COLITIS AND IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS)

2011-01-10T09:31:52+0000">January 10, 2011 – 9:31 am

Ulcerative colitis is a disease of the large intestine in which the mucous membranes of the intestinal walls become inflamed. Victims with severe cases may have as many as 20 bouts of bloody diarrhea a day. Colitis can also produce severe stomach cramps, weight loss, nausea, sweating, and fever. Although some experts believe that colitis occurs more frequently in people with high stress levels, this theory is controversial. Hypersensitivity reactions, particularly to milk and certain foods, have also been considered as a possible cause. It is difficult to determine the cause of colitis because the disease goes into unexplained remission and then recurs without apparent reason. This pattern often continues over periods of years and may be related to the later development of colorectal cancer. Because the cause of colitis remains unknown, treatment focuses exclusively on relieving the symptoms. Increasing fiber intake and taking anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, and other medications designed to reduce inflammation and soothe irritated intestinal walls have been effective in relieving symptoms.
Many people develop a condition related to colitis known as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), in which nausea, pain, gas, diarrhea attacks, or cramps occur after eating certain foods or when a person is under unusual stress. IBS symptoms commonly begin in early adulthood. Symptoms may vary from week to week and can fade for long periods of time, only to return.
The cause of IBS is unknown, but researchers suspect that people with IBS have digestive systems that are overly sensitive to what they eat and drink, to stress, and to certain hormonal changes. They may also be more sensitive to pain signals from the stomach. Stress management, relaxation techniques, regular activity, and diet can bring IBS under control in the vast majority of cases. Problems with diarrhea can be reduced by cutting down on fat and avoiding caffeine and excessive amounts of sorbitol, a sweetener found in dietetic foods and chewing gum. Many IBS patients are lactose intolerant. Constipation can be relieved by a gradual increase it fiber. Some sufferers benefit from anticholinergic drugs, which relax the intestinal muscle, or from antidepressant drugs and psychological counseling. Medical advice should be sought whenever such conditions persist.
*3/277/5*

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COMMON CONCERNS ABOUT COLDS AND FLU: WHY DON’T I FEEL BETTER?

2010-12-26T09:15:07+0000">December 26, 2010 – 9:15 am

Colds and flu don’t always disappear without leaving behind a legacy that can drag on for weeks or longer. Sinus infections and ear infections are common sequels of a cold, even when the cold itself was not severe, and bronchitis or even pneumonia can follow a bout of influenza. These complications require prompt medical attention.
A lingering irritative cough is best treated by drinking as much fluid as you can, sucking on soothing lozenges, humidifying your bedroom with a room vaporizer, and perhaps taking a cough suppressant. Those with asthma may suffer an exacerbation of asthmatic symptoms, and occasionally a person who did not have asthma before may develop it as a result of a bad cold or flu.
Sometimes breathing tubes will become temporarily hypersensitive, resulting in coughing upon exposure to minor irritants like perfume or smoke. Asthma medications may be needed to relieve this condition.
Then there is the fatigue, which can drag on for weeks after any viral infection and especially after the flu. Give in to it and get extra rest.
*27\296\2*

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SLEEP PATTERNS: THE ROLE OF CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS – FACTORS THAT CAN ALTER THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS

2010-12-19T09:14:14+0000">December 19, 2010 – 9:14 am

There are a number of factors that can alter the circadian rhythms and disrupt the normal pattern of body functions. Illness is one major factor. Adjusting to daylight saving time is another: we arbitrarily begin operating on a longer or shorter day. It may take a few days for our systems to become entrained to the new cycle. Similarly, at the conclusion of a weekend, many people (like the advertising representative I described earlier) may say they are suffering from “Monday morning blues,” known technically as acute circadian phase disruption. Their self-prescribed therapy is to ingest massive doses of caffeine in the form of coffee, in an attempt to jump-start their mental and physical motors. Aging also affects the internal clock as the organs begin failing to work in harmony. People who have retired or who have fewer social contacts may lack the social time cues to which they had grown accustomed.
Shift workers are particularly prone to phase disruption. One of my patients, a fifty-year-old dispatcher for a taxi company, preferred to work the midnight shift because it suited his wife, a nurse who also worked at night. He found that every two or three weeks or so he went through a period when he was virtually unable to stay awake on the job. I scoured medical literature on the subject and was surprised to learn that people in his situation frequently go through phases of extreme and disabling sleepiness. One solution, discussed in greater detail in Chapter 2, involves rotating shifts on a weekly basis: working midnight to 8:00 one week, then 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., then 4:00 to midnight. Although many workers dislike rotating shifts, preferring to maintain a constant work pattern, my patient tried this approach successfully; there were some difficulties with his wife, but she too was eventually able to adjust her schedule. It is more often the case, however, that shift workers lack the power to structure their own schedules, and other solutions must be found.
*101\226\8*

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ASTHMA AND TRAVEL

2010-12-12T09:13:27+0000">December 12, 2010 – 9:13 am

Even if you are a mild asthmatic, it is unwise to travel without an adequate supply of medication. If you are travelling to remote areas within Australia or overseas, it is essential that you take medication that will cover all asthma eventualities. You should also have a management plan and know what to do if your asthma worsens. Many European countries, especially in Eastern Europe, do not have readily available supplies of the drugs that are easy to obtain in Australia. Before going overseas, it is a good idea to ask your doctor to write a letter detailing your medical condition and your treatment.
If you are carrying a large amount of medication, it helps to have a doctor’s letter to satisfy customs regulations in some countries. If you are going to a country where it is unlikely that English will be spoken, try to have the letter translated into that country’s language before you leave home. In the event of an acute attack, this can be vital, as Henry, the husband of a severe asthmatic, found during a trip to Europe:
My wife had an acute asthma attack in a small village in Portugal. The local doctor did not speak a word of English and I did not speak a word of Portuguese. We had taken the precaution of detailing her medical history in three languages before we left Australia and this was invaluable in helping the doctor start the right treatment once the acute attack subsided.
If you are travelling to areas where immediate medical assistance is not available, it is wise to ask your doctor to teach you, or someone travelling with you, how to inject adrenaline for use in a sudden and acute attack. Pre-loaded injections are available by prescription through your doctor for such emergencies.
If you are a severe and chronic asthmatic, some travel restrictions are probably necessary. Under these circumstances, it would be suicidal behavior to go camping alone in remote places or travel to destinations which are out of communication with medical assistance. Areas of high altitude should also be avoided.
Most asthmatics feel free to travel wherever they wish as long as they use their common sense, have the right medication and know what to do if asthma symptoms develop. Travel insurance to cover pre-existing diseases such as asthma is advisable, but not all companies will provide this.
*44\148\2*

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THE NATURAL WAY TO HEALTHY EYES

2010-09-20T16:49:46+0000">September 20, 2010 – 4:49 pm
Sound nutrition is important for the proper functioning of all organs of the human body, including the organ of sight, the eye. A lack of certain vitamins can cause the eyes to work at less than their best, just as a lack of iron causes our blood to become less efficient.
The most important vitamin to the health of the eyes is Vitamin A. Its benefits are much more far reaching than enabling us to see at night. Prolonged lack of the “eye vitamin” can do irreversible damage to the entire eye. The vitamin is essential for the proper maintenance of the body’s moist surfaces, such as the eye.
The first warning sign of a serious deficiency is the drying of the conjunctiva, or the white part of the eye. It loses its natural moisture, as well as its whiteness, and becomes more susceptible to infections.
Uncorrected, the condition next affects the cornea. It, too, will lose its natural moisture and will no longer be smooth. The cornea, additionally, acquires a smoky or milky appearance, giving the person afflicted with this condition the feeling of looking at the world through frosted glasses.
In the final stages of the Vitamin A deficiency, the damage goes past the cornea, exposing the interior of the eye and allowing serious infections to set in. The net result is loss of the eye and complete blindness.
As with night blindness, prevention can be relatively simple with the addition of beta-carotene and Vitamin A into the diet. In fact, raw carrot juice, an excellent source of beta-carotene, is considered a natural solvent for all ulcerous conditions, such as the cornea experiences in a serious Vitamin A deficiency.
Drinking raw carrot juice, then, is a good habit for the overall health of the eye. It is also a good habit to munch on fresh carrots as a snack. Don’t peel them just scrub them well.
If for some reason, you find carrots difficult to bite, grate the vegetable instead and consume it that way. This is just as effective. As with the juice, though, prepare only the portions you plan on eating immediately, as the natural nutritional strength of the grated carrot weakens as it sits.
Beta-carotene – the product the human body uses to make Vitamin A – is also found in deep orange fruits and vegetables. Good sources include broccoli, apricots and squash.
It is best to consume fresh sources of Vitamin A, say the experts, rather than relying solely on vitamin supplements. Such supplements expose the body to possible overdoses. While pregnant women’s need for vitamins is greater than the rest of the population, as noted in the following chart, medical sources caution that overdoses may produce abnormalities in unborn babies. Doses of 50,000 I.U. daily are considered dangerous.
Parents should be wary of giving their children high-potency preparations of Vitamin A. Chronic toxicity may, in these instances, occur. Signs of such vitamin poisoning include irritability, nausea, vomiting, headaches, abnormal eating patterns and a red, peeling skin.
Internally, the overdose causes the liver and spleen to enlarge, as well as increases the pressure of the fluid inside the child’s head. The latter symptom mimics that of a brain tumor. An additional symptom, and the key usually in diagnosing the toxic condition, is painful swellings on the bone. With the elimination of the vitamin, the problems normally disappear in about a week.
*55/127/5*

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EXERCISE IN OUR LIFE

2010-09-20T16:48:48+0000">September 20, 2010 – 4:48 pm
A great deal of evidence supports the hypothesis that people who exercise regularly benefit across a wide range of health related variables. They have a better sleep pattern. They catch fewer colds, take less sick and even live longer than people who don’t exercise.
There is also a window of healthy exercise. People that pass the window of healthy exercise run down their immune systems and suffer more from infectious diseases. They feel run down and suffer from a multitude of miscellaneous musculoskeletal aches and pains.
The answer to how much exercise is very elusive. In terms of heart disease an hour of mild exercise each day is as beneficial as moderate to intense exercise. From the point of view of cardiovascular fitness three quarters of an hour at sufficient intensity to take the pulse rate over 130 beats a minute, is required at least three times a week. Weight loss requires an even more demanding regimen of exercise. Exercise of moderate intensity is required for three quarters of an hour six or seven times a week.
Once the competitive teens are over and adults embark upon their careers of employment and family commitment; exercise and recreation are two of the first casualties.
*54/131/5*

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QUITTING THOSE CIGARETTES FOR A HEALTHY HEART: FACE IT, YOU’RE ADDICTED!

2010-06-02T10:46:06+0000">June 2, 2010 – 10:46 am
Why is it so tough to quit smoking cigarettes? Over the years during my career as a medical writer I’ve had occasion to write about alcoholism and drug addiction and to visit rehabilitation centres. Talking with recovered and recovering alcoholics and addicts, I heard again and again that it was easier to give up the booze or heroin than it was to quit smoking.
Yet for many years non-smokers scoffed at those of us who told of horrible problems with withdrawal, and the irritability that inevitably occurred. I’ve known non-smokers who have bought cigarettes for friends or relatives to end the mutual suffering, rather than putting up with and encouraging those trying to quit. All of us smokers who tried to stop and failed were branded as having no willpower.
It wasn’t until 1988 that Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, MD, declared cigarette smoking to be an addiction, as much so as addiction to heroin or cocaine or any other drug. The addicting substance, he said, based on much research, was nicotine. Occurring naturally in tobacco leaves, nicotine is found nowhere else. It has amazing effects on the brain and nervous system.
Used in low dosages, nicotine can produce a feeling of alertness. Light up a cigarette to get started in the morning, puff away to keep going late at night. At higher doses, the drug can having a calming effect. And we control those doses by drawing more or less smoke into our lungs. Within seven seconds, that nicotine has entered the bloodstream and hit the brain. That’s faster than a drug can act when injected into a vein!
Here we have a perfectly legal drug that’s used with no social objections for the most part. Smokers give themselves a “fix” again and again throughout the day. This is a drug that increases the alpha waves of the brain associated with relaxation and triggers the release of beta-endorphins, the body’s natural tranquillisers.
Try to switch to low-nicotine cigarettes and you’re just going to smoke more of them and to suck deeper. Pick up a Carlton and there’s no satisfaction unless you block those tiny holes in the filter. Right?
But if it’s just a matter of addiction to nicotine, why do we enjoy those cigarettes so much? Why are they so good with a cup of coffee, after a meal, and especially after a period of deprivation such as during a movie or church service? In fact, the three most enjoyable things in life are a drink before and a cigarette after. Right?
Well, that’s actually wrong. What you feel as pleasure is actually the elimination of pain. After a period of deprivation, even a short period such as 15 to 20 minutes, you enter withdrawal. Receptor sites in your brain begin to scream for a nicotine “fix”. You provide it by lighting up, and the withdrawal is gone in seven seconds flat. You’re at peace. For a while.
Even when your body begins to feel the adverse reactions from sucking in all the tars and crud from the burning tobacco, your throat is sore, you cough in the morning or throughout the day, you still crave the nicotine. You might have a cold or the flu, and smoking makes you feel worse, but you still need that fix on a regular basis to keep your brain’s receptors from giving you grief.
As with heroin, a little goes a long way at the start. But then you need more and more, until you settle into your own daily maintenance dose. That might mean a pack, a pack and a half, two packs, or more. When the nicotine level goes too low in the brain, you’re painfully aware of it.
Imagine having a lover whose idea of giving you pleasure is relieving you of the pain that he or she inflicts! Hard to believe, and hard to come to grips with, isn’t it? But that’s the reality of the pleasure of smoking.
Of course, there’s far more to it than the nicotine addiction. The withdrawal from nicotine lasts only about two weeks, and with the aid of nicotine gum or drug patches, even that agony can be lessened significantly. So why doesn’t everyone quit? And why do so many go back to the habit? Now we enter the realm of psychological addiction.
Smokers have allowed cigarettes to become inextricably entwined in each and every aspect of life. Virtually anything and everything is a cue to light up. For some smokers, life is unimaginable without cigarettes. One man told me that he really believed he’d rather die. He came close to dying, but eventually he did quit. Now he wonders how he could have thought that way.
I was just about as bad. At work I couldn’t leave the office without my pack of cigarettes, even to go to the men’s room, because I might run into someone who’d start a conversation. Can’t talk without smoking, of course, because that would mean the jitters. The phone rings, light a cigarette. Coffee, drinks, meals, snacks, all meant a cigarette or two. Start the car, light a cigarette. Read a book, light a cigarette. Forty times a day.
I couldn’t buy a shirt that didn’t have a pocket. 1 planned my holidays in terms of how many cartons to pack. I kept a “stash” in the office, in the car and at home. The idea of running out was unthinkable.
I had learned through many years of experience to associate all my waking experiences with cigarettes. It took a long time to learn to live without those cigarettes. As I’ll discuss a bit later, you learn to do that one cigarette at a time, one day at a time. But I did it, anyone can do it, and you can do it, too.
*91\85\2*
Cardio & Blood/ Cholesterol
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BEAT HEART DISEASE WITHOUT SURGERY: CASE HISTORIES AND

2010-06-02T10:45:35+0000">June 2, 2010 – 10:45 am
COMMENT- THE FIRST HISTORY
Case history: V. T. (woman – aged 72)-I had my first heart attack while in Spain on holiday [this is a common pattern - why do we get sick on holiday?] After a few days’ rest I got myself home, went straight to bed and called the doctor. He thought I’d had an ‘oesophageal event’ and dismissed me, but I was dissatisfied and took myself to have a complete check up at BUPA [UK providers of private medical insurance and diagnostic services].
The ECG showed I’d had a heart attack. They also discovered that I had very high blood pressure. I was treated for the high blood pressure but nothing further was suggested and I realized this was just controlling symptoms, not addressing my problems, so I began to read up about my condition.
I read books and articles about chelation therapy from the US and could see the feasibility of such a treatment but nobody was doing it in the UK. Then James Kavanagh [the original director of the London Chelation Clinic] turned up.
I plucked up the courage and signed up for 20 treatments. My friend came too for moral support – he didn’t need the treatment as I did but he said he felt much better after it and his hair improved.
I wanted to know what one did next. The doctor [Perry] never pushed me. I even wondered if he believed in it! Anyway I decided to have another 10. This year (1994) I decided to have one every six weeks – the treatment takes effect for six weeks after you’ve stopped so it made sense to have another after that interval.
I’ve had all the tests before and after – blood tests, uroanalysis, Doppler – and from my first Doppler to the one I had last week I have consistently improved: all my figures have gone down.
I admit I have never regularly taken the oral chelation tablets they give you, and never the dose they recommend, nonetheless my hair and blood analysis (which I have done independently from a nutritional expert) reveal my mineral status is nearly perfect.
The only adverse effect I get is I get a bit tired the day after an infusion – didn’t used to but I’m 72 now. At one stage during a course of treatment I had cystitis twice. I tended to get 24 hours of sensitivity after the treatment. Dr Perry did all the checks and said he didn’t think it was the treatment and what else was I doing? Well, I was swimming daily in highly chlorinated pool and was also bathing daily with essential oils. I stopped first the essential oils in the bath water and then left the swimming pool -1 never had any more problems after that.
My GP doesn’t know I’m doing it [the treatment]. My heart specialist originally said, ‘Don’t touch chelation, it won’t do you any good.’ Yet he confirms I’ve regained heart muscle and am doing very well.
NB: The right of patients to choose (or deny) themselves treatment must always be preserved and is reflected in the Patients’ Charter, a copy of which is available to anyone and can usually be collected at local council buildings.
*90\104\2*
Cardio & Blood/ Cholesterol
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CHILD’S HEALTH/SPECIFIC PROBLEMS BEHAVIOURS: GILLES DE LA TOURETTE SYNDROME

2009-05-21T07:07:19+0000">May 21, 2009 – 7:07 am

This is a very uncommon form of tic disorder found in 1 in 10,000 children, especially males. The disorder usually begins in the school age period, and initially the child develops motor tics, affecting any muscle group in the body. Very often the tics then become more prominent, affecting multiple parts of the body, and then the child develops involuntary vocal tics. This may include grunts, barks and yelps, and then may progress to repeating the last words that he or a peer utters (echolalia). In about 40% of these children, the vocal tics may include rude or obscene phrases (coprolalia).

The cause of this condition is unknown, but it seems to have a genetic basis, often with a family history. Occasionally the condition appears to be precipitated by the administration of psychostimulant medication such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) or amphetamines which have been prescribed for ‘hyperactivity’ or attentional problems. The condition is associated with learning and behavioural problems, and sometimes language difficulties also occur.

This is a distressing and disabling condition which fortunately is very uncommon, and should not be confused with the common tics described above. Treatment consists of diagnosis and specific medications and ongoing management is best undertaken by a paediatrician or child neurologist. In many cases these children improve as they get older.

*199\90\8*

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CHILD’S HEALTH/MEDICAL TESTS AND PROCEDURES: SPUTUM CULTURE, STOOL EXAMINATION AND CULTURE

2009-05-19T06:22:50+0000">May 19, 2009 – 6:22 am

SPUTUM CULTURE

Sputum, or phlegm, is usually present if your child has a chest infection. Most young children cough up the sputum and then immediately swallow it, so it is very difficult to obtain a specimen. Older children are better able to co-operate. The specimen is sent to the laboratory as soon as possible, checked under a microscope, and then incubated in a special culture medium. After 24 hours, any germs present can usually be identified, and after 48-72 hours the antibiotic that will be effective against them can be chosen. This aids both in diagnosis and treatment of chest infections.

STOOL EXAMINATION AND CULTURE

If your child has prolonged diarrhoea, your doctor may advise sending a stool specimen to the laboratory to try and determine which parasite or germ is responsible. This also helps your doctor to decide whether or not to treat the condition with antibiotics, and if so, which drug will be effective against the particular organism. Stool specimens must be sent to the laboratory as soon as possible, so that the organisms can be identified under the microscope or by culture. A stool examination is also used to determine whether there is a problem with absorption of sugar, fats or protein in the small bowel.

*32\90\8*

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