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| Sunday, 15 September 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Compiled by carol aloysius Are you a victim of slow poisoning? The following article sent by reader S. R. Balachnadran is an eye opener to all of us who may not know how to prevent our bodies from being poisoned slowly... Nobody is willing to take poison. However, the majority of us are not aware that we are being subject to slow poisoning, where the ultimate damage is inevitable. I quote below the following instances. Drugs/Heroin/Narcotics Consumption of heroin and drugs coated items is spreading in Sri Lanka among young people, mainly due to frustration and mental problems. Our younger generation will become addicted to drugs unless careful attention is drawn to them. I am aware that eating raw arecanut is harmful, but arecanuts processed with drug coating are being sold in the market. Even in the beedi a flavoured arecanut wrapped in Betel leaf), I am made to understand that drugs are added to enhance the flavour and sensation. Smoking The public is not really aware of the danger faced by smokers. Smoking beedi, cigar and cigarettes is detrimental to the health. Smoking damages our lungs. According to Chinese medicine, a person who possesses healthy lungs is healthy for ever. Some people think that they should smoke at a party or gathering to maintain social status. Liquor Consumption of liquor is also on the increasing trend. People take liquor due to frustration, worries, and also on the belief that drinking reduces stress. Intake of arrack, kasippu, etc., is harmful. If you become addicted to liquor, unless timely action is taken, the chances for recovery are remote. Bottled drinks It is true that we have to drink a minimum of eight glasses of water per day. It may be water, natural fruit juice, butter milk etc. However, drinking sweetened artificially coloured bottled beverages is harmful. Drinking more than five bottles of such bottled drinks results in calcium deficiency and connected diseases. Coffee Drinking several cups of coffee per day is harmful. Even though doctors permit the moderate consumption of tea by heart patients, intake of coffee should be discouraged. Coffee increases the blood pressure and heart beat and causes nervous break-downs. Eating habits Your eating habits decide your future. Consuming fat and cholesterol promoting food not only increases your body weight but also increases the chances of high blood pressure, heart attacks etc. Taking a regular balanced healthy diet prevents such diseases. It is suggested that you could have a good breakfast, an average lunch and an early light dinner. Consumption of very hot and very cold food also should be discouraged. We must train our children to create good eating habits. Exercise Children should be encouraged to take adequate exercise to maintain proper body weight. Over consumption of food with no exercise creates lots of health problems. Suitable exercise should be selected. eg: brisk walks, yoga exercise, playing suitable games etc. After a particular age, you should not do heavy exercises. Your family physician will be able to advise you regarding the type of exercise required considering your age and other ailments. Tension The main cause for stress is tension. People may not be aware that the tension is also the cause for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks etc. You should programme your life and work to reduce tension. Some people take liquor and smoke to reduce tension, which is wrong. A properly planned life style will help you to reduce tension and enjoy your life better. Rest It is very important we have adequate rest and sleep. The rest should be for your body and mind as well. Meditation relaxes your mind and helps to restore the energy wasted by your body as well. Ulcer Ulcer problems could be controlled by adequate rest, reduction of spicy foods and avoidance of tension. In short by reducing "Hurry", "Curry" and "Worry" Everyone can enjoy a reasonably healthy life. ====================== Sunning is fine - but don't over do it Sunlight plays an important role in our health. Treatment with sunlight can clear up many skin diseases. In addition, sunlight is responsible for the formation of vitamin D in the skin. Just an occasional few minutes of sun on a small portion of the body will produce all the vitamin D you need. Sunlight is even used to treat new-born, jaundice - a condition often found in premature infants. A yellow substance called bilirubin is released from red blood cells that die and accumulates because the liver is unable to break it down. Severe brain damage or even death can result. Babies exposed to natural sunlight or a sunlamp have much less trouble with jaundice, although the exact reason why this is so is still unknown. But sunburn is a true burn caused by the sun's ultraviolet rays. These rays make up about one per cent of all the sun's rays that reach the earth. When skin pigment - called melanin - is exposed to the sun the cells which contain the pigment produce more cells containing melanin which give the skin a darker appearance. The pigment serves to protect the skin from injury. That is what a tan is: a protection reaction to skin injury. The tan does not limit further injury as many people think. True about half of the ultraviolet rays are blocked, but the rest pass through, reaching the deeper tissues. And the damage doesn't appear right away. The cells in the deep tissue become changed and disorganised. Eventually, perhaps as many as twenty years later, the sundamaged skin takes on an aged, leathery appearance, with lots of wrinkles. Sunburn is not the only kind of bad reaction resulting from exposure of the skin to the sun's rays. Sometimes the drugs people take make the skin very sensitive and it develops rashes or burns easily. Such medications include oral contraceptives, several antibiotics, barbiturates, and even some perfumes and cosmetics. 'Cold' sores may develop on the lips of some people every time the same area is exposed to the sun. Skin cancer also results from exposure. In fact, the number of people developing skin cancers is directly related to the amount of yearly sunlight in the area where exposure occurs. Fortunately, this type of cancer can be detected and treated easily. When it comes to the sun it's best to play safe. It's smart to protect the skin from burning and more serious injury. Use preparations which screen out the sun's burning rays, and limit the amount of time spent in the sun. - Herald of Health ====================== When you get a heart attack ... by Dr. D. P. Atukorale A heart attack can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime. And when a heart attack occurs there is no time for delay. The symptoms of a heart attack vary, but the usual warning signs are: 1. Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing, burning sensation or pain in the centre of the chest lasting five minutes or more. 2. Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck, jaw, arms or back. 3. Dizziness, fainting, sweating, nausea and or shortness of breath. These signs are not always present. Many times a heart attack victim will experience some but not all of these symptoms. And in some cases, the symptoms subside and then return. In some cases a heart attack victim may get only pain in upper abdomen with associated nausea and vomiting and there is no response to antacids and garlic. Denial It is very common for heart attack victims to deny they are having a heart attack. In fact you are with someone showing signs of a heart attack, expect a denial. The thought of having a heart attack is scary and many people do not want to face that possibility. Also they may be afraid to risk the embarrassment of a 'false alarm'. As a result, they delay getting help by ignoring the symptoms or rationalising that it is just indigestion. As mentioned earlier, many Sri Lankans with above symptoms swallow antacids like aluminium hydroxide, or garlic or apply oils and certain ointments on the chest before contacting a doctor. Any chest discomfort or so-called indigestion occurring in a middle-aged person in the night or early morning should be diagnosed as a heart attack unless otherwise proved, especially in middle-aged persons with coronary risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, high blood cholesterol, family history of heart-attacks or severe stress. Fear and lack of knowledge compound the problem. If you or someone close to you, shows signs of a heart attack, get help or go to hospital immediately and find out what is really wrong. Before going to hospital swallow a tablet of soluble aspirin and take one or two tablets of nitroglycerin (GTN) under the tongue. It is by responding promptly that you will dramatically increase the chances of survival and recovery. In fact new therapies such as streptokinase have been developed that can dissolve the clot and minimise the heart muscle damage and even save lives if the treatment is given within the first few hours after symptoms start. Soluble aspirin (300 mg) and thrombolytic agents (e.g. streptokinase) administered to the patient as soon as the heart attack victim is taken to hospital, can save the lives of thousands of heart attack patients. At present as far as I am aware this wonder drug streptokinase is available in all Government Base Hospitals, all Provincial hospitals, all General Hospitals, all Teaching Hospitals, and majority of private nursing homes of Sri Lanka. If you think that you or someone else is having a heart attack, don't wait. Get help or get to hospital immediately. Do not wait in your house expecting a doctor to visit you, as you may be wasting precious time. If you have a telephone, contact your family physician immediately and get his advice. The signs listed earlier are the body's way of telling you that something is happening - that part of the heart muscle is not getting its blood supply and that the heart needs help. Be acting quickly you can increase the odds of a speedy recovery. You might save a life. If you or someone you know shows the symptoms of a heart attack, take the following steps: 1. Call the emergency medical service system in your area if such a system exists. (Unfortunately this type of emergency call system as far as I am aware is available only in Colombo). Don't forget to keep your family physician informed if he can be contacted urgently. 2. Get the victim to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible after administering a tablet of soluble aspirin and a tablet of nitroglycerin if this is available, if you have a vehicle, drive yourself. You can call a taxi or arrange for a three-wheeler. Unfortunately due to some unknown reason, taxis are not available after six p.m. in Colombo area. If you have symptoms of a heart attack don't drive. Ask someone else to drive you. Go to the nearest hospital preferably one with 24 hour emergency services. If there are more than one hospital in your area take the patient to the hospital which has intensive care facilities. Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation Perform CPR (mouth to mouth or mouth to nose breathing and chest compression) for a victim whose pulse and or respiration has stopped while you are waiting for an emergency vehicle to arrive. ====================== Psychological responses to problem drinking This is a follow-up to last week's article by the same author on alcohol dependence by Dr. R.A.R. Perera, Consultant Psychologist, Police Hospital Colombo Experience shows that nothing can be done to a patient that will stop him drinking or make him change his way of life substantially and in this sense problem drinking is not treatable in traditional medical terms. However, there is a wide variety of effective psychological responses to alcohol problems which facilitate substantial improvements resolution and recovery. Interviews with the spouse or other family members are often crucial in getting a full picture of the drinking behaviour. The problem drinker often experiences rejection by society. Therefore, acceptance of the patient as a person with problems is the essence of the consultation; even a momentary expression of disapproval passing across the psychologist's face can hinder the emergence of trust and motivation. Denial about drinking is a common response to pressure from family and doctor to stop drinking. These responses are often interpreted as indicating that the patient is not motivated to abstain. If the psychologist initially avoids drinking as the central issue of the consultation and considers the wide range of social problems, denial of drinking will often be unnecessary. In this way, the patient may respond more positively and the drinking pattern may be modified to a harm free level. The psychologist should examine the relationship between casual factors, varieties of drinking pattern and consequent problems. Psychiatric illness is not usually present but an examination of mental functions is very important. Simple tests of cognitive function, specially memory, often indicate early psychological dysfunction. A recent dietary history is important in accounting for weight loss and neurological deficit. Laboratory investigations are helped in establishing physical illness but often fail to reflect the patient's psychological difficulties. An EEG and psychological testing should be carried out in some patients to establish a psychological deficit. The psychologist should set up a detoxification program, and treat any antecedent depression or phobic illness. It is best to tackle one problem at a time in a planned way, because occasionally the solution of a single problem can have very beneficial effects. To believe that drinking is out of control is denial of personal accountability which is demeaning and offers no help. It is therefore, essential to emphasize personal responsibility and choice. Every drink taken has to be lifted to the lips! The patient's decisions to alter his life style, personal characteristics or drinking behaviour depend in part on knowledge that is available to him. Alcohol education is a major clinical exercise. Patients should be encouraged to see the relationship between problems, and the pattern, quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption. Counting drinks in alcohol units (like counting calories) introduces involvement understanding and control, this should be strongly encouraged. Modifying drinking behaviour Avoiding excessive consumption. The advantages of reduced consumption, such as saving money, should be clearly spelled out. Bringing, the patient's spouse and family in to consumption monitoring can be very helpful, if this is handled sensitively. patients should clearly recognise the specific problems related to their own intoxication. Most patients know their consumption level (tolerance) before intoxication, and can be encouraged to limit their intake accordingly. Strategies include, saying 'no' after three drinks/change to non-alcoholic drink/drink at slower rate/drink less concentrated drinks/drink while having food. Avoiding dependence: many cases of physical dependence remit as the drinker appreciates the problems and modifies his daily consumption until withdrawal symptoms disappear. Many psychotherapy techniques are used to treat problem drinking. Rehabilitation is a complex process that may take 2-3 years of skilful co-ordination and management. ====================== Prevention of 'man made diseases' by Dr. Chandana Weerasekara, Govt. Homoeopathic Clinic, Kandy Every substance whether crude or processed, natural or artificial has its potentiality to alter or modify the state of health. Substances which could alter the state of ill-health or a disease condition to health of an individual (the patient) are called medicines (drugs). Similarly substances which could modify or alter the perception, mood of other psychological states are called Narcotics (Drugs). In both instances these substances are called Drugs. Today medicines (drugs) are classified as allopathic (western), Ayurvedic (native), Homoeopathic, Chinese etc. Still there are occasions a single substance is being used in two or three systems of medicine. One of the main reason why we are not cautious with regard to the usage of medicines and why even medical professionals abuse them is the idea of that the medicines are more safer than the disease causative factors. Whereas the truth is just the opposite. This fact was disclosed by 18th century Physician Dr. Samuel Hahnemann the father of Homoeopathic system of medicine, over 200 years ago. According to Dr. Samuel Hahnemann "A multitude of disease-exciting causes act daily and hourly upon us they are incapable of deranging the equilibrium of health, or of making the healthy, sick. If the inimical physical and psychic force in nature which are termed disease causative factors, possessed an unconditional power of deranging the human health: "they would as they are universally distributed, not leave any one in good health, every one would be ill and we can never think of health." Further he explains that the medicina forces are stronger than that of disease forces otherwise diseases cannot be overcome or cured by medicines. Allopathy is a system which adopts therapeutics and surgery. Surgery is applied for mechanical corrections of obstructions to recovery, and also in purely surgical cases such as injuries due to external causes. Homeopathy could prevent surgery if applied at the proper stage. When an irreversible pathological change has taken place, it should be surgically removed or corrected. Such conditions are called the obstructions to recovery. There is no question of surgery in homeopathy as it is an therapeutic system, it is the responsibility of the physician to refer the case to a surgeon, when it is necessary. It should be borne in mind after surgery every patient should be therapeutically managed. Homeopathy is fully equipped for the same. Physicians should not be prejudiced. It should be well understood that every system has its limitations. When every system fails still homeopathy could give hope to the patients because it treats the patients and not the diseases. |
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