THE ANTI- CANDIDA PROGRAM: THE LIST OF DO’S

1. Do study amines and salicylates, moulds and ferments (don’t eat unleavened breads from your baker— bakers use yeast plus sour dough), malt, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and milk (for the appropriate six weeks). Do this before starting the program to make absolutely sure you do not eat any of these foods.

2. Do eat liver at least once, preferably twice, per week. The nutrients in liver can make the difference between average and excellent results. Lamb’s liver is best. Chickens are force fed with chemical pellets, so don’t eat chicken liver.

3. Do wash all fruits and nuts in warm water and soap to remove mould (unshelled nuts don’t need to be washed). Don’t leave them in the water too long. Just in and out for a quick brisk wash then dry them quickly before they go soggy. Rinse off all the soap. Sunflower seeds are grown locally and therefore are fresher than nuts. Only wash them if they smell a bit mouldy.

4. Do chew wholemeal, unleavened bread thoroughly, taking the time to mix it well with saliva. Unleavened bread requires more chewing than ordinary bread as it’s harder to digest.

5. Do cut your freshly baked, unleavened bread up into slices. Wrap them individually in greaseproof paper and keep them in the freezer. Leave them out overnight to thaw. This way they won’t grow mould.

6. Do rinse and wipe clean the blade of any cutting utensil before cutting any food you are going to eat. Black, brown and greeny blue coloured film on the crust of bread or on the surface of vegetables is mould. Wash off before cutting through fruit or vegetables, you will drive the mould in otherwise.

7. Do seek out all mould in the house and remove it. Cracked pipes that leak into brick, concrete and carpet underlay are insidious mould producers. If the house is the slightest bit musty after one to two days of being shut up, there is hidden mould—find it.

8. Do wear a mask if cooking a food you are allergic to as the smell of it can trigger your symptoms. This is applicable to those who are cooking for others who are not on their program.

9. Do drink mineral water with a drop of freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice in it when out socially. If they are available have a Diet Coke or diet lemonade as well. Dry roasted cashews, hazelnuts, almonds and macadamia nuts (the latter three have salicylates) may also be had as a treat or at parties. As a treat at home you may have popcorn. Be careful about salted nuts. If the manufacturers can’t guarantee they haven’t used adulterated salt don’t touch them.

10. Do test all nuts by biting and tasting them before eating them. If nuts are getting old they turn rancid and lose their sweet fresh taste. Rancid nuts can cause enough of an adverse reaction as to mimic your allergy and Candida symptoms. Many patients in the past have erroneously believed they are allergic to nuts because they have eaten rancid nuts. Fresh nuts are more nutritious. However, roasted nuts can be eaten once per week as a treat. No need to wash roasted nuts.

11. Do chew nuts properly. All nuts must be reduced to a puree before they leave your mouth. Bits of nut have sharp edges that can irritate the bowel lining to the point of causing diarrhea. Many patients have erroneously believed they were allergic to nuts because they had diarrhea that showed bits of (unchewed) nut.

12. If it’s a drinks party, get them to make popcorn and the Candida Killer dip with plain Kettle Chips (provided you are past the first four weeks) for you. You can drink diet lemonade or Diet Coke at the party. My experience is that friends are only too willing to help.

13. If you are pregnant do stay on fruit for the duration of the program. This will slow your rate of healing down but that can’t be helped. Stay off milk for the mandatory six weeks of the program and for the whole program if you are proven allergic to it or belong to any of the Asian, African or Mediterranean ethnic groups. Crushed egg shells plus Formula Six and sardines or salmon three to four times per week will give you all the extra calcium you need.

14. Do take a herbal laxative if at first you are a little constipated. Any type is OK and won’t affect your allergies, as laxatives are not absorbed.

15. Do substitute soymilk for cow’s milk as long as the soymilk doesn’t contain malt and other additives. Have only the soymilk shown on the shopping list.

16. On completing the Anti-Candida/Anti-Allergy Program, and successfully containing all your symptoms, do return to the Metabolism-Balancing Program, plus Formula Six, for the rest of your life. Go back onto the Anti-Candida Program once a year for four weeks to give yourself a clean out.

*184\18\9*

THE METABOLISM- BALANCING PROGRAM: IRON AND FLEXIBILITY

If you are very tired, have heavy or extended periods, have mid-cycle bleeding, have had a number of children or have had miscarriages or termination of pregnancy, you will more than likely need an iron boost. I recommend you go on a course of the FAB Co iron tablets available at the health store. (Not for men.)

Take one before breakfast, one before lunch and two with Formula Six just before the evening meal. Do this for four weeks, and if you haven’t picked up in that time, do it for another four weeks. Then stop. Formula Six will do the rest.

The Metabolism-Balancing Program is flexible. Not only can you swap your options around, you can eat them at different times of the day, if you choose. You can have the evening (main) meal for lunch, if you like, and breakfast in the evening! It doesn’t matter what order you eat your meal in, as long as you eat three meals per day, eat what’s on the program and take the supplements before and after the main meal, whenever that is.

The Metabolism-Balancing Program is flexible enough to allow you 5 per cent junk food. That’s 5 per cent of the total weekly food intake, which means no more than five items of junk food per week. You may wish to take this in the form of sweets at a dinner party once per week. Often it creeps in as sugar or white flour in sauces and gravies. Five per cent junk food will do you no harm if you arc following the program seriously and taking your supplements.

Keep frozen foods to a minimum—have them only if fresh foods are not available.

*166\18\9*

STRESS: TAKING TIME OUT

It takes time to adopt new attitudes and for some people a change of attitude doesn’t come easily. Action always speaks louder than words and action can greatly influence the way we think. For this reason, hard-chargers will find it of benefit to set aside specific time to do other things. Write this schedule down, post it on your mirror and rigorously adhere to it. The following checklist is one I suggest as the basis of such a schedule. It will bring balance to your life and in so doing will lower stress levels:

• Take time to work—it is the vehicle of success.

• Take time to rest—it is the foundation of health and vitality.

• Take time to think—it is the source of achievement.

• Take time to play—it is the secret of perpetual youth.

• Take time to read—it is the fount of wisdom.

• Take time to be friendly—it is the road to happiness.

• Take time to love and be loved—it is nourishment for the soul.

• Take time to share—it is too short a life to be selfish.

• Take time to laugh—it is the music of the heart.

• Take time to dream—it is the well of inspiration.

Feelings follow thoughts. The thoughts we choose to think determine the feelings we experience. We are all born with a free will. This enables us to choose the thought we wish to think.

So powerful is human thought it can over-ride the effect that external influences can have on us. Because of this, we have the power to remain minimally distressed through the greatest adversity, if we choose to. Our attitude has the greatest of all influences on our stress levels.

*148\18\9*

EXERCISING AT HOME: EXERCISES THAT DO NOT HELP A BAD BACK

Exercises for the back are chiefly intended to strengthen the muscles. The vertebral joints do not need to be exercised, because the spine is never at rest, even when you are in bed. Stiffness in these joints can be helped by exercise only if it is due to weakness in the muscles and ligaments. This can be helped by gently working the muscles. But when there is pain as a result of a disc prolapse, misaligned facet joints or stress from curvature, exercises can do harm rather than good. An important rule is: if an exercise hurts, stop doing it.

Exercises that do not help a bad back

There are some kinds of exercises which should be positively avoided when you are recovering from back pain, and used with caution at all times:

• Bending forwards from the sitting position is supposed to strengthen the abdominal muscles, but is not advisable where the pressure can push a disc protrusion into the spinal canal;

• Techniques (‘hanging’ in the inverted position) to stretch the spine are given by some instructors to reduce disc protrusion and strengthen back muscles, but uncontrolled traction can increase fibrosis and scarring with further loss of elasticity and increased susceptability to pain in the long term;

• Bending sideways can be beneficial in moderation, but always involves some rotation of each vertebra, so that the exercise needs to be done slowly, carefully and over a short range;

• Rotation has been thought to mobilise stiff joints, but excessive rotation is harmful: since the immobile joints cannot be moved, the capsules and ligaments around the joints will be overstrained;

• Toe touching used to be one of the classic exercises for fitness, but to touch your toes while standing (or while sitting) with legs straight and feet apart is likely to do more harm than good, particularly if you use the opposite hand, so adding a twisting motion;

• Double leg raising, often recommended as an abdominal strengthening exercise, can be positively harmful because it puts considerable strain on the lower back. During this exercise the hip muscles have to do most work and as they are attached to the lower lumbar vertebrae and the pelvis, the abdominal muscles are called upon to stabilise the pelvis while the legs are lifted. The weight of the straight legs makes it too difficult for the abdominal muscles to continue to hold the pelvis, which tilts forward. This causes the lumbar spine to hollow as the spinal joints are pulled forward, putting considerable strain on them;

• Lifting both legs up straight, or sitting up from lying with a straight back are two exercises which should not be carried out, except by someone exceptionally fit and well muscled.

*105\111\2*

UNDERSTANDING BACK TROUBLE: PREVENTING A RECURRENCE-THE CHRONIC SUFFERER

When certain changes have occurred in the structure of the spine, especially if these are the outcome of a degenerative process, there is no way of restoring all the painfree functions of a normal spine.

Sometimes people have to be told that there is nothing more that can be done in the way of medical treatment for their back trouble, and find that treatment by physiotherapists or other therapists does not ease their suffering. They must then learn to live with their faulty spine, since they cannot be given a new one.

Such advice is bound to be depressing, even when accompanied by the assurance that there is no serious organic disease.

Moreover, chronic pain can itself be depressing. Some people in this situation let the rest of their life be dominated by their back; others are more able to meet the challenge and learn to cope by modifying life style, while maximising the painfree range of movement.

Trying anything-Although a patient may have been told that all the normal measures have been tried, there is always a possibility that the verdict may become outdated by new knowledge, improved diagnostic techniques and methods of treatment not previously available.

Some sufferers, therefore, feel that there is always a chance that another surgeon, another doctor, another therapist, may have a way of doing something for them. There are a number of doctors and other therapists in private practice who offer specialist treatment of back pain. They are often exponents of a particular line of therapy.

Other long-term sufferers pin their faith on a succession of non-orthodox treatments which may be providing no more than brief temporary relief. There is probably no harm in this as long as they are seeing a professionally qualified person, even though it is unlikely that one of these treatments will provide a cure, or restore to their spine all its former mobility.

The constant trying out of this treatment or that remedy is likely to set up an endless cycle of hope and disappointment. Miracle cures are mainly anecdotal. There is, moreover, some risk that, for instance, regular manipulation may accelerate osteoarthritis of facet joints, or repetitively overstretch fibrous tissues formed in a previous healing process.

*82\111\2*

PHYSIOTHERAPY: THE TREATMENT

Back pain frequently responds well to physiotherapy, the treatment by physical methods, as an alternative or adjunct to drugs or surgery. The methods include several different therapies, manipulative procedures, therapeutic movement or exercises, treatment with heat, cold and with electrical equipment. The aim is to help restore the function of the body and rehabilitate the patient: it also includes advice and instruction on posture and daily activities.

More than one method of treatment may be tried; each patient’s condition and progress is reassessed regularly, and the treatment altered accordingly. For example, a patient with very acute back pain may initially be given heat treatment and an instant support to wear. This may be followed after a couple of days by traction or gentle mobilisation, and possibly later by controlled manipulation, and the treatment usually includes a regimen of exercises and instruction on how to lift and move safely.

What a patient does when not having treatment plays an important role in recovery; the physiotherapist will, therefore, usually advise what he should do between treatments. Patients who hope and expect that the physiotherapist will work on them to get them better are not pleased to discover that they are, instead, expected to participate actively.

*61\111\2*

UNDERSTANDING BACK TROUBLE: WHERE DOES IT HURT?

The body’s central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord, which is the brain’s extension down the spinal canal. The nerve roots which pass in pairs out of the spinal cord at the level of each vertebra, and at the sacrum, proliferate into an abundant network of nerves, some as long as one metre, reaching to distant parts of the body. They carry information about injury along the spinal cord to the brain, which acts as a control centre, where the information is interpreted in the form of a sensation of pain. The sensory nerves which bring it are able to convey information about the type of injury; thus, the pain of a blow is different from that of a pinprick.

Pain is not sensed in the injured tissues themselves: the experience of pain is registered in the brain. For pain to be felt, there must be, or have been, a nerve supply. Some structures of the body have little, or none: for instance, the nucleus of an intervertebral disc. If it is damaged, no pain will be felt unless part of the disc presses on one of the nerve roots, the dural tube or on a ligament. Therefore the absence of pain does not necessarily mean that there has been no injury.

There can be an interval, sometimes days, between injury and sensation of pain. If you are concentrating hard on something else, you can often override the pain message. Sportsmen, in particular, often fail to realise that they have been hurt, until the game they are playing is over. A severe pain can mask a lesser pain, rather like a strong radio signal suppressing a weaker one. Thus it may not be until the more severe pain has responded to treatment that a secondary pain reveals the presence of a lesser injury

Pain is both a mental and a physical event, and the extent to which it is found endurable depends largely on individual temperament. Some people give way rapidly, and take to their bed, while others grimly remain at their posts, regardless of suffering. There is an intelligent compromise between these extremes: an awareness that pain is, in general, a warning of injury or risk of injury through misuse or malfunction, which should not be neglected.

*38\111\2*

HOW THE DAMAGE IS DONE: THE EFFECTS OF MOVEMENT

Any muscular activity and movement causes some increase in spinal stress. If you stand on the bathroom scales and watch the pointer while you raise your arms, you will see it move up. The force needed to lift the arms is passed down your spine to your feet and (via the scales) to the floor. The same is true of every other activity – pushing, pulling, carrying, getting up, sitting down.

Body movements that are caused by outside forces also cause stress on the spine. Most forms of transport, from horses and bicycles to trains and buses, bounce and jolt the human frame; apart from jolts and jars, most people occasionally stumble or fall. The force of all such vibrations is imparted to and resisted by the spine, but in most cases it suffers no serious injury, because of its capacity for absorbing shocks. It converts the energy into movement by going with the impact instead of resisting it and alters the quality of the applied force, so that it is less likely to cause injury.

The function of converting force into movement is a vital one. Unless some of the applied energy can be quickly converted into movement, it will break bones or cause other injury. In young and supple people, much more movement can be produced than in someone old and stiff, and they can therefore take more punishment than the elderly. As well as being more mobile, the structures in a young spine can bend or change shape more readily in response to loads and muscular tension. This is why the young are better than old people at ‘taking’ forces and reducing them.

Spinal functions also include a safety mechanism: namely, protective backache or. pain. Pain is information and mainly of value in giving warning of postural stress. It is not so effective at preventing injury caused when something proves too heavy to lift or will not move because it is, unexpectedly, stuck – then the pain may come too late.

*16\111\2*

SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT FOOD ALLERGY

Leaving out foods of which you are intolerant often leads to withdrawal symptoms, so you feel worse initially, and then better after a few days. Reintroduction of an offending food can sometimes provoke intense, severe reactions – often different from the kind of general masked symptoms of which the person had been complaining. The severity of these reactions can diminish in time, however, if the food is left out for a long while, or if it is eaten only at regular intervals of a few days, or in small amounts. It appears that the body has a capacity, in food intolerance of this kind, to cope with a certain amount of the food, so you may be able to keep it within your diet, provided that you do not exceed your body’s tolerance of it.

People who have sorted out their diets often report that all kinds of vague symptoms that they did not consider linked to food sensitivity (such as earache, vaginal discharge, cystitis, insomnia, irritability, tension and tiredness) clear up as well as their principal symptoms.

Food intolerance of this kind is also found associated with other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, candidiasis and Crohn’s disease. Some people with these conditions improve following changes to their diet, although the specific reasons for the links between their disease and food intolerance are not known.

*96\117\8*

HOW TO AVOID MULTIPLE SENSITIVITY: MANAGING YOUR LOAD

Whatever the cause of multiple sensitivity, the advice that doctors give on the need to avoid allergens and other substances is based upon the value of avoidance measures in preventing and controlling multiple sensitivity. Avoidance can help prevent you developing new sensitivities, and can control and help you live with multiple sensitivity if you know you are already prone to it.

Managing Your Load

The term that is commonly used is ‘managing your load’. Most people with multiple allergies or sensitivity find that they get worse at times when their load of allergens or other substances is high. For instance, people allergic to pollens sometimes find that their other allergies (such as to foods, house dust mites or pets) become noticeable or worse during the pollen season, whereas they cause no trouble or can be controlled at other times of the year. People who have food allergy or intolerance usually find they start reacting badly to multiple foods or chemicals, or other allergens, if they are eating a lot of the foods that upset them, but that the severity of the reactions declines, or they disappear altogether, if they keep to a strict diet. People sensitive to chemicals find they start reacting to many things if they have high levels of exposure – say, after a long car journey, or after decorating -but that their system calms down again if they keep their general exposure low.

You can use the avoidance process to manage your sensitivity if you know you react to many things. It can sometimes be hard to sort things out and to adapt your life, but avoidance actually works. It can prevent, especially with babies and children, and it can alleviate and cure. For some severely ill people, it is their only route to improvement in symptoms. It can mean a substantial reduction in the drugs that they take, and a return to something close to a tolerable life.

Even if you are not severely ill, you are likely to benefit from avoidance if you have any tendency to multiple sensitivity. The best route is to reduce your overall load of allergens and things that cause you to react.

*27\117\8*

ALLERGY TO CLEANING PRODUCTS/CHEMICALS AT WORK OR SCHOOL: CLINERS

Brass Polishes

Most brass polishes are solvent-based and can cause reactions. Two alternative polishes are:

• either dip a piece of lemon in salt and rub it over the brass,

• or make a paste of equal parts of vinegar, flour and salt and rub it over the brass

Do not leave either of these on the brass for long as they can be caustic. Rinse off the mixture, dry and buff up the brass with a cloth. For silver and chrome polishes, see Silver Cleaners, below.

Car Cleaners

Most car-care products are solvent-based and can be troublesome. Either use general cleaners or detergents which you tolerate or try a special range of solvent-free shampoos made by Simoniz. These are available from most car accessory shops such as Halfords.

Carpet Cleaners

To clean a carpet, you can use a steam-cleaning machine with just plain water and no detergent.

If you want to use a detergent, use a washing-up liquid or general cleaner that you tolerate (see below). Mix one part liquid with four parts boiling water. Allow to cool, then whip the mixture with an egg beater until it foams. Sponge it into the carpet and wipe it away thoroughly with a damp cloth.

If you are allergic to house dust mites or to moulds, make sure that the carpet dries very thoroughly. Damp conditions encourage dust mites and moulds.

*301\117\8*

ALLERGY BABYCARE\HOW TO WEAN: CLEAR SIGNS OF A REACTION TO FOOD

Vomiting, diarrhoea, sneezing, runny nose, eczema, asthma, colic or unexplained crying are clear signs of a reaction. If your baby has any difficulty in breathing, always contact a doctor immediately.

Some parents can identify a baby’s reaction from less clearcut signs (such as bright red face, snuffled nose, big black rings under the eyes, red spots, irritability, sleeplessness, restlessness), which often precede or accompany more severe symptoms.

Take vomiting and diarrhoea seriously. Some people will tell you that it does not mean anything for a baby to throw up food or have diarrhoea when first weaning, or even as a toddler trying new foods. If he or she tolerates a food well, however, it should not cause any vomiting or diarrhoea, nor is it a good idea for a potentially food-sensitive baby to have gastric upset. If you have any doubts about a food, leave it out of the diet until the baby is older and try it again when the baby may have matured enough to be able to digest it properly. Do not tolerate so-called toddler diarrhoea.

If your baby has ever had a history of severe or anaphylactic (shock) reaction to anything, or if you want to be extra careful, try the Cheek Test before giving a food by mouth. Smear some juice or fat from the food on to the skin on the baby’s cheek half-an hour before a feed. If the baby has any symptoms, especially swollen lips, difficulty in breathing, or hives, do not give the food. Contact a doctor straightaway.

*233\117\8*

WHERE ARE MOULDS IMPLICATED IN ALLERGY FOUND?

Moulds are highly adaptable and versatile organisms. For every ecological niche, there is probably a mould which will survive or even flourish. Some survive, and produce spores under very specific conditions of temperature, moisture or light. Others, by contrast, are fairly tolerant creatures and, although they have preferences, will function happily across a wide range of environments and habitats. They feed on almost any material containing carbon – plants, leather, paper, fabric. Some can even break down the strong resistant fibres of wood and hair.

Four moulds implicated in allergy, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Penicillium, tolerate a very wide range of conditions and are found worldwide. They are present in the UK throughout the year in many situations; they have peaks at certain times and in specific conditions. These are known as ‘universal dominant’ or ‘perennial’ moulds.

As a broad guide, however, most moulds like warmth and humidity.

A temperate, moist climate, like the UK’s, sustains them very well. Hot, moist environments, such as swimming baths, saunas, hairdressers, greenhouses, bathrooms, launderettes and kitchens, encourage mould growth. Very dry weather, such as the summer of 1976, or prolonged hard frosts, inhibit the production of spores, and many allergy-sufferers feel better in such conditions.

Moulds also multiply where nutrients are readily available to them, such as where well-rotted decaying material abounds. So they thrive in rubbish bins, dustbins, compost heaps, in fallen leaves and humus, in rotting wood, in hay or straw, in cut grass, in mossy dark corners, in crops. Their food does not have to be badly decayed – even a slight deterioration provides enough food potential for some moulds, early colonisers, who thrive on slightly decaying material and will cling invisibly to leaves that are starting to turn on the tree; to the skin of fruit and vegetables; to food which has just been chopped or cut; to processed food which has been opened, such as tins or jars, or a loaf of bread. Sometimes you can also find them growing visibly – grey or green growth on decaying fruit or bread.

*164\117\8*

SEX THERAPY FOR SEXUAL SUCCESS

John, a 45-year-old married man, visited his doctor complaining that his erections were no longer satisfactory He couldn’t get a «good» erection, he said—one that was sufficiently firm to allow him to have intercourse.

Trying to find out what was causing John’s poor erections, his doctor gave him a penile shot. The injection produced an erection that was adequate for intercourse, and quite normal as far as the physician could tell. John, however, was distinctly unimpressed. «This is as good as I get when I try to have intercourse, and ifs not good enough,» he lamented.

Obviously, something was wrong. John was physically able to have intercourse—but he was very uncomfortable doing so. His insistence on what he unrealistically considered a «perfect» erection, combined with his fear of disappointing his partner, was ruining his sex life. Emotionally unable to examine his attitudes, he had labeled his penis and his erections as the problem. In John’s view, it was not that he did not want to have intercourse; no, it was just that his penis was not cooperating.

The physician suggested that sex therapy could improve John and his wife’s sexual relationship. It could also help John achieve his goal of more frequent and satisfactory intercourse. But John was clearly unimpressed with the suggestion. «I know I’m not crazy,» he declared, «I don’t want to see any therapist, and I sure don’t need a psychiatrist.» That’s too bad, because the therapy might have solved his problem. And it might have shattered a few myths he has about sex therapy.

*175\184\8*

IMPOTENCE: CHECKING BLOOD FLOW

Think of the arteries which carry blood into the penis as expressways. Two of these arteries are the most crucial to erection—they supply the corpora cavernosa, which must fill up with blood in order for a man to become erect. A traffic jam in this finely tuned system—even a minor one—can prevent a man from getting an erection, or make it impossible to maintain one.

Unfortunately, nature did not design a man’s body to give a clear signal—like a rash or a high fever—when such a tie-up occurs. The signs are much more subtle, and sometimes quite difficult to decipher. One way to know if there’s a blockage in the arteries supplying the penis is to check the blood pressure in the penis. Low penile blood pressure means the arteries aren’t doing their job.

Taking the blood pressure in your penis is a painless test, much like the one done to measure pressure in your arm. The equipment used is different, however. The cuff wrapped around the penis is smaller and a special stethoscope is used to allow the doctor to hear the pulse in the very tiny blood vessels in the penis. Usually the doctor will listen to your penile arteries in different places to get an accurate reading.

Your top number penile blood pressure should be at least 70 percent of the top number of your normal, measured-in-the-arm blood pressure. Let’s suppose your regular blood pressure is a normal 120/80. Your penile blood pressure should be at least 70 percent of 120, or 84.

If your pressure is lower than this measurement, it means that not enough blood can get into the penis to produce a good erection. Higher than 70 percent is a good sign that your arterial expressways may be carrying the right amount of traffic.

*132\184\8*

ERECTION PROBLEMS: POTENCY AND STRESS

Some men aren’t aware that they suffer from stress and performance anxiety. Jimmy, a 24-year-old graduate student at a large university, visited a urologist, complaining that he was unable to get an erection. Like many students, Jimmy was juggling a lot of demands. He had a part-time job, a heavy class load and still made time for personal relationships. He was attractive and charming, so he had little trouble meeting women. The problem, he said, was that his relationships did not last. Occasionally, in a new relationship, Jimmy would become erect, but he usually lost potency before he could have intercourse.

A crucial piece of information came to light when Jimmy revealed that he could get satisfactory erections when he masturbated. He had no trouble sustaining an erection when he was alone. And he frequently awoke with an erection. He had no chronic illnesses, and a complete physical examination showed only that he was a very healthy man.

Jimmy wanted to believe that he had some physical problem to blame for his impotence—something that could quickly and easily be «fixed.» But in his case, anxiety was the culprit. He needed to learn to relax, to give himself permission not to have intercourse until he was ready, to feel comfortable with his partner and not withdraw from her emotionally in the event of a «failure.» Perhaps most of all, he needed to stop looking at intercourse as a test witch he would either pass or fail. To do this he had to learn to be comfortable – physically and emotionally – when close a women.

Jimmy found a sex therapist to help him. You might find that on your own you’re able to pinpoint the factors that make you stressed and overcome them.

*104\184\8*

THE ERECTION: DISEASES OF THE PENIS PRIAPISM

Priapism is when a man gets an erection that won’t go away. While this may sound like everyone’s fantasy, priapism is actually dangerous and serious. Not only is it usually extremely painful, but priapism, left untreated, can cause permanent impotence.

What causes an erection that won’t disappear? There are many known causes of priapism and then there are also some cases which defy explanation. The culprits are the blood vessels not doing their job properly. Rather than draining blood out of the penis on cue, the veins remain shut down and the arteries continue trying to pump blood into the penis. This state of affairs can be caused by sickle cell anemia, trauma to the penis, tumors in the penis or pelvic area or even, in some cases, by blood-thinning medications taken by men to keep their blood from clotting too readily. Some other drugs, such as certain tranquilizers and antidepressants, can also bring on priapism, probably because they affect the nervous system’s control of the blood vessels.

If you find yourself with an erection that will not disappear, go to the nearest emergency room. Priapism needs to be treated within four to six hours after it develops—sooner, if at all possible.

*75\184\8*

POTENCY: PICK YOUR ANXIETY

Performance anxiety can take many different forms. For some men, it is linked to the degree of intimacy in a relationship. One man, 33 years old, could only get an erection in an impersonal setting. He would visit topless bars where, for a fee, a dancer would rub up against him. He could have a full, firm erection this way and ejaculate. But when he liked a woman and developed a friendship with her, he was unable to get an erection.

Sometimes the reverse is true and performance anxiety is only a problem when a man tries to have sex with someone who is a virtual stranger to him. Hal, for example, dated several different women in a short period of time, but he was unable to get an erection with any of them. The common thread in each of these situations was that he didn’t know the woman very well, and he really didn’t feel comfortable with her. Hal’s performance anxiety had to do with wanting to feel secure and accepted as a person, not just as an instrument of sexual satisfaction. Once Hal developed a serious relationship, erections were not a problem. In this case his penis was mirroring his emotional state.

Sometimes performance anxiety is based on beliefs that prove almost intractable to change. Lee, for example, a 26-year-old, developed an infection in the urinary tract which resulted in a painful drip from his penis. Very concerned and in some pain, he came to a hospital clinic for help. A physician properly prescribed some tetracycline, an antibiotic commonly used to clear up the problem. But a so-called friend of Lee’s told him that if he took the medicine, he’d never get an erection again.

After some anxious rumination, Lee decided to take the pills anyway, to rid himself of the painful infection. The medicine cleared up his problem in a week, and Lee should have been back to normal.

But the next time he tried to make love with his girlfriend he was unable to get an erection. This had never happened to him before. And he was not even able to get an erection when he masturbated. These developments threw him into an emotional tailspin, which only worsened when his girlfriend decided to leave him, saying he was no longer «a real man,» Lee was frantic.

About four weeks later, this terrified young man again showed up at the clinic, seeking help. He had not had an erection since he took the medicine, and was absolutely frantic with anxiety. The doctor reassured him correctly that there was no way the antibiotic could have caused his impotence, and suggested that the worry, not the medicine, was at the root of his problem.

Unfortunately, such advice had no effect on Lee’s lack of erection. In his heart, he believed that his «friend» had spoken the truth. He felt doomed to impotence. Hoping to counteract his beliefs, the physician gave him a placebo shot, promising that this «medicine» would clear up any problem Lee had with erections. Alas, the «cure» did not work. Though there was no physical reason for his sudden inability to get an erection, Lee remained impotent. His beliefs were powerful enough to override his sexual desires and his body’s ability to respond.

Lee was referred to a community mental health center for help in overcoming his fears. Although Lee’s case is somewhat extreme, this story is a perfect example of performance anxiety and the enormous power of the mind.

*43\184\8*

USEFUL HERBS

HOPS

Humulus lupulus

Used as a soporific to treat insomnia, anxiety, indigestion, and also for the relief of menstrual pain and neuralgia.

HOREHOUND Marrubium vulgare

Beneficial for disorders of the gall bladder and the stomach, it can also be used to treat menstrual pain. It is specifically of use in bronchial disorders.

HORSERADISH

Cochlearia armoracia

Eaten raw, it stimulates digestion and treats bronchial disorders. It clears the head and relieves congestion and sinusitis and the related pain.

HORSETAIL

Equisitum arvense

Having a high silica content, horsetail can be used to clean pewter. A potent diuretic, it can be drunk as a tea to remove gall or kidney stones. It promotes coagulation and corpuscle growth, reducing internal and external bleeding.

IRISH MOSS

Chondrus crispus

Known as carrageen, Irish moss is a gelatin derived from seaweed and is used in pharmaceutical products. Its soothing properties are useful for bronchial and digestive irritations, and it is also nutritious and used for treating convalescents.

JUNIPER

Juniperus communis

Used internally as a urinary antiseptic and to stimulate appetite. The oil can be used in a vaporiser for bronchial infections. It is a diuretic which stimulates the kidneys.

KELP

Fucus vesiculosus

Kelp is used in the treatment of disorders of the thyroid gland and to treat overweight people; it contains iodine.

KOLA Cola nitida

Kola is a heart stimulant and is high in caffeine. It is used to treat headaches, migraine and depression.

LIME FLOWERS

Tillia cordata

In combination with hawthorn and mistletoe, the flower can be used to treat hypertension, cardiac disease and high blood pressure.

LIQUORICE

Glycyrrhiza glabra

Liquorice root can be used as an expectorant in respiratory complaints, and it is well-known for its laxative properties. It is also used as an anti-inflammatory drug, possessing similar qualities to prednizone.

MILK THISTLE

Silybum marianum

Used as an appetite stimulant and an aid to digestion, the powdered seeds can be used in certain cardiovascular disorders. This herb has also been used to treat leg ulcers and varicose veins. It protects the liver from toxins and is used to treat hepatitis.

MULLEIN

Verbascum thapsus

Specifically used for respiratory disorders, working as an expectorant and a sedative. Externally an oil from the flowers can treat haemorrhoids, bruises, nappy rash and warts.

OATS

Avena saliva

Oats are nutritious and soothe the intestinal tract. The seeds are good for the heart and relieve nervous anxiety. The oatmeal is used for skin disorders and the dried straw is used as tea for chest complaints.

OLIVE OIL

Olea europaea

Apart from its culinary delights it has laxative properties, relieves ulcers, and it is believed to reduce cholesterol. Externally the oil is used on bruises, burns and bites, and softens dry skin and hair. Eating this flavoursome oil can enrich dry skin, relieve itchy scalp, add lustre to the hair.

The mucilage on the seed swells when ingested and is effective for constipation, and also diarrohea. It helps lower blood cholesterol. Its most effective use is for Irritable

Bowel syndrome and in cases of colitis. It is sometimes used to treat cystitis

*132\26\8*

OSTEOPOROSIS AND OSTEOARTHRITIS: HELP YOUR BONES!

OSTEOPOROSIS

Women are more affected by this disease than men. They have a lighter bone structure and the changes in their hormonal pattern after menopause seems to accelerate this disease.

Osteoporosis is a leaching of calcium from the bones that begins around 30 years of age. You really have to make sure that you are getting enough calcium in your diet: 800-1200 mg of calcium phosphate per day is required. If you are not receiving this amount, then you run the risk of osteoporosis when you grow older.

Foods containing calcium, such as dairy products and fish, are very important sources and should be included in the diet or supplementation.

Exercising regularly is recommended as this also prevents bone loss. The best forms are swimming and walking each day, so, after a hard day’s work, before sitting down in front of the television; take the dog for a walk. With exercise you can increase the size and strength of your bones

OSTEOARTHRITIS

Degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) can affect anyone although menopausal women are most vulnerable.

This is a mild and degenerative joint disease mainly affecting the weight-bearing joints but it can also affect the spine and neck. Weight reduction is very important in order to lessen stress on the joints.

Hot and cold water treatment of the joints can also help, four minutes in hot water, followed by one minute in cold water several times daily 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Be careful not to damage skin tissue with the hot water.

Walking and swimming are good exercise and must be carried out daily for 15 to 30 minutes. This will help reduce pain, increase mobility, and decrease rate of bone loss.

Use the same diet as that used for Crystal Arthritis.

SUPPLEMENTS

Same as rheumatoid arthritis

*107\26\8*

INTERESTING ABOUT HAYFEVER

It is interesting to note that medicine in the 1930s suggested cocaine be used to deaden the nostrils as a solution to this problem. Of course the symptoms and side effects of that certainly make this a remedy we would not even consider today but there are some herbs and vitamins that can have an effect in reducing the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

The herb garlic can be of great value especially when combined with horseradish. Both of these herbs have a bacteriostatic or antibiotic action. Garlic has an expectorant and drying effect on the sinuses. Along with its bacteriostatic and antiseptic properties, it can be extremely helpful for sinusitis. The horseradish acts in promoting discharge and drainage of that area and is also quite a powerful antiseptic. Combined with these, cod liver oil and extra vitamin A can be of benefit.

A combination of horseradish and garlic tablets, vitamin C complex, containing 1000 mg of a combination including calcium ascorbic acid, citrus bioflavonoids, rutin, hesperidin, rosehips and acerola, should be taken three times daily. To help build resistance, vitamin A (10,000 IU) in conjunction with the above, taken daily, can certainly have an effect in strengthening the mucous membranes, building resistance, drying out sinuses, and helping alleviate the problems of the spring hay fever or allergic rhinitis.

SUPPLEMENTS

Sinus and Catarrh formula 3 times daily

a herbal formula containing: take 3times daily

horseradish, garlic, echinacea

liquorice root

sambucus 100 mg 3 times daily

Bio-C 1000 mg daily

cod liver oil 5ml daily

*82\26\8*

COLD HANDS AND FEET (RAYNAUD’S SYNDROME)

Cold hands and feet can be very uncomfortable, especially in winter, but some people suffer this problem constantly. It is caused by an abnormal spasm of blood vessels.

This poor circulation in the extremities can be caused from smoking. It is a documented fact that smoking causes peripheral vaso-constriction which lessens the blood flow to the extremities. If you are smoking then you should stop.

The vitamins contained in your food especially vitamin E can be very important. Vitamin E helps improve circulation. Start with 100 IU of vitamin E daily and slowly increase over six weeks to 500 IU daily. Herbs such as hawthorn berry can be very beneficial. Hawthorn berries have the ability to help dilation of the blood vessels, especially in the extremities, and this vasodilation warms the hands and feet.

Ginkgo and garlic are herbs that can also improve circulation. Chilli peppers can be included with your food and will warm you up. Chillies can be in a tablet or capsule.

SUPPLEMENTS

vitamin E 500 IU daily

Ginkgo Plus Formula 1 tablet morning and night

contains:

Ginkgo 500 mg

Hawthorn 100 mg

Garlic 250 mg

Cayenne 30 mg dried herb daily

vitamin B3

(nicotinic acid) up to 100 mg per day

*56/26/8*

BEDSORES

Bedsores may be caused from the pressure of lying in one part of the body for too long thus reducing the blood supply to the area.

Dead tissue and an ulcer can result. It is important that all body parts must be moved if there is bed confinement each day. This will help maintain good circulation and ensure the normal blood flow containing oxygen and nutrients reaches all parts of the body. Tight clothing can restrict the flow of blood to limbs. Taking vitamin E can help lower the viscosity, or thickness, of the blood improving supply to legs and arms. Vitamin E also has excellent healing properties. Zinc and vitamin C are also important nutrients to include in the diet. Vitamin C and Bio Zinc are needed to help form collagen (the cement of skin) needed for the formation of new tissue and to speed up the healing process.

An ointment that contains comfrey has cell-proliferant properties. It has been used for centuries in healing preparations and was commonly called ‘knitbone’. The cream should also contain vitamin E and vitamin A, as these vitamins help speed up the healing process.

SUPPLEMENTS

Bio C 1000 mg

Zinc 25 mg daily

vitamin E 500 IU daily

cod liver oil 5 ml daily

External treatment — use a healing cream containing comfrey, natural vitamin E and A, apricot kernel oil, allantoin.

*30\26\8*

CALCIFICATION AND CALCIUM PREPARATIONS – RECOMMENDED PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

An older person, first of all, needs plenty of oxygen, in other words, plenty of exercise and deep-breathing in the open air. It would be beneficial to engage in some light sport; light gardening is another good form of exercise. Long walks through a forest or wood, or walking and climbing in the soothing tranquillity of hills and dales will also provide enough refreshing exercise for the body and the lungs.

Secondly, an older person should eat foods that have a high iron content, which assures the proper oxygenation of the blood and normalises the metabolic processes. This can be achieved by simply enhancing our meals with plenty of raw vegetables and salads every day. Of course, this is easier to do during spring, when many kinds of cresses and the tender leaves of spinach are available. Add these to your salads without fail. Also, do not forget the young shoots of stinging nettles which provide exceptional benefits. Indeed, there are many alternatives to ensure that we can meet our daily requirements of iron and other vital substances.

*219/28/1*

ARTERIOSCLEROSIS, CORONARY THROMBOSIS AND HEART ATTACKS – PREVENTATIVE TREATMENT

Take the appropriate medicinal herbs. But I must point out that pregnant women should not wait until shortly before childbirth to take the herbs. They should begin to take them months ahead of time in order to improve the condition of the blood and exert a positive influence on the entire vascular system. An excellent remedy is Hamamelis, an extract from witch hazel, a shrub known to the North American Indians as a ‘miracle plant’. As early as the Middle Ages women realised that embolism and thrombosis could be prevented by taking arnica, yarrow, St John’s wort and Pulsatilla. More than thirty years ago I began to use these herbs as a basis for a well-known fresh plant preparation, Hyperisan, that has since proved helpful to thousands of women in many countries around the globe. Many women have told me that serious complications at the time of delivery were prevented because they had been taking this herbal complex during their pregnancy. Much to their surprise, delivery was easy and without subsequent complications, which had not been the case for them before, when they had not been taking the preparation. A qualified midwife once wrote me an enthusiastic letter about a perfect delivery, which, according to her, could only be attributed to the fact that the mother had been taking the preparation. As a midwife of many years’ experience, her observation and assessment can hardly be questioned. In addition to Hyperisan, it is recommended to take Urticalcin, because biological calcium is good for the vascular system. Another good supportive remedy, called Aesculus hipp., a fresh plant extract from horse chestnuts, should not be overlooked

*215/28/1*

THE IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF THE ARTERIES – HOW TO AVOID POSSIBLE HARM

One does not have to be a fanatic in order to admit that modern, civilised man is living somewhat dangerously. Just think of all the conveniences we have gained from technology in our age of motor cars and mechanisation. They bring with them less activity outdoors and cause pollution of the air. Our indulgence in refined food products does not exactly contribute to good health either. The arteries degenerate as a result of the drawbacks of our lifestyle; symptoms of old age appear much too early, decreasing our efficiency and productivity and sometimes bringing an early end to our lives. The average increase of our life span, due to a reduction in infant mortality, does not change this picture either. It is not a question of reaching an advanced age by artificial means, by the use of drugs and special therapies, while our body is ailing and vegetating. Rather, it is much better to live to a ripe old age and still be in good health. Our life-style and what we eat should be governed by the laws of nature and not by the dictates of society, which have gone awry and, at best, contribute very little to our physical well-being.

*211/28/1*

THE MARVELLOUS DESIGN OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

The Dutch scientist Dr Hoorne once said that the body is made up of blood vessels. It was he who discovered a method of making the vessels visible by injecting them with a red dye. Tsar Peter the Great, who happened to be visiting Holland at that time, was so intrigued by the experiment that he arranged to take some of the dye home with him. Unfortunately, however, on his arrival in Russia he found that it was no longer useable. The sailors had consumed the alcohol in which it had been placed to preserve it!

Truly a wonder of creative design, every single one of the billions of cells in our body has access to the uninterrupted flow of the circulatory system. It takes the blood only about one second to move from the arterial capillaries to the venous capillaries. And it is during this second that the metabolic process takes place whereby oxygen is withdrawn from the blood and carbon dioxide from the tissue is permitted to enter. At the same time, the nutrients from the blood enter the tissue and the metabolic products from the tissue enter the bloodstream. Having fulfilled its task, the blood then flows back to the heart via the venous system.

*207/28/1*

NATURE DOCTOR – LYMPHOADENOMA

The body as a whole, including the capillary system, can be adversely affected and harmed by an incorrect diet and life-style. Foods that produce too much uric acid, such as meat and eggs -instead of vegetables and fruit – cause a degeneration and dilation of the capillaries to a degree that capillary photography can detect it. When magnified, dilated capillaries have the appearance of small varicose veins. Excessive alcohol consumption has the same harmful effect. Chemicals absorbed from medicines and nicotine alter and damage the capillaries and impair their function of nourishing of the cells, thus disturbing the entire metabolic process. Of what good is our marvellously equipped body if we disregard its working order and eat the wrong food, as well as follow an unnatural way of life, with insufficient exercise and deep-breathing? ‘ Defects of the capillary system cause degeneration, slackening and aging of the muscle and nerve cells due largely to their not receiving sufficient nourishment in time. It is important to know about this when we are young, so that we can guard our health carefully. If we fail to realise it until we are old, it will be of little worth by then, and we will be like the person who wasted all his fortune in his youth. In his old age he lived in poverty while contemplating, with pain and nostalgic sorrow, the bygone luxury of his youth. We can compare youth to the seven fat years in Egypt referred to in the Bible. We should act wisely, just as Joseph did, storing up good health to be able to, figuratively speaking, live off the ‘savings’ during the ‘lean’ years of advanced age. By adopting a healthy, natural way of life, from our youth onwards, we also show the greatest care for our blood vessels.

*203/28/1*

PUBIC PEDICULOSIS – DEFINITION

Pubic pediculosis is due to infestation with the crab louse Phthirus pubis. The adult louse is blue-grey or reddish brown depending on how much blood it contains. It measures 1 to 2 mm diameter and is just visible to the naked eye. Eggs (nits) are in chitin sacs firmly attached to the base of single hairs. Although infestation may spread to other hairy parts of the body except the scalp, it usually involves only pubic and perianal hair. Although this is usually a sexually transmitted infestation, it may be acquired from contaminated toilet seats, towels, underclothing or bedding. Ordinary laundering is sufficient to disinfest clothing and bed linen.

Clinical manifestations

Symptoms may. develop after a period ranging from a few days to several weeks. The louse feeds by sucking blood; the bites may cause intense irritation followed by secondary infection or eczematous changes. The patient may present with black specks on underpants. Many patients are asymptomatic.

*115/56/1*

HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS INFECTION – CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS (GROUP III – IV)

Group III — Persistent generalised lymphadenopathy (PGL) Patients with PGL alone are classified as Group III. PGL is defined as palpable lymphadenopathy (>1 cm) at two or more extrainguinal sites, persisting for more than 3 months. The lymph node groups most commonly enlarged are the anterior and posterior cervical and axillary groups.

Group IV — Other HIV disease

This group includes patients with clinical features of HIV infection other than or in addition to PGL. This group includes cases of AIDS as originally defined for surveillance purposes and cases of AIDS related complex.

Group IV patients are assigned to subgroups A to E which are not mutually exclusive. The subgroups are:

Subgroup A — Constitutional disease

AIDS related complex (ARC) or slim disease — defined as an illness of greater than one month duration characterised by one or more of: fever, night sweats, weight loss greater than 10% of baseline body weight, or diarrhoea.

*89/56/1*

SYPHILIS – FALSE POSITIVE REAGIN TESTS MAY BE TRANSIENT OR PERSISTENT; CEREBROSPINAL FLUID (CSF) EXAMINATION

The causes of biological false positive reagin (non-treponemal) tests are:

Acute (persisting less than 6 months): acute viral febrile illness (e.g. infectious mononucleosis, viral pneumonia, hepatitis); and pregnancy.

Chronic (persisting six months or more): intravenous drug abuse; autoimmune disease — positive serology may predate the disease (e.g. disseminated lupus erythematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis); malaria; and lepromatous leprosy.

The diagnosis of congenital syphilis is mainly dependent on serology.

Negative serology in the presence of Tpallidum infection may occur in: very early infection; and immunodeficiency following HIV infectioa CSF examination includes white cell count, total protein and VDRL or RPR. Raised lymphocyte count, raised total protein and positive reagin test in the CSF is indicative of neurosyphilis. CSF examination is indicated: where there are symptoms or signs of CNS disease in the presence of positive serological tests for syphilis;

before retreating a patient who has had relapse, treatment failure or reinfection after any form of treatment; in any patient who has been treated with non-penicillin regimens; where late or latent syphilis has been discovered and the period of latency cannot be determined or is in excess of 2 years; or before treatment with benzathine penicillin except in early disease.

*64/56/1*

PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE – SECONDARY PID; REGULAR FOLLOW UP

Antibiotics effective against gram negative or anaerobic bacilli are used when PID complicates delivery, abortion or gynaecological procedure or if these organisms complicate gonococcal or chlamydial PID. Various combinations of a penicillin, tetracycline, clindamycin, an imidazole (metronidazole, tinidazole or omidazole) or other agents will be used depending upon the circumstances of each particular case.

In an acute case, the failure to respond to antibiotic treatment in 24 to 48 hours may indicate a mistaken diagnosis (appendicitis, ectopic pregnancy), pus in the pouch of Douglas or tubo-ovarian abscess and surgical intervention may be necessary. Salpingectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy is indicated for tubal or tubo-ovarian abscess. Unless the life of the patient is endangered, trial of antibiotic therapy should be considered if the diagnosis is in doubt

Women with PID should be regularly reviewed to detect reinfections or relapses in an attempt to prevent long term sequelae such as tubal damage leading to ectopic pregnancy or infertility, recurrent pelvic pain, menstrual irregularities and depression.

Male partners of women with PID should be examined and treated if indicated as they often have gonococcal or chlamydial urethral infections.

In 1988, NHMRC approved the publication of a working party report on pelvic inflammatory disease.

*40/56/1*

DIAGNOSIS OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

Where an STD exists or is suspected, it is likely that the patient will be embarrassed, fearful, or guilt-ridden. Patients may be less than frank about their sexual activities. Some patients concerned that their sexual behaviour or that of a partner has exposed them to risk may be unable to verbalise that concern. The patient may be belligerent and uncooperative. A patient presenting as the contact of a known case may be upset, angry or disbelieving and may direct these feelings at the practitioner.

The history of the patient’s present symptoms, sexual history and past medical history are important.

*15/56/1*

CAUSES OF HEADACHES: MEDICINES

Many medicines can cause headaches, Sometimes these are ‘purely’ side-effects -what in medical terms are called idiosyncratic read ions; a patient, gels a headache while taking a particular drug, whereas other people generally don’t. Idiosyncratic reactions tend to be specific to a particular drug in a particular patient, and usually the onset, of the headache is quite clearly related to the time when he or she started taking the medicine.

Some groups of drugs used in the control of blood pressure can cause headaches. As part of their normal action they alter the muscle tone in the arteries, which are the high pressure side of the circulation. Control of blood pressure is by means of muscles lining the walls of the smaller arteries (the arterioles). If these muscles relax, the bore of the arteriole gets bigger; if they relax too much, blood at a higher pressure than usual can flow through to the organ the artery supplies. In some cases this distends the organ unpleasantly, causing pain. This is particularly important in the case of those arterioles which supply the brain. Certain drugs which make the muscles in these arterioles relax cause a pounding headache to develop. The most noticeable drug to do this is glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), which is commonly used under the tongue to abort attacks of angina (transient heart pain).

GTN works by dilating the arteries of the heart so that more blood can flow through to the heart muscle; however, the same action also happens in the arteries supplying the brain. As his heart pain diminishes, the patient also gets a bounding headache for a short period of time, as blood enters the brain under higher pressure than usual. Although with ordinary GTN this bounding headache always goes away quickly, other slow-release nitrates taken by mouth act on the heart for a longer period – and can also produce headaches in susceptible people.

Other drugs used to control blood pressure can cause headaches as a side-effect, especially if they act by reducing arteriolar muscle tone. Many drugs used to control blood pressure act in this way, but the sensitivity of individual patients varies considerably and what may cause terrible side-effects in one may not affect another at all.

Again, the cure is simple – avoid the offending drug. However, don’t suddenly
discontinue a prescribed drug without first talking to your doctor. This can be very
dangerous especially if you’re taking something like beta-blockers. It’s usually of
little value to try to treat headaches caused by specific drugs. It’s much better to
avoid the culprit drug, and change to an alternative preparation.

The contraceptive Pill can exacerbate existing migraines, or even (rather

dangerously) cause them to start in a patient who previously didn’t have migraines.

*133\20\2*

ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION: SELF-HELP

Self-help in anxiety/depression has three main parts. First of all, be prepared to admit that you’re depressed; secondly, don’t wallow in it, but get professional help; and, finally, start helping yourself to get out of it. This is not the same as ‘pulling yourself together’, which doesn’t work, mainly because it’s directed at the wrong things.

Recognising that you have a psychological cause for your headache is the first step towards healing it. If you are constantly striving to prove that there is a physical cause as a way of evading your responsibility to tackle your psychological problems, then you will make no headway. For some reason society tends to make out that people with psychological problems are evil or guilty, while those with physical problems are not. It really isn’t like that at all. True, you may have made decisions which, with hindsight, yon realise have contributed to your own current unhappiness. But for many sufferers from psychological illnesses, sufferings have been imposed from outside – the woman who was abused as a child; the adolescent who doesn’t love himself because his parents never really loved him; the man who is never allowed to show his anger because anger was always taboo in the family. Psychologically speaking, depression is often in-turned aggression -anger that you have not been able to express and so you turn it in upon yourself. So just because there is a psychological cause doesn’t mean that you are necessarily guilty; certainly, no more than if you had broken a leg skiing.

The second part of self-help is to recognise that although you are depressed you mustn’t wallow in it. Those who are depressed can get terribly self-absorbed with their depression and after a time some of them, as the saying goes, enjoy ill-health. Once you start wallowing in it you self-perpetuate the illness, and if you continue with the self-pity you’re likely to find that you quickly start running out of friends.

The third self-help method is honestly and courageously to face up to the things that are bothering you. Often it is an unspoken subconscious fear that you are too frightened to approach; perhaps it’s the fear of death; or that you can’t adjust to your sexuality; or you feel worthless as a result of being unemployed; or maybe you just feel unloved and unlovable. Courageously going headfirst into whatever problem is bugging you is often the quickest way to get out of those types of depression which are purely psychological in origin. Trying to evade the problem merely prolongs the issue and will lead you into more misery.

This is not easy to do. Facing up to those fearsome problems that are so hard to handle that you try to forget about them and bury them in your subconscious, is a very frightening activity, and you will need a lot of emotional support to do it. Tackling deep-rooted, fearsome problems like this is often where professional guidance and counselling come in.

Finally, make sure you get enough exercise. The apathy of depression is quite enough to stop you doing things, but exercise really can make you feel a lot better. Physically speaking, exercise releases the body’s own morphine-like chemicals (the endorphins) inside the brain, and these contribute to an increased sense of well-being. In addition, exercise uses up the extra adrenalin that will be swilling round your system if you’re anxious.

Depression often has its roots in in-turned aggression – an inability to vent anger. Very often the condition can be improved by learning how to appropriately dissipate it. Assertiveness training is part of this technique – learning how not to be trampled on can be very important. It is all about making sure that you are able to put your point of view forward and be listened to. Some people were never taught to be assertive; they find themselves doing what others want simply because they’ve never learned to stand up for themselves.

Physical contact is often a necessity in cases of depression. We humans need the constant physical encouragement of human contact, and families and spouses can often help by making a point of touching. The hand on the arm, the arm round the shoulder, the kiss, the cuddle; these all say ‘You’re important to me, you’re valuable in yourself – sentiments that the depressed person longs to hear.

It will help considerably to express your feelings more often. In depression the emotions often get buttoned up, and expressing them can help (particularly as these emotions can be very strong in depression). In our stiff-upper-lip society, it’s not always easy to let your emotions out, and expressing what you feel in art, music or dance may help. Art, dance and music therapy can be extremely helpful .

Although you might think that religion would be a consolation in depression -and sometimes it is – some depressed people perceive their religious beliefs as a burden rather than as a liberation. This is often tied in with a sense of guilt, worthlessness or failure. It is important to realise that these fears are a reflection of your depression, not an indictment of your beliefs.

*91\20\2*

WORK-RELATED HEADACHES’ CAUSES: BIOLOGICAL AGENTS

Fungi sometimes grow in air-conditioning systems, particularly where humidifiers are used, as the warm, wet conditions inside the humidifiers are ideal for promoting fungal growth. Contaminated air-conditioning and ducted warm-air heating can both pump large amounts of air polluted with millions of fungal spores around the building, and anyone who is allergic to these spores will react to them. Hay fever-like symptoms which start off at the time the air-conditioning or central heating is switched on may, in fact, be due to allergy to fungal spores sprayed into the air in this way.

Treatment is principally by recognising the cause of the problem and avoiding it where possible. Better ventilation may be all that is necessary. Proper anti-fungal treatment of air-conditioning systems; anti-allergic treatment such as antihistamines, etc. may be needed; in severe cases of allergy to fungal spores, desensitising injections can be given, but only through your local hospital. Homoeopathic desensitisation may also work.

*126\20\2*

CAUSES OF HEADACHES IN CHILDREN: EYE PROBLEMS

At least some headaches in children occur because of unsuspected eye problems. Squinting or focussing difficulties cause headaches when they are minor, because the child can compensate for the problem by tensing up the eye muscles or peering. This leads on to tension in the muscles of the eye and face, and to tension headaches. Major degrees of abnormality in the eyes don’t cause headaches, simply because the child can’t compensate by tensing up his muscles, so he doesn’t try.

Every year many children are unexpectedly diagnosed as being short-sighted when they and their parents didn’t think that anything was wrong. Often it’s only spotted because the child doesn’t seem to be doing well at school. Then someone thinks to check whether she can read the blackboard – and she can’t. The trouble is, if the child’s vision has always been that way she doesn’t know any better; she thinks vision is like that for everyone, so she doesn’t complain.

Minor degrees of squinting can also remain undiagnosed for a considerable time, especially where the child can normally compensate for the squint by extra muscular action. Note also that astigmatism (an inability to focus on horizontal and vertical lines at the same time) is a particularly potent cause of headaches.

*113\20\2*

MENOPAUSAL HEADACHES: COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT

Complementary therapies can help deal with some of the secondary effects of the menopause.

Acupuncture can stimulate the body to deal more effectively with anxiety, depression, stress and irritability. It is supposed also to improve the balance of hormones, which will reduce the symptoms of the menopause. Headaches and migraine can he relieved by treatment to produce the body’s natural painkillers (the endorphins).

Aromatherapy can have a soothing effect – particularly techniques involving bath and massage. Analgesic oils such as lavender and camomile can be used to massage the head, shoulders and neck in order to remove tension and improve circulation. Headaches and migraine can be treated in this way. Clary sage is said to help balance hormones.

An osteopath or chiropractor can reduce the headaches and migraines triggered by stress or neck problems, reducing nervous pressure and tension.

A clinical nutritionist would probably suggest supplementary pituitary glandulars. Avoid spices, alcohol, caffeine and smoking, and reduce your fat intake – all of which help prevent headaches, by reducing the number of potential trigger factors.

A naturopath will suggest a healthy diet, exercise and regular sleep. Various dietary supplements might be recommended; in particular, the IS vitamins, and Vitamins C and E.

An in-depth consultation would be required for a homoeopath to effectively relieve the symptoms of menopause. Cimicifuga might be suggested for psychological symptoms (which can just as easily cause headaches), sanguinara for headaches and hot flushes, subphylum for tension and anxiety, and lachesis for headaches.

Sage has an effect on the oestrogen levels and can be used for problems associated with hormone imbalance. Angus castus, false unicorn, oats and St John’s wort can all be drunk, or taken in tinctures. Skullcap may ease anxiety or depression. Geranium oil is said to affect hormone balance, and the essential oil of rose is supposed to have a toning effect on the reproductive system in general.

Vitamin E is said to keep your reproductive organs healthy.

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