Health related information and news from around the world.

LATENT TUBERCULOSIS INFECTION: APPROACH TO THE POSITIVE TUBERCULIN SKIN TEST RESULT

Posted on December 28, 2010, under Anti-Infectives.

If a patient’s tuberculin skin testing is positive, that patient should be considered a candidate for treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. However, the possibility of active tuberculosis should first be ruled out prior to the initiation of treatment. A chest radiograph should be obtained to evaluate for active disease. Patients with chest radiograph findings suggestive of prior, healed tuberculosis should have three consecutive sputum samples obtained to evaluate for active disease. Sputum is not routinely obtained in the absences of chest radiograph changes.

The clinician should also consider the possibility of coexisting HIV infection, and testing should be recommended, if appropriate. In the presence of active pulmonary tuberculosis, patients with HIV may have either an abnormal appearance on chest radiograph or a normal chest radiograph. Thus, HIV patients with respiratory symptoms should have a sputum sample taken for testing, even with a normal chest radiograph. Evaluating a patient with a positive tuberculin skin test should also include determining whether there were preexisting medical conditions or medical regimens that would be a contraindication to treatment. In addition, information about prior medical therapy for tuberculosis infection should also be obtained.

*55/348/5*

LATENT TUBERCULOSIS INFECTION: APPROACH TO THE POSITIVE TUBERCULIN SKIN TEST RESULTIf a patient’s tuberculin skin testing is positive, that patient should be considered a candidate for treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. However, the possibility of active tuberculosis should first be ruled out prior to the initiation of treatment. A chest radiograph should be obtained to evaluate for active disease. Patients with chest radiograph findings suggestive of prior, healed tuberculosis should have three consecutive sputum samples obtained to evaluate for active disease. Sputum is not routinely obtained in the absences of chest radiograph changes.The clinician should also consider the possibility of coexisting HIV infection, and testing should be recommended, if appropriate. In the presence of active pulmonary tuberculosis, patients with HIV may have either an abnormal appearance on chest radiograph or a normal chest radiograph. Thus, HIV patients with respiratory symptoms should have a sputum sample taken for testing, even with a normal chest radiograph. Evaluating a patient with a positive tuberculin skin test should also include determining whether there were preexisting medical conditions or medical regimens that would be a contraindication to treatment. In addition, information about prior medical therapy for tuberculosis infection should also be obtained.*55/348/5*

DIFFICULTY FALLING OR STAYING ASLEEP

Posted on December 22, 2010, under Anti Depressants-Sleeping Aid.

Insomnia takes many forms, each as different from another as—well, as night and day. In my years of clinical practice I’ve seen thousands of patients with sleep disorders, and no two of them have ever had exactly the same symptoms or responded to exactly the same therapeutic approach.

As new data from sleep research continue to pour in, the medical world must continually revise its concept of what constitutes a sleep disorder. Predictably, much confusion exists over definitions, terms, and classifications. Small wonder, then, that some physicians, inundated by the growing flood of information about all aspects of medicine, may have a difficult time keeping up with developments in this particular field and may thus be unaware of the newest techniques for identifying a particular sleep disturbance and the latest approach to designing an effective treatment strategy.

Many forms of insomnia combine elements of psychological, organic, and emotional disturbance, elements that are further exacerbated by styles of living, patterns of behavior, and environmental factors over which the patient may have little control. Thus a physician must assemble an array of information about your condition before correct assessment can be made. For example, questions about your sleeping patterns in childhood may shed a surprising amount of light on your current problem. In addition to sleep and family histories, your sleep diary will help to illustrate current nocturnal patterns. Other pertinent details will be gleaned from a history of drug use, prescription and otherwise. A medical history and physical exam not only will serve to establish whether an organic condition exists that may be contributing to your problem but will in most cases reassure you that your health is not currently suffering due to lack of sleep. A detailed psychiatric history is perhaps the single most important component of the patient profile. While confusion exists about many aspects of insomnia management, there is virtually unanimous agreement that the majority of insomnia cases—as many as 80 percent—have a psychological component that must be addressed if therapy is to be effective.

Even with complete medical and psychological information it is possible to misinterpret the findings. Reports indicate that a physician may miss clues suggesting a physiologic cause of insomnia in as many as three out often patients. What’s more, the doctor who relies solely on the patient’s description of the problem may overestimate the degree of sleeplessness in one or two out of ten cases. As we’ve seen, insomnia victims often remark that they “didn’t sleep at all” when laboratory findings indicate otherwise.

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DIFFICULTY FALLING OR STAYING ASLEEPInsomnia takes many forms, each as different from another as—well, as night and day. In my years of clinical practice I’ve seen thousands of patients with sleep disorders, and no two of them have ever had exactly the same symptoms or responded to exactly the same therapeutic approach.As new data from sleep research continue to pour in, the medical world must continually revise its concept of what constitutes a sleep disorder. Predictably, much confusion exists over definitions, terms, and classifications. Small wonder, then, that some physicians, inundated by the growing flood of information about all aspects of medicine, may have a difficult time keeping up with developments in this particular field and may thus be unaware of the newest techniques for identifying a particular sleep disturbance and the latest approach to designing an effective treatment strategy.Many forms of insomnia combine elements of psychological, organic, and emotional disturbance, elements that are further exacerbated by styles of living, patterns of behavior, and environmental factors over which the patient may have little control. Thus a physician must assemble an array of information about your condition before correct assessment can be made. For example, questions about your sleeping patterns in childhood may shed a surprising amount of light on your current problem. In addition to sleep and family histories, your sleep diary will help to illustrate current nocturnal patterns. Other pertinent details will be gleaned from a history of drug use, prescription and otherwise. A medical history and physical exam not only will serve to establish whether an organic condition exists that may be contributing to your problem but will in most cases reassure you that your health is not currently suffering due to lack of sleep. A detailed psychiatric history is perhaps the single most important component of the patient profile. While confusion exists about many aspects of insomnia management, there is virtually unanimous agreement that the majority of insomnia cases—as many as 80 percent—have a psychological component that must be addressed if therapy is to be effective.Even with complete medical and psychological information it is possible to misinterpret the findings. Reports indicate that a physician may miss clues suggesting a physiologic cause of insomnia in as many as three out often patients. What’s more, the doctor who relies solely on the patient’s description of the problem may overestimate the degree of sleeplessness in one or two out of ten cases. As we’ve seen, insomnia victims often remark that they “didn’t sleep at all” when laboratory findings indicate otherwise.*104\226\8*

ASTHMA DEVICES: INHALER ATTACHMENTS

Posted on December 12, 2010, under Asthma.

Because of the difficulties some people have with co-ordinating their breathing when inhaling sprays, some inhaler modifications have been devised to assist delivery of medication to the lungs.

SPACERS

A number of asthmatics suffer the side effects of a throat irritation or I hoarse voice from taking regular doses of some metered dose aerosols (mainly inhaled steroids). The use of spacers — plastic containers that are fitted on to the end of metered dose inhalers — can help minimize these side effects.

A spacer allows time between pressing the cylinder and breathing in the medication. After the inhaler is actuated, the spray is contained in the spacer volume before being breathed in. The aerosol cloud breathed in from a spacer has smaller droplets of medication than the spray taken directly from an aerosol, so the cloud is able to penetrate more deeply into the lungs. Another advantage of using a spacer is that less spray is deposited on the lining of the throat and mouth. Some studies suggest that large volume spacers have the ability to improve aerosol deposition by about 50 percent, and often are as good as nebulizers.

The most commonly used small-volume spacers (50 -100 ml) are Misthaler and Aerotube. The most commonly used large-volume spacers (750 ml) are aerochambers, or Volumatic, Nebuhaler and Fison Air. The Haleraid, a clip-on device for inhalers, allows disabled and arthritic people to easily actuate the aerosol cylinder.

Spacer devices are bulky and less convenient than the small, easy to carry aerosol sprays, but they are sometimes necessary for people who are unable to effectively use a metered dose aerosol. All these appliances can be purchased from pharmacies. If they are not in stock, your pharmacist can order them from the manufacturers.

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ASTHMA DEVICES: INHALER ATTACHMENTSBecause of the difficulties some people have with co-ordinating their breathing when inhaling sprays, some inhaler modifications have been devised to assist delivery of medication to the lungs.SPACERSA number of asthmatics suffer the side effects of a throat irritation or I hoarse voice from taking regular doses of some metered dose aerosols (mainly inhaled steroids). The use of spacers — plastic containers that are fitted on to the end of metered dose inhalers — can help minimize these side effects.A spacer allows time between pressing the cylinder and breathing in the medication. After the inhaler is actuated, the spray is contained in the spacer volume before being breathed in. The aerosol cloud breathed in from a spacer has smaller droplets of medication than the spray taken directly from an aerosol, so the cloud is able to penetrate more deeply into the lungs. Another advantage of using a spacer is that less spray is deposited on the lining of the throat and mouth. Some studies suggest that large volume spacers have the ability to improve aerosol deposition by about 50 percent, and often are as good as nebulizers.The most commonly used small-volume spacers (50 -100 ml) are Misthaler and Aerotube. The most commonly used large-volume spacers (750 ml) are aerochambers, or Volumatic, Nebuhaler and Fison Air. The Haleraid, a clip-on device for inhalers, allows disabled and arthritic people to easily actuate the aerosol cylinder.Spacer devices are bulky and less convenient than the small, easy to carry aerosol sprays, but they are sometimes necessary for people who are unable to effectively use a metered dose aerosol. All these appliances can be purchased from pharmacies. If they are not in stock, your pharmacist can order them from the manufacturers.*28\148\2*

THE TREATMENT OF SORE THROATS – ADDITION

Posted on October 7, 2010, under Herbal.

Additionally, however, it is necessary to combat the disease from within the body by taking a calcium preparation (Urticalcin) and Lachesis 12x. For external treatment apply cabbage leaf and clay poultices in alternation. The clay for the poultice should be made into a paste using horsetail tea. Poultices of grated horseradish mixed with soft white cheese (quark) can also be used; these are stronger and especially effective. Pure horseradish may be too strong, so mix it with soft white cheese or finely grated carrots to reduce the strength. One-third horseradish with two-thirds cheese or carrots will still give you the full healing benefit of horseradish and do the job well. With these treatments a bad sore throat can be cured fast.

If a cough or catarrh follows the throat trouble, take syrup made from raw pine shoots (Santasapina) or ribwort syrup and Kali iod. 4x, besides Imperatoria. These harmless remedies prevent the tonsillitis toxins from invading other parts of the body. But if they are already in the blood, it is essential to stimulate the kidneys to greater activity so that the toxins can be eliminated as quickly as possible. While Solidago and kidney tea are best for this purpose, sweating cures support the elimination process; any method of inducing perspiration is suitable, as long as the patient can tolerate the procedure.

A follow-up cure is indispensable to eliminate the toxins completely. This can be achieved by taking kidney drops, such as Nephrosolid, and liver drops. Steam baths also help to speed up the excretion of toxins. During the treatment the patient’s diet should be low in protein and salt and high in vitamins and minerals. Never shy away from the effort and bother the thorough and careful treatment of a bad sore throat may entail. It will save you the troublesome consequences that often leave a patient with permanent damage.
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THE TREATMENT OF SORE THROATS

Posted on October 7, 2010, under Herbal.

The first measure to be taken at the sign of a sore throat is to paint the throat two or three times a day with concentrated whey (Molkosan), since this may actually arrest a case of incipient tonsillitis. Whey will destroy the germs on the surface of the tonsils and to some extent even in the crypts and channels of the throat. It will prevent the formation of toxins and help the body’s own defences to advance to the infected area. In fact, this condensed, natural lactic acid product made from whey has proved far superior to the strongest chemical disinfectants and is free from the harmful properties the latter may possess.

If this remedy is not handy, the pimpernel root (Pimpinella saxifraga) or imperial masterwort (Imperatoria ostruthium) fulfils the same purpose if you keep chewing it.

Thorough oral hygiene is essential. Frequent gargling with salt

water is good, or just suck a slice of lemon, unsweetened, every day, for lemon juice is equally effective. Make sure that the lemon skin has not been sprayed with pesticide. In chronic cases the use of special equipment may be necessary to clean the tonsils regularly and paint them afterwards with whey concentrate. Dr Roeder’s Apparatus, for example, is designed to suck the pus off the tonsils.
*136/28/1*
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MORE ABOUT JUICES: GREEN AND LACTIC ACID JUICES

Posted on June 16, 2010, under General health.

How to make green juice

“Green Juice” is recommended often for treatment of various diseases. It is extremely beneficial in most conditions of ill health, supplying valuable chlorophyll and an abundance of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, enzymes, coloring substances and nature’s own medicinal and healing factors.

Here’s how you make green juice:

Take any available greens: any green leafy vegetable from the garden, such as parsley, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, turnip tops, radish tops, lettuce, wheat grass, comfrey – anything available at the time. Also wild plants, such as dandelion, common nettle, wild carrot tops, alfalfa, etc., can be used.

If you have hydraulic-type juicer, all these greens can be ground and pressed as any other vegetable. Then mix about 1/3 of green juice with 2/3 of carrot, celery, beet or other vegetable juice. If your juicer is a regular, electric centrifugal juicer, which is the most common type, then first make one glass of juice from carrot, beet and celery. Pour the juice into the electric blender and switch on low. Feed your available greens into blender slowly. Finally, switch on high and blend very well. Your green juice – the healing, rejuvenating and life-giving drink – is ready to drink!

Drink it, as well as all other juices, slowly; salivate well.

Lactic acid juices

There are several brands of fermented vegetable juices on the market, most of them imported. According to most European biological doctors, and particularly the foremost expert on the therapeutic value of lactic acid fermented foods, Dr. Johannes Kuhl, fermented juices possess extraordinary medicinal properties and should be used in the biological treatment of many diseases. Cancer, arthritis, digestive disorders and diseases of kidneys and liver are especially suited for treatment with fermented juices.

Fermented lactic acid juices are sold in most health food stores.

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IMMUNE SYSTEM: CAN WE STOP TUBERCULOSIS?

Posted on June 16, 2010, under General health.

For almost a century, and with deep satisfaction, the nation’s health workers watched the tuberculosis (ТВ) death rate plunge. They thought they had this airborne killer under control. The germs that caused ТВ were invading fewer people. Health workers even spoke of eradicating tuberculosis, just as they had eradicated smallpox. Everywhere in the United States, ТВ was dying out.

Then, about 1989, it became impossible to deny that death rates from ТВ were climbing in the United States for the first time in 80 years. Even more frightening was the discovery that some ТВ microbes had grown so strong that they now were able to withstand the drugs that formerly had wiped them out.

“ТВ was noticed again in November 1991, when a prison guard in Syracuse, New York, died of it,” says Dr. Lee B. Reichman, an expert in the treatment of ТВ. “There were stories about his death in newspapers across the country.” It was found that the guard had died of drug-resistant tuberculosis -meaning that, although the guard had been treated, the drugs couldn’t save him.

“There is no question that this resurgence of ТВ is a national catastrophe,” adds Dr. Reichman. “But the tragic part is that almost all ТВ is eminently treatable and preventable.” Reichman heads the National Tuberculosis Center in Newark, New Jersey. He also is a professor at the New Jersey Medical School.

In 1953, there were 84,304 reported cases of ТВ in the United States. By 1985, the number had fallen to 22,201. Reported cases began climbing again in 1986 and reached 26,673 by 1992. Though the number of ТВ cases is on the rise, the average healthy individual usually is not at risk. In fact, 90 percent of those exposed to the disease by inhaling the infectious microbe do not come down with ТВ. The germ is enveloped in scar tissue, which prevents its spread. The disease then lies dormant and may go undetected for an entire lifetime. It is in combination with malnutrition or infection with some other disease that the microbes become aggressive and possibly fatal.

When I was in high-school in the early 1940s, 85 percent of my fellow students, including me, tested positive for ТВ. That means that those young people had been exposed to ТВ. For unclear reasons those hidden germs remain dormant for the next half century. The germs were effectively trapped. They could not infect anybody else.

As a result, fewer and fewer young people were exposed to the disease. (And, at the same time, the ТВ death rate plunged.) Today, about 15 percent of the population, mostly in the poor inner city, tests positive.

The ТВ bacterium generally attacks the lungs, but it can spread to other body parts, including the brain, kidneys, or bones. Symptoms include persistent coughing, weight loss, fever, and spitting up blood. If you or someone in your household has such symptoms, see your doctor immediately. A quick test usually can tell whether you have ТВ. The doctor gives you an injection. If the skin hardens around the area of the injection within a few days, the doctor further examines you for ТВ. If you have it, you can be treated and made non-contagious within 2 weeks. Often, you can be cured within 6 months.

“It is not easy to catch ТВ,” says Dr. Reichman. “You need, on average, to be in contact with the disease 8 hours a day for six straight months – and even then you have only a 50 percent chance of getting it.”

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CHILD’S HEALTH/BOWEL DISORDERS: GASTROENTERITIS

Posted on May 21, 2009, under General health.

Gastroenteritis is a common condition in children of all ages. It causes diarrhea and occasionally vomiting. The entire illness may last for up to 10 days. In most cases it is of limited duration and no medication is required.

Cause

Gastroenteritis is caused by a virus that infects the bowel and causes inflammation which leads to diarrhoea and vomiting.

Clinical features

Gastroenteritis is common in babies and toddlers, and is characterised by the sudden onset of diarrhoea, accompanied by vomiting and abdominal cramps. If adequate fluid intake is not kept up, there is a risk rhat the child will become dehydrated.

Treatment

Remember that most cases of gastroenteritis in children are not serious, but it is important to make sure that the child receives adequate fluid.

Do not give medicines to stop diarrhoea and vomiting — they do not help at all and can have significant side effects in children. Similarly, do not give antibiotics of any kind — the commonest cause of gastroenteritis is a virus, which does not respond to antibiotics.

When to see your doctor

• if your child has a lot of diarrhoea (8-10 watery stools, or 2-3 very large stools per day);

• if vomiting is frequent and your child seems unable to keep any fluids down;

• if your child appears to be dehydrated — not passing urine, pale and thin, sunken eyes, cold hands and feet, drowsiness • if your child develops severe abdominal pain.

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COLIC: TREATMENT

Posted on May 19, 2009, under General health.

Remember that all babies cry some of the time, and that there is considerable variation in the amount, duration and intensity of crying. Parents have differing levels of tolerance to their baby’s crying. The crying will inevitably affect you, and make you tense and sometimes anxious. These feelings are perfectly normal. There are two important things to do in relation to your baby’s crying:

1. Have a nurse or doctor examine the baby to make sure that there is nothing physically wrong. This will reassure you and make it easier to implement some of the strategies listed below.

2. Make sure that you get enough rest and sleep and time for yourself. It is easy to feel that you have to try to be ‘superwoman’ — that somehow you should be able to manage every aspect of the baby’s care, all of the time and then still try to keep a spotless household, and to continue shopping, cooking, and doing all the things you did before the baby came along. This is just impossible. It is vitally important that you organise things in such a way as to have time for yourself, as well as sufficient rest. Everybody — you, your family and especially your baby — suffers if you are stressed from trying to do too much.

There is also one very important thing to know in relation to your baby’s crying. You cannot spoil a baby by picking him up too often, or by cuddling or talking to him. Similarly, the notion of trying to ‘train’ babies to a 4-hourly schedule is simply nonsense. Feed your baby whenever you think he is hungry — trust your instincts instead of watching the clock!

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OUR MARITAL HEALTH/SEX AND PROBLEMS OF DAILY LIVING: PARENTING PARENTS AND PLEASING PARTNERS

Posted on May 18, 2009, under General health.

He had better make up his mind. He is either my husband or her son. He can’t be both anymore.

WIFE

She is making a love triangle out of this whole thing. She is making me choose between her and my mother. Screw them both!

HUSBAND OF ABOVE WIFE

Even though the elderly are living longer, we have done little to improve their health. They tend to be malnourished, overmedicated, and neglected. We view them as a new national obligation rather than a treasure and a part of our life.

Sexuality remains throughout the life process. There are some physiological changes in the form of slower, sometimes less firm erections and decreased lubrication and some changes in stamina and orgasmic contractions, but sexuality in aging remains intact. The fact that our parents remain sexual and have needs to be touched, loved, visited, talked to, and taken care of spiritually as well as physically has caused problems for some of the couples. Here are some of the responses to attempts to parent parents.

The Caretaker: This spouse assumes the role of medical specialist, advising the parent on all health issues and focusing on the survival rather than the thriving of the parent. Caretakers want to avoid guilt later for not having done enough now, vigilantly monitoring the parents’ health at the expense of the intimacy of their own relationship and the intimacy needs of the parent. The Caretaker seems to be attempting to preserve parents more than love them.

The Surrogate: This adult, whose parent is widowed, serves in the role of the lost partner, attempting to meet the parent’s emotional and survival needs at the expense of the adult’s spouse. The spouse tends to become angry and jealous. Intimacy can be directly affected, with verbal, even physical, battles resulting.

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