Лечение астмы

Лечение астмы имеет долгую и богатую историю. Среди популярных в недавнем времени средств были: втирание в грудь томатной пасты, тесное общение с собачками чихуа-хуа, прикладывание ко лбу серебряной монеты, поглощение куриной печени, приём толчённых целебных трав. Нынешний, более рациональный подход к лечению астмы основан на ряде медицинских открытий, сделанных в первой половине XX века.
Первое открытие. В 1903 году было обнаружено, что адреналин (гормон, выделяющийся надпочечниками) снимает острые приступы астмы. И сейчас, в начале нового века, адреналин остаётся для множества врачей основным средством, способным снять острый приступ астмы или аллергическую реакцию.
Второе открытие. В 1926 году был введён в обиход эфедрин, принимаемый орально. Это первое признанное лекарство, использующееся в лечении астмы, было открыто наблюдательными китайцами более четырех тысяч лет назад. Древние целители заметили, что люди с хрипами получают значительное облегчение, вдыхая дым горящей китайской травы под названием ма-хуан. Когда был выделен ведущий компонент этого растения, он получил название эфедрин. Эфедрин – весьма эффективное, но мягко действующее бронхорасширяющее средство.
Третье открытие. Астматики, родившиеся до 1940 года, заслуживают сострадания, поскольку в те времена существовало мало эффективных лекарств от астмы. В 1938 году, с появлением нового лекарства под названием теофиллин, перспективы астматиков стали лучше, спустя всего несколько лет для лечения тяжёлых форм астмы стали применять кортизоновые препараты.
Среди созданных в настоящее время лекарств, применяются улучшенные адреналиноподобные препараты – бета-агонисты, препараты теофиллина с длительным действием, новое соединение, названное кромолин (интал), и кортизоновые препараты в виде аэрозолей. Современная фармакология делает возможным создание схемы лекарственной терапии «с подгонкой по фигуре» пациента.
Врачами было обнаружено, что многие лица, страдающие астмой и вдыхающие аллергены, не хрипят и не чихают в течение нескольких часов после воздействия аллергена, зато после этого реакция иногда длится по нескольку дней. Дополнительные исследования показали, что астматики могут реагировать на вдыхание аллергенов двумя способами.
Хрипы, которые развиваются примерно через 10 минут после воздействия аллергена, достигают пика через полчаса и исчезают через 1-3 часа, такая астматическая реакция называется ранней или немедленной.
Хрипы, которые начинаются рез 3-4 часа после вдыхания аллергена, достигают своего пика рез 8 часов и могут длиться более суток, получили название поздней или запаздывающей астматической реакции.
Большинство специалистов полагают, что именно эта поздняя реакция, вызывающая хроническое воспаление бронхиальных труб, и является единственной серьёзной причиной хронической астмы.
Эти важные исследования привели к резкому изменению в области лечения астмы. Были выявлены две основные группы противоастматических средств, с разным спектром действия при ранних и поздних реакциях астматического характера.
Бронхорасширяющие средства, такие, как бета-агонисты и теофиллин, действуют, раскрывая (расширяя) бронхи. Предотвращая или ослабляя раннюю реакцию, они не воздействуют или почти не воздействуют на реакцию позднюю.
Противовоспалительные лекарства – кромолин и кортизон – не снимают появившуюся симптоматику, однако предотвращают развитие поздней фазы астмы.
Бронхорасширяющие средства.
Бета-антогонисты. Это различные производные адреналина, одного из главных гормонов, вырабатываемого надпочечниками. Эти лекарства воздействуют на организм, стимулируя его периферическую нервную систему, т.к. она контролирует тонус бронхов, противодействуя влиянию медиаторов. К примеру, когда человек получает укол адреналина или принимает таблетки эфедрина, у него исчезают хрипы, однако одновременно может участиться сердцебиение или подняться кровяное давление.
Аэрозольные средства бронхорасширяющие средства, предпочтительнее оральных по ряду причин. Если глотаю таблетку эфедрина, она медленно всасывается в систему кровообращения, доставляется к сердцу и уже затем, с кровотоком поступает к остальным внутренним органам тела. Нужно принять относительно большое количество таблеток, чтобы небольшая его доза бралась до цели – скажем, до бронхов. Кроме того, лекарства попадают и в другие органы, не нуждающиеся в них, и могут вызвать нежелательные побочные эффекты, например, эфедрин, принятый орально, прекрасно воздействует на лёгкие и бронхи, однако мозг реагирует на эфедрин бессонницей или дрожанием рук и судорогами. Приём противоастматических аэрозолей, которые можно вдыхать в лёгкие, получают при этом быстрый положительный эффект и сводят к минимуму эффекты побочные.
Карманный ингалятор выделяет точно определённое количество лекарства и обеспечивает прекрасный результат, если пациент следует инструкциям по пользованию ингалятором и придерживается предписанных интервалов времени. К сожалению, многие астматики либо злоупотребляют ингаляторами, либо не точно следуют инструкциям, а некоторые больные вообще не хотят учиться тому, как правильно пользоваться ингалятором.
Теофеллин. Было давно известно, что одним из наиболее распространённых среди астматиков и пользующихся наилучшей репутацией средств от астмы, причём в большинстве случаев более эффективным, чем остальные, является крепкий чай или кофе. К несчастью, этот мудрый совет врачи игнорировали в течение более чем пятидесяти лет, пока, наконец, немецкие и американские учёные не выяснили, почему жертвы астмы перестают хрипеть, употребляя крепкий чай или кофе. Исследования привели к выделению кофеиноподобного соединения, названного теофиллином, которое облегчало острые приступы астмы.
Длительное использование теофиллина не более опасно, чем повседневное потребление чая или кофе. Примерно у одного из десяти употребляющих теофиллин может появиться головокружение, потеря аппетита и даже рвота. Некоторые дети становятся гиперактивны, а порой у них даже возникают проблемы с обучением, поскольку, теофиллин может вызывать потерю внимания и способности сосредоточиться. Среди прочих побочных эффектов – головные боли, бессонница и раздражительность. Большинство этих симптомов вызваны тем, что теофиллин действует подобно кофеину. Пациенты, которые не могут пить кофе или чай, обычно не могут принимать и теофиллин.
Незначительные побочные эффекты от употребления теофиллина, возникающие вскоре после начала курса лечения, часто исчезают через несколько дней или же снимаются тем, что лекарство принимается вместе с пищей либо после еды. Поскольку некоторые препараты нельзя принимать вместе с едой, больной должен строго следовать предписаниям врача, иначе возможны тяжёлые токсические реакции, вызванные высоким содержанием теофиллина в организме, – такие, которые способны привести к кровавой рвоте, нарушениям сознания и судорогам. Подобные реакции могут угрожать жизни, и при них необходима немедленная медицинская помощь.
Противовоспалительные лекарства.
Кромолин лучше всего действует на детей и взрослых с аллергической формой астмы. Он предотвращает приступы астмы, запускающиеся обычно через контакт с животными и вызываемые физическими нагрузками. Кроме того, кромолин уникален тем, что это первое лекарство, которое оказалось способным предотвратить и ранние и поздние астматические реакции.
Каким же образом препараты кортизона воздействуют на организм?
Они уменьшают выделения в лёгких и снимают воспаление и отёки бронхов. В число производных кортизона, используемых ныне при лечении астмы, входят оральные препараты преднизона (медрол), а также ингалируемые средства беклометазон (бекловент, ванцерил), флюнизолид (аэробид) и триамцинолон (азмакорт).
Установлено, что ежедневный приём кортизоновых препаратов в течение длительного периода вызывает разрушительные последствия, в том числе, нарушение работы надпочечников, замедление заживления ран, сильное ожирение, склонность к кровоизлияниям, хрупкость костей (остеопороз), образование глазной катаракты и задержку умственного развития у детей.
Вместе с тем, лечение «через день» стала общепринятой методикой лечения тех форм астмы, которые не излечивались другими средствами, т.к. она позволила многим астматикам отказаться от госпитализации и вести относительно нормальный образ жизни.
Преднизон является наиболее предпочтительным кортизоновым препаратом для схемы «через день», потому что очень быстро выводится из организма. Тем не менее, схема «через день» всё-таки содержит в себе элемент риска, поскольку и при её использовании у больного может возникнуть остеопороз или иные серьёзные побочные эффекты, если препараты кортизона используются достаточно долго.
Последняя важная группа новых противоастматических средств, введенная в обращение – это кортизоновые аэрозоли, которые показали их эффективность в сдерживании хронической астмы у пациентов всех возрастных категорий. Их возможность резко уменьшить потребность в оральном приёме препаратов кортизона и преднизалона несравнимо выше, чем у любых других противоастматических средств. Но, у кортизоновых аэрозолей есть несколько серьёзных побочных эффектов. Наиболее распространённый из них – сухость в горле и хрипота. Если астматик, попавший в зависимость от препаратов кортизона, отказывается от их приёма, он может пережить неприятные последствия в виде наркотического синдрома. Типичные симптомы: вялость, потеря аппетита, мышечные и суставные боли, вспышка побочных заболеваний, таких, как сенная лихорадка и экзема, которые до поры до времени подавлялись приёмами кортизона. Иногда симптомы «кортизоновой ломки» бывают столь серьёзны, что от приёма лекарства приходится отказываться постепенно, в течение нескольких месяцев.
Большинство потребителей лечебных средств хорошо осознают опасность, которую представляет долгосрочное использование стероидных и кортизоновых препаратов.
Ныне изучается множество новых лекарств от астмы. К сожалению, дело продвигается очень медленно, поскольку для того, чтобы вывести на рынок новое лекарство, требуется срок более двенадцати лет и суммы, превышающие 250 миллионов долларов в год.

лечение навязчивых состояний

NUTRITIONAL APPROACHES TO SCHIZOPHRENIA

Vitamin E
It has been suggested that the chronic use of neuroleptic drugs may generate free radicals which damage synaptic terminals and destroy essential fatty acids. Vitamin E, which can restrict the formation of free radicals, produced an improvement in tardive dyskinesia.
It may be that the best results in schizophrenia, with or without tardive dyskinesia, may be achieved by combining essential fatty acids with Vitamin E. In the above study Vitamin E was added to both the Efamol and the placebo capsules.
Other nutritional approaches to schizophrenia: diet, zinc and B6
Cutting out wheat, milk and foods containing arachidonic acid (meat, dairy products and peanuts) has also been of help in some patients. According to the late Dr Carl Pfeiffer, most schizophrenics respond well to therapy with zinc and B6, in which they are often deficient. It could be that a combination of all these regimes is the most effective treatment. Drugs are effective, particularly on the ‘positive’ aspects of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations and bizarre behaviour, but they do little for the ‘negative’ symptoms, the withdrawal and the lack of emotional contact. The nutritional approaches, in contrast, seem to do little for the ‘positive’ symptoms but help the ‘negative’ ones. There is therefore a case for the two approaches together.
Caution: In contrast to schizophrenia, temporal lobe epilepsy may be made much worse by supplementation with evening primrose oil. Temporal lobe epilepsy and schizophrenia may be very difficult to distinguish from each other. However, the worsening of temporal lobe epilepsy in response to taking supplements of fatty acids means that giving EFA supplements could be the basis of a new diagnostic test. It is possible that many patients diagnosed as having schizophrenia in fact have temporal lobe epilepsy. If such patients are put on the appropriate drug, carbamazepine, they show a dramatic improvement which may mean they can leave hospital.
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HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR DOCTOR: DEMAZIN, DEMENTIA

Demazin
Demazin is a clever composition of an “upper” and a “downer” designed to dry up noses. The downer is a sedative antihistamine called Dexchlorpheniramine (Polaramine), the upper Pseudoephedrine or Phenylephrine. The combination works very well and is the reserve position if either Phenylephrine or an antihistamine fails in their own right. Both medications raise blood pressure and effect psychomotor coordination. Take care with driving and definitely don’t mix them with alcohol.
Dementia
Dementia constitutes a global loss of intellectual function in response to continuing destruction of neurones in the brain. Dementia is neither senility, nor old age. Senility and old age are possible without suffering from a dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease, first identified in 1906, constitutes nearly 60 per cent of all dementing processes. The cause of Alzheimer’s Disease is unknown and latest research implicates the formation of an abnormal brain protein, in conjunction with a build up of aluminium in damaged brain cells.
The victims of dementia gradually lose their memories and the capacity to concentrate, think clearly and do simple mental tasks. After four to seven years of deterioration, people with dementia frequently end up in nursing homes. The end comes quietly when bedridden sufferers catch pneumonia or succumb to other inter-current infections.
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NATURAL THERAPIES FOR INSOMNIA: REFLEXOLOGY AND REFLEX ZONE THERAPY

‘In the vast majority of the people I treat,’ says a former nurse turned reflexologist, ‘by the time I get to the second foot, their heads are nodding.’ Reflexology is yet another complementary
therapy that provides deep relaxation as well as therapeutic treatment for a number of ailments. Its origins are very old: an Ancient Egyptian wall painting shows two people having their feet treated. Reflexology was rediscovered in the 1920s by an American physician Dr William Fitzgerald, and is growing in popularity today.
Like acupuncture, it is based on the theory that there are channels of energy flowing through the body. These channels are not identical, yet both therapies are effective — which is one of those mysteries of alternative medicine. In the case of reflexology, there are ten channels, which can be tapped into through specific reflex zones in the feet and hands. The feet themselves represent a kind of map of the body, with the big toes relating to the head and neck, and the bony side of the foot to the spine; reflex points for the liver, kidneys and other organs are found in the soft part of the arch, and so on.
Reflexologists are trained to sense energy blockages in the feet, and massage techniques to unblock them, stimulating the energy flow, and encouraging the body to heal itself. Some patients can actually sense the energy in the part of the body relating to the point on the foot being treated; it can feel like a mild electric shock.
You may be treated sitting up or lying down. The practitioner will give a complete treatment to both feet, and then focus on any problem areas. For insomnia, particular attention is likely to be given to the head area, including the pituitary gland (the master gland of the hormonal system) and to the adrenals, which may be overworked by stress. The solar plexus (about a third of the way down the sole of the foot) is another point that is likely to receive extra attention, and you may be asked to breathe deeply while it is being treated; this is excellent for stress.
Reflexology is particularly good for conditions involving congestion — sinusitis, migraine, asthma, a sluggish liver, fluid retention and so on. Sometimes people treated for such conditions experience a reaction as their bodies throw out toxins, possibly in the form of vomiting or diarrhoea, after which they feel very much better and clearer.
Reflexology is also good for releasing emotional congestion, especially when the therapist is receptive and a good counsellor. The reflexologist quoted in the first paragraph treated a woman who had been sleeping badly and feeling generally stressed since the recent death of her mother. During her mother’s illness she had held back her emotions in order to be ‘strong for the family’. After two treatments she found herself in floods of tears; the reflexologist reassured her that this was absolutely right and healthy: there had been an emotional build-up which needed to be released. The client understood the sense of this; following this episode she slept much better.
On the whole, treatment is fairly painless; now and again pressure on a particular site of trouble can hurt, but this does not last. Reflexology is in fact very good for the relief of chronic pain, possibly more effective than drugs and without the side effects. It is also helpful for hormonal imbalances and a variety of problems that may be affecting your sleep; after a treatment most people sleep extra well. As with other natural therapies, a course of several treatments will be needed to bring about a lasting effect, and patients can help themselves by following their practitioner’s recommendations about diet and so on.
Reflex Zone Therapy, which works along very similar lines, is taught to and practised by qualified nurses and physiotherapists. Used in a maternity unit, it has been found particularly beneficial for post-birth problems, such as wind, and difficulty in passing urine. One new mother who was suffering from tension because of domestic problems asked for a sleeping tablet; since she needed to wake easily should her child need attention during the night, she was offered Reflex Zone Therapy instead. She was asleep before the treatment was complete, and woke six hours later to feed her baby
Self-help
While it’s not really feasible to treat one’s own feet, you can learn from books to treat your hands, which contain a similar map of the body. Look out, too, for weekend or evening courses.
You can buy knobbly sandals claiming to give your feet a treatment while you walk around, but beware of wearing them for too long, which can over-stimulate the reflex zones and deplete your energy.
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NATURAL THERAPIES FOR INSOMNIA: OSTEOPATHY AND CHIROPRACTIC

Manipulative techniques can often help insomniacs, and not only by relieving pain in the back or other joints; treatment can be an excellent stress reliever. Insomnia, headaches, migraines and general tension are, for example, often caused or exacerbated by problems in the vertebrae of the neck, which both the osteopath and the chiropractic can relieve or cure.
Both these methods of treating the musculo-skeletal system (the bones, muscles and joints) are becoming increasingly accepted by orthodox medicine. The two therapies were evolved independently in America towards the end of the nineteenth century, and there are variations between them, although some techniques are common to both. There are also variations between the techniques used by practitioners from different training schools.
This is particularly the case with chiropractic: members of the British Chiropractic Association have undergone a full-time four-year course which is medically and academically oriented and now has degree status; many take their own X-rays. Members of the Institute of Pure Chiropractic have trained at the part-time McTimoney School, whose teaching is based on a very gentle but effective technique developed by an Englishman, John McTimoney; as well as training in anatomy and physical techniques, the school encourages the development and use of the intuition.
Both osteopathy and chiropractic are based on the principle that the health of the spine has a profound effect on overall well-being. The spinal cord is an extension of the brain, and connects with all the organs of the body via the circulatory and nervous systems. So although people generally seek these therapies for back and joint pain, they can be beneficial for a wide range of problems as diverse as asthma, migraine, indigestion, hiatus hernia, pre-menstrual tension and so on. Some practitioners are good counsellors; some also take a particular interest in nutrition, and can advise you on diet and supplements, particularly those who have also trained in naturopathy.
Adjusting the vertebrae is not usually painful, and the effects can be extremely relaxing. One woman who had barely slept for four years after injuring her neck in a car accident eventually visited a chiropractor; after treatment she fell asleep for several hours, and subsequently returned to a normal sleep pattern.
Nowadays quite elderly people are turning to these therapies for help with arthritic and back pain with good results. Manipulation may not cure the arthritis, but it can relieve the pressure on arthritic joints and improve the circulation of blood around them, helping to remove toxic waste. Practitioners have a variety of techniques at their disposal, as well as, or instead of, actual manipulation which might be over-traumatic for the old or those in very severe pain. Soft tissue techniques (specific ways of massaging the muscles) also help to realign joints, relax over-tense bodies, and boost the circulation of blood and lymphatic drainage.
A woman in her forties went to an osteopath specifically for her insomnia; for about a year she had been waking at three in the morning, only falling asleep again when it was nearly time to get up. She was not under any special stress, but was overweight and suffered from indigestion. The osteopath first treated her for muscle tension and restriction in the shoulder girdle; in the next two months, as these tensions relaxed, she began to return to normal sleep. The osteopath then went on to treat her back, pelvis and abdomen, relieving her other problems of indigestion and painful periods.
Cranial osteopathy, or cranio-sacral therapy
This is an extremely gentle approach to manipulation practised by some osteopaths and chiropractors. It is based on the connection between the cranium (the skull) and the sacrum, the shield-shaped bone at the base of the spine.
Practitioners often work simply by placing a hand gently on the relevant parts of the spine, relieving tensions and encouraging the flow of cerebro-spinal fluid, which nourishes the spinal cord. This is extremely relaxing in itself, as well as curative. They may also treat the skull and jaw, often an area of much tension.
Cranial treatment can be very helpful for both babies and mothers after a difficult birth. A cranial check-up after birth might prevent a lot of ‘inexplicable’ problems in babies.
A number of cranial osteopaths are very intuitive, and can tune into the emotional origins of their patients’ pain, helping to heal mind and body simultaneously.
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MANAGEMENT OF BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS IN YOUNG CHILDREN

Avoid sudden changes in activities. Give your child some time to effect a transition rather than taking him by surprise. If you want him to come in for dinner, don’t suddenly uemanu mat ne drop everyming anu come lmmeuiateiy, men get angry ir he doesn’t do it. Tell him that it is almost dinnertime, and that in 5 minutes he will have to stop playing and come and sit at the dinner table.

Make sure you and your partner are in agreement. Young children are expert at playing one parent off against the other. Work out your rules and strategies, and support each other in sticking to them.

Decide what the rules are in advance, and make sure your child knows them too. The limits of acceptable behaviour may vary according to the parents and the individual attributes of the child. It is very difficult to be prescriptive. Make sure that the limits are reasonable, and focus on behaviours that are dangerous to the well-being of the child, or that you find intolerable. Make sure also that the limits are broad enough to allow your child some freedom. Avoid putting yourself in a situation where you are continually saying no.

Be consistent. While nobody can be consistent all the time and in every single situation, try to keep in mind that consistency about rules makes it more likely that the child will learn what the rules are too. Conversely, children will become confused in the face of inconsistency, and their behaviour may get worse. This is because they may feel insecure and need to continue to test limits in order to reassure themselves that they exist. The perceived absence of rules and limits is very scary for young children.

Be matter of fact about discipline. Don’t scream or lose your temper. Talk to your child in a calm, direct way. Stand or sit close to him, make eye contact whenever possible, and speak to him clearly and simply.

Do not threaten your child with long-term consequences. To be threatened with not being allowed to go swimming with his father on the weekend is meaningless for a young child. Suggest short-term consequences of his continued disobedience — ‘If you don’t stop that now, I’ll put you straight in your room’.

*171\90\8*

ANXIETY DISORDERS/WORKING THROUGH THE RECOVERY: OUR THRESHOLD TO STRESS

The working-through process may at first seem difficult and confusing, but it isn’t. Some people can feel daunted and overwhelmed by the amount of effort needed. It is worth it. Everything which is required from us during the working-through process will be given back to us in the sheer joy and total freedom of recovery.

The working-through process is the same for everyone. The only difference is our personal threshold to stress. Some people may have reached the point where they cannot tolerate even the smallest stress. Other people may have a higher threshold to stress, but it is still low enough to trigger fearful thoughts.

The time it takes people to recover will vary. The individual threshold to stress comes into account, but the amount of effort and discipline we put into our recovery is most important.

The first attack was the result of either a build-up of stress or a major life stress. In other words, the anxiety and/or attack happened when we reached the limit of our individual threshold to stress. This doesn’t mean we are weak. It simply means we have reached our limit to stress, just as most people will reach their limit to stress at one point or other in their life. Continual worry about the symptoms of anxiety and attacks only increases our stress and lowers our threshold to it.

As we begin the working-through process it is helpful if we have an understanding of how low our threshold to stress is and how high our anxiety is.

If our threshold to stress is now extremely low we may not be able to tolerate even the smallest daily stress. Our threshold to stress would be zero, while our anxiety level would be ten. At level five we would be able to tolerate the daily stress/es, but would find our anxiety level rising if there is a break in our normal daily routine. At level ten we would be able to deal with almost any stress without becoming anxious.

The working-through process means working to increase our threshold to stress back to normal levels, while decreasing our anxiety level.

It’s no use just hearing or reading about panic anxiety management skills. We have to practise them. There have been occasions when we say we’re not getting any better, and nothing has changed. If we are not getting results it usually means we are not practising enough, or even not practising at all!

*85\94\8*

ÑHILDREN’S SLEEP PROBLEMS/BUILDING THE BASICS: BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS

All people have biological cycles that govern their days and nights. Called “Circadian Rhythms,” these rhythms include sleeping, waking, hunger and changes in body temperature and hormones throughout the 24 hour day. The timing of these cycles is linked to the ability to fall and stay asleep instance, as we fall asleep there is a drop in our body temperature. We wake up as it starts to rise again.

Research shows that there is a natural tendency to stretch tow twenty-five hour cycle. Events in our daytime schedules—mealtime, bedtime and time of rising—serve the purpose of re-setting the cycle to fit the 24-hour day. You can probably see this happening, to a small degree, on M morning after you allowed yourself to go off your usual schedule during the weekend. This is also the experience of “jet lag”—when the event experience don’t fit with your biological clock.

Most people don’t have trouble maintaining a twenty-four hour cycle. But for children whose sleep cycles have strayed, this is asking

Sometimes we ask children to go to sleep when their bodies are not ready the sleep cycle. A child would understandably be grumpy and hard to live if his rhythms were not in sync with the clock of his world.

John just can’t seem to get to bed at a decent hour—we always battle bedtime. When he was eleven months old he wasn’t ready to go to bet 11:00 pm. We gradually got it down to 9:00 pm. Then at a year and ñ we noticed it had crept back up to 10:00 pm.

Biological rhythms influence sleep in several ways.

It may be necessary to purposefully take control of your child’s sleep if they have gotten off kilter.

Daytime routines are important to maintain biological rhythms an resulting sense of well-being.

If you implicate biological rhythms as a part of your child’s sleep pro changes need to be made in gradual increments so that a shift of cycles can occur smoothly.

When your child is sleeping better and more regularly, you can expect a happier child.

*14\67\8*

BREATHLESSNESS – FINDING CAUSE

To find out which cause applies in your case your doctor should check for other symptoms. For example, if you are coughing yellow or green phlegm it is probably infection. If you are coughing blood, it could be cancer or blood clots on the lung. If you feel more short of breath when lying flat than when sitting or standing, your heart is probably not working properly. If you or your doctor can hear whistling sounds with your breathing, you probably have some partly blocked bronchial tubes-

Often your doctor will be able to tell the cause just by taking your history, examining you and arranging a chest X-ray, but sometimes other tests, such as a lung scan, may be advisable.

Once the cause is found, it may be possible to correct it. For example, pneumonia could be treated with antibiotics, clots on the lung with drugs to thin the blood (anticoagulants) and anaemia with a transfusion.

*208/40/1*

HEADACHE — MIGRAINE – DESCRIPTION

A headache is probably the most common symptom from which we suffer.

This is not due to the hectic pace of life in the highly developed countries, as our brothers and sisters in the underdeveloped world where the pace of life is slower suffer just as often. Even our ancestors were not free from this common disorder.

The pain in your head may be an “ordinary” headache, not dignified by having a specific name or an associated symptom, occurring along with others in the course of some illness, such as one of the infectious diseases.

Or the pain may be one of the common specific disorders, such as migraine or tension headache.

Headaches are such a common occurrence that it is usually only the severe, the persistent, the recurrent or the bizarre headaches which make us seek medical attention, or it may be the more sensitive, introspective or hypochondriacal of us who bother to take such a symptom for medical evaluation.

*398/71/1*