Category: General health

SOCIAL SERVICES: HELP AND ATTENDANCE AT HOME AND MORE

The provision of and continuing attendance of a home help is probably the most important aspect of keeping a frail and/or mentally confused person at home. A more underrated service (except by the recipients) cannot be thought of. A home help’s stated tasks are well known – cleaning, some washing, shopping and making light snacks. These tasks, together with the human contact they provide, mean that countless thousands of people have less lonely and more fulfilling lives. One indicator of their value is that in times of financial constraint or when their numbers are depleted by illness or holiday I have patients admitted to hospital because the lack of that service was the final straw – the home help was the only person keeping that individual from an institution.
Meals on wheels provide the elderly with one hot meal a day. In necessary cases this can be provided seven days a week, and most areas now cater for dietary needs as well as religious preferences. Some areas-charge for home helps, most charge for meals on wheels.
Day centers for the elderly (and often for the elderly mentally infirm) are run by social services and provide some of the benefits of both the meals on wheels service and home helps. A hot meal is provided as well as companionship. Many provide transport and arrange day outings as well as special events within the centre such as recreational, diversional and even medical and legal support. They can cope with some disabilities but not usually incontinence or disruptive behaviour. A long wait to attend is often due to transport difficulties and the most serious failure of all is that they rarely open at weekends, the most cruel time for isolated elderly people.
The problems of some elderly people are very complicated but, often only for a relatively short period of time (just after discharge from hospital, or after bereavement). Most districts now have a specialized group of people (sort of super home helps) trained to go into a person’s home at a time of crisis, help them through it and then gradually withdraw. These can have various names – family aids, flying squad, etc. – but they are usually mobilized by social workers and only in especially difficult circumstances. They give a far more intensive input than can be provided by the usual statutory services.
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RK (RADIAL KERATOTOMY) BECOMES A SKILL FOR OTHER AMERICAN EYE SURGEONS

Word of success for patients with myopia who experienced RK spread to other American eye surgeons. They either became disciples of the disciple – Bores – or traveled overseas to learn directly from the master.
In Denison, Texas, the Keratorefractive Society was formed. Its credo says it is “an independent, not for profit organization, founded for the express purpose of disseminating and facilitating the exchange of information concerning refractive alterations of the cornea and their surgical corrections. It serves as a repository for clinical data obtained under protocol by its members for purposes of analysis and professional evaluation.
“The Society’s educational objectives are to stimulate research and investigation in keratorefraction in order to establish a broad base to evaluate the clinical applicability of techniques in this area. Such scientific exchange needs to be undertaken to avoid errors and controversy which have accompanied other popularized surgical techniques in recent years.
“The Society firmly believes that no single subgroup of surgeons should be the exclusive evaluator of any single procedure. It defends the right of any well trained and responsible ophthalmologist to undertake clinical investigations under well defined protocols with due regard for his patient’s informed consent and rights.
“Membership in the Society is open to all ophthalmologists and scientists who have an interest in this area.”
Jerry Zelman, M.D. of Hialeah, Florida, Norman O. Stahl, M.D., of Long Island, New York, an attending ophthalmologist at the New York Creative Surgery Center, New York City, and Herbert L. Gould, M.D. of White Plains, New York, who is associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at New York Medical College, went to take training with Dr. Svyatoslav N. Fyodorov in Moscow. In a presentation before optometrists attending the 1980 Optifair meeting at the Hilton Hotel in New York City. Dr. Gould described how it is to take such Russian training.
Dr. Gould said: “In general Russian medicine is behind American medicine but as far as ophthalmology is concerned, an anomaly exists. Russian ophthalmology is ahead of eye surgery practiced in the United States. Fyodorov supervises 200 eye surgeons working in a 400-bed hospital devoted to the treatment of eye conditions. Most instruments are made in West Germany and much of the equipment is American-made. The waiting room of the Moscow Eye Institute looks like the reception area of Bellevue Hospital in New York City.
“The surgeons don’t use rubber gloves for Operating just surgical scrubbing causing them to have the reddest hands you’ve ever seen. They do wear booties on their feet to cut down on infection. Operating tables stand side by side in the same room so that two cases performed by two surgeons will be operated on simultaneously. Patients are awake and alert. Anesthesia is merely with the use of drops. The heart of the whole RK operation is the micrometric knife; a knife with a micrometer on its back that tells the surgeon precisely – with a few microns – the amount of corneal tissue being incised. It helps an ophthalmologist perform a more controlled operation.”
Dr. Gould described to the Optifair audience, consisting mostly of optometrists, how Misha, the Russian chauffeur   who   works   for   the Moscow   Eye Institute,   meets important guests at the airport. Misha, you may recall, is the first person on whom Dr. Fyodorov performed radial keratotomy. It is Misha’s habit, upon learning that the guest is a visiting ophthalmologist, to reach into the limousine glove compartment and reveal his old, unused eyeglasses. They have lenses that look like the bottom of cola bottles and are the ones he had disposed of after undergoing RK. Not being nearsighted any longer, Misha’s eyeglasses were just objects of curiosity for him. Now Misha wears no lenses at all. He drives without visual aids.
“A huge basket piled high with spectacles sits in one corner of the institute. It represents the result of successful RK’s for people,” Dr. Gould additionally explained. Patients throw away their spectacles following the operation.
Other American eye surgeons have taken training with Fyodorov. Then they return to this country and teach the technique to fellow professionals. Moreover, Fyodorov has traveled to the United States about half-a-dozen times and participated in training sessions for American ophthalmologists. They have awarded him various honors for his advancements in vision care.
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CHILD’S HEALTH/SPECIFIC PROBLEMS BEHAVIOURS: TICS TREATMENT

There is no effective treatment for tics. Sometimes relaxation techniques are recommended, and occasionally therapy or counselling for the child, but there is little evidence of their efficacy. It is worthwhile for parents to search for any ongoing stresses for the child in the family, but this must be done with subtlety and discretion, or else it may make matters worse. In most cases it is not immediately possible to locate any particular factors causing stress.

The best advice is to pay absolutely no attention to the tics — to ignore them completely. Some parents believe that if they bring the tic to the attention of the child each time it happens, they will help make the child more aware of his behaviour. They feel that this will be the first step in helping him control the tic. It must be emphasised, however, that the tics are not under any voluntary control that is, the child is unable to control them. Drawing the child’s attention to them is likely to make matters worse by increasing his anxiety and making him even more self-conscious.

When to see your doctor

Many parents will take their child to the doctor when the tics first appear, to make sure that there is no underlying medical cause that can be treated. The doctor will undertake a careful history and perform a physical and neurological examination, and perhaps test the child’s vision, but it is rare to find any medical problem. It is almost never necessary to order any special tests.

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YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH/MEDICAL PROCEDURES AND TESTS: MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) AND SKIN TESTS FOR ALLERGY (SENSITIVITY TESTS)

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI)

This is a specialised radiological technique which uses radio waves to produce an image of highly detailed anatomy of the brain and spinal cord on a screen. No discomfort or pain is experienced, and there is no exposure to radiation. Smaller children may require sedation in order to keep them perfectly still during the procedure.

SKIN TESTS FOR ALLERGY (SENSITIVITY TESTS)

These tests may be recommended by your doctor if your child suffers from allergic conditions such as hayfever. Tiny amounts of various substances which are known to cause allergic reactions (allergens) are placed on the skin. A tiny needle is then used to prick the skin very lightly through the drop of allergen. After 15 minutes the skin is ‘read’ for allergic reactions. If a child is allergic to a certain substance an itchy, red lump will have formed in reaction to it over the area where it was originally placed. Because the solutions used are so diluted, a full-blown allergic reaction will not occur. Sometimes patch tests are used where a particular substance is placed on a small patch on the surface of the skin.

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HODGKIN’S DISEASE – INTRODUCTION

Hodgkin’s disease was first described by Thomas Hodgkin, a pathologist at Guy’s Hospital, London, in the early 19th Century

It has been regarded as a malignancy, or cancer, affecting the lymph nodes.

Lymphoid tissues are scattered throughout the body, usually in localised collections such as the tonsils, the adenoids, the spleen, in the wall of the small bowel, and in the lymph nodes or glands in the neck, under the arm and in the groin.

This tissue is concerned with the body’s defence against infection and foreign tissue introduced into the body.

It is part of the immune system and is full of lymphocytes, which are white blood cells — present in the blood and bone marrow and in these collections of lymphoid tissue.

The lymphocytes produce antibodies.

Hodgkin’s disease is now regarded as perhaps two or three different but related disorders.

It occurs more commonly in males than in females. And although it may occur at any age, there are three peaks where it’s more common — in middle childhood, young adulthood and in old age.

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TOXAEMIA OF PREGNANCY – INTRODUCTION

Pregnancy, labor and delivery are usually normal and uncomplicated.

One of the prices we pay for medical control is that pregnancy and childbirth can be thought of as an illness.

But it is only by close monitoring of the mother and the developing baby that complications can be prevented or recognised early and controlled.

A complication that appears to have arisen as part of our highly developed, over-fed civilisation is the condition of toxaemia of pregnancy, or preeclampsia.

The cause of this is unknown but it is rare in

underdeveloped countries and during war time when food is rationed.

In pre-eclampsia there is a generalised constriction of all the blood vessels of the body and a rise in the blood pressure. At least 15 per cent of women with their first pregnancies will develop some rise in blood pressure.

This can damage the kidneys, usually temporarily but occasionally permanently, and shows by the protein albumin leaking out in the urine. As well, sodium along with water is retained in the tissues and causes oedema or swelling.

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VITAMINS AND YOUR HEART: NUTRITIONAL FACTORS

Linolenic acid, one of the fatty acids most abundant in linseed oil and soy oil, has been found effective in preventing blood clotting. Norwegian medical researcher, Dr. Paul A. Owren, has demonstrated that one tablespoonful of purified linseed oil a day can prevent heart attacks caused by blood clots. Dr. Owren says that linseed oil is rich in the blood platelet anti-adhesiveness agent known as linolenic acid. Most vegetable oils are largely deficient in this fatty acid. Tests with corn or safflower oil, rich in linoleic acid (not linolenic) showed that they had little or no effect.

Deficiencies in minerals and trace elements have also been shown to play an important role in heart disease. A significant decrease in heart disease mortality could be achieved by an increased dietary intake of calcium, reported several researchers in a British medical journal. Other studies have shown that the geographical incidence of cardiovascular disease is higher in soft water areas and lower in hard water areas. Hard water is rich in minerals, including calcium and magnesium, and trace elements.

A new concept of heart attack has been advanced by a Canadian doctor, P. Prioreschi. On the basis of many experiments from all over the world, he concluded that myocardial infarction is not due to coronary thrombosis, but rather to a metabolic derangement in the tissue. He cites specifically a mineral imbalance as a major contributing cause of heart disease. He names sodium chloride (common table salt) as one of the most dangerous cardio-toxic agents. Potassium has been found capable of counteracting the heart-damaging effect of cardio-toxic agents and thus preventing heart attacks. A diet containing large quantities of raw fruits and vegetables will provide an adequate dietary intake of potassium.

Deficiency in another nutritive element, lecithin, is indicated in heart disease. Lecithin is a fatty substance, mostly abundant in soybeans. It has an emulsifying effect on fats, including cholesterol. It has been demonstrated in numerous tests that persons who suffer from coronary thrombosis almost always have a low blood lecithin level. Lecithin prevents clot formation, and thus diminishes the risk of a heart attack.20 Lecithin supplement to the diets of those who are heavy meat eaters should be of a special importance. Meats are the main sources of cholesterol.

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THE EUROPEAN SYSTEM OF PREVENTING HEART ATTACKS

Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans. It is reported that well over ten million Americans are afflicted with heart disease. Over 50 percent of all deaths in the United States result from heart disease, which is a much higher percentage than in most other civilized nations. If the term epidemic was not limited to infectious diseases, this would be called the most dreadful epidemic in man’s history!

The most tragic aspect of heart disease is that many Americans suffer and die from it in the prime of their lives. Men and women in their best years, on the pinnacle of their professional success, just when they should be harvesting the fruits of their labors, succumb to premature death in increased numbers. Recent tests have shown that 70 percent of our young people between the ages of 20 and 25 suffer from various degrees of arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which often leads to heart failure.

One of the reasons why we lead the world in heart disease is our failure to develop an effective program of preventive medicine in respect to heart disease. Much research money is wasted on trying to find a cure, a drug or a surgical procedure, which will solve the mounting problem of this mass-killer. The plain fact is, however, that the mystery of heart disease was solved long ago. The causes, as well as the means of preventing heart disease, have been known for a long time. Many European countries have used this knowledge launch massive programs directed at preventing heart disease.

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HOT AND COLD SHOWER FOR ARTHRITIS

Biological clinics attach great importance to alternating hot and cold showers, particularly for patients with arthritis. These showers are always taken in the morning.

The procedure is as follows: First, a warm shower for about five to ten minutes, to warm up the body. This is followed by a cold shower for half a minute to a minute. The water should be as cold as the patient can stand. Following the shower, the patient receives a vigorous dry brushing with a stiff brush and is rubbed with a coarse towel until he is completely warm.

The importance of the alternating hot and cold shower lies in the fact that it stimulates the adrenal and other endocrine glands and reactivates their functions. Some practitioners call it “a cortisone injection, without cortisone’s undesirable side effects.”

Therapeutic baths

Therapeutic baths play a very important role in the overall biological therapeutic program. In addition to alternating hot and cold showers, mentioned above, the following baths are employed: whirlpool massage, sitzbath, Kuhne-bath, steam bath, sauna, overheating baths, warm sand baths (Bircher-Benner Clinic), Schlenz-bath, etc.

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PHYSIOLOGY OF FEVER

The human body is the most complex and most perfectly designed construction in creation. Its ingeniously designed system has been perfecting itself for thousands of years. Forced to fight rugged conditions of nature and a hostile environment, the body has developed an effective defensive mechanism to meet the “demands of stress.” It has, among other things, its own healing capacity which is greater than the medical sciences can ever hope to achieve. The human body is equipped with the most intricate defensive, healing and restorative system capable of facing all kinds of infections, health-abusing practices, and physical and mental stresses which may threaten its health or life. A complex glandular system—particularly the lymphatic glands, tonsils and endocrine glands—forms a defensive line against hostile invaders and other factors which pose a threat to the organism. If this Maginot Line is broken, there are other forces on the second line of defense ready for action. Fever is one of these second-line defensive and healing forces.

When the first line of defense is broken and the infection is taking hold, the body initiates a new drastic emergency measure in the form of a raised temperature. The high temperature speeds up metabolism, inhibits the growth of the invading virus or bacteria, and literally burns the enemy with heat. This is not wishful thinking but a scientific fact, proven by Dr. Lwoff in many experiments. Many biological doctors, who use fever as their ally, can testify that fever, indeed, is a “great medicine.”

Fever is an effective protective and healing measure not only against cold and simple infections, but against such serious diseases as polio1 and even cancer.2 In biological clinics in Europe, overheating therapies have been effectively used also in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, skin disorders, insomnia, and muscular pains.

How malaria prevents and cures cancer

About twenty years ago the great Pontine swamps, not far from Rome, Italy, presented a constant source of malarial infections. Then the swamps were dried out and malaria disappeared. But a remarkably strange observation was made recently. While earlier the whole malaria-infected area was free from cancer, now, twenty years later, the population there shows the same incidence of cancer as the rest of Italy. This shows that the frequent fever attacks, common in malaria patients, stimulated the body’s own defenses so that cancer could not develop. This incident was reported by the famous German cancer specialist Medical Professor Werner Zabel.

Too weak to have fever

Those who do not understand the nature and purpose of fever are often puzzled by the fact that some elderly patients do not get fever, even when they are suffering from severe infectious disease. Post-mortem examination may show that they have died of a severe infection, yet their temperature never went up; sometimes it even remained slightly subnormal. The biological doctor, who sees fever as the body’s own healing measure, puts the pieces of the puzzle together easily: The patient was too weak and debilitated, and simply didn’t have the strength to mobilize the body’s defensive forces. He was, in other words, too weak to get fever!

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