It is best to deflect any expressed anger or sulking by being positive about and showing a genuine interest in the child’s day. Ask lots of questions, tell the child how interesting his experiences during the day must have been, and remind the child what a good time he must be having with all of these new and different things to do.

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Few diagnoses require the use of special tests such as X-ray or blood tests, which are more often of use to confirm or deny a diagnosis already made or to establish the extent of the problem and rarely to find the diagnosis when the doctor is stumped.

Yet we have such a variety of special tests and they seem to get better all the time that both doctors and patients have come to place too great a reliance on them. Unfortunately they are all expensive and do add greatly to the costs of modern medicine.

Multiphasic health screening is a phenomenon of the availability of modern diagnostic testing which can make use of machines to test a number of blood levels at the one time.

The concept is that well people are screened for a number of different diseases in a one session effort. This usually involves a history taken by a machine where a number of questions appear on a screen and the answers are recorded by push button. A chest X-ray, ECG, breathing test, height and weight, urine analysis and a number of blood tests are also done. The results are fed into a computer and the printout forwarded to the referring doctor.

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The emotional upset of a girl changing jobs or having a tiff with her boyfriend — or even fear of pregnancy from intercourse — may cause her to miss a period.

Some prolonged emotional upsets may stop the periods for months, or even years.

I don’t want to sound patronising as a man, but periods are a normal part of being a woman, and although inconvenient, and, sometimes, uncomfortable, they are a normal function.

Pain or excess bleeding are NOT normal, and should be checked by a doctor.

Puberty — the time at which the sexual organs in both boys and girls reach maturity — begins in girls at about 12 or 14; and the menopause — the time at which a woman loses the ability to conceive a child — does not occur until about 50.

So periods are part of a woman’s life for some 37 years.

Men ought to be a little more understanding.

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The disease is transmitted from an individual with an active lesion in the lungs. It travels via droplets of moisture in the air, which are inhaled by another person; and the germ can then set up a slow insidious infection in the new victim. Most likely contact is an adult living in the same home, a parent, grandparent or domestic help. Many recent cases of migrants have been diagnosed, and they would appear to be particularly susceptible.

Early symptoms may be mild or often non-existent. Most cases are found by chance or when contacts of an adult patient are being checked out for possible spread of the disease. Vague general symptoms may be fatigue for no obvious reason, feeling generally off-colour, weight loss, lack of appetite. A cough, typical in adults, may be present in infants though is often absent in children.

Infections occurring in children under the age of three years may be serious. It may also be serious in adolescents, more so than at other periods of childhood.

Treatment

Frequently lesions heal and are not discovered for a long time afterwards (probably on a chance chest X-ray indicating that T.B. had occurred). However, once detected, full and complete medical treatment is essential. This must be under the supervision of a major clinic, usually attached to a big hospital, geared for this problem. Today drug therapy has completely changed the outlook for patients with tuberculosis. Once a common fatal disease, chemotherapy can now completely reverse the disease and the outlook for the future. Nevertheless, adhering exactly to the regimen outlined by the doctors is essential.

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Many children are naturally timid and fear such things as darkness, being left alone or deserted; they may fear being isolated, be scared of noises, animals or machines. The list is long. Fear is contagious. The more a person dwells on it, the worse it becomes. The reverse, happily, is also true. Courage and fortitude are also contagious and gradually improve with encouragement.

Treatment

Understanding by parents in these situations is essential. Most fears can be overcome, and so can shyness. All should be tolerated by parents, given understanding and help. Efforts should be made to increase the child’s confidence.

Showing a little girl that her fears are ungrounded, and that there is usually nothing to be fearful of, assists. For instance, darkness is simply the same as day with the light removed. She is safe by day, and she will similarly be safe by night. Supply a light in her room if her fears are great, and this will gradually let her know that darkness is not really the big bogey she had believed.

Etch words of comfort, safety, well-being and confidence into her subconscious mind as often as possible. Tell her reassuring stories, particularly at night when the fears may be at their highest level. Avoid disastrous stories in which danger or defeat are the main features.

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Parkinson’s disease is caused by a degeneration of the basal ganglia of the brain, and particularly the corpus striatum and the substantia nigra. These areas of the brain regulate voluntary movement and in Parkinson’s disease there is a lack of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Debilitating symptoms appear when only twenty to thirty percent of dopamine neurons remain.

The sufferer may first notice mild tremors in the hands and involuntary nodding of the head. Bodily movements become slower and more difficult. As the disease progresses, stiffness and tremors increase until walking is reduced to a shuffle and the facial muscles become set in a fixed expression. While the intellect remains unaffected, mood swings do occur. Parkinson’s disease is more common in men than in women. The disease was either unknown or undiagnosed before the industrial revolution and its incidence has risen markedly in the last 170 years. The disease does not seem to have a genetic aspect, and the fact that it is more common in industrialised countries than developing nations has led some to believe that it may be caused or exacerbated by chemical pollution. Others claim that iodine deficiency and excessive sodium intake may be causal factors.

The treatment of Parkinson’s disease is essentially symptomatic. The drug Levodopa is administered to increase dopamine levels in the brain and thus reduce tremor. Because Levodopa has some potentially harmful side-effects, treatment with the drug is often only intermittent. Vitamin E is recommended to slow the progress of the disease and antioxidants are considered to be beneficial.

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If the hip condition is not diagnosed until after dislocation has occurred, correcting it is more difficult. If it is not corrected before the child walks, the child will limp if the dislocation is in only one hip. The child will waddle if the dislocation is on both sides.

Signs and symptoms

If the condition is in only one hip, parents may notice that the infant moves one leg more than the other. The folds of the buttocks or the creases on the sides of the groin may not match. A child who is already walking may limp or waddle.

Home care

There is no home treatment until the condition is identified by a doctor. Dislocation of the hip(s) is a disabling condition if not treated early and properly. If you see any signs of hip problems, see your doctor as soon as possible.

Precautions

• Be sure that your baby is thoroughly examined (while completely undressed) at regular visits to the doctor. Your doctor should examine the hips at each visit until the baby is older than one year.

• If the child’s legs are not the same (in size, shape, position, or movement), tell your doctor.

Medical treatment

Your baby should be carefully examined for dislocated hips during each checkup. A doctor will suspect dislocation if any of the early signs and symptoms appear. The doctor will then check the ability of the thighs to be rotated outward. The doctor will also listen for a “clunking” sound which a dislocated hip makes when put through a certain series of movements. Your doctor will order X rays of both hips if the disorder is suspected.

The diagnosis is not usually made at birth, but the condition becomes more obvious with passing months. As soon as the diagnosis is made, you should consult an orthopedic specialist. If the hip is not yet dislocated, the doctor will treat the child with a special pillow positioned to keep the thighs spread or with a body splint or cast. If the hip is already dislocated, surgery may be required.

If both you and your doctor are alert, the problem can be noticed early. Early diagnosis is the key to easier treatment and perfect, permanent results.

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For just such down-in-the-dumps situations, he suggests keeping a well-stocked arsenal of laugh-makers on hand. His humor apothecary would include:

* A joke book. Anything by Dave Barry or Rodney Dangerfield. But really, select the humor that humors you.

* A collection of comedy videos, such as any of Robin Williams’s live performances. But again, it’s your call.

* Funny films. Once again, the choice is yours. Dark humor like The War of the Roses might fit the bill on certain occasions, while National Lampoon’s Animal House or the Marx Brothers golden oldies could elicit guffaws on others.

* A little red clown’s nose. For real. Go buy one at a costume shop. Put it on and look in the mirror. If that doesn’t crack you up, nothing will. As for wearing it in public, we take no responsibility for the repercussions.

* Mad magazine. Is there a man alive who secretly or quite publicly did not go through pre-and post-adolescence reading the borders of Mad behind his biology textbook? And, now more than ever, we could all learn from Alfred E. Neuman’s motto: “What, me worry?”

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There are other steps, though, that you may find helpful. They include activities with proven value in reducing stress both at the stressful time itself and in between.

There are so many types of relaxation exercises that a book such as this cannot even give an overview of them. Here, however, is one example of an exercise sequence that is simple and effective:

• Take the phone off the hook

• Make sure the room is warm and quiet and that you won’t be interrupted

• Choose a time of day that is free from stress (morning or evening is best)

• Avoid doing the exercises after a meal

• Try to do them twice a day

• Put a blanket on the floor or sit directly on the carpet

• Wear loose clothing-nothing constricting

• Remove shoes, ties; undo bra or belt

• Sit up in a supported position

• Clear your mind of intrusive thoughts and let things happen

• Breathe deeply and regularly

• Once the breathing is established try to introduce thoughts such as of a wave of warmth or

happiness coming over you. All this relaxes tense muscles and the action of the sympathetic

nervous system and prepares you for the relaxation exercises you want to do. For example:

• Systematically and consciously relax all the areas of the body in sequence

• Start with the feet-deliberately tighten the foot muscles and then relax them after 10 seconds

of holding them in tension. Feel them release as you let go. Try consciously to register how

good this feels

• Work up to the top of the body, tightening and relaxing area by area

• Do this for ten minutes and then spend a further ten minutes returning to normal. Just sit or

lie there feeling relaxed and carry on with the deep breathing. Get up slowly and gently to

resume your normal activities.

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Apium graveolens

The vegetable is recommended as a diuretic and appetite suppressant. The seeds are used for treating rheumatism and anxiety. Take Celery Complex.

CHICKWEED

Stellaria media

Rich in nutrients and vitamins A, B, and C, it eases constipation and inflammation of the digestive system. Externally it can be applied to haemorrhoids, skin irritations, eczema, bruises, rheumatic joints, and chilblains.

CLOVES

Eugenia caryophyllata

Its most well-known use is for toothache, and it is also used for flatulence and colic. Apply Oil of Cloves with a cotton bud to the ailing tooth.

COMFREY

Symphytum officinale

The foliage and root of this plant contain a nitrogenous, crystalline substance called allantoin which is a cell proliferant. Comfrey is a demulcent, alternative, expectorant, astringent and nutritive tonic. It has a soothing and healing effect upon every organ it comes in contact with. Comfrey is used externally for broken bones, sores and because of the above cell proliferant action speeds up the healing of wounds. A poultice of freshly bruised leaves applied to a burn or wound, will increase the healing process and minimise inflammation. Since ancient times, Comfrey has also been known as the ‘miracle herb’, because not only is it a cell proliferant, it also stops haemorrhages, is soothing to inflamed tissues. NOTE: Comfrey is poisonous and when taken in large amounts, or for long periods of time, it can accumulate. Seek advice from your naturopath.

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