with an experienced doctor or a nature-cure practitioner, who has had experience with fasts, and, if possible, undertake your fast under his direction and supervision. This particularly applies to cases of extremely high blood pressure, especially if it is accompanied by a weak heart, or if the patient has a record of heart attacks.
Two different therapeutic fasting methods for high blood pressure can be considered. One is a traditional water fast, or a complete fast with nothing consumed but water. This is the kind of fast usually employed in American clinics. The other is a fast where the juices of raw fruits and vegetables, plus vegetable broth, are added to the water. The latter is now widely used in most European clinics, and I recommend this method, especially if you fast on your own, without professional supervision. The duration of the fast should be seven to 14 days, depending on the condition of the patient, or how high the blood pressure is.
Follow very carefully the instructions given in Chapter 2 on how to break fast. This is extremely important. Follow the instructions meticulously.
In case of a heart condition or damaged kidney, water drinking should be restricted to a minimum.
The mental attitude while fasting is of tremendous importance. The difference between therapeutic fasting and starvation is that while starvation is a negative, undesired condition, accompanied by fear and anxiety, which exerts a negative, disease-producing effect on bodily functions, therapeutic fasting is a positive, voluntary condition, accompanied by complete confidence and faith in its beneficial effect and anticipated good results. Such a positive attitude stimulates and encourages all the cleansing and healing processes of the body. Therefore, before you start fasting, be thoroughly convinced of its wonderful, beneficial properties. This is also one of the reasons why it is advisable to fast in a clinic surrounded by other fasting patients who can encourage and inspire each other, or under the supervision of a practitioner who can encourage and explain the various symptoms and reactions which may develop during the fast.
*95\58\2*
Tags: General Health
29 Apr 09 THE COLOUR OF THE IRIS AND THE IRIS-LAYERS
The colour of the iris determines the appearance of the eyes. We distinguish in general three natural basic colours: blue, grey, and brown.
Each of these colours has a physiological basis, and is conditional upon the degree of pigmentation of the iris.
The iris appears blue when its surface layers are colourless, and the deepest dark layer of the iris (retinal epithelial pigment) shows through. If the middle vascular layer of the iris—the
stroma—is coarse and compact, then the iris appears grey. However, the more dark coloured material is deposited in this stroma, the more the iris is darkened in its colouring, and the appearance tends towards brown. There are occasionally seen in a less pigmented iris, local accumulations of brown-to-black coloured substance which strikingly appear as dark-reddish flecks in the otherwise grey or blue iris. These are referred to scientifically as naevi irides
(iris-birthmark). We call them ‘toxin-flecks’.
In the case of albinos, the iris layers are completely transparent. There is a lack of all pigment. These eyes appear reddish, because of the visibility of the blood vessels in the deep layer of the iris—the retina.
In the new-born, the iris is at first dark-violet to blue-grey. Only in the course of development does there appear a lightening or darkening through alteration in the pigment content. With advancing age the stroma becomes more compact and coarser and thereby acquires a grey appearance.
The change of blue to brown iris is sometimes limited to an individual iris or even to a part, so that in the same person, one iris can be blue with the other brown, and also a smaller or larger brown sector may be seen in the blue iris. This is referred to as Heterochromia. Discolourations of the iris following organic diseases are of especial
significance in Iriscopy.
The structure of the iris is best viewed when the pupil is contracted, using a strong beam of light, either with natural vision, or better still with a loupe of 3 or 4 magnifications.
The iris is rich in changes, and is especially characterised by elevations and depressions of the anterior surface. This is referred to as the iris-relief.
*6\78\2*
Tags: General Health
28 Apr 09 CHILDREN’S HEALTH: ASKING QUESTIONS, HOUSE CALLS
Asking questions
One of the things you’ll probably have checked out when you chose your doctor was his or her ability to speak language you understand. Doctors, like specialists in any field, are so familiar with their professional language that they sometimes forget how confusing it is to other people. So if your child’s doctor slips into medical jargon that you don’t understand, ask for a translation. Don’t feel uncomfortable about asking, either. You must know what the doctor’s instructions are before you can carry them out, and it’s part of the doctor’s responsibility to make sure you are fully informed about all matters that concern your child’s health.
Sometimes you may find that you understand what the doctor is saying – but you don’t agree with it. In this case don’t hesitate to ask why the doctor has reached a certain decision, or what the alternatives are. If you still don’t feel comfortable with the doctor’s advice, don’t argue. You may get the doctor to agree with your point of view, but this may not be in the child’s best interests. If you and the doctor disagree on a diagnosis or a course of treatment, ask for a second opinion. This means going to another doctor and asking his or her professional advice on the issue. Your doctor may welcome this suggestion – or even make the suggestion before you do. A doctor may be hesitant to assume full responsibility for diagnosing and treating a difficult or unusual case. In such a situation it is common to have two or more consultants working together to determine the best course of treatment.
When you ask for a second opinion, your doctor should be able to suggest names of possible consultants. If you trust the doctor, you’ll trust his or her choice of other professionals. If you don’t, you’ll be looking for another doctor anyway.
House calls
Many people who are now parents remember the days when doctors made house calls. And they wonder why doctors today don’t make house calls. Your modern physician will probably tell you that many wrong diagnoses resulted from examining sick children in their homes without adequate equipment. In the office, the doctor has a professionally set-up medical facility with all the equipment necessary for an accurate diagnosis. So whether or not a doctor makes house calls – and most don’t – should not affect your opinion of his or her competence. If you trust your doctor, and if you’re confident that he or she will always be available in an emergency, you’ve made a good choice.
A final word on the parent/physician partnership – and, again, it’s partly a matter of courtesy. If your physician is taking good care of your child, express your appreciation; doctors like to be thanked, just the same as anyone else. And if you’re not satisfied with the health care your child is receiving, the doctor should know that, too. A physician’s failure to please you may be due to many factors other than professional inadequacy, and if the doctor knows there’s a problem maybe he or she can correct it. If not, your best plan is to find another doctor.
Remember that although the doctor is your partner in caring for your child’s health, you’re still responsible for deciding just who this partner will be.
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Tags: General Health
28 Apr 09 WHY BABIES CRY
It’s normal for babies to cry. It is, after all, their only way of letting you know they need something. At first it may be difficult to figure out what the baby needs. In a newborn, though, there are only a few things a cry will signify: hunger, needing a nappy change, and needing to be held and comforted. As the baby grows up, he or she will find more reasons to complain: boredom, frustration, loneliness, fear, overstimulation, or maybe being too tired to go to sleep.
Sometimes you and your baby can get into a crying cycle. When the baby cries, you get anxious and nervous. The more the baby cries, the worse you feel, and nothing you do seems to help quiet the baby. The baby senses your feelings, your anxiety in turn makes the baby anxious and uncomfortable, and the child expresses these feelings by crying even more. If you find yourself getting into these cycles, talk about it with an experienced parent or your doctor. They may be able to suggest a solution.
Occasionally, a baby will cry because he or she is in pain. Check to see if you can figure out what is causing the pain. A sick baby may cry but will usually also have other symptoms of illness such as a fever, diarrhea, pulling on an ear, or a runny nose. Generally, a healthy baby will have a strong, loud cry. If your baby’s cry becomes weak, contact your doctor right away.
*6/84/5*
Tags: General Health
23 Apr 09 FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO SNORING
We have been concerned thus far with a picture of the normal upper airway, discussing its susceptibility to collapse given the compliant nature of the pharynx and the destabilizing effect of sleep. In fact, most people’s airways remain open during sleep and they experience neither the audible evidence of partial collapse nor a disastrous total collapse. So what makes snorers different?
The shape of the upper airway
In many instances the cause of snoring is plainly visible on a simple examination of the throat. Looking through the mouth into the oropharynx, one is often confronted with a pendulous and swollen soft palate and uvula which quite plainly has the effect of narrowing the entrance to the upper airway. Inflammation or reddening of this tissue is further evidence of upper airway trauma caused by snoring. Some patients present with a good history of snoring but with no remarkable physical features to account for the symptoms, and it is these patients who impress on us the fact that snoring can be brought about by very subtle changes in the shape of the upper airway.
Using a technique known as acoustic reflection (in principle, not unlike a sonar) several studies have demonstrated that the cross sectional area of the pharynx in heavy snorers is less than that of non snorers. In other words snorers tend to have a narrower pharynx in the awake state even before other factors come into play such as the loss of muscle tone during sleep. Not surprisingly, the soft tissue around the narrowed airway vibrates under the added strain of each inspiratory manoeuvre. Careful analysis of the size and position of facial bones, particularly the jaw, has shown that heavy snorers often have slight changes in the alignment of these structures which again favours collapse of the upper airway.
Although most snorers will have a narrow pharynx or some degree of mal-alignment of the jaw there are sometimes more conspicuous findings which tip the scales dramatically in favour of the repetitive airway obstruction which is often associated with heavy snoring. Any condition, and there are many, which effectively restricts the flow of air through the upper airway by narrowing the pharynx will promote snoring.
Obesity
Obesity certainly contributes to the incidence and severity of snoring. The relationship between excessive weight and sleep disorders is under active investigation and there is evidence to suggest that fat deposits in the tissue surrounding the pharynx play a role. Weight loss, even for the mildly overweight, has been shown to be effective in reducing the severity of snoring.
Other impediments
There are several structural anomalies of the upper airway which can interfere with the normal flow of air such as enlarged adenoids and tonsils, a large tongue, malformations of the jaw or an abnormally long or fleshy soft palate. The list is incomplete but serves to show that some changes to the anatomy of this critical part of the airway will favour snoring.
*6/51/5*
Tags: General Health
23 Apr 09 SOME HISTORICAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
It is all too easy in our cosy world to forget just how hostile life was as recently as a century ago and so to belittle what preventive medicine has achieved so far. A hundred years ago, only six babies out of ten survived to adulthood and the life expectancy of a British boy born between 1871 and 1880 was 41 years, and that of his sister 45 years. If they managed to survive the first year of life this improved to 48 and 50 years respectively. Today this has totally changed-mainly because of preventive rather than curative measures. Generally speaking we all accept that when we have a baby it will be born alive and will survive to see old age-but this is a very recent assumption in the history of the human race. Childbirth itself was extremely hazardous for both a mother and her child only a century ago and then the child had to survive all the childhood infections, in addition to smallpox and ÒÂ. Nutrition in Victorian England was so poor that children’s resistance was low and they were likely to pick up anything that was going. The majority of the population of Victorian England lived in urban slums, water was often unsafe and few houses had piped water at all. In the environment of cities diseases spread and took hold of whole communities, causing thousands of deaths in any one epidemic. Over the last hundred years, though, the death rates from ÒÂ, enteric fever and the main infectious diseases of childhood have been reduced by more than 99 per cent.
In western countries mortality in every age group up to the age of 35 is now one tenth or less of what it was a hundred years ago and among children aged 1-9 it is now one twentieth of what it was then. In fact mortality has fallen by 88 per cent.
*6/72/41*
Tags: General Health
20 Apr 09 FOOD INTOLERTANCE: SUSAN’S STORY
A few months later, Susan read a magazine article about something called ‘food allergy’, which seemed to cause the sort of symptoms she had. She asked her doctor’s opinion about this and found he was very dismissive of the idea -as far as he could see, her symptoms were nothing like those of food allergy. Another year went past in which Susan became steadily worse. Then a new doctor joined the practice, and when she next rang for an appointment, it was suggested that she see him instead, as he had a special interest in patients like herself. When Susan went to see the other doctor, he explained that symptoms such as hers could sometimes be caused by food, although there were other potential causes as well. He went on to explain why his colleague had dismissed the idea of her having food allergy – the condition he treated was quite different and he preferred to use the name ‘food intolerance’. While he could not guarantee that this was her problem, it was certainly a possibility. He suggested that she try a special diet which avoided all the foods she normally ate. Susan began the diet on a Monday with high hopes, but by Tuesday she felt very ill indeed. Her tiredness was far worse, and she experienced a severe migraine attack – the worst one she had ever suffered – that lasted through Wednesday as well. On Thursday she felt completely ‘washed out’ from die migraine, and Friday was little better. In desperation, she rang the doctor, but he told her that this sort of reaction often occurred – in fact it was a positive sign that foods were the source of the problem, so she should persevere with the diet.
On Saturday, Susan woke up quite early before her alarm clock went off -which was most unusual, because she normally had great difficulty in waking up. As she got out of bed, she noticed that her knees did not give their customary painful twinge. She tried walking downstairs and then running up them again. To her amazement, she found that the pains she had endured for two years had suddenly vanished.
As the day went on, she realized that she felt altogether different – she was no longer tired, her head felt clearer, and there was no headache or migraine, unlike most weekends. Indeed she felt better than she had done for many years. Over the next few days, it became obvious that her bowels were also a great deal better.
When she returned to the doctor, Susan was jubilant – she simply couldn’t believe how much better she felt. Even her irritability, which she had thought was just part of her personality, had now vanished. The doctor explained that she must now reintroduce foods, one at a time, to see what effect they had. Over the next two months, she tried out all the foods she normally ate. Some of these had no effect, but others made her very ill – milk, wheat, rye, barley, yeast, oranges, lemons, beef and tomatoes were the main culprits. By avoiding all these foods, and adding some other, more unusual foods into her diet instead, Susan remained well. Migraines, which had previously afflicted her once or twice a week, were now a thing of the past.
After eight months, the doctor suggested that she try out some of the incriminated foods, to see what effect they had. She found that she still reacted to milk, but was fine on the other foods. The doctor advised her not to eat them more than once every four days. A year later, Susan discovered that she could now drink milk again without ill-effects. Interestingly, she discovered that she could also drink alcohol, in moderation, and eat chocolate, as they no longer seemed to trigger off migraines. By this stage, she had begun to forget what a migraine felt like!
*2\180\8*
Tags: General Health
