Health related information and news from around the world.

Cause

Thrush of the throat, tongue and lining of the mouth is caused by a fungus, or yeast, called Candida albicans, which normally lives in the body. If there is a disruption in the balance of organisms, the thrush organisms begin to multiply, and produce an infection. This may be a result of treatment with antibiotics, which destroys normal bacteria in the bowel, and allows the thrush organisms to flourish. Thrush can also be picked up during passage down the mother’s vagina at birth. If thrush organisms are present on anything that the baby sucks, such as a teat or pacifier, the baby may develop an oral infection. Children who have a weak immune system for whatever reasons are also more prone to developing thrush infections. But if your baby has thrush it does not necessarily mean he has poor immunity. Thrush is not contagious.

Clinical features

Usually babies and young children with oral thrush are unaware of it, as it generally does not irritate them unless the areas involved become severely inflamed. If this does occur, babies may be reluctant to feed and toddlers may play with or refuse their meals. Parents may notice that their child has white patches or plaques on the inside of the cheeks, lips and tongue.

When to see your doctor

• if you see white patches on the inside of your child’s mouth;

• if your child is generally unwell or has a fever for no apparent reason;

• if despite appropriate treatment, your child suffers from recurrent or persistent thrush infections.

Your doctor will usually prescribe special drops to be used after each feed or meal for 10 days. All teats and pacifiers should be sterilised to kill the thrush organisms. Sometimes oral thrush is accompanied by thrush in the nappy region, which needs treatment at the same time. Thrush is not a reason to stop breastfeeding. Your doctor may advise you to apply some anti-fungal cream to your nipples as well.

Prevention

Teats and bottles should be sterilised to prevent recurrent thrush.

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Having a baby is something that as parents you look forward to for a long time. Partners often go to antenatal classes together during the pregnancy. You may shop for things such as the baby’s cot and pram, and derive pleasure from decorating the baby’s room. The labour may not be too difficult and the delivery may go smoothly. As a mother you may have the support of your partner, the doctor and the nursing staff throughout labour. In hospital the baby may seem beautiful and contented.

DIFFICULTIES WITH COPING

After a few weeks or even days at home with a new baby, your whole world may feel like it is collapsing. The baby may cry and grizzle, and wake several times every night. You feel exhausted all the time and you may have both started to doubt whether you are doing things the right way.

This scenario is very common with parents of newborn babies, especially if it is your first baby, or where previous babies have been ‘little angels’. The contrast between the fantasy and reality of having and looking after a new baby comes as a great shock to many parents. Most become very tired and may have very little or no energy left over for anything except looking after the baby. This can make you both very tense, and this is made worse by sleep deprivation and the inability to find time to relax. You may lose your appetite for food, and sometimes even for life in general. This tends to affect the primary care-giver most, but places a great strain on the relationship with the partner as well, who usually has to hold down a full-time job. The baby’s continual demands can make parents angry and anxious about their ability to meet all their baby’s needs. You may find yourself frequently

in tears, having tantrums and sometimes directing outbursts or anger at your partner, the baby’s grandparents or anyone else who just happens to be around at the time. More often, however, there is quiet despair, a sinking feeling, a feeling of just not coping.

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This is the mechanistic aspect of the sexual health examination. Whether or not you are experiencing illness at this time in your life, assess your ability to move, to actually “do” the things you would like to do sexually.

“I know this sounds like an excuse, but I get terrible cramps in my legs whenever I’m on top,” reported one wife. “I start out okay. Then, after a while, they start to ache at the thigh and then my feet get these terrible cramps.”

“I can’t control my movements when I thrust,” said another husband. “My back tends to go out on me sometimes, and I sort of hold back so that won’t happen.”

In these two examples, prescription of special exercises and sexual-posture adjustment corrected the problems. Following medical examination to rale out any factors that might have contributed to her cramping (always a necessary first step), this wife was told that there was no reason that she should stop using the posture she preferred. She had not tried this position in five years, but when she was taught to push her open hands against her husband’s hands as he pushed up against hers, the cramps disappeared. The problem was approached with both partners as a team, a system, and the obstacle was removed.

The medical examination of the husband revealed a kidney stone that had not been diagnosed. The doctor decided that the stone could not be removed at this time, and the patient was instructed with his wife present that any coital movements would have no effect on the stone and certainly not cause problems for a back injury he never really had.

So take a look at the ability factor, your range of sexuai motion, stamina, and incoming/outgoing stimulation capacity. My work with paraplegic patients resulted in what those patients came to call the “top to bottom and back” test. Try it yourself:

Lie down in bed alone and start at the very top of your head. From that spot, mentally and, where possible, physically with your own hands scan down every part of your body and back up again. These are the questions the paraplegic patients used, and I found that they help patients with any disease process and persons without current disease to understand the “doing” aspect of sex.

1. Can I move the way I want here?

2. Can I feel here?

3. How could I please a partner with this area of my body?

4. How might a partner please himself or herself with this area of my body?

5. How do I feel about this area of my body?

Healthy? Strong? Safe? Soft?

Attractive (to myself and my partner)?

6. How does this part compare to other parts of my body?

7. How has my disease or health problem affected this area of my body, if at all?

8. How has this part of my body changed over the years?

9. What is the range of capacity for this part of my body (range of motion, posturing, etc.)?

10. How could I use another part of my body to compensate for a problem somewhere else?

11. What might I do to help out this part of my body? Is there a postural, positioning, even lighting or furniture change that could help?

12. Lie quietly and feel your body as a whole. How do you feel, how does it feel to you at this time of your life?

Other mini-questions may occur to you as you explore your sexual ability. This is the “what am I able to enjoy sex with? ” part of the sexual health exam, and any questions or concerns about health should be brought to the attention of your doctor. This is not a question of cosmetics or assessment of your place on the sexual attractiveness scale. It is an opportunity to check out the “hardware” of the system before you look at the more important “software” issues.

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Based on native American Indian and other native people recipes, published by Hulda Regher Clark (see the References)

Herbs:

1. black walnut hulls – from the black walnut tree. Use water based tincture. Use 10-20 drops each time.

2. wormwood – from the Artemisia absynthium shrub. Buy it for your garden. It has been named for a good reason long time ago and it is mentioned in many ancient scripts, including the Bible. Take one dried leaf in a teaspoon of honey each time.

3. common cloves – from the clove tree. This is a common spice used in baking. Grind your own fresh cloves (not stored for a long time). Use a small amount of ground powder mixed with a fruit juice – a tip of the teaspoon is enough.

Taken together, these herbs help to eliminate over 100 common parasites in humans.

Black walnut hull and wormwood help to eliminate adult parasites as well as their various development stages. Cloves eliminates eggs. This is the only known method to eliminate parasite eggs.

Use the combination of above herbs 3 times a day before meals for a few days. For more information read books by Hulda Regher Clark.

After eliminating parasites, we should take care not to create favourite conditions to them again. Attention to detoxification and the diet should be our strategy.

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The commonest cause of recurrent abdominal pain is what is called the spastic colon or the irritable bowel syndrome.

Exactly why it occurs is unknown although it is believed to be due to anxiety. Apparently the muscles in the wall of the large bowel are overactive, and go into cramp-like spasms which cause pain and either diarrhoea or constipation.

Treatment consists first in making the diagnosis and so relieving the patient’s anxiety that the symptoms might be due to cancer. Drugs which reduce the spasm in the muscles have been of value, as have tranquillisers and a diet high in fibre content.

Some researchers are not at all convinced that the irritable bowel syndrome is due to nervous tension. They think that only those with a high level of anxiety go to the doctor to complain about their abdominal pain; the rest simply put up with it.

If it is not due to anxiety, what does cause it? Food allergy is often suspected; the modern highly refined diet low in bulk is another possibility.

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There are now some blood tests (RAST tests) which can determine specific allergens. There is still some doubt about their accuracy. Other blood tests show a rise in the amount of globulin, the blood protein concerned with immunity.

Treatment of asthma will depend on its severity. There is no cure but control is possible. Mild or occasional asthma will only require treatment for the acute attack.

Many drugs are used and are designed to dilate the constricted bronchial tubes. They can be taken by mouth, by suppository (absorbed through the rectum), by injection into the muscles or directly into a vein, or inhaled into the lungs.

Most are related to adrenalin and tend to make the heart beat faster and the person feel jumpy.

Children often vomit with asthma and so, in an acute attack, cannot take medicine by mouth.

The development of the metered spray has made treatment so much better and drugs can be delivered in small doses directly to the target tissue.

Some of these bronchodilator medicines are used not only for an acute attack but also on a regular basis for prevention.

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An itching rash covered in tiny blisters may occur at points of contact with watch bands, ear rings, and costume jewelry, and then spread widely over the surrounding skin in people who have become sensitive to nickel. This is much more likely to occur when there is excessive perspiration, so that the skin is moist at the point of contact with the metal. In some cases, furthermore, the dermatitis becomes so widespread that it is mistaken for scabies.

The latest news about nickel, Cutis (35#5:424) reports, is the mysterious appearance of dermatitis on the abdomen just below the umbilicus. Eventually, its cause was found to be contact with nickel buttons on blue jeans. In many cases, the dermatitis had also spread to other parts of the body. More often than not, treatment of this condition involves nothing more than replacing the button, watch band, etc., with an item made of another material. If the rash is severe and widespread, however, a visit to the dermatologist for special medication is required.

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Symptoms: pain in hip or knee; limp; limited movement of hip joint; slight fever (in case of acute synovitis).

Home care

Keep the child off his or her feet for three or four days.

Consult the doctor if the condition does not improve.

Precautions

-    Pain in the knee may be a sign of a hip problem.

-    A severe form of arthritis may be signaled by hip pain and a limp accompanied by high fever. If the child appears to have a hip problem and also has a high fever, call the doctor.

-    Some hip problems can cause permanent deformity if left untreated.

Children are susceptible to joint pains, most of which come and go and are not serious – for example, sprains and growing pains. Occasionally children get arthritis, which may affect the hips. Dislocated hips sometimes occur in infants and toddlers. There are also three specific causes of hip pain that occur commonly in children.

Acute synovitis of the hip can be described as a bruise of the inside of the hip joint. It is usually associated with a viral illness and is nearly always a harmless condition that disappears by itself. It can occur at any age, but most frequently happens between ages two and six.

Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is a serious condition in which the upper end of the thigh bone (femoral head) softens and becomes deformed. No one knows why it happens, but it usually begins between ages four and ten years and affects boys more often than girls. If it is not treated, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease results in a severe and permanent deformity of the hip.

Slipped femoral epiphysis is another condition of unknown origin, but it is possible that it happens as a delayed result of an injury. It occurs most often in the teen years, usually in overweight (obese or muscular) children. It results in severe deformity if it is not treated.

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What is it?

The death of an apparently healthy, normal baby in its cot or pram for no known reason. The baby has sometimes had a snuffle nose or other minor symptoms.

In Britain one in every 500 babies dies suddenly and unexpectedly like this. In many parts of the world it is the commonest cause of death under the age of 1 year. It is slightly more common in boys than girls and occurs more frequently in the winter months.

What causes it?

The vast majority of such deaths have to be labeled ’cause unknown’. Occasionally, post-mortem examination shows there is an unrecognized serious condition such as pneumonia or meningitis. Evidence of a minor infection is found in some children.

Prevention

Although the cause of sudden infant deaths (cot death) is not usually known there are certain precautions that can be taken, especially if you have already had one such death in the family.

• Breastfeed exclusively from birth until at least 6 months. Whilst breast-fed babies do die from cot deaths the condition is less common in totally breast-feds.

• Don’t give a child under 1 year a pillow unless it is a special non-suffocating type. Most babies who die in this way certainly have not suffocated but it will put your mind at rest and will prevent suffocation in itself.

• Try to protect your baby from coming unnecessarily into contact with people who have coughs, colds and ‘flu. Of course, all babies will get these illnesses from time to time but once again, it will put your mind at rest if you have taken such simple precautions.

• Those who have lost one child by cot death, and even some who have not, will probably want to think about the following precautions, which are at least sensible, for a subsequent baby:

1. Tell your doctor if you think your baby is at all ill.

2. Always take seriously fits, blue or grey turns, difficult breathing, and exceptional drowsiness. Tell the doctor urgently.

3. Tell the doctor as soon as possible if your baby has any of the following: croup; can’t breathe through nose; cries in an unusual way or for a long time; repeatedly refuses food; vomits repeatedly; has watery diarrhea; or is unusually cold, hot or floppy. Even if you have told your doctor, health visitor or nurse, if things don’t improve tell, your doctor again the same day.

• If your baby stops breathing, perform artificial respiration, blowing only the amount of air you can hold in your cheeks into his or her nose and mouth by covering both with your mouth.

• If your baby has a fit lay him or her face down with the head turned to one side, clear the mouth of sick or froth and cool him or her by removing clothes or sponging with tepid water.

• If your baby swallows pills or poisons get expert help at once.

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As far as the medical establishment is concerned, chemotherapy—the use of drugs to fight disease—is an almost holy word. As a group, we doctors love to prescribe drugs. If chemotherapy led to good health it might be worthwhile, but we’ve been fed a bill of goods. Chemotherapy does not keep us healthy. If these drugs are as good as doctors claim, how come so many millions and millions of Americans are still afflicted with disease?

Chemotherapy, with its failed promises and often dangerous side effects, is a harsh reaction to disease that should never have occurred. And chemotherapy encourages us to neglect our health. Why take care of ourselves? All we have to do is run to a doctor and get a shot of the new wonder drug, right? Wrong! It was a wise person who said that if we threw all our medicines into the ocean, we’d be better off, but the fish would be in trouble.

“Dr. Fox, you’re not being fair. Lots of medicines are pretty good,” a patient argued the other day. Yes, some medicines work well. We will always need medicines and surgeries for those who do become ill or injure themselves. In some cases, the risk of side effects is outweighed by the compelling need for immediate relief. Most of us, however, most of the time, would be well advised to leave drugs to the fish.

Instead of relying on chemotherapy to treat disease, let’s adopt a new philsophy: Nutri-Prevention.

Nutri-Prevention relies not on drugs but nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates and amino acids (the building blocks of protein), to keep your immune system in shape. While chemotherapy makes your body the battleground that disease and drugs ravage as they struggle for dominance, Nutri-Prevention helps turn your immune system into a mighty shield against disease.

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