|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 15 February 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Compiled by Carol Aloysius Caring for the carer by H. Ravindhiran, Co-ordinator, SLMA
. Ask for help * Join a support group. . Take care of your needs * Eat right, exercise and get enough sleep. . Express your feelings * Recognise that feelings of frustration, sadness, anger and depression
are normal under the circumstances. . Learn all about the disease * Find out about the different forms and stages of dementia so that you
know what to expect when new behaviour occurs. . Avoid isolation * Pursue a hobby or take a class. Join a reading or discussion group. . Talk with Professionals * Talk with a lawyer about legal issues. . Look for signs of 'Burnout' * Ask yourself, "Am I getting enough sleep, food and exercise? . Give yourself a treat * Indulge yourself. Buy a present, a favourite magazine or a new dress. . Take time for yourself * Consider using domestic nursing help or adult day care. . Investigate Local Support Services Recognise that difficult and confusing behaviours are part of the disease and that you deserve help in dealing with them. Find out if meals are delivered to seniors or home bound people in your area. Find out about nursing homes. Even if you do not want to use a nursing home now, it may become a necessity in the future. Taking care of a person with memory loss and confusion means being responsible for the day-to-day activities the person can no longer do on his own. This includes bathing, eating and toiletry. Creating a safe environment for such patients is also important. Persons with memory loss often can't remember where they are and sometimes see the surroundings as threatening. A person with Dementia can be easily confused by different noises or colours in a room. This over stimulation can make the person feel angry or worried. The following tips will help promote a sense of security and comfort for persons with dementia: Ask and know about dementia from your doctor. * Focus on prevention Making communication easier A person with memory loss and confusion may have trouble understanding what is said, or saying what he or she thinks and wants. This can be very frustrating for both the person with dementia and the care-giver. Following are some practical tips to help make communicating easier: * Personalize your conversation. Difficult behaviour: How to cope People with memory loss and confusion exhibit difficult behaviours because the disease has caused changes within the brain.The suggestions below are designed to help you manage the difficult behaviours. * Do not expect the person to remember because of the disease, people are not able to remember many things. You will frustrate the person by asking, "Don't you remember?' * When the person becomes agitated or displays difficult behaviour try to distract him with another activity. For example, when he wanders around the house lost, ask him to have a cup of tea with you instead. * Use your common sense and be flexible * create routines - Work out a consistent plan for each day such as what time to get up, take meals and do various activities. This helps to decrease anxiety and promote a sense of comfort for the person with dementia. * Offer reassurance and praise * Do not argue with the person with dementia * Identify and remove triggers to behaviour. For example, if the person wants to go outside every time he sees some shoes near the door, remove the shoes. * When the person demonstrates a new difficult behaviour, try to establish if he is uncomfortable (for example, too hot or tired, or needs something - a drink or to use the toilet). If he seems uncomfortable, the behaviour may be related to a medical problem - an infection, medication side effect, etc. Have him evaluated by a doctor for such causes. Note: Dehydration will make the symptoms of dementia worse so be sure the person gets plenty of fluids. * Daily exercise - make sure the person has an opportunity to get some exercise everyday. * Maintain social activities - Social activities ensure that the person with dementia remains in contact with other people and offers a sense of well-being. * Ensure that the environment is safe and secure. * Simplify and create a calm, quiet environment. (Courtesy: Novartis Pharma Sector, Switzerland) ############# Febrile fits - have no fears
Q. What is a febrile convulsion? A. A febrile fit is a 'convulsion' that occurs with high fever. It is the most common convulsive disorder in childhood. Children from 6 months to 5 years are especially at risk. Q. Will my child suffer fits throughout his life? A. NO. Most of the children who have febrile fits outgrow it by the age of 5 years. But 3 per cent of children holds a risk of getting fits later in life without fever. Q. Will my child get recurrent fits? A. YES. Children with a previous febrile convulsions are at an increase risk of recurrent fits. This occurs approximately in 1/3 of cases. Q. Are sons and daughters equally affected? A. NO. Boys are at a slightly higher risk than girls. Q. What happens during a febrile convulsion? A. # your child becomes briefly unconscious # eyes roll up # the child may show few jerks in arms and legs # once the fit is over, your child gets back to his normal activities Q. How long would a fit last? A. From a few seconds to a maximum of fifteen minutes. Q. Can a child get multiple fits on the same day? A. Usually it is a single convulsion for one febrile episode. Rarely a child can develop 2 or more convulsions in short succession. Q. Are febrile fits harmful to my child's brain? A. NO. Febrile fits are harmless. Q. As a parent what should I do when my child is convulsing? A. 1. stay calm. 2. move objects away from your child so that he/she cannot get hurt. 3. protect your childs airway. - clear any object in the mouth with a finger to prevent choking. Q. How do i reduce further fits? A. - bringing your child's fever down as quickly as possible will shorten the fits. You can do this by : - removing your child's clothing and sponging the face, neck, axillae and rest of the body with luke warm water. Stop sponging if the child starts shivering. - When the convulsions have ceased and the child awakes give the required dose of paracetamol. - encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids. Q. When should I bring the child to the hospital? A. - if the fit lasts longer than 10 mins. - if the child has difficulty in breathing. - if the child looks blue. Q. What are the things that you should not do? A. Don't try to restrain or stop the convulsive movements. Once started, the fit will run its course no matter what you do. . Don't try to force anything into your child's mouth. This can cut the mouth, injure a tooth, cause vomiting or results in serious bites of your finger. . Don't rush the child to a doctor, when he is fitting. . Dont' give any fluid by mouth. The child may choke. . Don't wrap your child with clothing, that can push the body temperature up and prolong the fits. . Don't sponge with cold water. Q. How can a febrile fit be prevented? A. . Prevent your child getting high fever by giving the correct dose of Paracetamol. . Too much paracetamol is toxic to your child. . Paracetamol is given according to the child's body weight. That is 10 mg/Kg body weight. This dose can be given 6 hours apart to a maximum of 4 doses over 24 hours. . Diazepam prophylaxis when recommended by your doctor. ############# Know your foods ... Nutritional value of mangoes Mango is an exotic fruit with a unique flavour which is believed to be close to the taste of paradise. The skin colour of mangoes is not a good guide to the taste and ripeness of the fruit. Large number of varieties of mangoes are available both in Sri Lanka and abroad, some with yellow skin, some with orange, others with greenish yellow through to a rich red. A ripe mango will feel soft all over. Mango is a common item used in the preparation of fruit salad and tinned ripe mangoes have been exported from Sri Lanka for quite some time. Nutrient Analysis (one mango fresh 207g) One mango contains 35.19g of carbohydrate and gives 134.5 Calories, 0.56g of fat, 0.21g of monounsaturated fat, 0.11g of polyunsaturated fat, 1.06g of protein, 1.74g of crude fibre, 805,23RE of vitamin A, 57.34g of vitamin C, 0.12mg of thiamine (B1) 0.12mg of riboflavin, 1.21mg of niacin, 0.33mg of pantothenic acid, 0.28mg of vitamin B6, 20.70mg of Calcium, 0.27mg of iron and 0.08mg of zinc. Thus nutritionally one cup of mango slices yields about three quarter of adults daily requirement of vitamin A and significant amounts of vitamin c, vitamin B6, Calcium, potassium and thiamins. ***** Coconut oil Coconut oil is composed of predominantly saturated fatty acids and is therefore highly resistant to oxidation and free radical formation unlike polyunsaturated and monounsaturated vegetable oils which are prone to free radical formation. Unlike above vegetable oils, coconut oil does not cause free radical damage that contributes to chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Although coconut oil is predominantly a saturated fat it is heart healthy. Most of the saturated fats in coconut oil are medium chain variety. Unlike the more common long-chain fatty acids found in meat and plants (including vegetable oils) these medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) are not absorbed directly into the blood stream and therefore do not directly raise blood fat levels or contribute to cardiovascular disease. The MCFA in coconut oil are directly sent to the liver and in the liver they are metabolised as carbohydrates yielding energy and as an added benefit, they stimulate metabolism. Because MCFA in coconut stimulate the body's metabolism more calories are consumed thus reducing the number of calories that could be turned into body fat. More total fats are burned up in view of the increased metabolic rate. Also coconut oil yields slightly fewer calories than other fats and the overall effect is like eating a fat that has fewer calories. If you want to add fat to your diet and still lose weight, coconut oil is your best choice. In addition to digestive benefits of coconut oil, its antimicrobial properties hold great promise in aiding our immune system and helping to fight infections of many types such as bacteria, fungi and giardia and other protozoa been found in India that coconut can be used to remove tapeworms. Because of above reasons, coconut oil is considered a functional food, that is a food that has health benefits beyond those of nutrients it contains. How much coconut oil should you eat to provide all the benefits? We know that certain island populations consume huge amounts of coconut fat (40 - 60 percent of total calories) and have excellent health. Animals which have been fed enormous quantities appear to have no adverse effects. The most prudent recommendation is not to increase your oil consumption, but to simply replace the refined vegetable oils you are currently using with coconut oil. Coconut oil is one fat you can eat without feeling guilty. From all the research that has been done, it appears that coconut oil is the healthiest all-purpose oil you can use.All your cooking which requires oil should be done with coconut oil and although coconut oil is stable under moderate temperature unlike unsaturated vegetable oils) coconut oil should not be used for deep frying. The high temperatures used for deep frying are destructive to any oil. Unlike unsaturated vegetable oils, coconut oil which is a very stable oil does not need to be refrigerated and it will stay fresh for at least two years unrefrigerated. by Dr. D.P. Atukorale ############# A new approach to treating Autism From our readers... Autism is a disease that continues to elude an effective cure. Now new research and clinical studies on autistic patients have proved that the disease can be successfully treated with a simple remedy; Vit. B6, says Dr. Bernard Rimland of the Autism Research Institute in California. Eighteen studies in which vitamin B6 has been evaluated as a treatment for autistic children have provided positive results. However, despite the remarkably consistent findings in the research on the use of Vitamin B6 in the treatment of autism, and despite its being immeasurably safer than any of the drugs used for autistic children, there are at present very few practitioners who use it or advocate its use in the treatment of autism. Research on the use of vitamin B6 with autistic children began in the 1960s. In 1966 two British neurologists, A. F. Heeley and G. E. Roberts, reported that 11 of 19 autistic children excreted abnormal metabolites in their urine when given a tryptophan load test. Giving these children a single 30 mg tablet of vitamin B6 normalized their urine; however, no behavioural studies were done. A german investigator, V. E. Bonisch, reported in 1968 that 12 of 16 autistic children had shown considerable behavioural improvement when given high dosage levels (100mg to 600mg per day) of vitamin B6. three of Bonisch's patients spoke for the first time after the vitamin B6 was administered in this open clinical trial. I undertook a large-scale study, on over 200 autistic children, of megadose quantities of vitamin B6, niacinamide, pantothenic acid, and vitamin C, along with a multiple-vitamin tablet especially designed for the study. At the end of the four-month trial it was clear that vitamin B6 was the most important of the four vitamins we had investigated, and that in some cases it brought about remarkable improvement. between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of the children showed significant improvement when the vitamin B6 was given to them. A few of the children showed minor side effects (irritability, sound sensitivity and bed-wetting), but these quickly cleared up when additional magnesium was supplied, and the magnesium confirmed additional benefits. Two years later two colleagues and I initiated a second experimental study of the use of megavitamin therapy on autistic children, this time concentrating on vitamin B6 and magnesium. In both studies the children showed a remarkably wide range of benefits from the vitamin B6. There was better eye contact, less self-stimulatory behaviour, more interest in the world around them, fewer tantrums, more speech, and in general the children became more normal, although they were not completely cured. Autism is thus in many cases a vitamin B6 dependency syndrome. Several recent studies have also shown positive results on autistic patients. While no patient has been cured with the vitamin B6 and magnesium treatment, there have been many instances where remarkable improvement has been achieved. In view of the consistent findings showing the safety and efficacy of the nutrients B6 and magnesium in treating autistic individuals, and in view of the inevitability of short and/or long-term side effects of drug use, it certainly seems that this safe and rational approach should be tried before drugs are employed. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Caring for a person with 'memory loss' and 'confusion' can be stressful
and exhausting. The following tips are designed to help you find the
support you may need.
Febrile convulsions are common occurance among young children. But for
parents it can be a terrifying experience. DR. VASANA KIRIDENA, Registrar
in Paediatrics, University of Peradeniya tries to allay these fears by
answering the following questions:
